WESTMINSTER – A coalition of Vietnamese gay,
lesbian, bisexual and transgender groups will march down Little Saigon streets
on Saturday – a first for the annual Tet Parade.
The groups have chapters in Orange County, but they have never actually participated
in an Orange County public event.
The Tet Parade is special, said Gina Masequasmay, a member of O-Moi. The
groups have been marching in San Jose's Tet Parade since 2004, she said.
"But Orange County's Little Saigon is like the capital of the Vietnamese
community," Masequasmay said.
The group will be one of 70 to participate in the colorful parade, which
marks the beginning of the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, or Tet. This year's
parade has drawn more than 1,400 participants, said Community Services Director
Greg Johnson.
Among the interesting floats this year are a "jungle float" designed by Family
Fun Dental Group and the V Hogs, a group of Vietnamese Harley Davidson riders
who ride their Harleys in their traditional Vietnamese costumes.
This is the third year that the city has taken sponsorship of the parade.
This year, it is expected to cost about $50,000.
"We have police, public works, traffic, portable bathrooms, barricades –
just a lot of staffing overtime," Johnson said. "We need the security when
we have about 10,000 people gathering on the street to watch the parade."
Thanh Do, co-chair of the Gay Vietnamese Alliance based in San Jose, said
their goal is to create awareness about the gay marriage issue in Orange
County – in their own community.
"The Vietnamese community is conservative," he said. "But based on the reactions
we've seen in San Jose, some people give us cold stares, some cheer for us
and others just don't care. Our goal is to educate the community about these
important issues."
The groups want to send the message to gay Vietnamese Americans that they
are not alone, said Masequasmay.
"A number of older generation Vietnamese immigrants do not understand homosexuality,"
she said. "They call it a western disease. A number of gay Vietnamese Americans
are ostracized from their communities. They lose their families."
Hung Nguyen, one of the parade organizers and member of the Vietnamese Cultural
and Heritage Foundation, said he welcomes the group.
"I think our community recognizes that they are human beings too," he said.
"We welcome anyone to celebrate with us – as long as they are not terrorists
or communists."
Mayor Margie Rice said she was surprised to see participation from these
groups this year.
"Well, if they pay the fee and go through the process like everyone else,
they have the right to march in that parade," she said.
Do said entering the parade was obstacle-free because it is a city-organized
event. But he said he will be curious to see where the city puts them.
"One year in San Jose, we were next to the "Star Wars" float and another
time right behind the Hepatitis awareness float," he said. "Hopefully, it'll
be better here – not stereotypical."
Contact the writer: 714-796-7909 or dbharath@ocregister.com
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Members
of various gay groups march in the San Jose Tet Parade in 2009.
PHOTO COURTESY OF O MOI
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