David Moore, Kansas City, MO
NAAAP is my tribe. What does it mean to be a member of a tribe? Is it that I belong to a certain ethnic group, political party, fraternity, religion, sex, race, sexual orientation, or any number of other special interest groups? For me, it’s about a sense of belonging, being seen, being heard, and being valued. It’s being a part of something. I spent many years wondering which tribe I belonged to as if there was only one choice. Why did it have to be “or?” Why did no one ever tell me it could be “and?”
In finding NAAAP, I found the “AND” that I had been missing all these years. I felt like I belonged. I still remember my first NAAAP Convention in Dallas. I walked into a room with hundreds of people who looked like me. And not only did they look like me, but they were leaders in their industry. Not only were they being seen, but they were being heard. They had a message and people were listening. Representation matters.
With NAAAP, I have a sense of belonging. NAAAP sees me. NAAAP hears me. And NAAAP values me. And with the creation of NAAAP Pride, I know that I can truly be my whole authentic self within this tribe. I am a creative Asian American gay veteran. NAAAP not only accepts that but celebrates it.
