The American LGBTQ+ Museum

EVENT DETAILS

Join the American LGBTQ+ Museum for a new edition of the Lavender Literary Society Book Club, featuring author Eric C. Wat, hosted by Alice Y. Hom!

Our guests will be discussing Wat’ book, Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles, winner of Outstanding Book in History from the Association of Asian American Studies.

ABOUT LAVENDER LITERARY SOCIETY

The American LGBTQ+ Museum Book Club is a space for community and connection, bridging generations through the magic of storytelling. The selections will be a mix of popular queer history and memoir with inspiring authors and iconic guest facilitators. The pages we turn will become stepping stones for intergenerational dialogue, fostering understanding, empathy, and unity. Together, we’ll traverse the landscapes of queer culture, savoring the nuances and complexities that make our stories uniquely ours.

This isn’t just a book club; it’s a movement. Reading together becomes a powerful act of empowerment, a catalyst for change, and a testament to the resilience of the LGBTQ+ spirit. Participants will be a part of something extraordinary. In this book club, we won’t just read, we’ll weave the threads of our stories into a tapestry of strength, resilience, and pride.

AUTHOR

Eric C. Wat is the author of four books, including: Daddy Issues: Stories (University of Nebraska Press, 2025), winner of the Barbara DiBernard Prize in Fiction; Love Your Asian Body: AIDS Activism in Los Angeles (University of Washington Press, 2022), winner of Outstanding Book in History from the Association of Asian American Studies; the Los Angeles Times-bestselling debut novel SWIM (The Permanent Press, 2019), and The Making of a Gay Asian Community: An Oral History of Pre-AIDS Los Angeles (Rowman & Littlefield, 2002). His second novel manuscript, Drive, was a finalist in the Black Lawrence Immigrant Writing Series in 2022. Eric strives to tell stories (fictional or otherwise) not only about communities that have been overlooked, but also those stories that even these communities find inconvenient and uncomfortable. You can learn more about his work at www.ericwatbooks.com. (IG: imericwat)

HOST

Alice Y. Hom (she/they) is a community builder invested in bridging diverse and overlapping communities for social change. She is the Executive Director of CHANGE Philanthropy. Previously, she served as the Director of Equity and Social Justice at Northern California Grantmakers and as the Queer Justice Fund Director at Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy. Alice serves on the board of the American LGBTQ+ Museum and on the Advisory Council for the Conscious Style Guide, a resource on inclusive, respectful and empowering language on ability/disability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. She is a co-founder of Beyond Two Cents: LGBTQ AAPI Giving Circle. Her previous board service includes: Borealis Philanthropy, California Humanities, Los Angeles City Commission on the Status of Women, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, Visual Communications, Great Leap, and APAIT Health Center. Aliceholds a Ph.D. in History from Claremont Graduate University, a M.A. in Asian American Studies from UCLA, and B.A. from Yale University.

GRAPHIC

Our beautiful graphic is designed by the incredible Loveis Wise (they/he), a multidisciplinary artist, designer, creative director, and Capricorn, drawing reimagined futures and playfulness in Los Angeles.

ACCESSIBILITY

This program will be presented via Zoom with live closed captioning available in English. We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. Please reach out with any questions, requests or needs to info@americanlgbtqmuseum.org.