Chicago's Authenticity Party redefines queer event planning

CHICAGO, ILL. - By Michael Oboza, Special to GoPride.com

Biracial Asian American, tattooed cisgender woman and dedicated community advocate Tia Ng is making herstory in Chicago.

Founded in 2005 to affirm the intersectionality of Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) individuals who identify as LGBTQ+, Invisible to Invincible (i2i) continues its vital legacy in Chicago today. An i2i member since the summer of 2015 and a Core Leadership Team member since February 2025, Ng recently shared how her community work and her upcoming Authenticity Party at West Loop’s Carnivale represent a movement far bigger than herself.

Finding identity and stepping into truth

Reflecting on her early years, Ng recounted the humorous, winding path toward understanding her sexuality.

"In high school, my closest friends were emo lesbians. With that, my mother repeatedly said to me, 'You can come out whenever you want,'" Ng said. "But at my 97.8% white high school in rural Wisconsin, I wasn't gay; I just hated everybody. Fast-forward about 20 years, and I refuse to give my mother the satisfaction that she was right!"

Ng’s self-discovery deepened significantly in adulthood through her involvement in queer advocacy spaces.

"For the longest time, I identified as a 'strong ally.' I even worked for the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) while identifying as straight," she recalled. "Thankfully, I had some critical yet kind friends ask me how I could possibly be straight while working for a queer organization. I said, 'I'd think about it.' It took some time, but I finally found comfort in a word that fits me: omnisexual."

Ng explained what that identity means in practice and the nuances that come with it: "That means that I'm open to anybody, but personally, I'm more attracted to men. I'm comfortable being queer in front of friends and strangers, but as my immediate family is a bit more conservative, I never formally came out to them. Also, because of my identity, I feel like I'm more likely to be in a relationship with a man and be perceived to be in a straight relationship."

Queerness as a lens for celebration

For Ng, the "Q" in queer does not stand for quiet.

"Speaking of queerness, I love queerness as a lens for celebrating your authentic self and breaking away from tradition," Ng said. "I bring this view into my event planning work as the owner of Merci D'Avance XO. I believe that hosts and guests deserve to feel authentic, loved, and in community, and I encourage them to boldly be themselves."

Ng emphasizes that this ethos applies across the entire spectrum of life milestones:

"Especially when wedding planning, the couple getting married receives a lot of pressure from all directions on how they should celebrate, but I believe a wedding is for the couple. With that, I empower hosts to be their authentic selves. I have planned weddings and conferences, but I'd love to coordinate more divorce parties, top surgery fundraisers, and celebrations of life! No occasion is too small, too niche, or too bold."

The Authenticity Party

"I believe that you are worthy of celebrating every chapter of your life," Ng emphasized. "At this Authenticity Party, it's an imaginative fill-in-the-blank for what all of our vendors can do for you."

Hosted at Carnivale in Chicago's West Loop, the Authenticity Party showcases a vibrant lineup of community-minded businesses and creatives, featuring Photographer Bryan Sebastian, Replogle Studios, Modern Love DJs, Lettering Works, White Lily Wonders Studio, Lil Joy in my Life, David René Hair & Makeup Artistry, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants, and Paws and Claws Cat Rescue.