Emily grew up in Taipei, Taiwan where their family is from. Emily moved to Portland, Oregon to attend Reed College and has been there since 2008. Emily is fluent in two imperial languages: English and Mandarin.
Emily is excited to support movement building that centers the agency, healing, and joy of queer and trans BIPOC. Emily strives to learn from “By and For” organizing focused on abolition, decriminalization, climate and disability justice.
Emily has experience in community organizing, youth programming, mutual aid, and nonprofit management. Prior to joining Pride Foundation, Emily was Executive Director for youth organization -Momentum Alliance. There, Emily helped organize a youth campaign resulting in Oregon becoming the first state to require Ethnic Studies in K-12 schools. Emily also served on a grant committee at Third Wave Fund -a national funder resourcing movements that are unapologetically queer, trans, intersex, and sex worker-led.
Emily enjoys watching music videos, marveling at plants, taking long walks, and sharing stories with people who also have lifelong STIs. Emily loves being on the water and is learning to be a paddle guide. Emily is obsessed with pugs and dreams of having two pugs in their old age.
Favorite Quotes:
“My trans agenda is not to turn cis children into trans, but to turn trans children into adults.” -NiiLee Cyrus
“Queerness in a way saved my life…Often we see queerness as a deprivation, but when I look at my life, I saw that queerness demanded an alternative innovation from me, I had to make alternative routes. It made me curious, it made me ask this is not enough for me because there’s nothing here for me.” – Ocean Vuong
Favorite Places in the Northwest: Anywhere seals, otters, & orcas are. Rooster Rock for queer beaches, Cape Kiwanda for ocean sunsets.
*Emily strives to show solidarity to indigenous communities beyond land acknowledgements, which entails dedicating time and resources to support land back movements and indigenous sovereignty.