Queer Books

Join us for a Gayme Night where you can meet other LGBTQIA2S+ people and allies. Socialize, play board games, and unwind from a weeks worth of work for all board game experience levels! ⌛**Time**: 5 PM - 8 PM 💰 **Price**: $8.00 + tax Allies are welcomed :) Tickets may be purchased in advance through lvlupgames.ca (https://lvlupgames.ca/products/gayme-night-lgbtqia2splus-community-game-night)

*Unwind, get creative, and connect with cool people.* Looking for a calm space to do some art, have meaningful (or silly) convos, and meet new friends in the city? This is your spot. I’ll be bringing **colouring pages and markers** for anyone who just wants to show up and relax. You're also totally welcome to bring whatever creative activity helps *you* unwind — think **sketchpads, mini canvases and paint, journals, clay sculpting, wire bending, model building kits, and collage supplies**. We’ll hang out, make art, and enjoy chill conversations in a cozy, no-pressure environment. No experience or talent required — just bring yourself and whatever helps you feel creative and calm. **✦ What to Bring (optional):** * Any relaxing art or activity you enjoy **✦ I’ll provide:** * Colouring pages, markers, and good vibes **Where to Meet (MADO Cafe at the Food Hall inside The Well):** * The easiest way to get to the venue is to make your way to La Plume restaurant or The Dorset restaurant and turn towards the statue then take the stairs to the lower level. * Shoppers will be on the right and across from Shoppers will be an entrance to The Well's food court. * Make a left and you should see the long tables and MADO cafe. * **We'll meet at the long tables in front of MADO Cafe** Come solo or bring a friend — this is all about slowing down, making connections, and enjoying a creative evening together ✨

\*˚౨**⛸️**Come join us for a night of live music & skating celebrating🌈**PRIDE** ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜 🖤ৎ˚ All levels are welcome! 🚇Closest **TTC** Station: **College** **⛸️** **\*Free skate rentals available!\*** 📢 Post a comment if you have trouble finding the group. ❗If you can no longer attend, please kindly change your RSVP to Not Going. Thank you. See you there! 🫶 🩷 [Eliza](https://www.canva.com/design/DAGzpJDtHng/o13GDCBsOLDaTaqb5OpaEQ/view?utm_content=DAGzpJDtHng&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=h8097854963)

Night out (without kids) to grab a drink and some food at JOEYS Yorkdale while meeting fellow dads and hanging out. Please RSVP as soon as you can so I can figure out a reservation. Thanks all.

Join us for our new winter series for 2026 - BOARDGAME FRIDAY! This is a great place to meet new people, make new friends and play some fun games. Come with a group or by yourself! There will be games like Terraforming Mars, Catan, Avalon, Ticket to Ride, Uno, Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity and more! **The restaurant, Aifam, will be giving out a free alcoholic drink of your choice (Wine or Beer) with the purchase of each sandwich!** Address: 102 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S 1G6 This event has an entry fee of $15 to be paid via cash or e-transfer. If you purchase a full-sized sandwich the price of the ticket would be $10. [Aifam menu](https://aifam.ca/) Looking forward to hosting this!

48 books, 5 large print, 2 ebooks, 6 audio

The next event is happening on Saturday February 7 at 2:30PM at Danu Social House! Please RSVP if you're planning on coming so we can plan appropriately!

The Downtown Literary Collective's February book pick is Another Roadside Attraction, by Tom Robbins. "What if the Second Coming didn't quite come off as advertised? What if "the corpse" on display in that funky roadside zoo is really who they say it is - what does that portend for the future of western civilization? And what if a young clairvoyant named Amanda reestablishes the flea circus as popular entertainment, and fertility worship as the principal religious form of our high-tech age? *Another Roadside Attraction* answers those questions and a lot more. It tell us, for example, what the sixties were truly all about, not by reporting on the psychedelic decade but by recreating it, from the inside out. In the process, this stunningly original seriocomic thriller is fully capable of simultaneously eating a literary hot dog and eroding the borders of the mind." Join us at Pauper's Pub (539 Bloor St. West in the Annex) for food and a great book discussion, 2-4pm. New members welcome. We are a small group of women in our late 30s and 40s who have been meeting consistently every second Sunday of the month for many years. If you're looking for a great little book club to join, come and check us out! Also, you can find us on FB under The Downtown Literary Collective.

*Physically Accessible Venue* This is an opportunity to meet up for some LGBTQ2IA-flavoured gaming and socializing—allies also welcome. Come for the gaming, socializing, not to mention the draft! :) Be sure to invite friends and such, too. Event starts at Noon this month due to the Superbowl with a hard end time of 4pm. You'll have access to a robust library of board games, and attendees are welcome to bring their own games. There is no event fee. Instead we ask attendees to purchase beverages or food from the venue, Steadfast Brewery, conveniently located at Lansdowne and Dundas, 301 Lansdowne Ave. Of course, since they are offering us their space for free, please consider buying a drink if you can. Note - Sunday's is usually Miguel's day off, he may or may not pop in to cook up his amazing tacos, if the kitchen is closed, Steadfast welcomes outside food should you be hungry. We provide nametag stickers with a pronoun field; we want this to be a comfortable environment for everyone, kindly respect people's listed or stated pronouns. * If you are unsure of someone's pronouns, don't assume: Ask, Respect and Practice * Definitely ask before taking pictures/videos Steadfast Brewery is an accessible space with a smooth entrance and large single stall washrooms available on the main floor. For those with sensory concerns, there may be possible loud noises. Steadfast offers an annual Brew Membership called **The Mug Club** that offers the following: Your own mug! It has your name on it and is reserved for you. A larger pour-19.5 oz vs 16 oz 1$ off pours in that mug (if you do the math, this sums to about a 40% discount on beer to stay, I think) 1 free growler fill a month (15$ value each, so $180 value for the year) 30% off merch. It costs $150 year one, $100 every year after that.

Join us for our February Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *A Master of Djinn* by P. Djèlí Clark in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

Join us for our March Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *The Manor of Dreams* by Christina Li in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

**First Gathering: Love as Transformation** Reading: **The Forty Rules of Love** by **Elif Shafak** We begin Men, Meaning, and Madness with a novel that treats love not as sentiment, but as a force that disrupts, humbles, and reshapes the self. The Forty Rules of Love explores love as discipline, surrender, and moral risk. It asks what happens when certainty breaks, when the ego is wounded, and when meaning is found not through control, but through transformation. This gathering is for men interested in serious literature and honest inquiry into how love shapes character, responsibility, and the inner life. Discussion will be guided by questions rather than summaries. The aim is depth, not debate. Come having read the book or engaged with it seriously.

A quiet writing and sharing space, Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!

**I’m planning future book club meetups and would love your input. Please choose your top three from the list below—your picks will help decide what we read next!** **Book Options** *The Hong Kong Widow* – Kristen Loesch *American Spy* – Lauren Wilkinson *God of the Woods* – Liz Moore *Listen for the Lie* – Amy Tintera *The Swallows* – Lisa Lutz *The Drowning Kind* – Jennifer McMahon *The Eights* – Joanna Miller *The Quiet Librarian* – Allen Eskens Thanks so much for sharing your pick! Please **reply in the comments** with your top three. I can’t wait to see which books rise to the top and to discuss them together at our next meetups.

Join fellow Queer birders on February 22nd for birding at Pickerington Ponds Metropark. No expertise required!