A celebration of Queer and Trans Asian Pacific Islander communities in San Francisco's Castro district, tracing their history from the 1980 protest led by Randall Kikukawa against anti-Asian racism to today's Mabuhay Bitches drag brunch at Midnight Sun. QTAPI people have always been here, fighting for space and now reclaiming it with joy.
It's Queer and Trans Asian Pacific Islander Week in San Francisco, and the babuhay bitches are bringing life, joy, and Filipino drag brilliance back to the Castro with their monthly brunch show at Midnight Sun. And let me tell you, my Filipino drag sisters never miss. Their performances are electric, hilarious, glamorous, and full of power that comes from taking up space. I am so proud to be part of this mafia. The Castro is one of the most historic LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in the US, but that history is complicated. Places like Twin Peaks Tavern remind us how much courage it once took simply to be visible. Older LGBTQ+ folks have told me that when Twin Peaks opened its glass windows to the street, it was radical. To sit there openly meant risking your safety, your reputation, and sometimes your livelihood. And when we talk about bravery, we also have to remember that racism has existed inside spaces that were supposed to be safe. Badlands, which opened in 1975, became part of the QTAPI history when Randall Kikukawa led a protest there in 1980. 1980 against racism and anti-Asian discrimination. Queer Asian Pacific Islander people were being ID'd, refused entry, and treated differently in most bars and clubs in those days. A few older AAPI gay men I've interviewed shared that they had to create their own routes through the Castro just to avoid harassment on their way to queer spaces. There's so much more history to tell about the Castro, but some would say it has changed, that it is not as vibrant as it used to be. Maybe that's true. Maybe it just feels different now. Or maybe it is a tech bro takeover. I don't know. But watching the Mabuhay Bitches fill the room with joy, laughter, glamour, and unapologetic QTAPI presence reminded me of something important. We are still here. Queer and trans Asian Pacific Islanders are not guests in this history. We helped shape it. We fought to enter these spaces. We survived being pushed out of them. And now we are transforming them with our own beauty, humor, and power. Happy QTAPI Week! Mabuhay, mga bakla, trans, queer, Asian, and Pacific Islander. We will not be erased.
