QUEERY

Queery
20 gay qustions for Trang Duong

Friday, May 09, 2008

When Saigon fell in 1975, Trang Duong and her family left Vietnam as refugees and headed for the United States. Duong then mostly grew up in California, where she eventually studied sociology and social work at the University of California Davis.

After graduation, she left the state for Alaska, where her godparents were living, not predicting she’d stay there for nine years. She eventually moved to D.C., where she earned dual graduate degrees from George Washington University in public health and as a physician’s assistant. She and her partner, Kim, live with their cat Nori in Silver Spring, Md., and they’re expecting their first child this fall. On May 10, Duong will receive an award from local gay Asian/Pacific Islander organizations in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. She is co-chair of Asian/ Pacific Islander Queer Sisters and is involved with the Lesbian Services Program and Pride & Heritage. The awards night starts at 6:30 p.m. and is held at Apex, 1415 22nd St., NW.

How long have you been out and who was the hardest person to tell?

Since college — hardest to tell was my mom, but she’s met my current partner, who happens to be Asian, too, so all is cool now.

Who’s your gay hero?

Margaret Cho — some say I look like her.

What is Washington’s best nightspot, past or present?

Drag king nights at Club Chaos.

If gay marriage were legal, would you tie the knot?

Yes!

What non-gay issue are you most passionate about?

So many to choose from — world peace, global warming, GLBT rights — I’ll go with universal health care coverage, since I’m a health care provider.

What historical outcome would you change?

September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

What has been the most memorable pop culture moment of your lifetime?

When Ellen DeGeneres came out on primetime TV.

On what reality TV show would you fare best?

I can organize anything; there should be a contest for this.

What item of clothing has been in your closet since high school?

Nothing, that was a long time ago.

If your life were a book, what would the title be?

“I’m No Jellyfish.”

If science discovered a way to change sexual orientation, what would you do?

I would not change. If science could reverse my ethnic heritage as a Vietnamese person, I would say no. Same for sexual orientation. We were born to become the best that we can and that includes being LGBT. Plus, I’ve come out a long way and I am true to who I really am. What I would change is society’s perceptions and beliefs that stigmatize and discriminate against LGBT people.

What do you believe in beyond the physical world?

True love, decency and goodness conquers all.

What would you order for your last meal?

Dim sum.

What would you walk across hot coals for?

My nephew Liam and my yet-to-be-born child.

What gay stereotype annoys you most?

That gays can’t be good parents.

What is the best gay film ever made?

“Saving Face.”

What is the most overrated social custom?

I have a pet peeve about medical forms, etc., that assume one’s partner is of the opposite gender.

What trophy or prize do you most covet?

Winning a scholarship, allowing me to pay off my student loan in exchange for working with an underserved population.

What’s your advice for gay teens?

If others don’t accept you as you are, it’s their problem, not yours

Why Washington?

It’s where I met my honey.

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