Events for May 9, 2024 - May 9, 2024

**You MUST register here: https://forms.gle/ZJbgbcFnPPiA77nw6 Only those who identify as LGBTQIAP+ Asians may join.** Need a space to relax or a space where you can study to some chill beats? Join us for our first drop-in session! Wednesday, November 18, 6pm - 8pm Zoom link will be sent closer to the event date. Description:      If you're feeling isolated and lonely trying to get work done or just want a place to hang out with people, this is the place to do it! We'll have a space where we can listen to a playlist curated by LGBTQIAP+ Asians and work together quietly, while also being able to chat with each other and whatnot.      If you need a space to talk or want to vent a bit, Dany (our coordinator) will be around to go to a breakout room with you and listen to you. Please keep in mind that Dany is not a professional, but is there to empathize, offer advice and resources, and moderate the space.      This'll be a two-hour session of working, chilling, and chatting together. Even if you don't stay the whole time or arrive late, that's okay!  We'd be happy to have you for whenever you're able to stop by, even if you just want to say hi.      This is the first out of several drop in sessions we'll be hosting, so let us know what you'd like to see and when! This event is made possible thanks to the support of United Way GTA #LocalLove Funded by the Government of Canada.

#RisingYouth Community Service Grants empowers young people, ages 15-30 to imagine ideas that can support their local community and helps put those ideas into action through grants of $250, $750, or $1500. If you have an idea to support your community, #RisingYouth can help you bring it to life. This workshop is for East and Southeast Asian queer & trans youth under 30. It doesn't matter if you dream big or dream small, if you have an idea that would help your community, this workshop will help you develop that idea further into life. Anyone can be a community organizer as long as you have an idea! Date: Tuesday November 24 Time: 6:00PM - 7:30PM EST Click here to Register and reserve your spot! Email Ryan at men@acas.org if you have more questions. Food vouchers will be available for youth who attend both workshops on Nov 24 and Dec 2 This workshop will focus on project ideas that can support the queer & trans Asian community in Canada. What that looks like is up to you! Is there an issue you want to address? Do you have a need that hasn't been met? What do we need more of for our community? You don't need to have a complete idea to join this workshop. Come with an open mind because you may end up leaving with a few new ideas. Apply at acas.risingyouth.ca This is a lead-up workshop to a grant writing workshop. A 2nd workshop will walk you through the application process and grant-writing basics.

This event is for Asian gay, bi, queer, cis and trans men. Wednesdays can be the hardest day to get through during the week. The Humpday workshop occurs on the last Wednesday of every month. Humpday is an evening for gay Asian guys to get together over a topic or theme related to our queer identities. Topics range from dating, body image, sexual racism, sexuality, safer sex, etc. Wednesday, November 25 7pm - 8:30pm It's been extra hard to make new friends during the pandemic and some are feeling the need to connect socially with others. This month we will be Speed Friending! Let's take the time to get to know each other more deeply. Like a speed-dating format, attendees will be separated into breakrooms in pairs to chat with each other one-on-one. You will get 10 minutes to talk and get to know each other before getting randomly switched to a new partner. Don't worry, we will prepare a list of conversational questions if you get stuck!

**To join, you MUST register here: https://forms.gle/pFGBaT3c3ChCqJBbA Only 12 spots are available BUT there will be a waitlist.** Attention space-farers! Are you tired of this dull material plane? How about you live out your dreams in Virtual Reality?! Buy the latest in VR technology, the Penni LIV, and be send to a whole new world of dreams and fun!! If you can dream it, you can have it! Order on Black Friday, experience Penni LIV the next day! Come join us on Saturday, November 28, 6-9pm, for this Black Friday-themed adventure (where we take down capitalism and--I mean, what?). It'll be a combination workshop/game night, and we'll be playing Lancer, the tabletop RPG (think D&D but sci-fi). If you'd like to sign up, please do so ASAP--we only have about 12 spots available for this, though we'll have a waitlist ready in case people drop out. Anyone who identifies as an LGBTQIAP+ Asian is welcome to join. Please register at: https://forms.gle/pFGBaT3c3ChCqJBbA A zoom link will be sent out closer to the day of the event. A little bit about our facilitator: Liam is a student at OCAD University studying Creative Writing. They hope to use the medium of storytelling to speak out and explore truths and paradoxes in the world. They've recently started getting involved with ACAS and can't wait to lead his first workshop. This event is made possible thanks to the support of United Way GTA #LocalLove Funded by the Government of Canada.

This is a new monthly group for East & Southeast Asian transmasculine and non-binary people. This includes all transmasculine-identifying folks or folks who may be questioning. We welcome people at any point of their transition. This monthly group is a safe space of support where we can share and learn from each other's common experiences as Asian transmasc folks. This group will be facilitated by an Asian transman. Date: Tuesday, Dec 1 Time: 7pm - 8:30pm EST If this will be your first time attending please register through this form (https://forms.gle/cZHJq6rYHHGLtgvB6) and the facilitator will email you with the Zoom link. If you are part of the Asian trans masc Facebook group or email newsletter, you will automatically receive the Zoom link there. Who can join? ACAS primarily serves those who identify as East and/or Southeast Asian living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. However, we know spaces for East & Southeast Asian transmasc folks are very few and we are happy to open this event to those living outside of Toronto. Please note that resources will be focused on Toronto due to our knowledge of local services and resources. East & Southeast Asian includes those from multiple generations of immigrants (1st generation, 2nd generation, and so on..) and members of the diaspora from East & Southeast countries like China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, etc. This can also include people with mixed backgrounds from at least one of those countries. This may also include those who might not identify ethnically by blood, but have a substantial heritage or up-bringing living in those countries.

This workshop is for East and Southeast Asian queer & trans youth under 30 across Canada. This is a workshop for applying to the #RisingYouth Grants. We will walk you through the application process and grant writing basics. Date: Wednesday December 2 Time: 6:00PM - 7:30PM EST Click here to register Food vouchers will be available for youth who attend both workshops on Nov 24th and Dec 2nd. #RisingYouth Community Service Grants empowers young people, ages 15-30 to imagine ideas that can support their local community and helps put those ideas into action through grants of $250, $750, or $1500. If you have an idea to support your community, #RisingYouth can help you bring it to life. To apply for a grant, visit acas.risingyouth.ca

Dear Clients, Community Members, Allies and Supporters, We hope you are doing well and are safe. We would like to cordially invite you to this year’s World AIDS Day (WAD) event 2020, happening on December 3 rd , 2020, through the Zoom platform. As a part of the celebration, we have created a series of podcasts called “Love Fierce Positive Asians.” The podcast series is a continuation of the successful first series from last year’s WAD 2019. The series will discuss the experiences and intersectionality of Asian PHAs, gender identities, navigating life with a caregiver, fatherhood, and being a refugee. During this evening, we will get a taste of all six podcasts over this memorable and celebratory day. We also start with a big bang by launching a series of ACAS community forums. ACAS SEED25+ is our first online community forums focusing on HIV+ pioneers and AIDS activists who planted seeds at ACAS and helped us grow for more than 25 years. We will have a panel discussion with four community members, which will talk about various topics such as discrimination during COVID19, caregiving, the future of HIV from the PHA’s perspective and the HIV community movement. This evening’s discussion will be one of many planned community forums for ACAS SEED25+. The event is generously sponsored by Gilead Sciences Canada Inc. We are looking forward to seeing many of you at our Zoom gathering. Please RSVP using this link: https://forms.gle/mZrGPBP9TpFuVgcY7 or email to Alex Ma support@acas.org no later than December 1st, 2020, to reserve a spot for this intimate and important moment. Once you have registered with Alex, he will send you the Zoom link. Sincerely, Kenneth Poon, Health Promotion Coordinator Robinson Truong, Board Director