by Ronnie Estoque
On May 3, UTOPIA Washington held the grand opening of their new Mapu Maia Clinic in Kent. The clinic provides free services for the QTPI (Queer and Transgender Pacific Islanders) and QTBIPOC (Queer and Transgender Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community and does not require health insurance. Currently, the Mapu Maia Clinic provides wellness care, gender-affirming care, harm reduction, vaccine access, and COVID-19 PPE and test kits.
Tepatasi Vaina is the health clinic director at UTOPIA Washington, and shared more about the Mapu Maia Clinic in an interview with the Emerald.
This article is published under a Seattle Human Services Department grant, "Resilience Amidst Hate," in response to anti-Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander violence.
Ronnie Estoque is a South Seattle-based freelance photographer and videographer. You can keep up with his work by checking out his website.
Featured Image: From left to right: Callie Nholowaa, LPN, volunteer clinical operations; Dr. Malik Fuimaono, volunteer medical director; and Tepatasi Vaina, health clinic director. (Photo: Mel Ponder)
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