Events

To Freely Flourish 綻放 – Film screening with Panel Discussion

After overwhelming audience responses at the sold-out premiere screening last July, screening at the Beijing Queer Film Festival a free public community screening of filmmaker Victor Wu’s To Freely Flourish 綻放 is being sponsored by the City of Sydney in partnership with ACON for Lunar New Year 2025!

Free screening
Town Hall House – 456 Kent Street Sydney CBD
5:30pm – 7:30pm
Thursday 30 January 2025
Please RSVP here via EventBrite

A story about family disconnection despite the most loving efforts, simply due to failing to see your child as their whole self. A story about the power of ordinary everyday queer visibility; how simply living openly and truthfully helps others in our communities connect again with those they love. A story about the power of pursuing our passions, and the profound life lessons they teach us.

这是一个关于尽管充满爱，但因未能看见孩子真实模样而导致家庭关系疏远的故事。它讲述了酷儿如何在我们周围日常生活；如何通过公开真实地生活，帮助我们社区中的人重新与他们所爱的人建立联系。这也是一个关于追求热情的故事，探索那些深刻的生活课题带给我们的启示。

After the screening will be a panel discussion about the experiences of LGBTQ people within our culturally and linguistically diverse diaspora communities with writer-director Victor Wu.

MARDI GRAS FAIR DAY | Sunday 16 February 2025

Mardi Gras Fair Day is a fabulous family community day in the park, where everyone’s invited! Visit the ACON village at Mardi Gras Fair Day in Victoria Park, where we’ll provide vital health and wellbeing information, resources and support. ACON will be located near the Cleveland Street and City Road entrance.

Drop in and find out more about sexual health, hear from our Peer Education team, learn about cancer screening and prevention for LGBTQ+ people, get more information about ACON’s counselling and community care services, get harm reduction information and resources, meet our Women’s Health Project team, discover our Pride Inclusion Programs, and connect with ACON’s work across Western Sydney, rural and regional New South Wales.

At ACON’s village at Fair Day, look out for our GBQ+ Community Periodic Survey. Comprehensive surveys like these are vital to understand the health of our communities and help us enormously to address LGBTQ+ health needs. Please help us by taking a few moments to complete the questionnaire.

Mardi Gras Fair Day is scheduled for Victoria Park on Sunday 16 February 2025. Visit the Mardi Gras festival website for updates.

MARKS PARK SUNRISE | Saturday 22 February 2025

Join us as we remember the past, reflect on the present and look to the future.

During the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival, we gather at sunrise to commemorate those in our communities we’ve lost, celebrate the progress we’ve made toward a stronger society, and re-commit to ending bigotry and prejudice in all its forms.

All are welcome to join and reflect with us at the Rise Memorial in Marks Park. Officially opened in 2021, the memorial is dedicated to the victims and survivors of homophobic and transphobic violence. The space is founded on the principles of remembrance, diversity, inclusion, justice and acceptance.

This is a free event, presented by Bronte Surf Club, ACON, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and Waverley Council.

After the sunrise, all attendees are invited to join us nearby at the Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club’s newly renovated Clubhouse.

Marks Park Sunrise
6:15am – 7am, Saturday 22 February 2025
Meet at the Rise Memorial, Marks Park, Tamarama
For more information visit bondimemorial.com.au.


Regular Events

Bingay | ACON Fundraiser

 

ABOUT BINGAY

Bingay is gay bingo which means there’s classic disco tunes, weird rules and penalties, outrageous antics, hilarious repartee, deliciously lewd bingo calls, and prizes that range from the silly and camp to great theatre tickets and restaurant vouchers.

Bingay hostess Charisma Belle oversees the madcap proceedings and Bingay’s long time barrel babe Naomi Palmer spins the balls and sings up a storm.

Bingay takes over the upstairs bar of The Beresford Darlinghurst on the second Thursday of every month, with each monthly event having a fabulously flamboyant theme.

Bingay’s balls first dropped in 1999, making it one of Sydney’s longest running LGBTQ community events + it raises money for our HIV and LGBTQ health services.

So whether you’re a regular or a novice, or a local or visitor to Sydney, if you’re up for a wonderfully camp mid-week entertainment experience, then you can’t go wrong with Bingay.

For more information and bookings, visit the Bingay website here

Disability Justice Social Group

Disability Justice Social Group is ACON’s online social group for LGBTQ+ people with disability in NSW who are over 18 years old.

This is a space to share experiences, build community connections, and discover LGBTQ+ inclusive events, programs and services for people with disability.

Happens every second Wednesday 6pm-7pm, online via Zoom.

Upcoming meetups are on 16 October, 30 October, 13 November and 27 November 2024.

For more information email disability@acon.org.au or register at www.acon.org.au/disability_social.

Nothing But LOVE

Don’t miss the next episode of Nothing but LOVE!

Each episode we chat with LGBTQ community heroes, activists, icons, performers, creatives, business owner and much more.

We will pull back the covers on some of their life experiences, reveal powerful and funny stories, discover what makes them who they are and celebrate their contributions to our rainbow communities.

Guests for 2025 will be announced soon!

REGISTER HERE

Proudly presented by ACON’s LOVE Project and hosted by Russ Gluyas.