Philadelphia Asian & Queer (PAQ) has been a safe haven to talk about what’s going on, how to combat anti-Asian hate or just a place to virtually hang out, have fun and forget the outside world. According to an analysis of official preliminary police data by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino, Anti-Asian hate crime in 16 of America’s largest cities increased 149% in 2020 with the first spike occurring in March and April amidst a rise in COVID cases and negative stereotyping of Asians relating to the pandemic.įor many queer Asian folks, that new concern is piled on top of the everyday fear of homophobia we all face in our day to day lives. Thanks in great part to the rhetoric of President 45, who continues to fan the flames of hatred, Asian people are under attack in numbers that haven’t been seen in quite some time. It has threatened our health, our livelihoods, our communities, our sanity and our waistlines, but for members of the Asian community, the disease has turned deadly, though not from a bacterial or viral cause. For most of us, the pandemic has been a drag.
