Stories are important for queer, trans, and Two-Spirit individuals and communities. Stories provide opportunities to escape, find new meaning, find connection, and see ourselves living, struggling, surviving, and thriving.

Join QMUNITY as we share stories of us at the 13th annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia breakfast, presented by Vancity and a benefit for QMUNITY.

• Doors open: 6:45 am
• Program: 7:15 am to 9:00 am

Since 2012, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia breakfast has been held at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and attracts an enthusiastic crowd of community, business, and political leaders. IDAHOT continues to grow year after year and holds a place of prominence on Vancouver’s community calendar. With an official proclamation from the City of Vancouver, movers and shakers from many different organizations, corporations, and sectors celebrate and commit to the life-changing work QMUNITY undertakes.

Program

• Keynote Speaker: Hiromi Goto

Hiromi Goto is the author of many books for youth and adults. Her adult novel, Chorus of Mushrooms was the recipient of the regional Commonwealth Writer’s Prize Award for best first book as well as co-winner of the Japan-Canada Book Award. Her second adult novel, The Kappa Child, was awarded the James Tiptree Jr. Award. Hopeful Monsters was her first collection of short stories and in 2009 co-wrote, with David Bateman, her first book of poetry, Wait Until Late Afternoon. Her YA novel, Half World, was winner of the 2010 Sunburst Award and the Carl Brandon Parallax Award. Her latest YA publication was Darkest Light. Her first graphic novel with artist Celine Loup will be published in 2018. Shadow Life, is the story of Kumiko, a bisexual 76 year-old woman on the lam. Hiromi is also a mentor at Simon Fraser University’s The Writer’s Studio, an editor, and mother of two grown children. She is at work on a collection of short stories. She gratefully lives on unceded traditional Coast Salish lands. 

• Artistic Performances by: Molly Billows and Aaron Chan

Molly Billows is swift waters, secrets, and salal berries. Northern Coast Salish from the Homalco Nation, they were adopted-out and grew up in and around Victoria. They have been living as a visitor in Vancouver, on the territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations since 2011. They are a queer, mixed, urban, Indigenous feminist, a spoken word poet, and a youth worker. They hope to weave together stories in ways that lift up their communities, and contribute to collective healing, rage, resurgence and love.

Aaron Chan was born in Vancouver, Canada, and is a musician, filmmaker, and writer. He is a graduate of the one-year Screenwriting Program at Vancouver Film School as well as the Creative Writing Program at the University of British Columbia. His writing has been published in two anthologies and several literary magazines including Wilde, Ricepaper, Existere, Plenitude, and filling Station. His memoir piece, “A Case of Jeff”, won subTerrain‘s Lush Triumphant Literary Award in 2013. Most importantly, Aaron likes cats and cheesecake.

Janice Ungaro and Cory Ashworth are co-hosts of Janice & Cory on Roundhouse Radio 98.3.

Cory Ashworth spent his formative twenties in Beijing, where he launched China's first national radio rock show and became the first foreign VJ on MTV China. Previously an announcer on The PEAK, Cory is co-host of Rain City Chronicles, co-creator of A Good Book Drive for children in Vancouver and founder of AYAM Civic Society, which produced The March Sweater Project in support of Vancouver's aging LGBTQ2+ population.

Janice Ungaro has spent the past 14 years working in Los Angeles writing and producing the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, The Phil Hendrie Show, and The Bill Handel Show. She continues to tour with and produce the Jillian Michaels Show.

Location and Event Accessibility Details

We are pleased to let you know that ASL interpreters can be made available upon request. If you or one of your guests requires ASL interpretation please let us know and we will ensure you are seated at a table with a clear view of the ASL interpreters.

The Hotel Vancouver is accessible by elevator as well as by a flight of stairs.

We make an effort to have scent reduced spaces and would ask all attendees to refrain from using perfume or cologne the day of the event.

Please contact us if you have any concerns or needs which we can address.

Land Acknowledgement

We would like to acknowledge that this event is taking place on the ancestral, traditional, and unceded homelands of the Musqueam, Skxwú7mesh, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. It is important to recognize this for many reasons; in particular we would like to remember and work against the impacts of historical and ongoing colonial oppressions experienced by Indigenous/Two-Spirit peoples.