All posts tagged: Anan Bouapha

Lao America’s 2017 Year in Review

Published by Saysomphorn Sisavatdy

What a year?! Perhaps propelled and fueled by covfefe, it really felt like the personal and the public occupied some blurred lines in 2017. This year showed us what happens when you throw enough water particles into a vat of hot oil the size of a planet. Is anyone left innocent and unshaken? To those that can make that claim…share that medication before it’s re-allocated to the rich! Take a look below and let us know what we might have missed! January After the US Presidential Election slammed to a close, one of our staffers at Little Laos on the Prairie felt it prudent to address the shocking results…and its massive implications. Not surprisingly, we weren’t the only ones shocked with the results. The Laotian Times also addressed the elections. On January 24, “A Great Place to Have a War: America in Laos and the Birth of a Military CIA” by Joshua Kurlantzick made its way to print. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Southeast Asia W. Patrick Murphy visited the Lao PDR on Jan 16 and 17. He outlined several …

PRIDE and LGBTQIA Advocacy in Laos: An Interview with Anan Bouapha

Published by Timothy Singratsomboune

In continuing our recognition of LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) History Month, I interviewed Anan Bouapha, a well-known advocate in the LGBTQIA community in Vientiane, Laos. Anan is part of an active and increasingly visible LGBTQIA community that continues to engage Lao society and international partners. As president of the nongovernmental organization Proud to Be Us Laos, Anan played an instrumental role in organizing the first large-scale LGBTQ+ Pride event at the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane back in 2012. Born and raised in the capital of Vientiane, Anan continues his advocacy efforts throughout Laos and lectures about his work internationally. While currently based in Paris for graduate studies, Anan may struggle to find his favorite Lao dish of Mok Pa, but he is still able to talks about the current state of LGBTQIA affairs in Laos. Was there a particular moment that compelled you to get into LGBTQIA advocacy in Laos? We’ve been trying to partner with the government to help reduce HIV/AIDS infection among LGBTQI community members. We also want to reduce …