This still image doesn't do justice to seeing a wall-sized movie image enlarged by a projector. It was big fun seeing two of Dwight's YouTube videos projected larger than life on a wall. We also got a chance to see Lola's cameo in the movie "Strawberry Fields?" More pics from movie night at Kevin's. Eighteen people attended including several new folks. Thanks to Asian Human Services for the great food from Thai Pastry.
i2i AT THE 2007 June DYKE MARCH
Alana, Liz, Lola and Michael attended. New friends include Lani, Maggie and Marie who we're sure will come to an I2I event soon. What a beautiful i2i banner you folks made!
Come join us to bid aloha to Amanda as she heads for Hawaii to continue her life. After dinner, we'll catch the show "Premature Infatuation." Contact Michael to RSVP for dinner.
Our May 2007
Tour of Center on Halsted
Our May Monthly Social was big fun. A breath-taking tour of the new Center on Halsted, followed by a yummy Mexican dinner at Las Mananitas with lots of good laughs and conversation. Thirteen attended, including five newbies!
(May 24, 2007)
April 2007 Social at Cosi
Our April 2007 Monthly Social was a rousing success.Twelve attended,
including four new folks! (April 29, 2007)
Alana discusses with Lola and I Li at the Accidental Art Collective show at Roger's Park's Heartland Cafe, November 1, 2007.
Our I2I members are talented in many other ways and this show is just an example. Other members attended to show their support.
Invisible to Invincible's first LGBTQ API Open Mic at Pressure Cafe on Sunday, November 11, 2007. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. Pictures show audience in attendance as well as readers. Sokham, I Li, Alana, Dwight, Karl, and Liz read pieces. For the first time, we also video taped the evening!!
Ko Maan, one of our newest members, is pictured here as the audience roars with applause after the jam-packed house at The Center on Halsted's "Gender Queer Cabaret,"
on Wednesday, November 21.
The Cabaret was done by COH's Transgender Youth Program. Coman was stage manager and also worked with the youth during the seven week workshop series.
Other I2I members supported him by attending the event.
Thanks to Michael who hosted our inaugural i2i Game Night, on Sunday, December 16! We had great fun and (surprisingly) no one took photos, so an example of the Taboo Game is to the left.
Winter Potluck 2008!
Pictured here (l to r):
1) Kevin, Alana, Howard, Lola, David, I Li, Sam, and Nancy
2) Nancy, Dwight, and Liz
3) Stephen taking the i2i survey! Have you?
Winter Potluck 2008!
It's all SMILES after meeting great people and eating yummy food! The annual winter holiday/solstice potluck was another success with about 18 people and three new friends in attending!
THE STORY OF MY HEART was a great success. Eight brave queer API souls gathered to share the story of their hearts on Feb. 29. People brought show-and-tell objects (pictured above) related to past or present romantic relationships to pass around the circle. This was the first-ever STORY OF MY HEART event -- but it surely won't be the last! Watch the i2i newsletter coming in March to read more about this worthy event.
The womyn of i2i organized a "Roll into Spring; Viet Spring Roll Party" at Gerber/Hart Library in March 2008. Lola is pictured creatively adding to the mural, too. Making spring rolls is an inexpensive and fun food for the summer! Add what you want and go from there!
Dwight was featured in WTTW-11 documentary of "Out and Proud in Chicago" about LGBT Chicagoans. It aired three times. Liz was part of the marketing campaign.
Picture from June 2008 Social at Tokyo Marina! Great to have new and returning members! (Left) Will, Sokhom, Dwight, Denny, Liz (Right) Jin, Yaming, I Li, Kit, and Lola
Liz, Maggie, and Sokham march in the Dyke March Chicago 2008.
Alana, Lola, Liz, elisa, friend, and Sokhom at DMC 2008.
Lola, I Li, and Jeff at the Pride Parade on Halsted.
A family-style sharing at the July 2008 i2i social in Chinatown!
First WTTW launched the hour and a half documentary "Out & Proud In Chicago." Meanwhile in a parallel world -- Tracy Baim of Windy City Times was developing an array of video interviews for a brand-new website:
This site goes ever deeper by allowing interviewees to speak for themselves in hundreds of hours of video footage as they ponder a wide range of aspects of their personal lives. Lola and Dwight were profiled for this. Their videos will be posted some time this summer.
This is a soft launch of the site, meaning they're still working out some kinks. The full launch will be this fall. But you can get a sneak peek now!
Check out the August issue of UR Chicago magazine featuring i2i on page 17. Click the image to the left for the link. This will open up in a new window.
Picture: Liz Thomson, Maggie, and Sokhom from the 2008 Dyke March Chicago.
i2i takes over the Heartland Cafe for our monthly social. Maggie is taking the picture (thanks Maggie). Left to right: Kit, Dwight, I Li, Kevin, Liz, Sokhom. The table configuration was U-shaped. Which seemed to lend itself to a fashion show or a Chippendales dancer. As neither were available -- Maggie and Dwight took turns in the center of the U, fielding personal questions from the group and telling tales out of school.
Congrats to our very own active i2i and Core member Maggie who completed the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday, October 12, 2008!
NQAPIA Leadership Summit held in September 4-5 2008, Denver, Co.
Reeling Film Festival; liz, Kevin, and Maggie grinning that the film was over. Don't ask.
November 15, 2008
Will, liz, and Maggie snuggle up at Chicago's Prop 8 Protest, on November 15, 2008. Also, met new friends--- D&D from CA! Hey... don't forget to email me!
Winter Social, December 13, 2008
After the December Core meeting, we enjoyed some relaxed social time. Good food and even better friends.
Friend, Mandy, Dwight, Joanne
Friend, I Li, Jeff, Will, Sokhom, Michael, Karl, Yaming, Liz, and Kevin
"Journeys" program was facilitated by Core members I Li and hosted by Kevin on Saturday, January 17, 2009.
Members shared both physical, emotional, and spiritual journeys.
Huge success with new and returning faces!
i2i CORE RETREAT 2009
i2i had its first Retreat.
It was a five hour event hosted by Elisa, Michael and Will at Asian Human Services. They did a great job and much thanks to them. The time flew by as some great ideas and recommendations were presented. The Core decided to move forward on the following for 2009's calendar:
-- A team will work on an event celebrating i2i's fifth anniversary.
-- Some members will work on a "bridge" event between May (Asian Heritage Month) and June (Gay Pride Month)
-- An i2i brochure will be developed to help spread the word about i2i (Maggie, Dwight and Elisa volunteered)
-- Liz and Dwight will be stepping down as co-facilitators this summer to allow others from the Core to step forward and grow in leadership. Dwight and Liz of course will continue to be active i2i Core members and be available to the new co-facilitators in a mentoring role.
Those are a few of the highlights as I can recall. Michael will be providing more detailed minutes in April. Thanks to everyone for their participation. (We look serious in the pictures, but we had a lot of fun too.)
CURRENT CORE MEMBERS 2008-2010
elisa armea
MICHAEL B
KIT C
I LI HSIAO
MAGGIE LEE
KEVIN KUMASHIRO
DWIGHT OKITA
YAMING SUN
liz thomson
WILL TUTOL
NOTE: To make archiving easier, the most current homepage photos/copies will now be moved toward the bottom of this page.
So 2010 photos at bottom.
photos 2010
i2i had a very successful winter social on Saturday, December 12! Thanks to Kevin for hosting it at his place. Dwight for making sure there were good tunes, Liz taking photos! 20 people came! Everyone brought good food, ranged from cheese balls to noodles, fried chicken, veggie dish, brownies , warm sushi and etc. It was a good time for all to share food and company. I hope this is a good sign for i2i to be more visible in 2010.
We had a brief introduction and asked people to mention what they would like to see in i2i. Some said collaboration, reaching out to younger college queer Asians and etc. We always welcome new folks that wants to put forth energy and ideas. To be part of the core that help to bring dreams to reality. I hope more people would consider joining the core as we boldly go into 2010 !!!!!
It’s an event that’s a clear example of people working together!
-- I Li Hsiao
P.S. The adorable little girl front and center was Dennis and Pedro's daughter, making her i2i debut.
MONTHLY SOCIAL- 2ND TUE OF EVERY MONTH, CHECK UPCOMING EVENTS FOR LOCATION, SEE YOU ALL THERE!
i2i WINTER SOCIAL-POTLUCK
(click on picture squares for a surprise)
THERE'S MORE IN THE CORE
2010 is here! Maybe this is your year to increase your involvement. i2i (pronounced "eye-to-eye") stands for Invisible to Invincible. We've grown a lot in five years. Come find community with your fellow queer asian brothers and sisters. And for those who want an even more dynamic, pro-active role -- climb into the Core. If you want to learn about getting more engaged with us -- leave a note in the guestbook below or on the Yahoo listserv. Also our email is on the contact page. Descriptions of membership levels are on the membership page.
WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE PART OF i2i?
The kind of people magnetized to i2i covers a wide array. Some of us work in education, some of us work in the arts. Some work in offices and some work from home. Some are activists and some are accountants, some are students and some are florists. Join us and you can only add to the richness of the mix!
i2i RETREAT
On April 3rd, six i2i members gathered for a workshop led by elisa armea looking at anti-oppression concepts, our core values, and new ways to strengthen and grow the organization. It was a thought-provoking all-day event, with some yummy stuffed pizza delivered for lunch.
As you can see, at one point we got cozy and sprawled out on the floor. And we ended by putting our heads together, literally, for the closing picture.
There is likely going to be a Part 2 to this workshop. If you're interested in attending, let us know. We can tell you how to become a Core member, and then how to sign up for the upcoming Retreat (Part 2). We welcome new blood in the Core. Help build queer asian community, and make some new friends along the way. Contact Dwight by leaving a note in the guest book below, or putting a note on the listserv.
Tokyo Marina. Monthly social, May 2010.
i2i at dyke march. No admission fee or barricades, celebrate our queerness!
This picture above was taken by Jo Willis. June 2010
