Neo Veavea is a San Francisco-based LGBTQ activist of Samoan descent. He’s dedicated decades t
Neo Veavea is a San Francisco-based LGBTQ activist of Samoan descent. He’s dedicated decades to building community for queer and trans Pacific Islanders.Growing up, Neo faced racism from the gay community in San Francisco. Club bouncers would double-card and deny entrance to Neo and his friends of color. In other cases, white bartenders would refuse to serve them.Beginning in 1982 - to resist racism and erasure in the gay community - Neo and fellow Pacific Islanders marched in San Francisco pride parades to bring visibility to queer PIs and help others feel comfortable coming out.Neo co-founded United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliances (UTOPIA), an organization for queer and trans PIs, in 1998 - the very first of its kind in the country. UTOPIA now has groups in Seattle, Portland, and San Diego.But he hasn’t stopped here. Neo also serves PIs through the Samoan Community Development Center and Samoan Wellness Initiative where he promotes community health and mental health awareness. -- source link
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