James "Jim" Mitsuo Cua was an active member of LGBTQ+ community in San Diego from 1984 to 1994. Over the course of ten years he held many leadership positions and played a role in forming multiple organizations to support people of color in the Queer community.
Cua was born in 1961 in Hawaii to a first generation Japanese mother and second generation Filipino father. While he grew up in a fundamentalist and Republican household, Cua was spurred to join the Democratic party when he realized he was gay and saw a contradiction between his sexuality and political stance. He began his political work in his early twenties by working for the San Diego Democratic Club. He quickly took on more leadership roles and was heavily involved in the community. A major highlight of his career was founding the Gay and Lesbian Asian Social Support group (GLASS), which was an impactful support group in the San Diego Queer Asian Pacific Islander community. Along with advocating for Queer and BIPOC voices, Cua was also active in women's rights groups including NOW and Womancare.
Jim Cua made a large impact on the San Diego gay and lesbian community in a short period of time. Cua’s life was cut short at the age of 33 due to AIDS related complications. However, his legacy lived on in the organizations that he supported and the people he inspired.
Cua was born in 1961 in Hawaii to a first generation Japanese mother and second generation Filipino father. While he grew up in a fundamentalist and Republican household, Cua was spurred to join the Democratic party when he realized he was gay and saw a contradiction between his sexuality and political stance. He began his political work in his early twenties by working for the San Diego Democratic Club. He quickly took on more leadership roles and was heavily involved in the community. A major highlight of his career was founding the Gay and Lesbian Asian Social Support group (GLASS), which was an impactful support group in the San Diego Queer Asian Pacific Islander community. Along with advocating for Queer and BIPOC voices, Cua was also active in women's rights groups including NOW and Womancare.
Jim Cua made a large impact on the San Diego gay and lesbian community in a short period of time. Cua’s life was cut short at the age of 33 due to AIDS related complications. However, his legacy lived on in the organizations that he supported and the people he inspired.