MAX Ottawa

Contact MAX for details or schedule changes.
Phone: 613-701-6555
Email: info@maxottawa.ca
Keeping it 100, or K1 for short, is a Black guy into guys peer discussion group. To participate, email Robert at r.alsberry@maxottawa.ca for ZOOM link. You can also contact MAX via email, phone, or social media and MAX can give you more details.
K1 is open to any cis, trans, gender non binary person who identifies as gay, bi-sexual, queer, questioning or other same gender loving identities.
While we center masculine perspectives, Black women and femme folks are always welcome to join our discussion.
We use Black to be inclusive of African, Caribbean, Black, Afro-Latino, Afro-Indigenous, bi-racial, mixed race, and other members of the African diaspora.
In 2021, K1 is meeting every 4th Wednesday 6:30-8:30 pm via ZOOM. When it’s safe to meet in person, we will announce a physical location.
K1’s goal is to provide a welcoming environment to talk about issues that affect Black guys into guys. For many of us, we often feel we have to be chosen to be Black or Gay/Queer/Etc.
At K1, we can bring our whole selves, meet new people, and discover ways to take care of ourselves.
We talk, share, laugh and learn from guest facilitators and speakers and amongst ourselves. We cover a wide range of rotating topics in a group led discussion. Topics are decided upon by the group.
New members are always welcome. We know it can be challenging to attend something for the first time, but we make all efforts to make people feel welcome and appreciated.
- K1 is an important space for connection, validation, and community-building among ACB guys into guys. The program must be supported to continue this important work!
- What I like most about K1 is folks share experience and knowledge freely
- K1 is extremely meaningful. Had made me feel connected and accepted in the LGBTQ community - a privilege often stolen from Black gbmsm (gay, bi-sexual, and other men who have sex with men) due to the prevalence of anti-black racism in mainstream LGBTQ spaces.
- K1 felt real to me...a new home
- K1 is a needed source of relief to share, reflect, and laugh among people that care.
K1 does take place mostly in Engish, although many people who attend are bi-lingual or Francophone. We welcome people to express themselves in their language of choice and we translate amongst ourselves.
If you’d be interested in facilitating in French, don’t hesitate to reach out.
It was started in 2016 by black gay and queer men who wanted a regular day and time to talk and learn amongst themselves. It was a pilot project that has become a regular part of MAX programming.