Events for November 1, 2024 - November 1, 2024

This event is for Asian gay, bi, queer, cis and trans men. Wednesday, October 28 7:00pm - 8:30pm Register by emailing Ryan at men@acas.org for the Zoom link At the beginning of 2020, we asked gay, bi, queer Asian men in Toronto to fill out an online survey to capture a brief look into the sexual health of our community. 158 people responded. For this Humpday, we are going to dive deep into the results and find out the juicy answers to these questions: How much condomless sex are gay Asian guys having? What was the average amount of sexual partners they had in 2019? How many guys caught an STI? Are Asian guys on PrEP? Do guys get tested often enough? After revealing all the bare facts you'll get an opportunity to share how this relates to you. What does this mean for you and your sexual health? How do you take care of yourself and is everyone else taking the same precautions? As a small community survey, the data here is not fully representative of the whole community, but should be understood as a small look into some of the sexual health experiences queer Asian men face. As a short-term survey, gathering data from within a month, we were not able to reach men with more diverse ethnic backgrounds that would have been more reflective of the queer Asian community.

Event Description: If society defines anything that is "other" as "monstrous", what does that mean for those of us who cannot hide how "other" we are? What does it mean to be a monster, and how can we reclaim the power that comes with that? If you'd like some tricks AND treats this Halloween, then join us for "We Are All Monsters: Reclaiming our Self Re-Creations", an interactive arts-based workshop that focuses on discussions about identities, finding strength by confronting and changing the narratives that society prescribes us, and building solidarity with other monsters. Please register at: https://forms.gle/8pFXkEbnnhyDTPmp9 (A Zoom link will be sent out to all registered participants closer to the event date.) A little bit about our facilitator: MXKO, also known as Dany, creates many things--drawings, designs, zines, logos, characters, cosplay, music, stories and more. They are a diasporic Filipino/Chinese queer deaf person who focuses on creation and storytelling as a way of connecting to, building, and reimagining community. Recently, they have been leading workshops and discussions on topics such as intersectionality, reimagining identity, storytelling as healing, and Queer Asian pride / solidarity with other movements. You can check them out at http://mxkocreates.art.blog/, on Instagram (@mxkocreates), or email them at mxkocreates@gmail.com. They are currently open for commissions and bookings in leading workshops / discussions. This event is made possible thanks to the support of United Way GTA #LocalLove Funded by the Government of Canada.

**Remember to REGISTER to join!!! https://forms.gle/YbFh3SwZhbjvTEEV6** Hey ACAS… suspects?! Join us for another round of games night, Halloween Edition! This time, we’ll be playing the online cooperative game Among Us! In this game, you are assigned to work as a team to fix the spaceship that you are on! Be careful, though--there is an impostor within the group who aims to sabotage the mission by breaking the ship and killing the crew. Who do you trust? Who do you suspect? Who do you accuse…? Can't go out in the evening but still want to dress up? Feel free to come in costume! :D This event is open to all Asian folks that self-identify as LGBTQIAP2S+! Please register ahead of time here: https://forms.gle/YbFh3SwZhbjvTEEV6 Once you do, you’ll be sent an invitation to the Zoom event and given more details. If you're looking for more exciting and engaging activities on Halloween night, join us for an incredible workshop on identity and building solidarity with fellow monsters (right before this event)! Event link here: https://www.facebook.com/events/827228628017238/ If you have any questions, concerns, or recommendations for future events that you would like to see, please do not hesitate to contact Dany at community@acas.org. 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 Meet & Greet online event will allow us to get to know each other in a safe space. We want to create a regular 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. Please register through this form (https://forms.gle/cZHJq6rYHHGLtgvB6) and the facilitator will email you with the Zoom link. 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.

Dear Fellow Gay Asians 40+ members: Please join our virtual Party on Zoom! We would like to invite all of you and your partners to join us on a virtual reunion social networking session on Friday November 6, from 6-7:30 p.m. Let us connect, catch up with each other, and share about the movies and books that give us pleasure during this pandemic. Please contact Ryan at men@acas.org for the Zoom link or if you have any questions. Looking forward to meeting you all! >> Put your name onto the zoom log-in box to ensure speedy admission into the meeting. ***** Midnight Lotus (formerly know as Gay Asians 40+) is organized by former members of Gay Asians Toronto (GAT) and sponsored by Asians Community AIDS Services (ACAS). Through regular social events and educational activities, our group aims to provide a forum and community support to gay Asians who are 40 plus.

QTAY Presents: When You're Ready CYCLE 1 Peer Leaders: Angela, Min and Vale! DATES: Nov 12, 19, 26, Dec. 3, 5, 10, 17 TIME: 6-8:30 PM for all sessions, EXCEPT December 5th (1pm-3:30pm). LOCATION: Zoom WHAT IS THE WYR PROGRAM? When You're Ready (WYR) is an 8-week program where East and Southeast Asian youth (ages 18-29) come together to discuss topics relating to their identity, with an emphasis on the whole idea of coming into your identity. What does it mean to be a queer and/or trans Asian youth? Did you recognize your queer-ness or Asian-ness first? What does it mean to be bi-cultural, biracial? Do you ever feel NOT Asian or queer enough? Is coming out part of the gay white agenda? These are just some of the questions we will be exploring as a group. Also, some topics we will touch upon are: anti-oppression, intersectionality, chosen family, shadeism, mindfulness and SO much more! STRUCTURE OF WYR We will be capping CYCLE 1 at 10 participants to facilitate an intimate environment where youth can explore and discuss these topics more in-depth. So please RSVP as soon as you can! We will be meeting once a week, every Thursday evening starting November 12 to December 17th, 2020 (Nov 12, 19, 26, Dec. 3, 5, 10, 17) from 6-8:30PM online, except December 5th (Saturday, from 1pm-2:30pm). We encourage participants to attend all 8 sessions, but alas, the gig economy is real, school stress is very real and life in general is too real! So, please try to make at least 6/8 sessions! If you already know this is going to be tough to do, please refrain from signing up so that we can prioritize folks who can attend as many sessions as possible. If drop-in casual events are more your thing, [...]

Your Friday nights at home just got a little better! Looking to meet new friends during the pandemic? This is a monthly online games night for Asian gay, bi, queer, cis and trans guys. We'll start with introductions and then play a fun game called Codenames. Working in teams, Codenames is a co-operative game where teammates must decide together to choose the correct code words with the help of a 1-word clue given by the team leader (a.k.a. "Spymaster"). Feel free to drop in and out between 8pm - 9:30pm EDT Email Ryan at men@acas.org for the Zoom link. How to play (https://gamerules.com/rules/codenames/) The objective of codenames is to correctly guess all of your teams’ code words on the board before the other team does and without guessing the "assassin" card (or "bomb" card). This is possible because your Spymaster will give you a one-word clue and a number. Using this information and similar clues throughout the game your team will try to interpret the spymaster’s clue and guess each code word.

**To join, you MUST register at https://forms.gle/HxXXEL4T1AdtC4zw5!** Workshop: Have you ever felt not “bi”/ “pan”/ “queer” enough? Ever wondered what the difference between “bi” and “pan” is? Maybe you’re questioning and would like to explore some identities? Or maybe you just want to come on bi to meet other folks during this pandemic while we all queer-antine at home! If you’re interested in any of the above, please join us as we learn the differences (and similarities!) between bisexuality, pansexuality, and queerness, and how these identities have come to change over the years. We will explore what it means to be bisexual, why it’s okay to sometimes question our identities, and share affirmations on why bi (and pan and queer!) is beautiful. This workshop is intended for Bi+/Pan/Queer-identifying Asians, though any LGBTQIAP+ Asians are allowed to join. Please register at: https://forms.gle/HxXXEL4T1AdtC4zw5 (A Zoom link will be sent out to all registered participants closer to the event date.) A little bit about our facilitator: Angela is an undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, studying Human Biology and Psychology, with the hopes of pursuing research for LGBTQ+ health and women’s health. She has recently joined the ACAS team as a Peer Educator for the When You’re Ready Program, and is excited to explore the experiences of queer-trans Asian youth in our new virtual space. This event is made possible thanks to the support of United Way GTA #LocalLove Funded by the Government of Canada.

Register at https://forms.gle/3cekSdxxFwZy1tY59 Rainbow GPS Project is an orientation project for East/Southeast Asian LGBTQ Newcomers and International Students who are transitioning to live in Toronto and in Canada. Through weekly drop-in sessions, the Rainbow GPS project will be a learning space for people to explore themes around sexuality, gender identity, coming out, consent, dating and relationships, and body image. The objectives are to LEARN different concepts and themes, APPLY key learning outcomes, and SHARE personal or lived experiences. Through these objectives (learning, applying, and sharing), the Rainbow GPS Project aims to explore various LGBTQ+ identities that are specific to East Asian and Southeast Asian cultures and how those LGBTQ+ identities are being translated to Western society. The Rainbow GPS Project is open to East and Southeast Asian LGBTQ+ International Students and Newcomers. The Rainbow GPS Project focuses on LGBTQ+ resources in the Greater Toronto Area, but people can register from across Canada and can participate in the workshops.* The program will have a total of four (4) workshops on TUESDAYS starting November 17, 2020. All workshops are held through Zoom. The 4 sessions are: November 24, 6pm EST: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) 101 December 1, 6pm EST: Coming Out (to Myself) December 8, 6pm EST: Sup? Looking?: Navigating queer dating in an online world December 15, 6pm EST: I am My Body: Consent, body image, and desire Contact Bryan Quinones (acasrainbowgps@gmail.com) for more information. *(Due to the unprecedented events that was caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the sessions will be happening online via zoom. This allows the program to be available for other LGBTQ+ newcomers and international students who may not be physically living in Toronto.) The Rainbow GPS Project is funded by Community ONE Foundation

**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.