Class of '24 featuring Legendary Simone Tisci

Class of ’24 is a series bringing education, community, and movement together. Join us for a night of free programming at Ace Hotel Toronto, where we’ll dive into the importance of HIV education, get to know some of Ballroom’s most influential performers, and explore the beauty of voguing.

For our World AIDS Day edition, we’ll discuss HIV education and stigma with select YOU=US campaign panelists— Omi Balenciaga, Jazmine Miyake-Mugler, Mackenzie West, and Ceasar Miyake-Mugler—followed by a Vogueography masterclass with Legendary Simone Tisci or Commentation workshop with Legendary Precious for the non-voguing girls.

As always, HIV self-testing kits, harm reduction kits and supplies, Jems condoms, and additional resources will be available and free to take home thanks to Maggie’s Toronto.

With many thanks to Ace Hotel Toronto, Maggie’s Toronto, Gilead, and Jems for their support.

Doors open at 6 PM. Programming begins at 6:30 PM.

About our guest

Legendary Simone Tisci (she/her)

Legendary Precious (she/her)

FUNCTION

FUNCTION is a love letter to Ballroom and platform for culture, stories, and events. Through our work, we focus on uplifting BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ voices and highlighting local and international Ballroom talent—bringing together community, entertainment, and education.

We work with a wide array of iconic brands, public bodies, and nonprofit organizations to deliver authentic Ballroom experiences to the public and our collaborators without compromising the fabric of the culture.

Ace Hotel Toronto

Ace Hotel reimagines urban spaces for people who make cities interesting. Our approach to all our projects is simple—we seek to genuinely embrace local culture in the areas we inhabit. We bring together narratives, artists and materials that speak to the building, to the site and to the city. From there, we welcome in the alchemy that’s created.

Ace was founded in Belltown, Seattle in 1999, with current locations in Seattle, Portland, New York, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Kyoto, Brooklyn, Sydney and Toronto.

Maggie’s Toronto

Maggie's Toronto Sex Workers Action Project is Canada's oldest sex worker justice initiative offering wrap-around services and life-affirming care to current and former sex workers across the Greater Toronto Area.

From street outreach and harm reduction services to case management and community-specific programming, we believe that sex workers are best equipped to define what safety, dignity, and community connection mean to us.

Gilead

Decades of scientific innovation, community partnership and public health advocacy transformed HIV from an inevitably fatal disease to one that for many can be well controlled and prevented. And we must go further. To do this we will continue to champion innovations, programs and partnerships that support the long-term wellness of all people impacted by HIV until we eliminate the virus from the world. Together, we can end the epidemic for everyone, everywhere.

Jems

Jems is a safer sex brand and a platform for sex education. Designed for all identities, Jems better-for-you condoms and lube are changing the way we think about safer sex—it’s one of the many reasons we love them.

Additional Information

For media inquiries, please get in touch with us via email at hello@function10.ca

We wish to acknowledge the land on which we will be meeting for the Class of ’24 Series. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. We are grateful for the opportunity to host this event on this land.

Please note that this event will be filmed and photographed, and footage may be used for marketing, social, and archival purposes. By attending, guests hereby grant FUNCTION 10 Inc. the right to use their name, likeness, image, voice, video, performance, biographical and other information in any format whatsoever, and to distribute, broadcast and exhibit these without charge, restriction, or liability.

FUNCTION 10 Inc. and Maggie’s Toronto (“Event Organizers”) accept no responsibility whatsoever for any property brought to the premises by any guests or participants, and will have no liability for any loss, damage, or destruction of property. Participants understand and acknowledge the risks and dangers associated with participation in the Class of ’24 Series (“Event”) and related activities, including without limitation, the potential for serious bodily injury, sickness and disease, permanent disability, paralysis and loss of life; contact with other participants, spectators, or objects; participants of varying skill levels; situations beyond the immediate control of the Event Organizers; and other undefined, not readily foreseeable and presently unknown risks and dangers (“Risks”). Participants hereby expressly assume all such Risks and responsibility for any damages, liabilities, losses, or expenses incurred as a result of their participation in the Event.