# Event Details - **Event Name**: Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music - **Event Start and End Date**: Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 07:30 pm – Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 09:30 pm (-04:00) - **Event Description**: Join visiting writer and editor Elias Jahshan to celebrate the launch of This Queer Arab Family.About this EventIt’s a night of words, dance, drag and music featuring:ELIAS JAHSHAN (words)ANOUSH ELLAH (drag)FATIMA (dance)NIKOTINE (music)ZANE BANYAN (music)ZEID AL-NASR (words)with a special virtual messsage from SALAH BACHIRThis is a celebration of the new book This Queer Arab Family, which itself is a celebratory book that explores how queer Arab communities reimagine family beyond traditional expectations. Edited and compiled by Elias Jahshan, the book features ten queer writers, such as Zeid Al-Nasr, from across the Arab world and diaspora, with stories that honour chosen kinship, everyday acts of care and the creativity and resilience that sustain queer Arab communities. In many Arab cultures, family roles are tightly defined, often prioritising unity over individual desire. This Queer Arab Family questions what happens when queer Arabs challenge those norms and build a family on their own terms. Fierce, vibrant and unapologetic, This Queer Arab Family celebrates community, survival and joy against all odds.Presented in partnership by Glad Day Lit and MEEM Toronto.This is a Pay-What-You-Can event and 100% of all proceeds will be shared among the local artists for their performances. No one turned away due to lack of funds.Everyone with love in their hearts is welcome to attend this event.7:15pm - Doors7:45pm - Event BeginsThere will be a mix of performances and readings, with a conversation between Elias and Zeid and time for a Q&A. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/99aa1410-290d-11f1-b5b5-27b5aa632dad-rimg-w592-h740-dcfdbc12-gmir.jpg ACCESSIBILITYThe entrance, washrooms and event space are all fully wheelchair accessible.ELIAS JAHSHAN (he/him) is a Lebanese-Palestinian journalist and writer, and the editor of groundbreaking anthologies THIS ARAB IS QUEER (2022) and THIS QUEER ARAB FAMILY (2025), both published by Saqi Books. This Arab Is Queer was a 2023 Lambda Literary Awards finalist in the USA and shortlisted for the 2023 Bread & Roses Award in the UK, and has been translated into Italian and soon in French. He has had short memoirs published in several anthologies and has been published in The Guardian, The New Arab, Gay Times, Attitude, My Kali, and more. A former editor-in-chief of Star Observer, Australia’s longest-running LGBTQ+ media outlet, Elias was born and raised in Sydney, Australia and now lives in London, UK.ANOUSH ELLAH Fusing culture, Drag and gender with an unapologetic flair, Anoush Ellah is the one and only Armenian pop princess — a title that has naturally earned her the moniker “the hottest hairiest girl in the world.”  A Jill of all trades, Anoush is best known for HOEBIBI, Pride Toronto’s The Yalla Barra Extravaganza, and "Drag Brunch Saved My Life” streaming on Crave. FATIMA The Devil's favorite jinn, and the Blue Ball Queen that will get you on your knees, saying yes please Lebanese. Fatima is your friendly neighbourhood queer, Muslim auntie. With a deadly combination of belly dancing, and striking storytelling, Fatima teaches the ways of sensuality, seduction, and killer seductive instinct, for she is the Blue Ball Queen of the Hara'am Arts.NIKOTINE نيكوتين is a Lebanese-born singer-songwriter and cabaret artist based in Toronto and Beirut. Ahead of her multi-lingual, multi-genre DEBUT ALBUM, you can catch Nikotine نيكوتين hosting and performing in The Dancing Djinn Cabaret.SALAH BACHIR who immigrated to Canada from Lebanon in the 1960s, has been a gay activist who worked in the film world for over four decades. While this has given him undeniable front-row access to Hollywood’s biggest stars, he was also the bedrock and often the behind-the-scenes champion of many queer organizations that increased justice and liberation in Canada and beyond.ZANE BANYAN is a millennial multi-hyphenate spotlight slayer living in Tsi Tkaronto. She thrives on connecting with people through music, singing and dancing, a passion that is commonly found among the Arab diaspora who she is proud to represent.ZEID AL-NASR (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist working in wood, ceramics, painting and writing. Based in Toronto, he is also an adult performer and OnlyFans star. During his time as a student in South Africa, he published his journal online. He is currently writing his first book, From Damascus to the Moon, which weaves together prose, poetry and visual art to tell his story as a Syrian refugee and artist. Zeid is also a contributor of THIS QUEER ARAB FAMILY, with his chapter 'One Way Trip to The Moon: My Journey With Only Fans'. https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events7/banners/99d9fdb0-290d-11f1-b5b5-27b5aa632dad-rimg-w680-h740-dcffffff-gmir.jpg - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/toronto/book-launch-this-queer-arab-family-a-night-of-words-dance-drag-and-music/100001985779555105 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, entertainment, performances, contests, music, fine-arts, trips-adventures, nonprofit, lgbt-pride, brunch, drag-shows, storytelling - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 0, max: 0, currency: CAD ## Event venue details - **city**: Toronto - **state**: ON - **country**: Canada - **location**: Glad Day Lit - **lat**: 43.6420585 - **long**: -79.42330729999999 - **full address**: Glad Day Lit, 32 Lisgar Street, Toronto, Canada ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/8426ecbe100b5921662f145c122c6210b900880fc74d4659c6439fb9d6006caa-rimg-w1200-h1500-dcf7ac18-gmir.jpg?v=1774527450 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music being held? - **A:** Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music takes place on Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 07:30 pm to Wed, 08 Apr, 2026 at 09:30 pm at Glad Day Lit, 32 Lisgar Street, Toronto, Canada. - **Q**: Who is organizing Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music? - **A:** Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music is organized by Glad Day Bookshop. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music is ideal for music lovers, fans of all genres, and anyone who wants to celebrate the power of music - from intimate gigs and live sessions to festivals and cultural performances. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Toronto, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast. ## Structured Data (JSON-LD) ```json [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Event", "name": "Book Launch: This Queer Arab Family - A night of words, dance, drag & music", "image": "https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events3/banners/8426ecbe100b5921662f145c122c6210b900880fc74d4659c6439fb9d6006caa-rimg-w1200-h1500-dcf7ac18-gmir.jpg?v=1774527450", "startDate": "2026-04-08T19:30:00-04:00", "endDate": "2026-04-08T21:30:00-04:00", "url": "https://allevents.in/toronto/book-launch-this-queer-arab-family-a-night-of-words-dance-drag-and-music/100001985779555105", "location": { "@type": "Place", "name": "Glad Day Lit", "address": { "@type": "PostalAddress", "streetAddress": "32 Lisgar Street", "postalCode": "M6J 0C7", "addressLocality": "Toronto", "addressRegion": "ON", "addressCountry": "CA" }, "geo": { "@type": "GeoCoordinates", "latitude": "43.6420585", "longitude": "-79.42330729999999" } }, "eventAttendanceMode": "https://schema.org/OfflineEventAttendanceMode", "description": "Join visiting writer and editor Elias Jahshan to celebrate the launch of This Queer Arab Family.", "offers": [ { "@type": "AggregateOffer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "CAD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-03-26", "availabilityEnds": "2026-04-08T21:30:00-04:00", "validFrom": "2026-03-26", "lowPrice": "0.00", "highPrice": "0.00", "price": "0.00", "url": "https://allevents.in/toronto/book-launch-this-queer-arab-family-a-night-of-words-dance-drag-and-music/100001985779555105" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "CAD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-03-26", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-03-26", "url": "https://allevents.in/toronto/book-launch-this-queer-arab-family-a-night-of-words-dance-drag-and-music/100001985779555105", "price": 0, "name": "FREE RSVP" }, { "@type": "Offer", "availability": "https://schema.org/InStock", "priceCurrency": "CAD", "availabilityStarts": "2026-03-26", "availabilityEnds": "", "validFrom": "2026-03-26", "url": "https://allevents.in/toronto/book-launch-this-queer-arab-family-a-night-of-words-dance-drag-and-music/100001985779555105", "price": 0, "name": "PWYC RSVP - All Funds Go To The Performers" } ], "organizer": [ { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Glad Day Bookshop", "url": "https://allevents.in/org/glad-day-bookshop/22594308", "description": "Glad Day Bookshop is the first Canadian and the longest surviving queer bookstore worldwide. Serving the LGBTQ community since 1970, we specialize in offering the widest possible selection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, and queer literature, both in and out of print.Glad Day is also a BAR and RESTAURANT, with a wide array of craft beers on tap and a full menu specializing in comfort food and diner classics (including our celebrated SUNDAY DRAG BRUNCH)." } ] } ] ```