Queer Asian Youth
Connect with your community
CAS’ Youth Program for East and Southeast Asians aged 16-29 strives to increase education, opportunities, support and resiliency skills (being able to bounce back from adversity) for Asian youth in Toronto in dealing with the various social/health challenges and questions of being LGBTQ+ and of other genders or sexualities.
QAY explores a variety of topics like: sexual health, HIV/AIDS/STI prevention, healthy relationships, anti-oppression, intersectionality, mental health, and harm-reduction. They also have fun socials every month and recreational events!
As a program for youth by youth, all activities are based on a non-judgmental peer education approach. Queer Asian Youth (QAY) is an initiative of the ACAS Youth Program that has been providing social spaces, capacity development, and peer support for LGBTTQQ+, curious and undecided East and Southeast Asian youths and their friends since 2000.
Follow Queer Asian Youth on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for up to date events. Not out of the closet? Get in touch with the youth coordinator to ask how to join our private Facebook group for QAY.
- Peer Support
- Youth Resources - Over the years QAY and ACAS have developed multilingual brochures and resources on HIV prevention, testing, coming out, and other issues related to healthy sexuality. QAY has also released zines and a published works of poetry and stories.
- 'When You Are Ready' Program - An 8-week program where LGBTQ+ Asian youth (18-29) are able to explore topics related to their identity and their “coming out” experience and issues like: anti-oppression, intersectionality, shadeism, chosen family, mindfulness and many more interesting topics.
The objective of this program is to equip youth with resiliency skills to tackle the stress that comes along with coming into their own identity, while creating bonds and peer-support networks.
If you’re interested in joining a group, contact QAY at youth@acas.org!
- QAY Health Promotion Project - QAY Health Promotion Project encourages LGBTQ+ Asian youth (16-29) to take a more holistic approach to health, as well as bringing awareness to the harmful effects of tobacco. We have a series of Taiko Drumming workshops with Raging Asian Women (RAW), health promotional workshops (like, healthy affordable cooking and at-home workouts), and recreational events (like, board games and nature hikes).
- Social Events
- QAY Pride Stage - Every pride, the Health Promotion team organizes the QAY Pride Stage where LGBTQ+ Asian youth have a chance to showcase their skills and talents.
- Yearly Forum - When possible QAY provides a yearly all-day facilitated forum for East and Southeast Asian Youth to gather and have a space to share their experiences and talk about the issues that matter to them. The 2005 theme for the Queer Asian Youth Forum was: Fact for Friction and for 2011 was Asians in Motion. These forums are well attended a favourite among youth.
Accessibility Notes
ACAS is located in a building that is not accessible to wheelchairs.
Those who have accessibility concerns and wish to access services from ACAS to contact the office directly to arrange for appointments outside the office.
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