Local lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Asian/Pacific Islander (A/PI) organizations will honor Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project and Don Verde for their work to empower the community during their eighth annual Pride and Heritage celebration.

Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) is a Washington, DC-area non-profit organization committed to ending domestic violence in the Asian/Pacific Islander communities. Don Verde -- a longtime local community and social justice activist, as well as Filipino dance and culture teacher – has worked to increase collaboration between area LGBT A/PI-serving organizations.

The celebration will take place at Club Chaos, 1603 17th Street, NW, in Washington D.C. on Saturday, May 12, 2007, at 6:30 pm.

“Both DVRP and Don Verde embody activism that’s challenging our community to be better. They’ve worked incredibly hard to foster a city where Asian and Pacific Islanders, and especially LGBT A/PIs, can feel proud of who they are and confident about their lives”, said Joseph Truong Pride and Heritage Committee member and community activist.

“By encouraging Asians and Pacific Islanders to address domestic violence and to collaborate more, DVRP and Don Verde both have pushed us to expand the notion of what our community can achieve,” said Trang Duong, Pride and Heritage Planning Committee member and co-chair of APIQS. “They’re both a fitting example of exactly whom Pride and Heritage seeks to honor every May,” she said.

This event is a collaboration of Asian/Pacific Islander Queer Sisters (APIQS), Asian/Pacific Islander Queers United for Action (AQUA), KhushDC, and the D.C. Chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF-DC).

For more information on the events or for sponsorship information, e-mail info@dcprideandheritage.org or visit the website www.dcprideandheritage.org. To interview A/PI DVRP or Don Verde, call Wee Lee Sim at (347) 589-3163 or e-mail WeeLeeSim@gmail.com.