The organizer and co-founder of the Asian Lesbians of the East Coast (ALOEC), Chan raised awareness for LGBT issues relating to the Asian-American community.
Chan was born on June 6, 1956, in Lower Manhattan to parents who worked in New York City's Chinatown.
[2] Chan's activism had its roots in her childhood, remembering tourists displaying racist attitudes to people in Chinatown.
[3] Their Asian lesbian history slide show was considered "grassroots scholarship" by Polly Thistlethwaite.
[1] The group was formed in response to the overly white and male LGBT community at the time and provided a place for support for lesbians.