Events for November 5, 2024 - November 5, 2024

We are organizing a small group to go watch the film Má Sài Gòn at Hot Docs. We have 5 free tickets available for the ACAS Men's Program for gay, bisexual, queer cis and trans guys. First-come-first-serve by sign up through the registration form: https://forms.gle/U619BoKMR5aPTa3s7 If you are unable to get a free ticket, you can still join us to watch together and buy your own ticket at https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/hot-docs-festival/films/2023/ma-sai-gon Date: Tuesday May 2 Meet at Theatre: 8:15pm Movie Time: 8:45pm Location: TIFF Bell Lightbox 3 (350 King St W) Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (lovingly still called Saigon by locals), is a city as colourful, charming, and contradictory as the people who call it home. Focusing on its LGBTQ+ community, this ode to a place and its people draws on a mosaic of characters to give life to a unique cinematic portrait. The featured individuals, couples, and families—traditional and non-traditional—strive for the things in life that unite us all: love, acceptance and belonging. Using striking cinematography and thoughtful compositions, the film’s memorable portraits are intercut with dreamy and poetic sequences that offer a meditative rhythm. Aimed at the city and all its “mothers,” this cinematic love letter perfectly reflects the sentiment of a repeated refrain in the film: “Should I live again one day, I would still want to be your son.” For more info: https://hotdocs.ca/whats-on/hot-docs-festival/films/2023/ma-sai-gon

🌈LINK TO REGISTER: https://forms.gle/k4xbdx8CQMeCTiCL8 ✨ QTAY Presents: When You’re Ready CYCLE 4 Peer Leaders: Cam, Lindy, & Winsome! WHEN: May 7 - June 15, 2023 On Sundays from 1-3:30pm EST On Thursdays from 6-8pm EST LOCATION: Zoom WHAT IS THE WYR PROGRAM? When You’re Ready (WYR) is an interactive community-building 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. STRUCTURE OF WYR We will be capping CYCLE 4 at 10 participants to facilitate an intimate environment where youth can explore and discuss these topics more in-depth. Please RSVP as soon as you can by filling out our form! We will be meeting twice a week, every Sunday from 1-3:30pm EST and every Thursday from 6-8pm from May 7 - June 15, 2023 (May 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28; June 1, 4, 8, 11, 15) on Zoom. We encourage participants to attend at least 8/12 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, as there will be other opportunities and times to join WYR in the future. HOW TO RSVP? You can RSVP by filling out the form here: https://forms.gle/k4xbdx8CQMeCTiCL8 Please RSVP by MAY 4, 2023! Dany, the youth program coordinator, will be sending you a message to either confirm your attendance or ask if you would like to be put on the waiting list. If you can’t make it to the 2023 CYCLE 4, but would like to attend WYR in the future, please let Dany know and they will keep you updated! If you have any questions, email Dany at youth@acas.org!

This event is for East and Southeast Asian gay, bi, queer cis and trans guys. The Men's Program is hosting a life drawing session with Asian nude models. This is open to a wide range of artistic experience, whether you are new, a beginner, or experienced. We recommend you bring your own art supplies and preferred art mediums if you have them, but some supplies will be provided. We will have charcoal, pencils, and some paper pads available. This life drawing session will be led and instructed by Anthony Johnson. See his works at https://www.instagram.com/artbyajohnson/ Date: Sunday May 14 Time: 2:30-4:30pm Location: The 519 (519 Church St) Limited 8 spots available Register at: https://forms.gle/EBab3hcRS9HLgF6n6

This training will help parents and caregivers feel comfortable answering children's questions about sexuality, teach them how to protect children from unwanted sexual advances, and help them grow up sexually healthy. Participants are required to attend four workshops: Workshop I: Wednesday, May 17, 2023, 7:00 - 8: 30 PM Workshop II: Wednesday, May 24, 2023, 7:00- 8: 30 PM Workshop III: Wednesday, May 31, 2023, 7:00- 8: 30 PM Workshop IV: Wednesday, June 07, 2023, 7:00- 8:30 PM For registration: Contact Jun Liu at womensupport@acas.org. Please tell us your kids' ages and any special concerns when you register. In Person Pillow Talk workshop on Close Comforts, Care & Celebrations  This in person Pillow Talk session will include: Talking through consent, pleasure, and bodily healing; Body mapping exercises; Self-defense basics and good food. Email Dany at youthacas.org to get more info and  join us on June 3rd from 11 am- 5 pm EST

Date: Thursday May 18 Time: 8:00pm – 11:00pm Location: Spa Excess (105 Carlton St) Asian Night is back at Spa Excess! Cum to relax, meet new guys and have some fun. Our volunteer team will be there to create a welcoming and friendly environment while getting you connected with resources on PrEP and HIV/STI testing. Coupon for 50% off lockers available by contacting Ryan at men@acas.org Join our bathhouse volunteer team by emailing Ryan at men@acas.org

💖 Happy Asian Heritage Month! The Youth Project (Nova Scotia) and QTAY/ACAS (Ontario) are super excited to host a Mini Film Festival this May created by and featuring queer and trans Asians. 👉 When: Friday, May 19th & Saturday, May 20th 👉 Time: 5:30-7:30pm EST / 6:30-8:30pm ADT 👉 Location: Zoom May 19th Celebrate our community with films made by community members, along with a short discussion with the creators. Creators include: - Amanda Ann-Min Wong (@amandaamwong) - Beau Gomez (@beaugomezx) - Serena Lam (@sserenalam) - Trâm Anh Nguyễn (@nghtanh) The Youth Project’s mission is to make Nova Scotia, located in Mi'kma'ki, a safer, healthier, and happier place for 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, +) youth since being founded in 1993. The Youth Project is a multiservice organization with an aim to further the inclusion and wellness of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth under the age of 26. Our three main pillars of services are Education, Programming, and Support. Our team aims to create spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth to feel supported, affirmed and celebrated. Queer & Trans Asian Youth (QTAY) is a program of Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) in Ontario, located in Tkaronto, for East and Southeast Asians aged 16-29 that strives to increase education, opportunities, support and resiliency skills for Asian youth in Toronto in dealing with the various social/health challenges and questions of being at the intersections of queerness and Asianness. QTAY has been providing social spaces, capacity development, and peer support for 2SLGBTQIAP+, curious and undecided East and Southeast Asian youths and their friends since 2000.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdF1onSeLQLbDCC1uznXQ9Q6SnjsTvFiJYF8hR2MKjYOw6dmQ/viewform Demystifying “Do What You Love” Work Culture! When it comes to careers, how often have you heard the advice to just do something you enjoy? However, what if the work that brings you joy doesn’t pay a liveable wage, or comes with exploitative working conditions? Or what if you just don’t find paid work that fulfilling, regardless of the industry you’re in? Who benefits from the idea that paid work should be inherently enjoyable? How did we end up with a culture where paid work is so strongly tied to identity and worth? Join us for a discussion where we’ll explore how capitalism impacts the relationships between paid work, identity, and worth to create a “do what you love” myth that exploits and harms workers. We’ll be reflecting on definitions of career “success” and how we might redefine that success in ways that are more sustainable for ourselves, our communities, and the planet.

💖 Happy Asian Heritage Month! The Youth Project (Nova Scotia) and QTAY/ACAS (Ontario) are super excited to host a Mini Film Festival this May created by and featuring queer and trans Asians. 👉 When: Friday, May 19th & Saturday, May 20th 👉 Time: 5:30-7:30pm EST / 6:30-8:30pm ADT 👉 Location: Zoom May 20th Join us in watching and discussing Everything, Everywhere, All at Once! The Youth Project’s mission is to make Nova Scotia, located in Mi'kma'ki, a safer, healthier, and happier place for 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, +) youth since being founded in 1993. The Youth Project is a multiservice organization with an aim to further the inclusion and wellness of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth under the age of 26. Our three main pillars of services are Education, Programming, and Support. Our team aims to create spaces for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth to feel supported, affirmed and celebrated. Queer & Trans Asian Youth (QTAY) is a program of Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) in Ontario, located in Tkaronto, for East and Southeast Asians aged 16-29 that strives to increase education, opportunities, support and resiliency skills for Asian youth in Toronto in dealing with the various social/health challenges and questions of being at the intersections of queerness and Asianness. QTAY has been providing social spaces, capacity development, and peer support for 2SLGBTQIAP+, curious and undecided East and Southeast Asian youths and their friends since 2000.

Dear Supporters, Community Members, and Friends, Please join us for the next ACAS Seed25+ Community Forum, 'Striving and Thriving.' It will be an interactive, informal conversation about work--including working in Canada, feminized work, multiple careers, starting businesses, working for free, working 2x as hard, working too much (is that even a thing?), barriers to paid work, mental health, challenges, successes, and lessons learned. It's gonna be fun! 😀 Date and time: on Tuesday May 23rd, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm Location: Online via Zoom To register, please send an e-mail to: womensupport@acas.org Our fabulous panelists for the evening will be: Jessica Pang-Parks Volunteer engagement professional Mercy Iyamu RSW and owner, Nurture Services Ananya Dhoundiyal Psychotherapist and trainer (CA-CBT) Anna Tieu General Internal Medicine Social Worker ...and the moderator will be Ambrose Fan (ACAS volunteer.) We look forward to connecting with you soon! Sincerely Jun