Ottawa Trans Library Youth Group
2025-11-27 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Toronto) | Ottawa Trans Library, 1104 Somerset St. West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y3C8, Canada
Calling all 2SLGBTQIA+ youth! Are you between the ages of 14-19 and interested in connecting with other Queer youth in your community? Drop into OTL’s Youth Group to make some new friends and learn more about our community. Meetings are casual and drop in, so you can stay for as long or as little as you would like. Expect a mix of discussion, low stakes activities, and free time to chat and connect. We will be meeting on the fourth Thursday of each month, so if you can’t make this one we hope to see you in the future!

OGRC Weekly Run
2025-11-27 19:00 - 20:00 | T’s Pub, 323 Somerset St W, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 0J8, Canada
Join us every Thursday evening for our weekly 5 km run, starting and ending at T’s Pub. We welcome runners of all levels, with multiple pace groups to ensure everyone feels comfortable and supported. Whether you’re looking to push your limits or just enjoy a leisurely jog, there’s a spot for you in our community.
After the run, stick around at T’s Pub to unwind with a cold beer and some great company. It’s the perfect way to cap off a run and connect with fellow gay men. No pressure, just good vibes and good times!
See you at 7:00 PM—let’s hit the pavement together!

Gay Men In Recovery
2025-11-27 19:00 - 20:10 | MAX Ottawa, 400 Cooper St. Suite 9004, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2H8, Canada
A weekly hybrid narcotics anonymous group for gay men.

To access the Zoom link, click the link below, select Thursday, and scroll down to “Gay Men In Recovery.” To enter the building, ring the intercom doorbell on the left side of the main doors if they are locked and a member will let you in.

Meeting formats and accessibility:

This meeting is closed to non-addicts. You should attend only if you believe that you may have a problem with substance abuse.

This meeting invites participation by all attendees.

This meeting is focused on the needs of gay, lesbian and transgender members of NA.

This meeting is meant to be attended by men only.

This meeting is wheelchair accessible.

Meetings virtually and in person.

Karaoke Night
2025-11-27 20:00 - 23:00, 2025-11-30 20:00 - 23:00 | T’s, 323 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, ON, 2P 0J8, Canada
Karaoke with fellow Queers hosted by Jolene.

Puthie Cinema: Brokeback Mountain
2025-11-27 20:00 - 23:00 | The Lookout Bar, 41 York Street, 2nd Floor, Ottawa, ON, K1N 5S7, Canada
Howdy cowboys! 🤠 can you believe Brokeback Mountain is 20 years old!?!?

The 8th instalment of Puthie Cinema is HERE, and no, this ain’t just another yeehaw drag show. 🐎 This month we’re raising money for @prostatecanada with a 50/50 draw and EVERY penny goes straight to the cause.

Prostate cancer impacts countless lives, and early detection saves them. Your support at this show genuinely makes a difference. 💙

So bring your $$$$, bring your friends, and bring your big…. cowboy boots! 🫦

This 50/50 wouldn’t be possible without these amazing local businesses! Major thanks to:🏔️ @feleenasglebe🏔️ @thegreendoorrestaurant🏔️ @wolf.down🏔️ @black_squirrel_books🏔️ @madiicollective

CAST:🤠 Edith Puthie🤠 @mx.caligula🤠 @omaribjohnson_drag🤠 @freya_frostbite🤠 @gayfieridrag🤠 @missdiagnosis.drag

Let’s prove that community, drag, and compassion can move mountains… yes, even Brokeback ones. 🤠

Frontrunners - Women's Run
2025-11-28 17:00 - 19:00 | Ontario
A running and walking club for 2SLGBTQ+ community and friends in the National Capital Region, meeting Tuesday nights, Friday nights, and Saturday mornings (09:00 (spring, summer, fall); 09:30 (winter; from the first Saturday of December to the last Saturday of March)) at 111 Lisgar Street, the rear entrance of City Hall.

Runs are held:

Tuesdays at 6:30 pm, after which we go for coffee (Routes)

Saturdays at 9:00 am (9:30 am from the first Saturday of December to the last Saturday of March inclusive), followed by breakfast (Routes)

Women’s 5km run

Fridays at 5:00 pm

This event is open to all who identify as women, female-identifying, non-binary, and Two-Spirit individuals

For more details, please email wmns@ottawafrontrunners.org

NOTICE: 2025 Gatineau runs — Saturdays, 10 May, 14 June, 12 July, 9 August, 13 September, and 11 October.

Cancellation of runs are rare, only owing to holidays and hazardous weather. When runs are cancelled, we post a notice on the site linked below and send an e-mail to members.

Freedom Soirée
2025-11-28 17:30 - 23:00 | Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, 335 Cooper St., Ottawa, Ontario, K2P0G8, Canada
Capital Rainbow Refuge is excited to welcome guests for an evening of art, food, dance and fundraising.

The Freedom Soirée is an opportunity to celebrate identity and culture, and in the process, support the efforts of Capital Rainbow Refuge. All proceeds of the evening will directly support LGBTQI+ refugees to arrive and thrive in their new community.

Click here for accessibility information about the venue.

–

Doors open at 5:30 PM

Show starts at 7 PM

K1 en français : Argent, survie & solidarité
2025-11-28 18:00 - 20:00 | MAX Ottawa, 400 Cooper St. Suite 9004, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2H8, Canada
L’argent, c’est souvent un sujet tabou — surtout dans nos communautés queer, racisées et migrantes. Entre précarité, loyer trop cher, études, santé mentale et transition, beaucoup d’entre nous jonglent avec le stress financier au quotidien.

Mais parlons-en. Sans honte, sans jugement — juste de façon honnête, bienveillante et solidaire.

Rejoins-nous pour une discussion de pairs ouverte, concrète et communautaire, où on explorera :

💬 Comment nos identités influencent notre rapport à l’argent

💭 Les défis financiers dans nos parcours queer et racisés

🤝 Les astuces, ressources et soutiens disponibles à Ottawa

💡 Comment bâtir une sécurité financière… même à petits pas

Que tu sois étudiant·e, en emploi, nouvellement arrivé·e ou simplement curieux·se — cet espace t’appartient.

On va rire, partager, et surtout se rappeler qu’on n’est pas seul·e dans cette réalité. Viens comme tu es, avec tes réalités, tes questions ou tes idées — on construit ensemble. Inscrivez-vous selon le formulaire :

Paris Is Burning Showing
2025-11-28 18:00 - 20:00 | Ottawa Trans Library, 1104 Somerset St. West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y3C8, Canada
Join community at the Ottawa Trans library for Paris is Burning!

New York City, 1980. In Harlem’s African American and Latinx drag-ball scene, rival houses compete in fierce contests for trophies.

Live Comedy Album Recording with Laura McLean
2025-11-28 19:00 - 21:30 | LIVE! on Elgin, 220 Elgin St #2, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1L7, Canada
Join us for a night of live stand-up comedy as Laura McLean records her debut album! Featuring opening sets with audience faves from Ottawa and Toronto: Tavis Maplesden, Kelsey Ryan, & Special Guests!

About Comedian Laura McLean:

Laura McLean is an alternative lesbian comedian (her words) who began her stand-up career in Ottawa and is now a fixture of Toronto’s comedy scene. With just over a decade of performing under her belt, Laura’s style draws inspiration from Maria Bamford, Jon Dore, and Tim Heidecker. For her debut comedy album, she returns to the city where it all began to record a night of her best material.

About Howl & Roar Records:

The Canadian Comedy scene is diverse and ever-expanding, but not always properly represented. Based in Toronto, woman-led Howl & Roar Records was born out of a desire to shake things up. We empower artists to create and distribute quality content while maintaining creative control. Since its inception, Howl & Roar Records has established itself as a trusted resource for artists and comedy lovers across Canada and beyond.

Accessibility:

The venue is located on the second floor and is accessible only by stairs. Gender-neutral washrooms are available. This is a stand-up comedy event with no flashing lights or excessive noise. Masks are optional and will not be provided.

Additional Information:

The event is all ages, though please note that adult themes (including references to sex, drugs, and alcohol) will be part of the show.

Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

Live Comedy Album Recording with Laura McLean - Late Show
2025-11-28 21:30 - 23:00 | LIVE! on Elgin, 220 Elgin St #2, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1L7, Canada

Frontrunners
2025-11-29 09:00 - 11:30, 2025-12-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Ontario

Health Forum for Service Providers
2025-11-29 10:00 - 16:30, 2025-11-30 10:00 - 16:30 | AIDS Committee of Ottawa, 19 Main St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S1A9, Canada
📢 Health Forum for Service Providers/Caregivers🗓 November 29 & 30🕙 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM📍 19 Main Street

The AIDS Committee of Ottawa invites local service providers/caregivers to our two-day Health Forum as part of our World AIDS Day Program. This is your chance to:✅ Learn from leading experts about the latest advancements in HIV research and treatment✅ Participate in in-depth sessions on HIV prevention and care✅ Engage in expert panels and Q&A✅ Network with healthcare professionals and community members

Registration deadline: November 26, 2025Meals provided | Parking available👉 Scan the QR code on the poster to register today!

A huge thank you to ViiV Healthcare and Gilead for sponsoring this important event and supporting our community. ❤️

Be Gay, Do Art
2025-11-29 13:00 - 16:00 | Kind Space, 400 Cooper St. suite 9001, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2N1, Canada
Are you 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️+?Are you creative?

Then join us to Be Gay & Do Art!

☆ All ages, art, creative mediums, and skill levels are welcome! ☆

BGDA is an all-ages drop-in program, so feel free to come and go as needed!

🎨🎨🎨

📅 Saturday November 29th⏰️ 1:00 – 4:00 PM📍Kind Space (400 Cooper St.)

🎉🎉🎉

We will have snacks, drinks, and donated art supplies for folks to use, including collage supplies, jewelry making, painting, and more!

We also encourage folks to bring extra supplies they’d be willing to share (or donate) for those who might want to learn a new art form or try out a new medium!

♿️♿️♿️

Wheelie Productions is committed to accessibility & disability justice. If you require any extra support to attend this event, please reach out.

As part of this commitment, we will be requiring masks for those attending. We ask that all attendees wear a high-quality mask/respirator (KN95 or better) to increase the safety of our space. We will have extra KN95 & N95 masks available for anyone who needs one!

To maintain a masked space, we will have a separate room with extra air purifiers for those who are eating/drinking (thus having to remove their masks!).

More Access Notes:

☆ Kind Space has extra air purification throughout the space.☆ Kind Space is wheelchair accessible, with an elevator to access the space and automatic doors!☆ There are both gendered, stalled washrooms and accessible non-gendered washrooms.☆ Accessible by public transit (#11, #6 & #7) with paid on-street parking (subject to availability!)☆ Low/no-scent space☆ Quiet space available

Bottomless Dine & Drag Dinner
2025-11-29 19:00 - 22:00 | The Vanitea Room, 551 Somerset St West, Ottawa, ON, K1R 5J9, Canada
Every week, on Saturday night, Vanitea is the destination for the no. 1 voted drag dinner, presented by beloved house host Devona Coe and a rotating calendar of featured local and visiting drag queens.Delivering their struts, gag-worthy performances & all-over sass for your Saturday night pleasure, + a fabulous 3 course tower (with meal included) and bottomless drinks!

Drag Brunch
2025-11-30 11:30 - 14:00 | The Vanitea Room, 551 Somerset St West, Ottawa, ON, K1R 5J9, Canada
Every last Sunday of the month (with the exception of pride week in the summer) is drag brunch. Check our calendar for details.If it’s the last Sunday of the month – its drag brunch. Seatings available at 11:30am and 2pm.Please note: that the drag brunch preset menu does NOT include bottomless mimosas – it includes one single mimosa with cuisine as indicated on the menu.Bottomless mimosas are an extra charge to your drag brunch package.

Tone Cluster Drag Brunch Fundraiser
2025-11-30 12:00 - 14:00 | Irene’s Pub, 885 Bank St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 3W4, Canada
🌈✨ Drag Brunch Fundraiser is next Sunday at 12pm 💥

Secure your tickets, support your local queer choir, and join us for a fun time with this stellar lineup of drag kings. 🪩🎉

Featuring: BJ Stroker, Sam Smitten and Dr. Androbox

Just Another Sapphic Sunday: A bingo, mix and mingle event!
2025-11-30 13:00 - 17:00 | LIVE! on Elgin, 220 Elgin St #2, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1L7, Canada
World’s Strongest Ma’am and Live on Elgin proudly present…JUST ANOTHER SAPPHIC SUNDAY: a bingo, mix and mingle event!

It’s November in Ottawa, so you know what that means: it’s kinda cold and a little boring. Why not spend a Sunday afternoon playing bingo and socializing with some sapphic sweethearts? Make new friends, enjoy a cocktail or a mocktail and perhaps get lucky?!

Flying solo and want to mingle? We’ll have a designated section for singles with ice breaker questions! Advanced tickets provide guarantee entry and a bingo card, additional cards can be purchased for $3 at the bar (cash only). Some tickets will be available at the door!

We welcome women and non-binary sapphics ages 19+ who identify as lesbian, trans, Two-Spirit, bisexual and pansexual!

Event details:Sunday November 30 at Live! on Elgin. Doors open at 1pm, bingo starts at 2pm$10 advanced tickets on sale now and include a bingo card and guaranteed entryAdditional cards can be purchased for $3 at the bar (cash only)Limited tickets available at the door!

LIVE! on Elgin is not an accessible venue for everyone. Stairs are required to enter the space on the second floor of the building. Gender neutral washrooms are available.

About your hosts:Join your besties Carina, a battle-scarred open mic comic veteran, and Samantha, a hardened event organizer and sometimes DJ, for a fun Sunday afternoon with a few rounds of bingo and some mingle time and tunes in between games.

1:00pm Doors \ 2:00pm Bingo

Nonbinary Social and Crafternoon
2025-11-30 14:00 - 17:00 | Ottawa Trans Library, 1104 Somerset St. West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y3C8, Canada
What to expect: Non-binary people and friends hanging out and crafting. We have supplies for making bracelets, folding origami, colored beads, embroidery floss, and plastic lace. Volunteer coordinators will be wearing name tags and can help answer any questions you might have.

If you would like an idea of what the event space looks like, check out our recent pics in the gallery.

What to bring: You don’t need to bring anything. You are welcome to bring your own crafting materials. Food and drink is welcome, also.

Sunday Afternoon Bear Walk
2025-11-30 14:30 - 15:40 | Ottawa / Gatineau Pathways, Ottawa, Canada
Join other gay and bisexual men (including gay and bi transmen) for a one hour walk every Sunday at 2:30pm. Locations vary each week and are posted to the website through the link below.

Stories In Ink
2025-11-30 16:00 - 20:30 | Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave., Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6E2, Canada
Experience Stories In Ink: Live Edition — a captivating fusion of art and performance that transforms the way stories are told. This intimate tattoo performance is something this city has never seen before, join the multi-disciplinary madness of Lucille Giwa as they take us on a journey through time, craft and culture.

Grounded in the reclamation of the black body, Lucille will tattoo three dynamic artists — Nyana, Yanaminah, and Aurel Pressat — while engaging them in intimate conversations that explore their artistry, identity, and the stories that shape them.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Yanaminah Thullah, Aurel Pressat, and Nyana Ntwari are the three dynamic creatives whose practices intertwine art, identity and diasporic experience.

Yanaminah Thullah is a Toronto-born multidisciplinary storyteller, curator, writer, and public speaker of Sierra-Leonean and Liberian descent. Rooted in her lived experiences and a background in International Relations, Thullah’s work explores world-building as a form of liberation. Her creative practice is dedicated to deconstructing systemic barriers, demystifying migrant-diaspora relations, and amplifying narratives of community resilience and transformation.

Aurel Pressat Irigukunze, an award-winning Kenyan-born actor of Burundian descent, has been performing on stage and screen since childhood. Raised in Ottawa, Pressat is a proudly queer local icon whose charisma and advocacy resonate from coast to coast and beyond. Equally at home on camera or in heels, Aurel continues to expand the boundaries of storytelling, blending performance, visibility, and unapologetic self-expression.

Nyana Ntwari, based in Ottawa, is a Burundian queer femme artist, performer, and devoted ‘life enjoyer’. Deeply inspired by the interplay between her Blackness and Queerness, Ntwari is an active force in Ottawa’s Kiki Ballroom scene and Afro-queer party spaces. As a co-founder of The Touch Grass Kiki collective, she merges artistic expression with community-building, creating safer and more joyful spaces for queer Black and Afro-diasporic identities to thrive.

Together, Thullah, Pressat, and Ntwari represent a growing wave of diasporic storytellers challenging conventions and reimagining what it means to create, connect, and celebrate identity across mediums and borders. Don’t miss this rare opportunity in our city to commune in knowledge sharing, art and empowerment.

ACO: World AIDS Day
2025-12-01 10:00 - 14:00 | Ontario
Join us on December 1st near the Centennial Flame at Parliament Hill as the AIDS Committee of Ottawa commemorate World AIDS Day.

🕙 10–11 AM (near the Centennial Flame at Parliament Hill)Red Scarves DistributionIndigenous Opening CeremonySpecial Guest SpeakersRed Ribbon Flag Raising Ceremony

🕛 12–2 PM (National Arts Centre | 1 Elgin Street)Reception & LunchIndigenous Opening CeremonyAIDS Quilt CeremonyCommunity FairPerformances by Local Artists

Let’s come together to honour lives, raise awareness, and strengthen community.

🙏 A huge thank you to ViiV Healthcare and Gilead for sponsoring this important event!

📍 Details & Contact: Khaled Salam | (613) 238-5014 ext. 234 | khaled@aco-cso.ca

Day With(out) Art
2025-12-01 18:00 - 20:00, 2025-12-02 10:00 - 2025-12-04 17:00 | DARC Microcinema, 67 Nicholas St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 7B9, Canada
📅 Opening Talk & Screening: Monday, December 1st, 2025⁠ | 6 – 8 PM⁠📅Looping Screening: December 2 – 4, 2025⁠ | 10 AM – 5 PM⁠📍 DARC’s Microcinema | 67 Nicholas St⁠

DARC and @qu.art.ottawa are proud to partner with @visual_aids for Day With(out) Art 2025 by presenting Meet Us Where We’re At, a program of six videos that forefront the experiences of drug users and harm reduction practices as they intersect with the ongoing HIV crisis. ⁠⁠The program features new work by Camilo Tapia Flores, Camila Flores-Fernández, Hoàng Thái Anh, Kenneth Idongesit Usoro, José Luis Cortés, and Gustavo Vinagre & Vinicius Couto.⁠⁠A day of mourning and action that uses art to respond to the ongoing HIV and AIDS crisis, Day With(out) Art encourages museums, universities, and art institutions to present related programming on or around December 1, World AIDS Day. Because AIDS is not over!⁠

Commissioned videos by artists in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Nigeria, Germany, and Vietnam journey across a range of spaces, revealing the complexity of drug use. Several videos document the visible world of drugs—a harm reduction program in a Berlin park, a night out during Rio’s Carnival—while others reveal private, often hidden spaces where safety is found: bedrooms, underground clinics, and moments of connection between lovers.

Meet Us Where We’re At speaks not only to the variety of physical locations where contemporary harm reduction is practiced, but also to a broader shift: centering drug users as authors of their own experiences. Rooted in the philosophy of meeting people at their personal reality without judgment, the program affirms the full context of drug use—its pleasures, its risks, and its role in how people survive, care, and connect.

Harm reduction has long been central to the AIDS movement through practices like needle exchange and safe injection sites, and people who use drugs have been affected by HIV since the earliest days of the epidemic. This program brings their perspectives to the forefront, amplifying the voices of drug users as storytellers, cultural producers, and essential participants in the global response to HIV.

As this is a program centering harm reduction, it will contain depictions of sexual activity and drug use.

Visual AIDS is a New York-based non-profit that utilizes art to fight AIDS by provoking dialogue, supporting HIV+ artists, and preserving a legacy, because AIDS is not over.

Keynote Speaker Ahmed Muslimani

Ahmed Muslimani is a community health leader, actor, and advocate whose work brings together harm reduction, HIV and sexual health, and newcomer support. As Director of Community Programs at MAX Ottawa, they support initiatives that strengthen access to culturally responsive care for queer, trans, and non-binary communities across Ottawa. Ahmed has worked closely with LGBTQ+ refugees and newcomers, supporting them as they navigate settlement, safety, and the early stages of community-building. Their background as a performer shapes their belief in storytelling as a practice that builds connection and helps people make sense of their experiences. Ahmed also serves on the Board of Directors of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network. They are committed to approaches rooted in dignity, lived experience, and the everyday ways people care for one another.

Special thanks to MAX Ottawa for their support!

5-Pin Bowling
2025-12-01 18:30 - 20:00 | West Park Lanes, 1205 Wellington St. W, Ottawa, Ontario, K1Y 2Z8, Canada
EVERYONE is welcome (please bring your friends!) to join us for a fun evening of 5-pin bowling at the West Park Lanes bowling alley at 1205 Wellington Street West. We play two games. The cost is $10.00, including shoe rental. It’s quite informal. You don’t have to join a team, just show up at West Park Lanes. Please come to the lanes early—at least 15 minutes early.

Rainbow Coffee Club
2025-12-03 10:00 - 11:30 | The Good Companions, 670 Albert St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6L2, Canada
Join us monthly on the first Wednesday, 10:00 – 11:30 AM at The Good Companions for coffee, tea, treats, and great company. Most meetings feature guest speakers on engaging topics.

Contact Sarah at srea@thegoodcompanions.ca for details.

Pinball Women Ottawa Tournament
2025-12-03 20:00 - 23:00 | Lowertown Brewery, 73 York St., Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 5T2, Canada
Pinball Women Ottawa (PWO) is a group in the Ottawa area for women, non-binary, and gender diverse individuals of all skill levels and ages that provides a supportive and inclusive environment to play and learn about pinball.

PWO’s monthly tournaments are on the **1st Wednesday each month at LOWERTOWN BREWERY** in the Byward Market.

When: Doors at 7pm // Tournament starts at 8pm.

Format: 3 Strikes Knockout. Group size TBD!

Additional information:

PWO has a new “pay it forward” initiative, that folks are welcome to access and/or contribute to.

Most of the machines at Lowertown are on the ground level. A few are downstairs. Please inform a TD if you need to stick to the ground floor.

Lowertown has one gender neutral & accessible washroom on the ground floor. The door must be opened manually (no automatic door).

When in the lower level room, feel free to close the sliding door to avoid disruptions from curious patrons. The lower level is not as closely monitored by bar staff as the ground floor.
