Okaeri Voices: Season Two Launching on May 16th!
Okaeri Voices is an oral history project featuring LGBTQ+ and allied Japanese Americans over 60 who share their journeys of heartbreak, self-discovery, and triumph, inspiring us to believe in an inclusive future for our Nikkei LGBTQ+ community. Season One features Mia Yamamoto, Bill Tashima, George Takei, Harold & Ellen Kameya, Dean Goishi, Desiree Thompson, and Gary Hayashi.
This year we are releasing Season 2 of Okaeri Voices! To support this project, filmmakers, and speakers, please visit our donation page here. Your generosity allows us to continue expanding projects that highlight our amazing Nikkei LGBTQ+ community who have so many lessons and stories to share with our younger generations. Please add “Okaeri” in the Notes section during check out. Thank you.
Mia Yamamoto: A Life-Changing Decision at 60
At an age when most people are settling into the closing phases of their lives, Mia was, in many ways, just beginning her life. She explains making the momentous decision to transition so she can live authentically as her true self. She shares her personal journey and discusses her work as a civil rights attorney.
Icon George Takei shares in this episode about his childhood crushes and the challenges of navigating his gay identity in Hollywood. He eventually overcame fear and shame, met the love of his life, and came out publicly, becoming a vocal advocate for LGBTQ visibility.
Gary Hayashi: An Ex-gay Ministry Spokesperson Confronts His Truth
Gary, a former representative of an ex-gay ministry, explains how he became part of the LGBTQ+ community and returned to the Japanese American community.
Desiree Thompson: Embracing the Unknown Supported by a Loving Community
Lesbian activist Desiree Thompson recounts growing up in Hawai’i and how she came to accept her sexuality. Filmed when she was at a pivot point, Desiree wonders what awaits her, but knows that a supportive community holds her, regardless of what develops in the next phase of her life.
Bill Tashima: Choosing Life & Love
"We didn't have the word 'gay' back then," Seattle JACL leader Bill Tashima explains, referring to growing up in the 1950s and 60s. Back then, he thought if anyone ever found out he was a homosexual, he would have to kill himself. Bill explains how he chose to live openly as a gay man.
Harold & Ellen Kameya: Trailblazing Parents
When their daughter came out as a lesbian, these parents wondered what they did wrong. They transformed their heartbreak into decades of activism for LGBTQ+ rights, becoming role models for other parents to love and celebrate their LGBTQ+ children.
As AIDS was ravaging gay communities in the late 1980s, there were no prevention and treatment programs for Asian and Pacific Islanders (APIs). Dean stepped out of his comfort zone to co-found the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team, which advocated for LGBTQ+ APIs in Southern California.