Memorial Scholarships in honor of Rev. Hong K. Tan

Hi, my name is Kim Yu, and I am starting this gofundme in honor of my dearest brother, Hong Tan, who passed away February 9th, 2023. Hong was not just an amazing brother to me and our family but a compassionate advocate, strong leader, humble servant, with a heart of justice, who spent his life in service to the LGBTQ community and many more. He founded the Metropolitan Community Church of North London and was its Senior Pastor for seven years. He was also the first Asian District Coordinator and ordained clergyperson in UFMCC. He went on to become an elder and also founded HIV/AIDS and People of Colors organizations and cared for people with HIV/AIDS. In addition, he worked in senior management in the National Health Service, working with departments that spanned pregnancy services, renal care, and HIV/AIDS care. He also was the Director for Sexual Health for the 2012 London Olympics. More recently Hong led the Health in the Justice commissioning team at NHS England (London) to provide a range of physical health, mental health and wellbeing services for people along the justice pathways, in order to improve quality of services and health outcomes.

Despite graduating in Physiology with a BSc (Hons), getting his MBA, and working in science and healthcare, Hong was deep down an artist. He excelled at music in his youth, playing both the violin and the piano, and was a leader for his school film society, and leader of his school and Liverpool Youth Orchestra. He taught himself art, was a connoisseur of musicals, theater and shows, and later in life would travel to paint and draw. He shared his love of music, art and all things creative with me and those all around him. He became a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and would exhibit art every year in a small gallery in London. All blessed to be in his inner circle, know of his passion for art, food, and music.

I am raising money to start a foundation that will fund an international online art scholarship that will award LGBTQ youth scholarships and awards to encourage and support their passion for art. From painting, mixed media, digital art, music, poetry, dance, to other artistic forms, it is my sincere hope to honor my brother by continuing a legacy that will inspire LGBTQ youth in the arts and for them to know that they do not journey alone, that with love and support, they can achieve their dreams.

Please help by donating generously. We are so grieving the loss of Hong, but know that this would be something that he would have loved, and that we can continue his memory through this International LGBTQ Art festival. Thank you so much for helping us honor our dear Hong.

For more information about Hong: https://lgbtqreligiousarchives.org/profiles/hong-tan

A sermon he wrote and delivered to the World Council of Churches, Zimbabwe, 1999: https://archive.wfn.org/1999/01/msg00024.html