Welcome.
Asian Pride Project celebrates the journeys, triumphs and struggles of LGBTQ individuals and our Asian and Pacific Islander (API) families and communities. We seek to capture these stories by using the arts – film, video, photography and the written word – as a medium for social justice and advocacy in the LGBTQ realm.
We recognize that the stories here are not definitive by any means. Family is not static; it is ever-evolving in the face of unpredicted revelation and change. What we offer is a small glimpse into the lives of a handful of families. What remains invisible to us as viewers are universal issues, from the little victories in life to our daily struggles. It is in this day-to-day living – openly and proudly – that is most inspiring about the families in our stories.
We ask you to view our work as a public call to action, to empower our families and communities to speak out against vocal and silent discrimination, to embrace the beauty in difference, and to expand the boundaries of love and understanding for people of all sexual and gender identities.
We invite you to take this opportunity to enjoy these diverse, rich and artistic LGBTQ narratives.
our team
Elena Chang, Co-Director
Elena is a dedicated arts administrator and arts activist having spearheaded multiple film, theatre, and visual arts projects advocating for social change by exploring the intersections between art, culture, and activism.
Elena is currently the Associate Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) at Theatre Communicates Group, where her work includes Theatres of Color, facilitating conversations within the ED&I national Institute, and co-organizing screenings around the Legacy Leaders of Color Video Project. Previously, Elena served as program director of the Asian American Arts Alliance, where she was responsible for the development, design/communications, and management of all artist-focused programs.
She received a BFA in Theatre from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts.
Aries Liao, Co-Director
Aries is committed to community building and gender, racial, disability and economic justice.
She co-founded Q-WAVE, The Asian Pride Project and also served on the executive board of The National Queer Asian and Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA). She is also involved in developing and facilitating workshops for PFLAG NYC-API Rainbow Parents.
Aries is a psychotherapist with experience in clinical, group and community social work. She received her PhD in Social Welfare and Masters in Social Work from Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, and is a psychoanalyst trained at the William Alanson White Institute of Psychiatry, Psychoanalysis and Psychology.
Suma Reddy, Co-Director
Suma is passionate about social impact, storytelling and entrepreneurship. She’s served on the board of of the South Asian Queer organization of NYC (SALGA-NYC), and spearheaded the launch of DeQH, the first LGBTQ helpline for queer South Asians.
Suma is currently a co-founder/COO of Farmshelf, which builds indoor agricultural solutions to make growing food easy, anywhere. She’s also worked in renewable energy, microfinance in India and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali.
Suma has an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, studied iOS development at the Flatiron School, and has a BA in Economics from the University of Rochester.
Constance (Kira) Sng, Co-Director
Constance, also known as Kira to many of her friends, is naturally curious and interested in the interconnectedness amongst us.
Constance was the Treasurer and Steering Committee Member of Q-Wave, a NYC community organization dedicated to strengthening the voices of lesbian / bisexual / queer women and transgender / gender variant people of Asian descent.
Constance has many years of experience in the financial services field and is currently the Head of Business Development at an alternative asset management firm. She received her BBA from The University of Iowa, a MSc from the London School of Economics, and is a CFA Charterholder.
She enjoys spending time in nature, visiting old cities, experiencing diverse cultures and sampling new cuisines during her free time.