Artists

Akekawat Pimsawan

Thailand

Queer Intersectionally Spiritual Feminist

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Anna Onni

Singapore

Anna Onni’s life goals include living in an environmentally-sustainable commune, getting over her debauched postcolonial hangover, and paying someone to convert the tunes of "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" and other Tom Lehrer favourites into a low-fi hip-hop album for her to play on loop. She is an asexual panromantic living in Singapore who posts doodles and shower thoughts on Instagram (@annaonni). In her spare time, she is an educator who illustrates and rips up old periodicals and books into crafting materials. Her work is published in the literary anthology Food Republic (2020), with The Birthday Collective, and she illustrates for The Singapore War Crimes Trials Project.

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Bassem Ben Brahim

Tunisia

Bassem Ben Brahim (he/him and she/her) is a Tunisian queer filmmaker and activist. He defends the LGBTIQ+ advocacy through the art of cinema. Bassem graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in 2017, and got his Master of Arts in Cinema in 2019. His fifth short film, Chromophobia, has achieved international success. Now he has invented his new project, LGBT betounsi.

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BBQ

Vietnam

BBQ is a drag queen from Hanoi, Vietnam. BBQ found freedom in makeup, costume and the transformation of drag. Through the art of drag, BBQ has a second chance to live their fantasies. With drag, everything is possible.

Love for makeup artistry was BBQ’s inspiration to start doing drag, but BBQ soon began to see drag as a form of protest -- a way to make noise, to have a voice, and to stand up for one’s self and for other queer kids who need to be seen and appreciated. To BBQ, drag is the best way to learn more about themself and their own culture, and to communicate with the queer comunity in Vietnam and internationally.

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CamASEAN

Cambodia

CamASEAN Youth’s future envisions Cambodia and ASEAN countries to advocate for peace by promoting, respecting, protecting, and fulfilling human rights, while pushing for socio-economic justice of minorities, marginalised and diverse citizens. It aims for people in Cambodia and ASEAN to receive equal respect, acceptance, and protection from all sectors within the society. Its mission is to combat discrimination against minorities and diverse people including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI), young girls living with HIV/AIDs, sex workers, drug users, people with disabilities, widowed/single parents, elderly people, and indigenous and other ethnic people by strengthening the capacities of activists pushing for their rights. CamASEAN is a Cambodian-led group responding to the needs of the Cambodian young community regardless of educational attainment and location. It creates a space to practice choice freely and by themselves, the desire to live independently and to learn and develop skills and knowledge to build a peaceful world.

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Cha Roque

Philippines

Cha Roque (she/her) is a filmmaker and LGBT advocate. Her films have been showcased at prestigious local and international film festivals including the Queer Asia Film Festival UK, Taiwan International Queer Film Festival, Asterisco Festival Internacional de Cine LGBTIQ Argentina, Hanoi International Queer Film Festival, Mawjoudin Queer Film Festival Tunisia, and the Asian Women Film Festival India among others. Cha is a fellow of the Salzburg Global LGBT Forum, the International Queer and Migrant Film Academy Amsterdam, the Ricky Lee Scriptwriting workshop, and TBA Studios' Writers' Room. She was awarded the Art that Matters for Film Award by Amnesty International Philippines in 2018.

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Danette Orlido

Philippines

Danette Orlido is Communication Major from De La Salle University, Philippines. ‘Wa, Nan’ is their thesis film.

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Deaf LGBTQ (Malaysia)

Malaysia

"We grew up as a Deaf person as well as a Person with Disabilities. We communicate in Malaysian Sign Language (BIM) on a daily basis. Our family members are not Deaf persons like us. We often have limited communication with them as they are not fluent in BIM. We wish to be fluent in our mothers' native language. Unfortunately, we do not have such privilege. Speaking and listening skills are not easy for us to acquire. It may take years to speak and listen fluently. Many of us are also not really fluent in any spoken or written languages due to our limited exposure to spoken or written languages.

Majority of us have similar oppressive experiences. The utmost problem we face in our daily life is communication. Majority of mainstream society is hearing people. They have speaking and listening skills. We just could not fit ourselves in the society. We could not participate in many events which are meant for hearing people only. It is always assumed that communicating with Deaf people will take a long time, hence we are often put on a waiting list each time we ask for specific information from them.

Not every Deaf person understands their own identity as a Deaf person, as a Person with Disabilities and even our queer identity. We do not have appropriate accessibility to information in the mainstream society. When we learned that we are part of LGBTIQ also, we also bear some kind of oppression from our Deaf friends also. Too many Deaf LBGTIQ do not know that they experience double oppression - being a Deaf and being a LGBTIQ. Regardless, we always try to stay strong. In spite of the obstacles we had to go through, we were able to achieve many things. All of us recently learned about SOGIESC. We were trained and then conducted an online workshop with Deaf queers so that they will be able to understand their own identity. We are inspired to promote more awareness for Deaf queers in Malaysia."

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Eliza Santos

Philippines

Eliza Santos is Communication Major from De La Salle University, Philippines. ‘Wa, Nan’ is their thesis film.

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F9 - Fine

Singapore and Malaysia

The F9 — Fine is a collective that is composed of Benedict Lim who writes, Weiqin Chay who curates, and Justin Chua who designs. Through immersive, thought-provoking narratives, they empower the marginalized to reclaim their identities, weaving a tapestry of their memories to bring their stories to light.

benlfj@gmail.com | chayweiqin@hotmail.com | justinnoahc@gmail.com

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Gabrielle Chong

Singapore

Gabrielle Chong (they/them) is a visual artist and animator based in Singapore. They are a recent graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Digital Animation.

As an artist, Gabrielle enjoys experimenting with different themes and exploring various techniques of creating art. They have a strong interest in crafting narratives that come alive and seek to evoke emotions from their audience.

In their free time, Gabrielle enjoys creating content for social media and managing a small collaborative booth circle with other artists.

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Hanoi Queer

Vietnam

Hanoi Queer is a community organization working towards an equal and safer city for queer people in Hanoi. We aim to connect and promote the culture of the LGBTQ community, at the same time, raise awareness and attitude of society towards LGBTQ people in Vietnam.

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Htet Aung Lwyn

Myanmar

Htet Aung Lwyn (he/him) is an aspiring storyteller of all sorts.

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I Laugh KL

Malaysia

I Laugh KL strives to be a platform for all stand-up comedians (no matter what level they are) to hone their crafts in a safe & supportive space. Our main focus is to create a diverse & inclusive experience for both comedians & audience. They believe in delivering the funny with compassion!

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Iloilo Pride Team

Philippines

Iloilo Pride Team is an LGBTQ+ organization that focuses on Human Rights, SRHR and building safe spaces in Iloilo City. We organize the yearly Pride Marches for the past 5 years and are building alliances and networks in the broadest spectrum of society.

Ina Putri Bestari

Indonesia

Ina (she/her) is a freelance illustrator based in Indonesia. When she’s not drawing, she can be found at a nearby burjo enjoying a plate of magelangan and shitposting on twitter.

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Iskandar Ruhaizat

Singapore

Iskandar Ruhaizat (no preferred pronouns, but dia or they/them can be used) is a designer and artist whose practice re-examines Malay traditions, Islamic dogma, and queer identity; weaving them together using interdisciplinary practices to explore the notion of identity, representation, and gaze.

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Jeffrey Warner

Thailand

Jeffrey Warner is a civil journalist, documentarian-storyteller, and multimedia artist. While focusing primarily on capitalism development impacts, social change patterns, and resilience, Jeffrey specializes in open-minded interpersonal communication that engages an array of people from diverse ages and cultures. From the USA, Jeffrey has for nearly a decade been living in northern Thailand. He's been studying and documenting how some of the region's marginalized people are being social-ecologically impacted by development phenomena and what does this potentially means for humankind. Jeffrey is motivated by collaboration in building communication bridges that cultivate social capital and positive societal change.

Regarding SEAQCF, Jeffrey said: "My job here was (and is) to document an important historical human rights related event that happened in Thailand, the progression of this movement, and to support those such as Sirisak 'Ton' Chaited who are on the frontlines of striving for human rights, equity, and equality."

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Joel Donato Ching Jacob

Philippines

Joel Donato Ching Jacob (he/him) is the author of Wing of the Locust, the winner of the Scholastic Asian Book Award 2018. He lives in Bay, Laguna with his mother and dogs.

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Jose Santos P. Ardivilla

Philippines

Jose Ardivilla is a political cartoonist, animator, and writer from the Philippines.

He is currently pursuing PhD in Fine Arts as a Fulbright-CHED scholar in Texas, USA.

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Justice Khor

Malaysia

(He/Him/His) Justice is a Malaysia-based social filmmaker and LGBTQ activist.

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Kepala Putik

Kepala Putik is a zine and collective with an initiative to widen safe space for queer to share their experiences.

The idea originated from the intention of listening to various perspectives of queer friends' daily conception, be it as individuals, organizations, idealism, activism, and/or advocacy.

Those personal and everyday choices are internalized and shaping political decisions.

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Khairullah Rahim

Singapore

Khairullah Rahim (b. 1987, Singapore) is a multimedia artist working across art objects, assemblage, photography and video. Through critical thinking centred around the politics of demeanour and the intersections between conspicuity, legibility and safety, his research and practice brings to light the veiled narratives and lived experiences of those whose identities may not align with social norms.​

Khairullah has presented his works in exhibitions internationally as well as actively participated in artist residency programs, namely Salzburger Kunstverein, KulturKontakt, Salzburg, Austria (2018); Hubei Institute of Fine Arts, Hubei, China (2018); Facebook, Singapore (2017); Taipei Artist Village, Taiwan (2017); and YOUKOBO Art Residency Programme, Tokyo, Japan (2013). In 2019, he participated in the 6th edition of Singapore Biennale titled Every Step in the Right Direction, curated by Patrick Flores. He was the winner of the 2017 IMPART Awards under the Visual Art category and his works are in the collection of Singapore Art Museum and SUNPRIDE Foundation.

Currently, he is a part-time lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts and an MFA Visual Arts candidate at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, New Jersey. He is exclusively represented by Yavuz Gallery (Singapore/Sydney).

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Kong Yara

Cambodia

Kong Yara has been an advocate for LGBTIQ rights and livelihood in Cambodia and ASEAN in the past 10 years.

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Laksanaree Duangtadam

Thailand

An artist and activist who is fascinated by using art to engage in politics, identities and gender equality. Several approaches are utilized namely theatre performance installation art and video art. It is believed that peace and art can coexist and allow space for those who are different. The aim is to increase the limit of level of understanding in gender and sexual orientation both for the individuals and for society.

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Lunar Lucah

Singapore

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Marie Bernadette Tayag

Philippines

Marie is Communication Major from De La Salle University, Philippines. ‘Wa, Nan’ is their thesis film.

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Micro Rainbow International Foundation Cambodia

Cambodia

Micro Rainbow International’s (MRI’s) vision is to create a world where lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people are free from discrimination, persecution and have equal opportunities in life, including in accessing employment, training, education, financial services, healthcare, housing, places of faith, and public services

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Mujer LGBT

Philippines

Mindanao-based LGBT Rights Organization

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Natu Xantino

Philippines

Renz (he/him/they/them), Natu (he/him) and Ram (she/her) are young queer artists from the Philippines who work together in advocating the normalization, acceptance, and understanding of queer lives through artistic interpretations.

Natu is a visual artist, creative photographer, creative director, neo-surrealist, stylist and LGBT/SOGIE Rights advocate.

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Nguyen-Vu Viet Anh

Vietnam

Nguyen-Vu Viet Anh (they/them) is a Vietnamese young spirit who self-identifies as queer. Viet Anh encourages their audience to enjoy the ambiguity of gender by guessing what pronoun they use. Viet Anh can spend a whole night painting things from memory or watching the night fade away, and in the morning return to researching about “queer stuff”. They are the Director of "Queerator".

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Panggung Minoritas

Indonesia

Panggung Minoritas is an initiative that aims to provide a safe space to learn, discuss, and express experiences and issues relating to being a minority in Indonesia.

Pong Charan

Thailand

A Thai fashion designer and LGBTIQ rights advocate

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Queer Indonesia Archive

Indonesia

Queer Indonesia Archive (QIA) is a digital archiving project committed to the collection, preservation and celebration of material reflecting the lives and experiences of queer Indonesia. The project is volunteer-run, community-focused and non-profit.

Queer Indonesia Archive (QIA) adalah sebuah proyek arsip digital yang bertujuan mengoleksi, menjaga, dan menyebarkan material yang menggambarkan kehidupan dan pengalaman queer di Indonesia. Proyek ini dijalankan oleh sukarelawan, berfokus pada komunitas, dan bersifat non-profit.

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Rainbow Alliance

Myanmar

Rainbow Alliance is a youth-led LGBT organization in Myanmar. It was founded in December 2017 by young people who are from different backgrounds such as religions, gender and indigenous groups. They developed a plan to raise the voices of LGBT+ youth and advocate for the acceptance and recognition of their voices. Since then, they have been pursuing activities dedicated to the empowerment and advocacy of LGBT+ youth.

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Ram Botero

Philippines

Renz (he/him/they/them), Natu (he/him) and Ram (she/her) are young queer artists from the Philippines who work together in advocating the normalization, acceptance, and understanding of queer lives through artistic interpretations.

Ram (a.k.a. Candy Darling), is a writer, poet, film-director, visual artist, stylist, and trans rights and LGBT/SOGIE advocate.

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Renz Y. Botero

Philippines

Renz (he/him/they/them), Natu (he/him) and Ram (she/her) are young queer artists from the Philippines who work together in advocating the normalization, acceptance, and understanding of queer lives through artistic interpretations.

Renz is a visual artist, illustrator, creative director, stylist, creative designer, and LGBT/SOGIE Rights advocate.

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Rodrigo Dela Peña, Jr.

Philippines, Singapore

Rodrigo Dela Peña, Jr. (he/him) is the author of Aria and Trumpet Flourish and and co-editor of SingPoWriMo 2018: The Anthology. His second poetry collection, Tangere, is forthcoming from the University of the Philippines Press. His poems have been published in Likhaan: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature, Kritika Kultura, Tomas, Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, and other journals and anthologies. He has received prizes from the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, Kokoy F. Guevara Poetry Competition, Sixfold, British Council, among others. Born in the Philippines, he has been based in Singapore since 2011.

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Shh...Diam!

Malaysia

Shh...Diam! We is a queercore band from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They love Love and wish for horses and happiness for all.

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Sirisak "Ton" Chaited

Thailand

Sirisak “Ton” Chaited is an LGBTIQ activist from Chiang Mai, Thailand.

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Tamarra

Indonesia

Tamarra is a self-taught performance artist. Last year, Tamarra took up an undergrad in history at Sanata Dharma University, Yogyakarta. Tamarra moved to Yogyakarta in 2008 and worked as a street busker until 2013. In 2006, Tamarra had an interest in joining and working with transgender community, most of them working as buskers and sex workers. In 2011-2013, Tamarra was involved in an art project curated by Grace Samboh titled Makcik Project, marking Tamarra’s entrance to the art world. Tamarra's works mostly talks about gender and sexuality issues, transgender history in Indonesia, religion, and humanity.

Unspoken Poetry Slam

Indonesia

Unspoken Poetry Slam is a poetry community established in Bali by spoken word poets that were longing to create a safe space to read their poems. The aim of the platform is to facilitate the education of spoken word and poetry slam, as well as providing space to speak the unspoken emotions through poetry. The community has conducted 2 grand slams and facilitated more than 10 brilliant spoken word poets on the island, and affiliated with Ubud Writers and Readers Festival global poetry slam championship. Unspoken Poetry Slam believes that by speaking the unspoken mind, we could help to encourage the community to speak true to themselves.

VERSUS

Philippines

(she/her) “My name is VERSUS. I am the Queen Of The City, and I proudly wear the crown. I channel everything about the city into my artform and it includes my undying love for self expression, liberation, haute eccentricity, high life, and organic living. I am the amalgamation of everything ART and POP. It takes cities to create VERSUS.”

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