DRUG JOY! PANEL

A panel discussion on the highs and lows of recreational and medical drug use in the Queer Asian community. How do we use cannabis (and other drugs 😉) for mental health and healing? Does anybody like their psychiatrist? Can drugs assist in our ability to dream of (and manifest!) a Queer Asian Utopia? Join our incredible lineup of speakers as we grapple with these questions and more.

Featuring our amazing panelists:

Josie @asianadora

Cheryl Tien M.S. @integralworth

Nick Large @LITTLEMISSCUMDUMP

Renee Smaldino @reneesmoldina @mankind_dispensary

Maya Reddy @mayasreddy

& Moderated by:

Jamie Lew @thejamielew

Zoom details will be provided upon registering. Please note that we will be discussing issues that may be sensitive for some folx including drug usage, addiction, mental health, and suicide. Viewer discretion is advised.

Josie

Indie Artist, Producer, Musician, Tiktoker

Saint Josie is a Korean-American, neurodivergent, queer and trans indie artist, producer, musician, Tiktoker, and Twitch streamer. Her music speaks to her experience as a queer and trans person, both in greiving loss and celebrating abundance.

Josie is also incredibly passionate about LGBTQIA+ issues, mental health awareness, feminism, religious trauma, intersectionality, and especially how these issues inevitably and inextricably intertwine.

Cheryl Tien, M.S.

Clinical Psychology Doctoral Grad Student

Cheryl Tien is a clinical psychology doctoral graduate student. She has over 10 years of administrative and clinical experience in a variety of settings including hospitals, private practices, and community clinics. She has worked with diverse populations, including individuals with severe and persistent mental illness, dual diagnoses, and histories of trauma and homelessness. Her research interests include trauma, the intersection of technology and mental health, video game usage, and social media. Currently, she is researching the impact of the #MeToo movement on sexual assault survivors’ story sharing. When not focused on professional activities, Cheryl can be found either playing video games  or with her dog, Peanut, doing whatever Peanut wants.

Nick Large

Community Organizer, Drag Queen

Nick LARGE is a queer, mixed-race Japanese American community organizer and drag queen (Kristi Yummykochi). Previously working in fields ranging from local government to IT and at the Fred T. Korematsu Institute, Nick currently works with Homebase offering technical assistance as a policy analyst, supporting communities in their efforts to end homelessness. Using history as a framework for progressive change, Nick believes that the stories of our past carry essential lessons going into the future, especially stories coming from communities at intersections of marginalization. Nick holds an M.A. in public affairs and a B.A. in psychology from the University of San Francisco, and serves on the board of directors for the New Leaders council San Francisco and GLBT Historical Society.

Renee Smaldino

Content Writer, Mankind Dispensary

Renee Smaldino is a writer and visual artist living in San Diego, CA. Currently studying art and design at San Diego Mesa College, Renee’s work has been featured in art exhibitions, as well as, in digital and physical print. Renee’s medium changes in an exploratory manor but always centers around her passion for poetry and cannabis. Renee began working in the cannabis industry 8 years ago and currently works as a content writer for Mankind Dispensary in San Diego. Her work highlights the need for accessibility, equity and reform. Mankind is an inclusive dispensary that has dedicated itself to the community, while staying true to the power of the plant. Mankind Dispensary is led by a dynamic group of individuals that provide education and support for all cannabis users and remain dedicated in their service in the community.

Maya Reddy

Co-Director, QASC

To quote a recent review of our podcast, “to the ears, she’s just a girl from Southern California” Maya is the founder of the Queer Asian Social Club, a queer Desi, former professional golfer, LGBTQ+ athlete activist, Athlete Ally ambassador, a Toll Public Interest Scholar in the University of Pennsylvania Law School class of 2022, and most importantly Genovia’s Secretary of Defense.

​Maya founded the Queer Asian Social Club in 2018 out of a somewhat selfish desire to find the community and a sense of belonging as a Queer Asian. QASC was born as a way to feel seen and known, to find family, and to celebrate all the nuances and beauty of being queer and Asian—a space where she has finally found belonging. Maya is definitely the team member posting on Instagram about kombucha being Asian culture.

Jamie Lew

Co-Director, QASC

Jamie is an artist, art director, and culture creator. Unlimited by artistic medium, Jamie has created & designed touring concerts, live spectacles, art installations, theatrical sets, dance films, music videos, motion graphics, illustrations, websites, and love letters all over the world. No matter the medium, Jamie believes that visual design is a vital storytelling device—capable of magnifying the intangible heart to a world full of strangers.

Jamie began working with QASC in the summer of 2019 by throwing a Sunday Funday in Los Angeles. She is the editor-in-chief and designer of QASC’s DIS-ORIENT webzine, as well as the occasional graphics designer of QASC merch. As a self-appointed Gaysian Icon, Jamie hopes to make you proud.