Our Mission
The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance empowers LGBTQ+ Asians and Pacific Islanders through movement capacity building, policy advocacy, and representation.
Founded in 2005 as a federation of dozens of small, volunteer-run groups across the country, NQAPIA is embedded in generations- and centuries-old traditions of resistance, resilience, and community-making among LGBTQ+ Asians and Pacific Islanders.
Check out our first 15 years below!
Our Team
Kenrick Ross
Executive Director
Kenrick Ross he/him) has been Executive Director of NQAPIA since February 2021. Over the past 15 years, he has held senior management roles in sectors as diverse as education, community health, civic engagement, and equitable entrepreneurship.
He previously served as Executive Director of the Indo-Caribbean Alliance; Director of Education, Career Services, and Community at the YWCA of Queens; and Director of Professional Development and Quality Assurance for The Leaguers, Inc. In 2011, he founded Urban&Out, an LGBTQPOC professional and leadership development network.
Kenrick has made two short films, spoken and presented at 40+ events, and served on a dozen boards. He’s also a fierce advocate for LGBTQ-inclusive sports, especially tennis. Born in Guyana and raised in the NYC area, he lives with his partner in Newark, New Jersey. He holds a BA in Politics from New York University, and an MS in Urban Policy and Leadership from CUNY-Hunter College.
Regine Reyes
Director of Programs
Regine (they/them) joined NQAPIA as the Director of Programs in August 2022. Born in the Philippines and raised in southeast San Diego, their upbringing in immigrant, working class, communities of color informs much of their intersectional approach. This lens grounds their professional and community involvement in educational equity, K-12 classroom teaching, case management, program development, event coordination, progressive media, student-initiated programs, and trauma-informed leadership development for Queer Trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color. They earned their BA in History (Race, Ethnicity, and Migration) from the University of California San Diego and their MA in Special Education from Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles. They treasure their role in their students’ paths to empowered and fulfilling lives.
Regine has previously served as a co-founding Board Member and co-chair of the San Diego Queer Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American Coalition. In their rest time, Regine enjoys tending to their plants, cuddling their dog Goober, and spending time under the sun with chosen family.
