From the Chair

Dear fellow Tongzhis:

At the May 6 CRA board meeting, the topic of possible organizational name change was again raised. The idea of naming our organization Chinese Rainbow Association would better reflect the current make-up of our members and friends. It was decided that the members at large would vote on the name change issue.

Last month, CRA received an "anonymous" donation of $250 from a member. We are very grateful to this special tongzhi. CRA IS a non-for-profit organization and our operating costs depend entirely on membership dues and donations. We will be very thankful for any future contributions from other generous tongzhis.

June is L.A. gay pride month. This year we are celebrating our community pride for the 31st year! To show our large numbers, we Asian Pacific Islanders will join forces to stage an API Pavilion at the Festival, and march together in the parade. Those who marched with the CRA banners last year knew how much fun it was. This year we need more participants THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS!

If you help out to staff the API Pavilion on behalf of CRA, we will reimburse you 1/2 of your admission to the Festival. You will get to meet all kinds of people, introduce CRA, and simply have a great time.

For the parade, we will be dressed in white tops and black pants (or shorts). A white T-shirt with the CRA logo will be issued to the CRA members for free. The experience you get from marching down S. Monica Blvd will be priceless, exciting, uplifting, and empowering. It is safe as it is a well-monitored parade with city mayors, police chiefs, politicians and VIP's among us. Please contact me if you wish to take part ASAP.

So tongzhis, for June and the rest of the year, be PROUD, BE FREE, and TRUE TO YOURSELF! you can do it!

UNITED WITH YOU IN PRIDE.

FACES OF CHINA - by A. T.

I was in China in April this year. I witnessed the contrasts existing in Shanghai today. Here are some thoughts I wrote down while I was there. Note: this is my first visit to my motherland. - A.T.

Suits and ties on bicycles.

Pollution-free mass transportation?

"Unsightly" laundry drying outdoors.

Energy-saving, environmentally correct custom?

Rattling taxis.

Efficient public people carriers?

Frequent offering and consuming of food.

Loving concerns for basic needs and culinary delights?

Ubiquitous newspaper reading.

Testimony of universal literacy?

Internet facilities in hotel rooms.

High-tech gadgets for traveling nerds and busy capitalists?

Overweight "only" children and doting parents.

"Zero population growth" at work?

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Thousands of "memories."

Imagination from fragmented knowledge and recollection?

Returning home.

The beginning of a new relationship and future home?