Interview Summary

• Manavi national conference
• Desi Q2000
• Growth of Youth Solidarity Summer models in San Francisco, Texas, Toronto, and Boston
• South Asian Lesbian and Gay Association pride in Boston, DC
• Need to expand domain of influence and political intervention
• National representation concerned over voting more than long term investment in community issues and representing them especially in times of crisis
• Need for a national entity but challenged by local CBOs to be able to participate because of needs in their own local community
• People don’t know each other well but have a sense of each other
• Need to build expanding resources and fight the routine of localism

Manavi 1985

• Manavi’s National conference: building relationship and trainings for orgs
• There was initiative to create a national coalition. At the end of the conference, it didn’t feel like it was time yet
• There is interest in a national network but there is not the capacity to participate in that structure.  We are evaluating, and helping to facilitate the networking around the groups and try and connect and strengthen local base

Trikone 1986

• Desi Q2000– international conference.   South Asian queer is much stronger in the U.S. More consistent contact Different festivals that we did and we shared all of the information with them. India wants to replicate it. Turn to each other for advice and information
• People in leadership with other orgs don’t know each other but has an awareness of who each other are. Activist and community folks from across the country.  SALGA did this in 1996 – started.  Boston and DC were trying to do it. This has not happened annually

Foil 1992/YSS 1996

• YSS growing- created in SF, TX, Toronto, Boston.
• FOIL, connecting individuals and organizations across the country.
• Work on local level, works for people
• YSS – doing it again and again, but what do we gain, how does work expand?
• Political work needs to keep expanding work, domain of influence
• Local work becomes routine, nothing creative left in it.
• Political expansion
• Get scared of large orgs, but how do you fight infrastructure like Bush? Example of ANSWER – sustain work on Iraq, had national infrastructure, conversations, coordination
• How do you do political work on broader notion?
• Build expanding set of resources? These are fundamental questions