DESI DIARY
ASAAP’S TRANS POWER PROJECT UPLIFTS RACIALIZED TRANS, NON-BINARY, QUEER NEWCOMERS
Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) is committed to providing culturally responsive holistic health promotion and support services for SAMEIC (South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indo-Caribbean) communities who are living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV and related health conditions.
The Trans Power Project at the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) presents the first annual Transform Symposium on Tuesday, February 24, at the Centre for Social Innovation in Toronto.
This free symposium is designed to uplift racialized trans, queer, and non-binary newcomers in Toronto, with a focus on employment and economic empowerment.
The 2026 Transform Symposium will include a keynote address and performance from Sanjina DaBish Queen (Canada’s Drag Race Season 5), three panels, a workshop, and the evening will close with a networking reception. Being a newcomer is hard, and being a racialized trans/queer newcomer is even harder. Sanjina DaBish Queen will bring her signature, heart-on-her-sleeve honesty for a conversation about building community and sharing wisdom.
The Transform panels will include:
Working Newcomers: The QT Experience, with established QT professionals including Asya Gundaz and Shawn Hercules sharing their personal experiences building careers in Canada; Working for Myself: Entrepreneurship, where aspiring entrepreneurs will hear from established entrepreneurs like Shiraz Anwar who started from the ground up; and Staying (T)hired: Strategies on Hiring QT Newcomers, with tips, tricks, trades, and trends for budding professionals.
The Transform Symposium will also present the Knowing My Employment Rights workshop with N. Gitanjali Lena. Attendees will learn more about the skills needed to navigate transphobia, homophobia, and microaggressions in the workplace, and how to self advocate and negotiate for better positions, pay, and benefits.
The Transform Symposium aims to: equip employers with practical guidance to recruit, develop, and keep trans and queer newcomer talent; create meaningful networking opportunities for trans, queer, and non-binary newcomers to connect with employers, mentors, and community leaders; and strengthen leadership and capacity through skills-building and professional development for both employers and newcomers.
Supported by the Government of Canada, with special thanks to Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and community partners including Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce (CQCC), and Pride at Work Canada / Fierté au travail Canada.
Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention is committed to providing culturally responsive holistic health promotion and support services for SAMEIC (South Asian, Middle Eastern, and Indo-Caribbean) communities who are living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV and related health conditions. The Trans Power Project is dedicated to uplifting and empowering BIPOC trans. Non-binary, and gender non-features engaging workshops, one-on-one peer support and dynamic peer support groups.
What makes this work unusual is that it is led with care, trust, and community knowledge. It is trauma-informed, culturally inclusive, and deeply respectful. People are not treated as clients only, but as whole humans with stories, strengths, and dignity.
ASAAP and Trans Power create spaces where trans and gender-diverse people – especially those from racialized and newcomer communities – can feel safe, seen, and empowered. That combination of culture, understanding, trans-affirming care, and community-led programming is what makes this work truly special.
Pooyan Khoshnejad (he/him), Trans Power Coordinator, Farsi: “What makes ASAAP programming unique is that it’s not just about providing services for newcomers, settlement support, or programs like the Trans Power Project. It’s about creating a safe, culturally inclusive space where trans and non-binary people feel free to share their lives, build friendships, and support one another. ASAAP helps build powerful community, especially for trans and non-binary people. This work is done with care, lived experience, and strong community leadership, and that is what makes ASAAP so unusual and powerful.”
Teadai Lewis (he/they), Trans Power Peer Ambassador: I come from a Jamaican-Cuban background, and I am a first-generation Canadian. What stands out most to me about ASAP is how the work is done. The program is culturally grounded, trauma-informed, and community-led. I deeply appreciate the translation support, and that transitional support is also available for people who aren’t fluent in English, because access should never depend on language.
The Trans Power Project at ASAP does not believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. They listen closely to the community they serve and adapt in real time. This is especially important for trans and gender-diverse people from different cultural backgrounds, where identity, family, and safety can look very different. ASAP holds all of that with care.
When and where: Tuesday, February 24, 6-9pm, Centre for Social Innovation, 192 Spadina Avenue, Toronto.
Schedule and RSVP: https://www.asaap.ca/transform.