Details speaks to "Gay or Asian" outrage

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Gay Asian and Pacific Islander Men of New York, and a representative from Asian Pacific Islanders for Human Rights met Thursday with an editorial group from Details magazine to discuss the publication of the magazine's controversial article "Gay or Asian." The article, which ran in the magazine's April issue, outraged activists by playing into racial and sexual stereotypes of both Asian gays and lesbians and the larger gay community. "We made very clear the damaging effects the 'Gay or Asian' feature had on the LGBT API community, explaining how the piece made gay APIs feel like they had to choose between the two communities, how it made them feel invisible, and how it exacerbated homophobia in the API community while playing on racial stereotypes in the LGBT community and mainstream society at large," said John Won, cochair of Gay Asian and Pacific Islander Men of New York, after the meeting. According to editor in chief Dan Peres, Details will run a full-page apology in an upcoming issue and move forward in a more sensitive manner in featuring stories on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people as well as Asians and Pacific Islanders. Peres also encouraged API and LGBT people to "call him out" if the magazine does not follow through on his stated commitment to more inclusive coverage. Both parties plan to meet in six to eight months to discuss the magazine's progress.