Trikone



Trikone (IPA: ) is a non-profit support, social, and political organization for South Asian bisexual, lesbian, gay, and transgendered people. It was founded in 1986 in the San Francisco Bay Area and claims to be the oldest group of its kind in the world. South Asians affiliated with Trikone are from or trace their ancestry to the following countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. Trikone publishes an eponymous magazine with an interational base of subscribers several times a year.

Several metropolitan areas in North America aside from the San Francisco Bay Area also have organizations named "Trikone" (such as Trikone Northwest and Trikone Michigan), which have similar missions.

Purpose
The stated goals of Trikone are:


 * Bringing people of South Asian heritage together in a supportive and non-judgmental environment
 * Promoting awareness, visibility, and acceptance of alternative sexualities in society
 * Proudly affirming both South Asian identity and alternative sexualities
 * Opposing discrimination

History
The organization was co-founded in 1986 by Arvind Kumar and Suvir Das with the name "Trikon" and the first newsletter was published with that name in January, 1986. (The name was later changed to "Trikone" due to a name conflict with an unrelated organization, "Tricon.") Following media coverage in both the United States and India, a group soon formed to continue the publication of the newsletter and to participate in local events such as the San Francisco Gay & Lesbian Pride Parade.

Notable Events

 * 2000 and 2006: DesiQ, a South Asian queer conference of international scope
 * September, 2001: QFilmistan, a film festival
 * Yearly: Kulture Kulcha, a Queer South Asian cultural program
 * Yearly: Participation in the San Francisco Pride Celebration

About the Name
"Trikone" (Hindi/Marathi/Sanskrit: त्रिकोण, Telugu:త్రికోనే, Urdu: تْرِكون, Gujarati: ત્રિકોણ, Panjabi: ਤ੍ਰਿਕੋਣ, Bangla: ত্রিকোণ) means "triangle" in many South Asian languages. The pink triangle is a historical symbol employed in gay liberation movements.

Resources

 * Queer Resource Directory
 * Khush DC Resources