Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL) is a civil rights organization dedicated to providing resources, education, legal support, and other crucial culturally-competent resources to AAPI communities. The group was formed in 1983, propelled into action after the racially motivated killing of Vincent Chin.
Anti-Asian sentiment has long proliferated within the U.S. From the Chinese Massacre of 1871 in Los Angeles and the subsequent enforcement of the Chinese Exclusion Act to the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, to the more recent 2021 Atlanta spa shootings and the rise in hate crimes targeting Asian Americans since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic — AAPI communities have faced cultural, political and systemic discrimination and violence that organizations like AJSOCAL are trying to mitigate.
The organization partners with community groups to provide multilingual legal advice and representation, bystander intervention training, citizen application workshops, and is engaged in active political advocacy to ensure that lawmakers understand the importance of codifying laws that prioritize the safety and rights of AAPI communities.
In 2024, AJSOCAL formed its new Queer Transgender Asian Pacific Islander (QTAPI) initiative, the AAPI Queer Joy Coalition. Spearheaded by LA regional policy advocate Jeff Deguia and supported largely by Sacramento-based policy advocate Lan Le, the group is focused on working with other advocacy groups to lobby for policies that are inclusive of LGBTQ+ community members. Earlier this month, three bills they had prioritized in their efforts passed legislation and are now waiting on Governor Newsom’s signature.
AB 1487, AB 678, and SB 418 aim to expand the state’s Transgender, Gender Nonconforming and Intersex Wellness and Equity Fund, require the state’s Interagency Council on Homelessness to improve access and services for unhoused LGBTQ+ individuals, and strengthen coverage around gender-affirming care, respectively.
The Blade had an in-depth conversation with Deguia and Le about what led them into civil rights community work, what they’re doing with the AAPI Queer Joy Coalition, and how they are paving a path forward that prioritizes the lives and freedoms of queer, trans Asian Americans.
Could you introduce your policy background, how you first got into social justice work, and where that’s led you?
Lan Le (she/they): I’m completely new to policy advocacy, actually. What motivated me was that my family and I are refugees from Vietnam, and that meant that I often had to be the interpreter and the advocate for my parents as a child. And, you know, given that I was a child from the provincial countryside, that was really difficult. Everything was bewildering, and it’s still difficult now, even as an adult, because I wasn’t just translating words — I was trying to translate entire systems that weren’t built with families like mine in mind. And what was the most disheartening was that the services that were meant to help us often fell short because they weren’t designed to be accessible. Language access was always treated as an afterthought, and it was never a line item in these agencies’ budgets.
Before joining AJSOCAL, I worked directly with survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault for another nonprofit called My Sister’s House. I’m a survivor myself, and I had hoped that my lived experience would be useful in that line of work, but I quickly found out that the outcomes were often really awful, especially for youths who’ve been trafficked, including many LGBTQ+ youths. It was really difficult for me to do that type of work, because I was reminded again of my own helplessness, and that’s why I think I pivoted to policy advocacy, even though it’s daunting and completely new to me. I felt like it’s the path towards systemic change, and I would hope that this is a way for me to make sure that accessibility and equity were non-negotiable, that it would be a line item in the state’s budget.
Thank you for sharing. How long did you work at My Sister’s House, and when did you start at AJSOCAL?
Lan Le: So I worked for My Sister’s House for two years, and then I started AJ So Cal last year in April.
Jeff, can you share your story?
Jeff Deguia (he/him): I am the current LA regional policy advocate at AJSOCAL. I’m also new to policy, like Lan. I’ve been with the policy team, gosh, I think just over two years. I’ve been in the organization for nine years, initially on communications, doing media marketing, press stuff. And I kind of realized that I missed the partner connections and the community work.
And then this opportunity pulled up with policy, and I was like, “I don’t know if I’m the best fit, because I don’t really have this great technical background in policy.” I’m asking Lan and the team, like, “How do bills pass in the process?” and about line items and penal codes. I’m still trying to learn the jargon and how things work. But, I think like Lan said, being able to see the correlation between system changes and working alongside communal organizing on the ground, and being able to meet them at that same level, within the government and the legislature, is so important.
I am the first generation to be born here in the States [in my family]. My parents are Filipino immigrants. I’m from Chicago. And luckily, in the Philippines, they teach English in schools. So my parents were able to navigate to a good extent. But in Chicago, there’s not a huge population of Asian Americans, especially where I grew up in the suburbs. So without that community care and sharing of knowledge, we really wouldn’t have known how to do anything, you know?
I think growing up in a majority white suburb of Chicago in the 90s, we were all being teased like, “Are you Chinese? Why are eyes like that?” And then pulling their eyes back. I think my parents saw me be upset, and my dad was like, “Be proud of being Filipino and correct them.” That early conversation when I was seven really set me up for this belief that I matter and that my roots are important. My culture and who I am is deserving of being in this country, and that our place in history and our community is important as well. He was a big part of why I have this prideful understanding of being Filipino and just being who I am.
And I think as I got older, all the intersections of being queer, Filipino, a child of immigrants — I really hold that pride and that kind of feeling close to my heart. I belong here, and every part of me deserves to be happy and deserves to have freedoms. And I think that’s a big part of why I’m in this work and I stay in this work, as hard as it is all the time. Because this country is not in a good place, and hasn’t really been. I just tell myself: I deserve to be here. So does my family, and so does my community.
Lan, what was your feeling of belonging growing up? I know you’re a refugee. Where did you end up settling and how did that feel growing up? Was there a sense of community or belonging for you?
Lan Le: My family and I arrived in Sacramento, and it’s actually where I reside right now. In terms of belonging, I always struggled with feeling alienated or isolated from others, because it was not only the fact that I didn’t speak English and the fact that I was a refugee from Vietnam. It was also my queer identity. And it was very difficult to find people who understood my perspective, because often I think I was ashamed because it wasn’t the norm. It didn’t meet the standard that my parents expected, and the community around me as well.
At some point, I was like: Okay, I’m done explaining myself. I’m done trying to justify my existence. I’m just going to accept who I am. I think actually, as a result of that acceptance, I’m more comfortable being open and vulnerable — and that was what has allowed me to be effective in my advocacy. Because when communicating these issues, I don’t just focus on the fact that these are distant theoretical political issues, right? This is very concrete and affects you personally. Do you want your family to have access to healthcare and education? Do you believe that elders should be taken care of at the end of their lives? So I think that allowed me to be more effective because they see how it directly affects them: the lack of language access, the lack of culturally competent mental health services, the downstream effects of U.S. foreign policy. These things are all a part of their story as well. So I try to focus on these issues.
What right now is really striking to you as important in your policy work, and how does that intersect with your different identities as queer AAPI people?
Jeff Deguia: I will say that my full stepping into my LGBTQ+ identity kind of happened during COVID. I’ve long been proud of who I am, but I think embracing every part of myself, even the feminine parts and feminine interests, [came from] actually understanding art that comes from a lot of trans femmes of color. So I just think having that moment in 2020, with reflection, and then coming to this place of like: Hey, actually, how are we being inclusive of LGBTQ+ folks in our AAPI community: in policy, and access to gender affirming care that’s culturally competent? How do we support parents in terms of learning how to best support their trans or queer children?
A lot of times there’s this idea of like, if young Jeff had this type of support, I think it would have saved a lot of pain and inner turmoil of: Who am I, and do I deserve to live like this and in liberation? And I think that’s been a huge thing. It means a lot to be doing queer, trans AAPI work, and we’re doing it with a lot of partnerships with others — partners who have done this work for decades. We’re trying to impart our policy abilities and policy knowledge to really bring those folks who have been on the ground for years, serving the community, to Sacramento. We realized that for a lot of our partners, they’re doing direct services, social programming, but they’re not necessarily able to get a seat at the table in Sacramento with elected officials.
We had our Jade Jubilee in June — which is our annual queer trans AAPI celebration — and Lan was helping train our partners before our legislative visits with different senators and senate members. In the beginning, they were all kind of like, “I’ve only done this once, and it was virtual. I’ve never done it in person.” A couple weeks later, they were killing it in the meetings, presenting all this data and sharing from the heart and from experience. I think seeing my partners be able to build a new muscle is the most rewarding thing for me.
Being able to see them grow has been the best, because I want to see more of us at the Capitol — queer trans AAPI folks. And to lead it is a privilege I hold really, really close to my heart.
Lan, I’m curious about what that training process was like. What were you imparting on people who, like Jeff was saying, hadn’t developed that “muscle” quite yet. How did you communicate those skills to them?
Lan Le: First, I acknowledge that the legislative process is challenging and complicated, and I struggle to navigate it as well. So, they’re not alone in terms of feeling intimidated. But for me, I just highlighted the fact that they are the experts of their own stories and lived experiences, and it’s important for them to communicate the story to these legislators. Because now, these legislators can see the impact of the policies.
I think some folks feel like they have to be prepared with all the statistics and the research when communicating with legislators. But the reality is, they get tons and tons of information all the time. They have staffers who constantly are updating them on the numbers. But what they don’t often hear from are the community members that they represent: their constituents. Most people aren’t able to drive to Sacramento and take a day off to wait several hours to talk to a legislative staff member or a legislator. So, they really value having that insight.
And you know, the QTAPI community, we’re very niche. Every time we have come to advocate for our community’s needs, everyone has responded really well to that, because they feel like: “Oh, this is something that hasn’t been at the forefront when we’re developing these policies.” These folks are not at the table, and we do need to take these people into consideration, because the challenges they experience — for example, language access — is something that’s critical for them. We need to do this in order for them to get the services that they’re entitled to. That was my approach: You are the expert of your own situation, so please just approach it as a way for you to share your story. People might have different ideas about how things should be done, but they can’t contradict your life experience.
Speaking more about the Queer Joy Coalition and how it was really first formed in 2024…Now there’s the great news of the three bills that you were prioritizing being passed, and they’re on the governor’s desk. How are you both feeling about that?
Jeff Deguia: It’s been so grim with the current presidential administration. I think it was hard to think that things could really be going well in terms of a legislative cycle.
There are a few votes in opposition from some conservative elected officials, but to just know that, for the most part, California is still pushing for us and for our community is great. It’s a big year because it was our first-ever bill package. So for them all to be there on the desk right now is big. I want those to get signed into law right away. I don’t like waiting. We’re not the co-sponsors, but we work pretty hard to make sure that we support others. We were advocating at the lobby day. It’s such a bureaucratic process, and for it to be at this point, I’m like: Okay, thank God. We’re so close. Let’s keep pushing.
I’m so glad. How did you feel about it, Lan?
Lan Le: It was such a huge sense of relief when these bills managed to pass, because I was attending the hearings where the opponents didn’t hold back in terms of their anti-LBGTQ+ rhetoric, or their homophobia, or their casual racism. When I’m in that space and they’re making these statements — it felt hostile. There are times when I didn’t feel safe, and it reminded me that “Oh, maybe I don’t really belong,” and, once again, I feel alienated and isolated. But fortunately, considering that all three bills managed to make it to the governor’s desk, that means that there is a lot of support. There are a lot of allies, and I’m just so relieved that people are prioritizing the needs of our community.
We were speaking about how bureaucracy feels a bit intimidating and unapproachable and complex. What are your day-to-day lives like working as policy advocates? How does the day start, and how does the day end? And how do you take a breather from it all as well?
Lan Le: So unfortunately, my day starts by reading the news, and then I’m very sad. So I take a mental health break. I go on YouTube, and I watch some cute animal videos, you know. And then I go back to work. Most of my time is spent on research and writing so that I can be more prepared when I’m talking with different stakeholders, including our legislators. And my objective is always to try to communicate the impact of these policy changes on the Asian and Pacific Islander community, especially the most marginalized individuals, which, of course, includes QTAPI folks as well.
That means that in order to be effective, I have to collect data and then try to create a compelling story using that data. So, for example, in communicating the response to H.R.1, the “Big Ugly Bill,” which, for context, has slashed over $2 trillion in federal funding for health care and food assistance. It also allocated $170 billion for increased immigration enforcement. I would communicate that by saying that, in California, 25% of Covered California individuals are Asian and Pacific Islander. With these budget cuts, it means that for many of them, their premiums are going to rise by up to 74% next year. That’s going to price a lot of people out of coverage.
So when we’re talking about these budget cuts, we’re talking about seniors who now have to skip their medication, children going without food, and survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking who are now avoiding courthouses and hospitals because they fear that they would be detained and deported, because they also happen to be immigrants. So throughout this entire process, I’m trying to communicate the harm, the impact. I’m also constantly working with our partner organizations like the California Immigrant Policy Center (CIPC) and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) to try to coordinate public comments and advocacy visits to work on our talking points and see what we should focus on. And frankly, it’s the other advocates who keep me grounded and sane throughout this process, because otherwise I would just be in a blanket of despair.
Jeff Deguia: I’ll also do some light news, typically on social media, which is probably not the best avenue. But for me, I have lost a little bit of trust in Western media, especially legacy media. So I’m following organizers on the ground. I’m trying to keep up with Israel and Palestine. I keep up with trans community leaders as well. When I’m not working, I try not to doom scroll because my Tiktok algorithm is all social justice stuff — which is great, but sometimes it just makes you really, really depressed. So I’ll do some balance with some gay comedic chaos.
But I will say that I make sure that I’m connecting with partners on the ground, much like Lan does. Say, if a partner organization that might not historically do LGBTQ+ work, if they’re starting it, [I think] how can I lean into that, collaborate more, offer some more advice? I’m being sure that local actions are being covered, whether that’s immigration rights, whether that’s LGBTQ+, pro-trans items as well. I try to make sure that I’m not behind on my support letters or efficacy efforts, or rallying my AAPI coalition members to make sure that they’re putting in letters as well.
I’m always reminded that movement work is not short-term — it’s very long-term. Chances are, you won’t see the changes in your lifetime. But how do you work with the belief that I’m doing something productive, that I’m doing something that’s worthwhile, and there’s no promise of it ever coming together? But, you just have to put your energy in the faith and the hope that it’s gonna get better — that you’re adding to it, and that there are other advocates around you who are adding to that as well, and that you’re never really alone in this work. That people who look like you, who don’t look like you, have the same values as you, are the ones who will be ensuring that we’re giving the best effort we can to make the biggest impact we can, hopefully in a generation or two, or further down.
It’s so hard to be living in this work with no hope, [where] you’re not really seeing any type of measurable success, per se. But I will say when bills get passed, when rallies happen, when conversations change, when culture changes happen as well — I think that’s when we see the markers of actual, immediate change happening. It’s always little, small moments of connecting with partners and strategizing around what’s the best way of doing this, and trial-and-error that really make those moments happen socially. I think what’s been tough for me to realize, is that you’re really working in this hope of, “What could it be?” And, you just have to hope for the best.
As much as we get pounded down by the “opposition,” I just always want to believe that openness, inclusivity, and wanting to fight for everybody will always come out on top, because that’s the fight that deserves to be seen and heard. So, I just try to live in that kind of headspace. It’s hard, though, my God.
To kind of pivot back a little bit into policy work: What is on the plate right now for you both? What is the most important to you in terms of research and what you’re working on?
Lan Le: We’re working on our legislative and budget priorities for next year, and one of our bills, AB 322, has been made into a two-year bill, and so we’re trying to get that over the finish line in 2026. So, what happened was that AB 1355 was introduced. It died. And then there was a gut and amend, and then it was reintroduced and revived as AB 322, and then it died again. Now we’re going to try to get it through the finish line in 2026 because it was made a two-year bill in Senate Appropriations. The bill deals with location data privacy, and this is a really critical issue for immigrants, survivors, and folks within the LGBTQ+ community, because location data has been weaponized to target these communities.
For example, every time we use an app on our phone, our private location data is constantly being collected and then eventually it’s sold by data brokers to different people, including law enforcement, often without our knowledge or consent. And unfortunately, this data has been used to dox and out LGBTQ+ folks. And so that’s why we want to make sure we have effective guardrails to protect our community.
I’m also more interested in the AI regulation space because, you know, it’s everywhere, and the potential harm that it can cause is horrifying, but it also can create a lot of good as well. And I just want to make sure that there’s a certain level of transparency in the process, and to make sure that there’s a lot of people with a clamoring conscience, a lot of ethicists and attorneys around, and people like me as well to advocate for communities that are often rendered invisible. And, you know, often this is just an issue of fairness, like, how do we allocate these resources? What do we prioritize when it comes to our funding and budget? These issues affect all of us, so that keeps me going.
Jeff Deguia: I think as the year ends, it’s kind of a period where it’s reflective. I’m trying to do some convenings with our AAPI Queer Joy Coalition partners and some other queer, trans AAPI leaders in the LA area and OC area. As hard as this year has been adjusting to this new president, there are a lot of wins still, locally. And I want us to be able to highlight that and understand: How do we repeat it next year? How do we make sure that we can continue this work in a positive way?
I think also, I’ve seen that there’s quite a gap between our queer, trans AAPI partners and LGBTQ+ partners as a whole. I’m trying to do some bridge-building, because there are a lot of people like TLC, REACH LA, the Center, Equality California, who are really based in LA and OC. So, when they do have bills or collaboration or projects, they can say, “Oh, actually, let’s make sure that the AAPI [community] was included.” So I just want to make sure that, as the year closes, we’re making connections so that people can build on their own and build together.
Because the LGBTQ+ coalition at AJSOCAL is fairly new, what’s it like to be leading this force of change? Is it difficult to navigate this advocacy space as queer AAPI people?
Lan Le: Well, first off, Jeff is the mastermind behind AAPI Queer Joy, and he’s doing a great job leading. I’m so happy to be working with him. Honestly, it’s like a mental health break for me every time I communicate with him, because it feels like: Okay, there’s someone that I can share this experience with — who understands how difficult it can be in terms of being the pioneers. It’s daunting. I do feel like, sometimes, I overthink things, and I’m reluctant to speak up. But, I need to speak up because this is the only time our voices are heard. So, there’s that great sense of responsibility. I feel like, whatever small ways that I can push the needle in a good direction, I’m grateful for. Honestly, sometimes a win is just not a significant loss. I’m just grateful for that. I’m relieved.
Jeff Deguia: I guess it’s a little difficult for me, because I want to make sure that I am properly paying respects to the folks who were there before me, because there’s organizations that have legacy since the AIDS epidemic, and leaders who have been in this work since then. So, I want to make sure I’m taking into account their perspectives and their thoughts, their opinions, so that I can better inform my strategy and my movement forward. It’s something I don’t take lightly. I consider it a really, really big privilege for me to be in this space where I’m representing every part of my identity in this work. Ideally, in the next couple of years, we’re co-authoring or co-sponsoring a bill.
I just want to be taken seriously by assembly members and senators and our partners, and that when the AAPI community thinks of us, they think of their LGBTQ+ siblings. I hope that when the LGBTQ+ community thinks of the community, that they remember that queer, trans AAPIs exist. I don’t want to be an afterthought anymore. I want us to be a person in the beginning of planning purposes, [and that people say]: “Hey, we gotta make sure we have some AAPI people on this call or on this initiative.” I think I’m just trying to lead with ferocity, but also with the knowledge that I’m standing on people’s shoulders who came before me, and I need to pay respect to them as well.
For more information, check out Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California.