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Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) is proud to announce our Award Recipients for 2014

  To commemorate our 20th Anniversary, ACAS has created two special awards to honor individuals who espouse the core values and visions of ACAS and have contributed to our organization's success. The Patrick Truong Award, named after our late Support Program staff, AIDS activist, and a community member, is to honor a person living with HIV/AIDS of East & Southeast Asian cultural heritage who has made significant contributions in the areas of HIV/AIDS, human rights and/or related social justice issues in Canada or internationally. This year’s Patrick Truong Award recipient is Derek Yee. Derek is a fearless community leader who is supportive towards inclusion of people living with HIV in treatment literacy and peer counselling through his work with the Ethno-racial Treatment Support Network (ETSN). He has been involved with ACAS as a volunteer and a board member in the past, and with various AIDS service organizations including Fife House, AIDS Bereavement and Resiliency Program of Ontario (ABRPO), Black-CAP, CAAT, ASAAP in different capacities. The 20th Anniversary Community Building Award honors an individual of East & Southeast Asian cultural heritage who has demonstrated long-term commitment, dedication, and accomplishments in community organizing or advocacy work related to HIV/AIDS, LGBT, human rights or social justice. Dr. Alan Li is the recipient of the 20th Anniversary Community Building Award. Alan is a primary care physician at Regent Park Community Health Centre. In early 1990s, at the highest peak of AIDS epidemic in Ontario, Alan and members of the Gay Asians Toronto (GAT) started the Gay Asian AIDS project (GAAP) and subsequently, Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS) to provide support and education for Asians infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. His activism and community building have spanned more than 3 decades and extended beyond ACAS. To mention a few of his community contributions: He was the [...]

ACAS April 2014 Review

Happy Songkran & Thingyan Water Festival! The ACAS Support and Women’s Programs held a joint celebration of the Thai and Burmese New Year with lots of good food and traditional dancing. A huge thanks to Tdot Tdat , the Toronto Thai Dramatic Arts Troupe for providing attendees a mesmerizing performance of traditional Thai Dance!  Volunteers, Volunteers! ACAS would love to welcome its 18 new volunteers who completed the Core Skills Training on April 12, 2014! All new volunteers got a chance to learned about various topics including HIV and Hepatitis C 101, queer identities and gender expression, healthy sexuality, Trans 101, and anti-oppression. Aside from the core skills training, the Men’s and Women’s Programs also made a very successful outreach at the 519 Volunteer Fair on the same day during National Volunteer Week!   Engaging LGBTQ Newcomers Our Community Enagement Worker, Christian Hui and Youth Program Coordinator, Meza Daulet were invited to speak to a group of LGBTQ newcomers at Access Alliance’s Accesspoint on Danforth on topics such as substance use, family pressure growing up as Asian queers, and finding acceptance. Thank you Ranjith Kutilatilake for inviting us to the LGBTQ newcomers drop-in group!   AMP2R goes to AIDS2014! A big congratulations to our Asian MSM Pathways to Resiliency Team Dr. Alan Li for having a poster on Asian MSM cross-cutting resilience factors and co-Principle Investigator and ACAS Men’s Sexual Health Coordinator for having his workshop abstract on resilience for racialized MSMs getting accepted at the AIDS 2014 Conference in Melbourne, Australia in July! While the AMP2R team has completed its data analysis for the community-based research study, they have shared some of their findings with community partners and held a cross-cultural dialogue on MSM resilience pathways with ASAAP, APAA, CSSP and GMSH.   ACAS goes Rotary!  ACAS was very [...]

Act Fast: ACAS' #CelebrAsian 20th Anniversary Fundraising Gala Tickets are available for purchase online!!!

Dear Community Members, Partners, Volunteers, Donors and Allies: The Board and Staff members at Asian Community AIDS Services would like to extend a very cordial invitation to you to help us celebrate 20 years in HIV/LGBTQ community activism! Please join us for an elegant evening of  fun and celebration with great food, entertainment, auctions, dancing---all  for a great cause! Tickets for the ACAS #CelebrAsian 20th Anniversary Fundraising Gala Dinner are available for purchase online here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/celebrasian-acas-20th-anniversary-gala-dinner-tickets-1415749545 You can also find out ways to become our VIP Platinum or Platinum sponsor here: 2014 ACAS 20th anniversary sponsor form. The #CelebrAsian Gala Dinner will take place on Friday, May 30, 2014 at the Old Mill (21 Old Mill Road, Toronto ON M8X 1G5 ). Reception for CelebrAsian starts at 6:00 p.m. If you would like to purchase your ticket in person, or if you intend to attend as a group, please contact Heywon at officeadmin@acas.org or 416-963-4300 so we can try our best to arrange you and your guests to sit together. If you have further information about this event or our organization, please contact Noulmook Sutdhibhasilp, ACAS Executive Director, at 416-963-4300 ext. 227. We look forward to seeing you at ACAS’s 20th Anniversary Gala Dinner!

ACAS Spring 2014 Update (March Edition)

ACAS Spring 2014 Update Spring has finally sprung, and ACAS has some exciting news and updates to share with you! :)   ACAS welcomes our new Men’s Program staff and Executive Assistant Please welcome the brand new members (and not so brand new members) joining the team of ACAS! Heywon Kim - Executive Assistant (in addition to her role as the Women’s Outreach and Education Coordinator position) Ryan Tran - Men's Program Coordinator (Ryan has become our Men’s Program Coordinator from his previous position of MSM Peer Outreach Worker while Daniel Le has taken a leave of absence from ACAS to work in Singapore) Brian-Bao Ly - MSM Peer Outreach Worker (You may recognize Brian as he was our Sex, Love, Asian, Men! S.L.A.M.! 2014 Project Coordinator)   A fresh spring look Have you stopped by the ACAS office yet? We have organized our office and have made the space more welcoming for our service users and volunteers. Stop by and say hi when you get a chance!   S.L.A.M.! (Sex, Love, Asian, Men!) 2014 The ACAS Men’s Program held a successful S.L.A.M.! 2014 Forum with over 30 Asian gay and bi men in attendance on March 8, 2014. The interactive forum focused on group learning on various health and wellness issues relevant to Asian gay and bi men, ranging from topics on sexual health, dating and relationships, lifestyle, sexual racism and HIV stigma. Thanks to Hassle Free Clinic (http://www.hasslefreeclinic.org/) for providing HIV testing demonstration and on-site testing for HIV and to Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor-Yorkville for providing us with a beautiful space. Last but not least, we would like to thank all the planning committee members, facilitators, our participants, and our S.L.A.M. Project Coordinator Brian-Bao Ly.   International Women’s Day 2014: Women and HIV in Thailand  For this year’s [...]

CelebrAsian: Join us to celebrate ACAS' 20th Anniversary in HIV/LGBTQ Community Activism and Call for Nomination of Awards

Dear Community Members, Partners, Volunteers, Donors and Allies: The Board and Staff members at Asian Community AIDS Services would like to invite you to join  us to celebrate the agency's 20th Anniversary at the CelebrAsian Gala Dinner on Friday, May 30, 2014 at the Old Mill ( 21 Old Mill Road, Toronto ON M8X 1G5 ). Please join us for an elegant evening of  fun and celebratory evening of great food, entertainment, auctions and dancing. Reception for CelebrAsian starts at 6:00 p.m. For tickets: please contact Heywon at officeadmin@acas.org or 416-963-4300. You can become find out ways to become our sponsor here: 2014 ACAS 20th anniversary sponsor form. We would also welcome donations to help support our fundraising efforts for our evening’s auction. For further information about this event or our organization, please contact Noulmook Sutdhibhasilp, ACAS Executive Director, at 416-963-4300 ext. 227. Call for Nominations for the ACAS 20th Anniversary Community Builder Award and 2014 Patrick Truong Award: In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the formation of the Asian Community AIDS Services (ACAS), ACAS has created two special awards to mark this special occasion to honor the contributions of individuals who espouse the core values and visions of ACAS. For more information, please click here: ACAS award CFN 2014. The Patrick Truong Award is named after our late Support Program staff, AIDS activist, and a community member. The Award honors a person living with HIV/AIDS of East & Southeast Asian cultural heritage who has made significant contributions in the areas of HIV/AIDS, human rights and/or related social justice issues in Canada or internationally. To nominate a person for the Patrick Truong Award, please click here: ACAS 2014Patrick Truong Award Nom form The 20th Anniversary Community Building Award honors an individual of East & Southeast Asian cultural heritage who has demonstrated long-term commitment, dedication, and accomplishments in community [...]

Watch what some Asian men had to say about Sex, Love, Asian, Men (S.L.A.M.) 2014!

S.L.A.M! (Sex. Love. Asian Men!) is an interactive learning forum on sex, health, lifestyle and everything in between for and by gay/bi Asian men. Did you miss our Sex, Love, Asian, Men! (S.L.A.M.1) 2014 event? You can watch what some Asian men had to say about the event: BIG thanks to Hassle Free Clinic for providing HIV testing demonstration and on-site testing for HIV. http://www.hasslefreeclinic.org/ BIG thanks to Holiday Inn Toronto Bloor-Yorkville for providing us with a beautiful space. Last but not least, thanks to all the planning committee members, facilitators, and everybody who came out to be part of this forum. For more information, please contact: Richard Utama, Men's Sexual Health Coordinator (416) 963-4300 ext. 235 ∙ men@acas.org ________________________________________­_______ Visit: www.acas.org ACAS (Asian Community AIDS Services) provides HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and support services to the East and Southeast Asian Canadian communities. Our programs are based on a pro-active and holistic approach to HIV/AIDS and are provided in a collaborative, empowering, and non-discriminatory manner. Follow us! www.twitter.com/ACAStoronto Like us! www.facebook.com/AsianCommunityAIDSServi­ces

ACAS February 2014 Review

ACAS February 2014 Review As the winter subzero weather continues its stay Toronto, we at ACAS would like to let you know about some of the news and updates that has kept us busy in the month of February. Queer Asian Youth celebrates its 14th Anniversary: Did you know that Queer Asian Youth (QAY) started in 2000 as a bubble tea night? From it humble conception, it has grown into the vibrant program it is today. For the past14 years, QAY has created a great impact in the LGBTQ Asian youth community in the Greater Toronto Area. To celebrate its 14th year Annivesary, QAY, in collaboration with Kapisanan Philippine Centre, held It's Just a Normal Friday for former and current QAY members to reflect on the years of community building and successes the program, and to look forward to continuing peer empowerment and the development of future Asian leaders in the future. Attendees were treated to fun and food, including entertainment by Jolin Starr, Myan, David Tang, Annie Sun, Ryan Tran, Rai, as well as open-mic, party games, and a slow dance. We would like to thank all the former and present QAY members and our Youth Program Coordinator Mezart Daulet for the amazing work they have done to create a safe space for queer Asian youths in Toronto. Goodbye Chie, and welcome back Heywon! We at ACAS would like to say thank you and bid our farewell to Chie Takano-Reeves, our interim Women’s Outreach and Education Coordinator and extend a warm welcome back to Heywon Kim to resume her role with the Women’s Program after her six months CIDA international internship in Thailand at our sister agency Thai National AIDS Foundation. The women’s program had its monthly Movie Popcorn Night on February 20; What a nice way to spend [...]

Watch and Share the Transgender Rights are Human Rights Video by APTN and UNAIDS Asia Pacific on #ZeroDiscrimination Day

Transgender Rights Are Human Rights. On #ZeroDiscrimination Day, APTN and UNAIDS Asia Pacific are proud to launch this new video featuring 21 transgender men and women from across #Asia and the #Pacific as they speak about the #stigma and #discrimination they face, healthcare and their hopes for #transgender rights in the future. Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y62Wr5rvsg If you like it, please share it with your friends. © APTN/UNAIDS

UNAIDS Asia Pacific Report 2013

HIV REMAINS CONCENTRATED AMONG KEY POPULATIONS AND IN CITIES This is an extract from the report ‘HIV in Asia and the Pacific: UNAIDS Report 2013′. Get the full report here.  The fastest-growing epidemics in the region are among men who have sex with men; these epidemics are typically concentrated in major cities. Estimates based on country information indicate that the regional population of men who have sex with men who are at risk of HIV infection ranges from 10.5–27 million. HIV prevalence among men who have sex with men is more than 10% in at least 10 major urban centres. 3 For example, the national prevalence for men who have sex with men in Thailand is estimated to be 7.1%; in Bangkok, levels are estimated to be 24.7%. 4 See the special feature on the issue of men who have sex with men and HIV (page 33). An estimated 3–4 million people living in Asia inject drugs. In three countries with expanding epidemics — Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines — injecting drug use has been a significant factor in the spread of HIV. In 2012, HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs was 36.4% in Indonesia, 27.2% in Pakistan and 13.6% in the Philippines. 5 National trends sometimes mask significant geographical variations in HIV prevalence among injecting drug users. In the Philippine province of Cebu, prevalence among people who inject drugs was estimated at 53.8% in 2011 compared with 13.6% nationally. 6 In the province of Thai Nguyen in Viet Nam, the prevalence among this group was reported to be 38.8% in 2012, compared with national prevalence of 11.6%. 7 There has been progress in reducing new HIV infections among female sex workers across the region. National prevalence has declined in the early epidemics of Cambodia, India, Myanmar and Thailand, and has been kept low in some countries including China, Nepal and the Philippines. Nevertheless, challenges remain. Based on a [...]

ACAS Wishes Everyone a Very Happy Lunar New Year!

January 2014 Update Happy Lunar New Year!!! ACAS wishes all our friends, volunteers, donors, and community allies a very joyous, prosperous and successful new year with good heath! January Review: It has been an extremely cold winter, yet the subzero weather did not stop ACAS from providing warmth, support and care to our community members and service users. Support Program: To celebrate the Lunar New Year, the Support Program held a very celebratory hot pot gathering on Jan 23 for the support program service users. Though the weather was harsh and wintry that evening, those who attended enjoyed the lovely food, laughter and providing a safe and supportive community for one another in anticipation of the Year of the Wood Horse! Locker Room Project: ACAS would like to bid farewell to Sumit Joe Thongaple and welcome Chris An as our new Locker Room Straight Men Outreach Coordinator. The Locker Room Project held its first meeting on January 26 with members from the project. The Locker Room Project is currently in the process of accepting applications for the Spartan Race in June. Please contact Chris An at lockerroom@acas.org for more information. Community Engagement: Our Community Engagement Worker, Christian Hui, gave a talk on Crystal Meth to service providers at the Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program Conference on Jan 27, 2014. The conference brings together service providers and community members across the province to learn about ways to address substance use issues impacting the community through the harm reduction approach. Social Media:   Many of you have seen the great work of the community-oriented Rice Roll Productions, formed by our youth and social media coordinator, Mezart Daulet, with director Vince Ha. They have released their new short, Empty Nest, which speaks about the often unspoken issues of being gay in the Asian [...]

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