A reflection from Andrian Liem: Being in Zurich alongside fellow Asian colleagues was a powerful reminder that Asia is not a data gap, but a continent of researchers ready to speak for themselves. Our presence in this kick-off workshop ensured that the staggering diversity of Asia, from Taiwan's marriage equality to the criminalising laws still in force across 21 countries, was not reduced to a footnote, but shaped the very research agenda of this global project. Through our network, we have already built the platform to conduct community-grounded research in one of the world's most legally and culturally complex regions, identifying mental health and suicidality as the top priority among LGBTIQ+ communities, alongside the urgent challenge of laws and policies that marginalise our communities. This project gives our regional network a global platform, and in return, we bring what no Western-led study alone can offer, including the lived realities, the Indigenous frameworks, and the local allies needed to make this research genuinely transformative.

(photo credit: Jun Wei and Guitar)