Post submitted by Brian McBride, former HRC Digital Strategist

Eugene Lee Yang -- actor, producer, director, writer and a member of The Try Guys -- did an #HRCTwitterTakeover to talk about representation of LGBTQ people of color to mark the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day.

1/ Hey, it’s @EugeneLeeYang! Actor, producer, director, writer & part of the awesome quartet: The @TryGuys. I’m doing an #HRCTwitterTakeover for #NationalComingOutDay to talk about the importance of LGBTQ representation in story telling & voting to effect change. �� @mandeephoto pic.twitter.com/YSbrH5NYvf — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

2/ Growing up, I always felt insecure and self-conscious. I wrongly assumed that my otherness was a curse — that my Asian and queer identities would hold me back. Looking back, I know that was false. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #NationalComingOutDay — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

3/ I was always performing as a kid, but it wasn’t until I pursued a career in film that I saw my work online impact other LGBTQ people of color. I learned how important it was for them to see themselves in the stories I told. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #ComingOutDay — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

4/ Representation matters. Through telling stories, you can leave a lasting impact on someone who feels like an outsider simply by showcasing different identities in a positive light. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #NationalComingOutDay https://t.co/vKwOTHSoMf — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

5/ I know firsthand how seeing Asian actors be negatively portrayed as emasculated caricatures on television and film negatively impacted my self-esteem growing up. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #NationalComingOutDay https://t.co/5fsG08fThx — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

6/ I wanted to break the mold, change perceptions on what it means to be valued as an Asian male. I wanted to show that LGBTQ API men and other P.O.C can be serious, complex, intelligent and kick ass. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #ComingOutDay https://t.co/i6KapVTdR9 — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

7/ My advice to LGBTQ P.O.C., but particularly for Asian & Pacific Islander men: Do not compromise your vision because someone is telling you to do things a certain way — especially if it deals with your Asianness. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #NationalComingOutDay — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

8/ The best thing you can do is be honest with your experience and to express it as creatively as possible. The lifelong coming out experience is different for everybody. Do it at your own pace. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #NationalComingOutDay https://t.co/i9woEGf5YO — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

9/ We're at the start of this wave beginning to crest when it comes to LGBTQ & minority representation — not just in television, film and online, but also in the people who represent us in Congress and state legislatures. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #NationalComingOutDay — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018

11/ If you are LGBTQ or a person of color and you aren’t voting then you don’t have a say in the laws that get passed.



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Check your registration status right now. - @EugeneLeeYang #HRCTwitterTakeover #NationalComingOutDay https://t.co/JHpdNpaaIg — Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) October 11, 2018