Queer Asian Youth

It's been too long!

September is the "back to school" month, and back to QAY as well!

September QAY Meeting is on Friday, September 16th.

Everybody is welcome to join our QAY meeting. We get together once a month and talk about future events, workshops, and other things. No matter you are new to QAY or not, you can participate and give inputs. Refreshments and TTC tokens will be provided. We usually go to Bubble Tea after the meeting and have some good time.

Please don’t hesitate to join us even If you have never been to QAY before. We always welcome new members, so take it easy and make some new friends at QAY. There are always new people who came for the first time, and QAY meeting is a great way to meet new people and help build your community.

Date: Friday, September 16, 2011

Time: 5:30-8:30pm

Location: 519 Community Centre: Room 204 (519 Church Street, Toronto ON)

Meeting agenda:

1. Debrief of the summer

2. September event, October event, and Halloween event

3. Online Promotion

If you would like more information about QAY, feel free to contact Meza, the Youth Program Coordinator.

By email: youth@acas.org

By phone: 416-963-4300 ext. 229

"Like" us on Facebook!

How’s your summer going?

QAY just had another awesome summer event Savour Summer and it was so much fun! This is experience of a volunteer who took leadership role in planning and organizing of this event.

With only a few weeks to prepare our picnic by the waterfront was a huge success. We got fine weather with no rain, great food and company with plenty of blankets to share. Our chosen location, Little Norway Park, had plenty of green grass, was easily accessible by transit and had public washrooms. Having a great location is pivotal to providing a safe atmosphere where people can show up and be comfortable. Organizing an outdoor event is very dependent on planning fun activities that are inclusive. However, we did not have an agenda as that would spoil the spontaneity and relaxing nature of being at a park. We sat around a gathering of food and played silly games and then a surprise was unveiled: a piñata! It was like a treasure chest from a child’s dream. We really reached our goal of savouring every last drop of summer and spending our youthful days out in the sun. The organizers would like to thank the volunteers for picking up supplies and bringing food and games.

If you would like more information about QAY, feel free to contact Meza, the Youth Program Coordinator.

By email: youth@acas.org

By phone: 416-963-4300 ext. 229

"Like" us on Facebook!"

QAY Presents: Savour Summer

QAY is hosting another awesome outdoor event this year to enjoy this hot summer. Come and join us for a cozy picnic at this cute park by the Ontario Lake. Bring your favorite games, picnic foods, and lots of love.

If this is your first time to our event, please don't worry. We will have some ice breakers for you to make friends, and QAY is generally very welcoming to newcomers! If you are not sure what to expect, always contact Meza (Youth Program Coordinator) by email, phone, or Facebook.

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Date & Location:

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Location: Little Norway Park (Queens Quay West & Bathurst Street)

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Time & Direction:

Meet us at 1:00pm at Union Station by the stairs going down for the Harbourfront streetcars, the picnic will be at 2:00 - 6:00pm.

1. Go to Union Station and take the 509 Exhibition streetcar to Bathurst and Queens Quay.

2. Go to Bathurst station and take the 511 Bathurst streetcar southbound to Fleet street and walk south on Bathurst to the park.

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What to bring:

1. Something to share

2. Something to sit on

If you can't bring either or both of them, don't worry about it.

We will prepare as much as we could as well.

For more information or to RSVP, contact:

Meza (ACAS Youth Program Coordinator)

(416) 963-4300 ext 229

youth@acas.org

www.qay.ca

"Like" us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/acas.qay

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What is QAY?

http://www.qay.ca/

Queer Asian Youth (QAY) provides social spaces for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, queer, curious, undecided, or questioning East and Southeast Asian youth and their friends. QAY: Queer Asian Youth, is an initiative of ACAS: Asian Community AIDS Services.

QAY established in 2000 and our first regular event happened in that January. Regular QAY Events include the famous Bubble Tea Lounge, Movie Nites, Games Nites. Events usually attract from 30 to 80 people, and there are always many new people who come for the first time!

QAY Summer 2011: HOT & WILD

Come join us every Friday!

A workshop series for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, curious, undecided, or questioning East and Southeast Asian youth and their friends.

6pm at 519 Church Street Community Centre.

TTC Tokens and Refreshments provided.

Wheelchair accessible.

Workshops:

Friday, August 5: The Love Bugs

Room 204 - starts at 6:00pm

- An interactive workshop on sex, dating, relationship, love and everything in between.

Friday, August 12: Bash This!

Room 201 - starts at 7:00pm

- A resilience workshop to help you fight against homophobia, transphobia, racism, and other oppressions.

Friday, August 19: Out and About

Room 100 - starts at 6:00pm

- An intimate workshop for you to share and discuss about being who you are.

Friday, August 26: On The Floor!

Room 204 - starts at 6:00pm

- A fun workshop to learn about party, clubbing, and how to make it better!

For more information or to RSVP, contact:

Meza (ACAS Youth Program Coordinator)

(416) 963-4300 ext 229

youth@acas.org

"Like" us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/acas.qay

Happy Pride Everybody!

It was another awesome Toronto Pride and members of Queer Asian Youth (QAY) marched in Trans March, Dyke March, and Pride Parade. Also, our annual Pride Stage was an unforgettable event. Here is a volunteer of QAY who took on the leadership role organizing this event sharing the experience.

This year's QAY stage was fabulicously awesome! Despite the drawbacks with either this year's Pride Toronto committee or the QAY Pride Stage committee, everything went according to plan. I cannot, properly express in words, my experience working and taking on a major role in this amazing event. 

It's been a pleasure working with fantastic people. I had fun in helping out plan the event itself, choosing the theme, naming the stage, even going through the lists of possible performers. Of course this would not be possible without the help of everyone, especially Meza and Dento, those two really helped me pull through. Of course, being involved in something as big as the QAY stage comes a greater responsibility and fair amount of stress to take on, however, I really think that it's worth a month's frustration - especially if you look at the outcome. So many fabulous individuals, overflowing talent and dynamic energy, add in a good supportive crowd...it's, it's just awesome in every single way.

Of course, this year's QAY stage helped me hone myself in more ways than one. Getting really involved in a project like this helps you improve yourself, but most importantly, I had a lot of fun helping out. I don't regret helping out one bit, in fact, I would like to do it again next year if given a chance.

By a QAY volunteer

QAY is run by all the committed volunteers! We can never thank them enough.

If you would like more information about QAY, feel free to contact Meza, the Youth Program Coordinator.

By email: youth@acas.org
By phone: 416-963-4300 ext. 229

"Like" us on Facebook!"

July QAY Meeting is on Friday, July 15th.

Everybody is welcome to join our QAY meeting. We get together once a month and talk about future events, workshops, and other things. No matter you are new to QAY or not, you can participate and give inputs. Refreshments and TTC tokens will be provided. We usually go to Bubble Tea after the meeting and have some good time.

Please don’t hesitate to join us even If you have never been to QAY before. We always welcome new members, so take it easy and make some new friends at QAY. There are always new people who came for the first time, and QAY meeting is a great way to meet new people and help build your community.

Date: Friday, July 15, 2011

Time: 5:30-8:30pm

Location: ACAS (17 Isabella Street, Toronto ON)

Meeting agenda:

1. Debrief of Pride

2. What's happening this summer?

3. A.I.M. (QAY forum)

If you would like more information about QAY, feel free to contact Meza, the Youth Program Coordinator.

By email: youth@acas.org

By phone: 416-963-4300 ext. 229

"Like" us on Facebook!

Sexual Health Workshop for Asian Women and Trans

The Secret Toolbox: A Journey to Self-Discovery

When: Friday, July 8

What time: 5:30-8:30pm

Where: 519 Community Centre, Room 201

Ever had questions about sexual health that you’ve wanted answered? The Secret Toolbox: A Journey to Self Discovery is a workshop for Asian women and trans to learn about exciting things about sexual health and healthy sexuality.

Food and TTC tokens provided.

The 519 is wheelchair accessible.

Facilitated by Dento (Peer Educator) & Florence (Former Youth Program Coordinator)

Artwork by Sian

For more information, contact:

Meza (ACAS Youth Program Coordinator)

(416) 963-4300 ext 229

youth@acas.org

"Like" us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/acas.qay

Are you planning to march at Pride?

Join Queer Asian Youth to march with ACAS.

March with ACAS at Trans March!

Date: Friday, July 1, 2011

Time & Location: Meet us at 7:00pm at ACAS (17 Isabella St.)

Friday, July 1st. We'll rally at the Norman Jewison Parkette at 7pm. We'll march down Church Street at 8pm.

“BYOB- bring your own bottle” for being green.

March with ACAS at Dyke March!

Date: Saturday, July 2, 2011

Time & Location: Meeting at ACAS (17 Isabella Street, 1st floor) at 12:30pm.

The Dyke March 2011 will start at Church and Hayden Streets, move north on Church to Bloor, west on Bloor to Yonge and then south on Yonge to Wood St. It will head east along Wood back to Church Street.

“BYOB- bring your own bottle” for being green.

March with ACAS at Pride Parade!

Date: Friday, July 3, 2011

Time & Location: Meet us at 12:00pm at ACAS (17 Isabella St.)

If you can come early to help out with setting up balloons, please come to ACAS at 10am. We need volunteers to make this happen!

“BYOB- bring your own bottle” for being green.

For more information, contact:

Meza (ACAS Youth Program Coordinator)

(416) 963-4300 ext 229

youth@acas.org

"Like" us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/acas.qay

“Fruity Tease was a success with a turnout of approximately 40 youth for an action-based event. We are grateful for The STARS Project for providing a comfortable, clean and spacious location for attendees to play WII, Kinect, card games, board games, decorate cupcakes, have homemade bubble tea and to simply mix and mingle with other youth. We hope to see more youth coming to our future events.”

This is from one of the youth volunteers who helped out the event, Fruity Tease on June 17.

It was an event that had all the fun stuff that QAY does such as Bubble Tea Lounge, Games Night, and many other things. I’d like to thank all the volunteers, The STARS Project, and also everybody who came out or tried to come out for the event.

Pride is almost here, and we are getting ready for our stage at Pride! Please come out for QAY Pride Cabaret: FabUlicious!

If you would like more information about QAY, feel free to contact Meza, the Youth Program Coordinator.

By email: youth@acas.org
By phone: 416-963-4300 ext. 229

"Like" us on Facebook!"

Queer Asian Youth Annual Pride Cabaret:

FabUlicious!

When: Saturday, July 2nd

What time: 3:00-4:00pm

Where: Free Zone, Paul Kane Parkette (North side of Wellesley between Yonge & Church)

Come to see our fabulous and delicious performances and U are gonna LOVE it!

For more information, contact:

"Like" us on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/acas.qay