Nashville LGBT Chamber Statement on Solidarity Against AAPI Hate

By Tennessee Pride Chamber

3/19/2021

Advocacy Press Release Chamber News Release

The Nashville LGBT Chamber stands in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) members, partners, and allies.

Over the past year, our nation has seen a shocking increase of almost 150% in anti-Asian American hate crimes against our Asian neighbors, friends, colleagues, and community members. In recent weeks, harassment and physical violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have escalated, including the most recent killings in Georgia.

The racism and xenophobia that fuels these attacks on Asians are not new if you are a member of any marginalized community, but the level of hate and boldness of attacks are. All diverse communities must stand together and fight back against these dangerous and hateful actions. We have stood with our Muslim, Black, Jewish, Hispanic, Sikh, and too many other communities when they have also been targeted and attacked, and those communities have supported the LGBTQ+ community when we are attacked.

It is time again to stand up as one unified community to demand action and declare together that discrimination, bigotry, and violence against any fellow human being is wrong and will not be tolerated. The Nashville LGBT Chamber stands in solidarity with all who believe, as we do, that we must #StopAAPIHate.

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Take Action:

Attend socially distanced or virtual events and stand in solidarity.

API Middle Tennessee, NAPAWF-Nashville, Tennessee Chinese American Alliance, TIRRC, and additional AAPI organizations across Tennessee are hosting "Protect Asian Lives: A Vigil to Stand Against Racism and Violence Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders" on Sunday, March 21st at 6:15 pm CST/ 7:15 EST in Knoxville, Memphis and Nashville.

The goal is to hold space for AAPI community members and to mourn the victims of xenophobic violence in Atlanta and demand a stop to the anti-Asian racism and hate plaguing our country. The vigils will be led by AAPI members of the communities where the events are happening.

Find more information in the Facebook event links below:

Nashville: bit.ly/ProtectAsianLivesNash

Knoxville: bit.ly/ProtectAsianLivesKnox

Memphis: bit.ly/ProtectAsianLivesMemphis

Monday, March 22 at 6:15 PM CST/7:15 PM EST

Virtual Event for API Identifying Community Members

API Processing Space- Discussing the Atlanta Shootings

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScHjd683XzAx3t3MYCF6-t6McXY0OTlDPmOgovbqvnr6VtTiw/viewform

Educate yourself and join local API organizations.

API Middle TN- https://www.apimidtn.org/

NAAAP-TN- https://www.facebook.com/NAAAP.TN/

NAPAWF-Nashville- https://www.instagram.com/napawf_nash/