Q-Wave Costumes and Posters from Lunar New Year for All Parades

Founded in 2004, Q-Wave is a community organization based in New York City. Q-Wave is a grassroots organization of lesbian, bisexual, trans, and queer women, trans men, and gender non-conforming/non-binary/trans folks of East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, West Asian, and Pacific Islander descent. The organization strives to build a supportive, progressive community by promoting visibility and empowerment through social, political, and educational organizing. Additionally, Q-Wave provides a safe space to share thoughts and ideas, foster new friendships, and receive and give support.

The collection consists of materials created and used for the Q-Wave contingent of the 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018 Lunar New Year for All Parades in New York City. Materials include a rainbow sash, two sheep costumes to celebrate the Year of the Sheep, signs, artwork, and demonstration posters with messages in Chinese, English, and Japanese promoting inclusivity and challenging homophobia and discrimination.

To learn more about the contents of the Q-Wave Costumes and Posters, located at the NYU Tamiment Library & Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, view the collection’s finding aid. 

Image: A “Queer New Year” poster created for the year of the rooster parade, 2017; Q-Wave Costumes and Posters from Lunar New Year for All Parades; TAM.685; Flat-file-folder 1; Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University Libraries.