Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) and its youth program Queer Asian Youth (QAY)are gearing up to become #SuperQueer for this year’s Pride Festival in Toronto. To celebrate the diversity and strength of the LGBTTIQQS2A communites, ACAS will once again showcase the pride of our East and Southeast Asian heritage and take part in all three marches during the Pride Festival: the Trans March on Friday, June 28; the Dyke March on Saturday, June 29, and the Pride March on Sunday, June 30. This year, ACAS is very honoured to have the recently crowned Miss Charlene Gutierez, the newly crowned winner of Miss Gay Philippines Canada, the first runner-up Miss J. Monroe, and our long time supporters the Three Queens of the Philippines march with us.
Members of Queer Asian Youth (QAY) are set to once again showcase their talents, creativity, vibrancy and youth power at “The Powerpuff Queers,” QAY’s Annual Pride Stageat Paul Kane Parkette on Saturday, June 29 between 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Performers at this year’s event include the DestinAsian Dance Crew, Drag sensation Jolin Starr, Ramon Vi, Annie Sun, Dento Lam, David Tang, Marc Castillo and others. QAY aims to provide a safe and supportive social spaces for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, queer, curious, undecided, or questioning East and Southeast Asian youth and their friends in the Greater Toronto Area. As a way to reaffirm their sexuality, sexual orientation and gender expression, QAY employs a peer-driven model and aspires to empower queer Asian youths with opportunities where they can learn and apply leadership skills to become future forerunners in our community.
As part of the lead up to this year’s Pride, ACAS has launched its #GoldenPiggy Challenge, a fundraising initiative for the agency to ensure our ability to provide the much needed HIV practical support services and LGBTQ programming to the East and Southeast Asian Canadian community. Those who participate in the challenge will get an opportunity to adopt their very own ACAS piggy banks, name their piggies and decorate them to their liking, tweet and instagram their adopted pets using the #GoldenPiggy hashtag, and feed the hungry piggies to their hearts desire—-all for a very good cause.
Information for Participating in Pride with ACAS
Show your Asian Pride by marching with us ACAS this year at Pride!
Friday, June 28
Trans March: March with ACAS
Find ACAS at 7:30pm at Norman Jewison Park (Yonge St. & Isabella St.)
Contact Meza (youth@acas.org / 416-963-4300 ext. 229) for more info.
Saturday, June 29
Dyke March: March with ACAS
Meet us at 1:30pm at TBA
Contact Heywon (women@acas.org / 416-963-4300 ext. 225) for more info.
Sunday, June 30
Pride Parade: March with ACAS
Meet us at 1:00pm at George Hislop Park (Yonge St. & Isabella St.)
Contact Daniel (mensexualhealth@acas.org / 416-963-4300 ext. 234) for more info.
