Emergence of Queer Vietnamese America

Kristine Severo
Section A01
Reading Response #10

In "Emergence of Queer Vietnamese America", Gina Masequesmay discusses a support group for queers, known as Ô-Môi (which is slang for lesbian in Vietnam). The group was created to cater to the needs specific to women, since queer men and women have varying concerns and face different challenges. Today, although the majority of Ô-Môi's members are lesbian, there are also those who identify as bisexual and transgender.

Over the last couple of years, I have witnessed how difficult it is for many to reveal their true sexual preference. I have had friends and family members who were afraid to tell their families about their sexuality because of the strict Asian households they lived in. I believe that the Ô-Môi support group would help queer Asian Americans realize that they are not alone. It is much easier for Asian Americans to relate with other Asian Americans simply because they are aware of each other's cultural background. Now that the Ô-Môi group is connected through the Internet, more and more Asian Americans from all over the nation are able to connect with each other and share their stories. These more gender-and-ethnic-specific support groups will have a stronger impact since queer people of the same color can share that personal connection with other members of the group. For example, Thanh-Nga's sexuality became clear only after hearing to another fellow Asian American's story about coming out as a lesbian. These groups allow for the queer community to come out not out of fear, but out of courage. It is because of these support groups that there has been an emergence of queer Vietnamese America.

QUESTION: How might support groups such as Ô-Môi negatively impact the queer community?