WITH LOVE
WHAT WE WISH WE KNEW ABOUT BEING QUEER AND FILIPINO IN AMERICA
Submission deadline: October 28, 2023
ABOUT
With Love is a groundbreaking project that aims to capture the stories and perspectives of LGBTQIA+ Filipinos living in the United States. This project will culminate in a published book which will include this collection of letters written by individuals to their younger selves to address “what we wish we knew about being queer and Filipino in America.”
This is an opportunity to empower LGBTQIA+ Filipinos in the US to take steps towards a sense of belonging, self-actualization, and liberation. With that in mind, participation in this project will specifically:
Uplift and educate other LGBTQIA+ Filipinos, especially younger generations, who are living in the US.
Add to the growing body of work by/for the LGBTQIA+ and Filipino communities.
Document the diversity of perspectives in history.
Invite the community to participate in an exercise that will help them reflect on their personal growth, resilience, strength, and contributions to society.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
In collaboration with Kuwento Co. (Publisher), Dr. Dustin Domingo (Author) is seeking submissions from contributing participants. We are looking for you if you are a Filipino who identifies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community who also currently lives in or has lived a substantive number of years in the United States. If that’s you, then you are invited to write up to three (3) letters to your younger self to be published with others as an Epistolary Collection in a book tentatively entitled, “With Love: What We Wish We Knew About Being Queer and Filipino in America."
Please write to the following prompt:
Imagine you could send a letter through time to your younger self. Write a letter to that person to inform, empower, comfort and/or share about your lived experiences in the US. Keep in mind all the sorts of messages or lessons you wish you knew that might have helped you better navigate your world.
SUGGESTED content TOPICS
Suggested topics related to your experience living as an LGBTQIA+ Filipino in the US include, but are not limited to:
Family/Chosen Family
Love, romance, heartbreak
Friendships, relationships, marriage
Community
Food, beverages, recipes
Cultural exploration
Racial/ethnic identity
Racism, colorism, discrimination, prejudice, microagressions
Colonial mentality, decolonization
Immigration, migration
Gender/sexual exploration
Beauty standards, self-image, self confidence
Health, aging, adulthood
Death, illness, dying, loss/grief
Creativity and art
Career, unemployment, work
Trauma, generational trauma, healing
Leadership, mission, vision, values
Vulnerability
Regret
Authenticity
Decision making
Money, wealth, poverty, socioeconomic status, class, social mobility
Education, religion, spirituality, history
If I could tell you just one thing…
guiDELINES
Give your letter a title related to the theme of its contents.
Use of a pseudonym is acceptable.
Begin your letter with a greeting to your younger self (i.e. Dear Dustin; Hi childhood me; Hello Dustin from yesteryear).
End your letter with a farewell sign off from your present self (i.e. Sincerely, Dustin; With all the love, Dustin).
Up to three (3) letters may be submitted.
Contributing writers must be older than 18 years.
The content of the letter is based on true life events and/or true accounts/feelings.
Letters written primarily in languages other than English may be considered for publication, but must be accompanied by an English translation
Fictional stories and ghostwriting are not permitted. Submissions must be original works.
Work must not be published already in another book, article, journal, etc. If the same letter is being selected for publication elsewhere, please notify us as soon as possible at dustindomingoedd@gmail.com.
Type and save your letter on a Microsoft Word Document (not PDF). Save the document as “Your Full Name_Title” (Ex: Dustin Domingo_Learn How to Say Goodbye). You will upload your document in the submission link below. See “How to Submit” section.
12 pt font, Times New Roman, single-spaced, 1 to 8 pages.
In the submission form, you will be prompted to provide a brief biography (100 words or less) written in the 3rd person. Individuals who wish to submit anonymously, must use a pseudonym and must still provide a biography.
(Optional ) One high resolution headshot.
(Optional) You may include up to 3 high resolution images/photos (to be printed in black & white) per letter. Do not submit copyrighted photos. Save each image as a PNG or JPEG with “Your Full Name_Image Name”.
how to submit
Submissions are due October 28, 2023 at 11:59 pm PST and must be submitted using the electronic submission form. Use a single submission form to attach all materials:
Up to three (3) letters
One (1) headshot (optional)
Up to three (3) additional images related to the contents of the letter (optional)
You will receive a confirmation email of your submission(s).
Individuals who are considered for this project will be invited to participate in an optional remote meeting about the content of the letter. Its purpose is to collect clarifying information about each submission and to capture recordings that may be used to bring awareness to your contributions to this project.
Selected submissions will receive an official email acceptance for publication no later than December 1, 2023. In the event of overwhelming interest in this project, a subsequent volume of With Love may be published. With Love is projected to be released Spring 2024.
TIPS: Write from the heart. Write in first person. Be honest. Be vulnerable. Be as detailed as possible, while being mindful of others’ privacy. Empower. Comfort. Inspire. Think about all of the things you wish you knew to help you navigate your world as an LGBTQIA+ Filipino person.
Don’t know how to get started? Free write your stream of consciousness, then let it sit for a while. Go run some errands. Come back to it later, then edit. Proofread and fact check before you submit.