July certainly was the month to remember, and it is not only because of the heatwave. In case if you missed Pride 2016, here is a re-cap of the amazing moments the ACAS family came together to celebrate diversity, cultural pride and members of all gender identities holding various sexual expressions we can call as Proud Asians!
Miss ACAS 2016 Isabel Mendoza leads the ultimate entourage of ACAS Marchers at Pride 2016!!!
Thank you to all those who came out to celebrate Pride Month 2016 with us and marched with ACAS at the Trans March, Dyke March and Pride Parade 2016! Take a look at these amazing photos which have captured the special sentiments and spirit shared by all our marchers, supporters, volunteers and staff this year! A special gratitude goes to Miss ACAS 2016 Isabel Mendoza for leading our Pride March followed by all the beautiful and amazing Filipina Queens!
You can check out all the amazing photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1061386513940343.1073741886.337056206373381&type=1&l=3cca30a980
Hosting A Much-Needed Community Dialgoue Space #post-Pride 2016…
ACAS hosted a session Let’s Talk About What Happened at Pride on July 13, 2016. This event reached its capacity, reflecting the overwhelming community interest and the much-needed space for Asians to have a culturally-safe space where they can discuss the events that took place at Pride. As an agency that was founded to serve a culturally and racially minoritized group within the dominant society, ACAS is committed to serving our community in culturally and linguistically appropriate manners and to stand in solidarity with other movements that combat social injustices
Story of Asian Poz Gay Man on OnMyPlanet.CA
Christian is a gay Asian man working in the HIV/AIDS sector in Toronto. He is currently the Community Engagement Co-ordinator at Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) and the Ontario Positive Asians (OPA+) Coordinator. He talks about immigrating to Canada, his sexual history and substance and his work in the gay Asian communities.
www.onmyplanet.ca regularly posts stories from everyone under the rainbow and the people who love us. The story listed below may not pertain directly to your group but our hope is that you’ll watch it anyway just out of curiosity. If you don’t want the onmyplanet.ca posts in your group – please let me know. Maybe next week the story will be about someone more like you. Want to tell your story? Get in touch: lulu@onmyplanet.ca. Then the story can be about you. Join our mailing list here:www.onmyplanet.ca/mundo/?page_id=2624
Christian’s story is one in a series recorded at World Pride in Toronto, Ontario in 2014. Heart felt thanks go to the sponsors of this series: www.medianetvictoria.org in Victoria, BC, www.trinitysquarevideo.com in Toronto and the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies – Lynch History Grant, www.uc.utoronto.ca/sexualdiversity. Special thanks to Milada Kovacova at Trinity.
You can check out Christian’s Story from The Queer Story Archive at www.onmyplanet.ca
(https://www.facebook.com/onmyplanet.ca/photos/a.190166847734555.48960.102275833190324/1096227013795196)
LOOK! – ACAS PhotoVoice Project for Asians living with HIV Culminates in a Highly Successful Community Photo Exhibition
LOOK is an international photo exhibit from Toronto to Taiwan, which took place July 15 to July 16, 2016, in partnership with Taiwan’s Lourdes Association,
Congrats to all the artists from the ACAS Photovoice Project and coordinator James Lee for the successful community photo exhibition at the 519 Church Street Community Centre. LOOK! showcases a collection of works sharing the experience of those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.
The Photovoice Project empowered a group of East and Southeast Asian PHAs (Persons Living with HIV/AIDS) in Toronto with workshops and training over the course of several months in 2016 to explore their experiences through photos; To capture their truths and realities of life, hope and living with HIV.
On the Taiwan side, with a focus on PHA’s engagement, the expanded “vision” of the exhibition invited affected family and partners, NGO workers and healthcare providers to ensure a panoramic vision.
Thanks and recognition goes to the MAC AIDS FUND for their generous support and funding of this project.
http://ACAS.ORG/CAUSE/PHOTOVOICE-PROJECT
Ontario Positive Asians (OPA+) makes its international debut at AIDS2016 in Durban, South Africa!
The International AIDS Conference AIDS2016 took place in Durban, South Africa from July 18 to July 21, 2016. Ontario Positive Asians (OPA+), a joint initiative between ACAS and ASAAP to provide a culturally-safe space for Asian Ontarians living with HIV, made its international debut at this important conference both at the Global Village and the Canadian Pavilion! As seen in the photos, you can see OPA+ Coordinator Christian Hui interviewing with former ASAAP E.D. Vijaya Chikermane at the Global Village and also a presentation at the Canadian Pavilion hosted by ICAD and CATIE on the last day of the conference.
Stay cool in this hot summer!!! We will see you end of August/early September for another round-up of another sizzling edition of month-in-review!
