Brian Finch, founder of PositiveLite.com. I've had a blog since 2005 when I decided one day that I just wanted to write. Since then I've grown to writing for a local Toronto magazine, Fab, and contribute to MyGayToronto.com.

More recently (relative to twenty years ago) in 2006 I was featured in the Ontario HIV Treatment Network's documentary "Positive Voices" filmed during the 2006 International AIDS Conference. 

The very same conference where I organized an action against the Conservative government for our Prime Minister not showing up, which is now known as "The Pillow Case Project" approximatel 1000 message-stenciled pillow cases were held up at the moment the government representative stood up causing an international photography sensation. 

During these years I was on the board of Canada's treatment advocacy NGO, the Canadian Treatment Action Council, and have been privileged to have worked with great activists internationally such as Africa. 

Life is an evolution, apart from my contributing to PositiveLite.com, I've become a budding stand-up comic creating a new genre of comedy: candid comedy. Look out as there isn't much I don't talk about. 

CATIE is Canada’s source for up-to-date, unbiased information about HIV and hepatitis C. We connect people living with HIV or hepatitis C, at-risk communities, healthcare providers and community organizations with the knowledge, resources and expertise to reduce transmission and improve quality of life. For more details, please visit www.catie.ca or call 1-800-263-1638.

CATIE est la source d’information à jour et impartiale sur le VIH et l’hépatite C au Canada. Notre but est de partager les connaissances, les ressources et l’expertise avec les personnes vivant avec le VIH ou l’hépatite C, les communautés à risque, les fournisseurs de soins de santé et les organismes communautaires afin de diminuer la transmission des virus et d’améliorer la qualité de vie. Pour plus de renseignements, veuillez consulter www.catie.ca ou appelez le 1.800.263.1638.

Decisions about particular medical treatments should always be made in consultation with a qualified medical practitioner knowledgeable about HIV-related illness and the treatments in question.  CATIE’s full disclaimer

Toute décision concernant un traitement médical particulier devrait toujours se prendre en consultation avec un professionnel ou une professionnelle de la santé qualifié(e) qui a une expérience des maladies liées au VIH et des traitements en question. Déni de responsabilité de CATIE 

Living in London, England working as a reception manager for a physiotherapy clinic. I’m 26, currently single, but on the dating scene at the moment. Facing the task of dating and being positive and seeing what challenges life has to throw at me next...with a cheeky grin on my face! I'm on twitter @christiandolan_ and on Facebook here.

Christopher Banks is a filmmaker, journalist and musician with experience of bipolar disorder. He has co-edited New Zealand's most popular magazine for HIV positive people, Collective Thinking, worked for the New Zealand AIDS Foundation and the Access To Medicines Coalition, a lobby group calling for wider and increasing funding for antiretrovirals.

He writes five times a week for his blog Bipolar Bear   ( http://bipolarbear.co.nz/ ) and lives in Auckland, New Zealand with his partner of 17 years, Dean. He is very fond of Orson Welles, Woody Allen, Stanley Kubrick, the boardgame Cluedo, and the classic British sitcom Are You Being Served? Christopher can also be found on twitter at @bipolarbearnz and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bipolarbearnz

Daniel Uy is a Toronto-based Yoga Teacher and Practitioner. He teaches several different styles of yoga throughout the city and more information about his work can be found on www.danieluy.com. He has been HIV+ since 1997 at the ripe old age of 21yrs old. He has a light-hearted approach to life and is an eternal optimist.

He shares stories and information on health, wellness, and spirituality beyond the pharmaceutical and religious realms. And will also share and discuss some of his favourite pastimes – spinning poi, reading, yoga, meditation and hamburgers. Metta.

English but living since 1986 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. HIV+ since 2004 and a neuropathy patient since 2007. I've seen quite a bit, done quite a bit and bought quite a few t-shirts if you know what I mean; but all that baggage makes me what I am today: a better person I believe, despite it all.

You can find much more information about neuropathy and HIV on www.neuropathyandhiv.blogspot.com and  here on The Body, along with articles about other subjects.

David Phillips is a native of the Washington, DC area and is a subject for studies of HIV long-term non-progressors at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH. After a prolonged seroconversion illness at 17, he chose willful ignorance of his HIV status for almost 20 years due to a difficult prior neurosurgical history. David currently pursues a Master of Public Health at the University of Maryland while working as an IT specialist at the National heart, Lung, and Blood Institute/NIH. Follow him at twitter.com/bigolpoofter where he often tweets photos of culinary creation with hashtag #foodporn. All views are his own and do not represent those of the US Government.

Photo credit: "Metro Weekly", DC's LGBT nightlife magazine

A lady through and through, Denise Becker brings feminism back to feminist. She lets humour and candour be her guide. Her M.O. is to call it like she sees it. She exudes class but can get downright devilish and dirty. Her blogs will mix lady and tramp; Thelma and Louise; kitten and cougar. Darlings, fasten your seat belts for one crazy ride.

Denise is an inspirational and motivational speaker, on twitter @DeniseSBecker and also blogs under her own website www.denise-becker.com

In 2012, Denise was honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for her work and commitment to HIV/AIDS in Canada.

Originally from Tampa Florida, Toronto's newest import DJ RELENTLESS is a Queer African-American house music DJ/Remixer/radio personality who concluded a historic 12-year residency in 2010 at New York's famed Escuelita nightclub.

House heads and club kidz alike groove to the New York sounds of DJ RELENTLESS every FRIDAY at his "Club-Lite" dance party in The Zone, DIRTY MONDAYS and NIGHT SKOOL WEDNESDAYS at Crews & Tangos nightclub (508 Church Street, Toronto). Please arrive early to avoid line-ups.

Can't get enough? Music fans can score the very latest releases in his widely celebrated series of promo only CDs mixed exclusively by DJ RELENTLESS on his blogs for PositiveLite.com as well on his website ( DJRelentless.com ). A music subscription service is also available, and don't forget to ask about the historic "Relentlessly Cunty" 5 volume set of cunty beatz and ballroom/runway classics.

My alter-ego:

JADE ELEKTRA is a legendary Queer African-American drag entertainer, nightlife personality, performing/recording artist, film/television/stage actress and outspoken HIV status symbol and role model. She has performed the world over with everyone from Harmonica Sunbeam to Beyonce, from Ill NaNa DiverseCity Dance Company to Calista Flockhart, from MJ White to Bermuda's Sybil Barrington.

Her classic underground c-c-cunty anthems include "Bitch, You Look Fierce", "How Do I Look?", "Why Are You Gaggin'?", "What-Evah", "RIF (Reading Is Fundamental)", "She Turns It", "You Bettah Feel It", "This Is What We Call A Bitch Track" and "Trade".

HIV for 22 years, Miss Elektra premiered her groundbreaking new single "HIVogue" on World AIDS Day December 1st, 2010 with epic remixes by Vjuan Allure, DJ Fierce Tease, and, of course, her less-glamorous twin brother DJ Relentless!

In 2011 crowned Miss Play 2011 and Miss Toronto Continental Elite, Jade's freshly re-issued album Proud Mary: 10th Anniversary Edition (2nd Level Records) features the hit singles "Bitch You Look Fierce", "Why Are You Gaggin'?" and "What-Evah!" plus five bonus tracks including "Don't Explain", "How Do I Look?" and "HIVogue".

Remixes of "HIVogue" by Vjuan Allure, Chip Chop and DJ Fierce Tease go on sale on iTunes as soon as she is able to locate a non-profit organization that is willing to take on the controversial subject matter of AIDS Awareness and sex sites in a track. Be on the look-out for her new single with The Snatsch Sisters called "Realness" in 2012.

Together or separately, DJ RELENTLESS and JADE ELEKTRA are a force to be reckoned with! Please stay tuned to Facebook for their latest club nights, parties, events, music video releases and booking information.

MANAGEMENT

Relentless Entertainment (NYC/Toronto)
RelentlessEntertainment@hotmail.com

MORE INFO:

MySpace.com/OfficialJadeElektra

MySpace.com/JadeElektra

MySpace.com/DJRelentlessNY
DJRelentless.com
(Plus you can find Jade Elektra and DJ Relentless on twitter)

CONTACT:

JadeElektra@aol.com

DJRelentlessNY@aol.com

Ed has been working continuously in the HIV/AIDS epidemic since 1983, as chronicled in the documentary “We Were Here”. He has developed HIV-related curriculum and trainings for a large number of national and international organizations and institutions, including the California State Office of AIDS, the Shanti Project of San Francisco, UCSF AIDS Health Project and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in Los Angeles. His recent projects include content development of an e-learning training in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services, as well as delivering counseling trainings for staff in the iPrEx Clinical Trails in both North and South America.

His stories and articles have appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Christopher Street, the James White Review and Prentice Hall’s Discovering Literature. Ed has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and was awarded the HIV National Educator of Year Award from TheBody.com.

Ed lives in the Mission District of San Francisco with his partner, Kirk Read. His website is here.

I am a tech geek, avid martial arts, weight lifter and a bit of a South East Asia phile living in Los Angeles. Coming out in 1991 nearly all my mentors as well as my first partner were HIV-positive and the events of that time deeply influenced me. Yet 22 years later I have been positive for over six and a half years myself and I still feel like a newbie to HIV, working to overcome challenges to achieve moments of joy and serenity.

I am thirty years old and live in Edmonton, Alberta. I was born in Edmonton and have lived back and forth between Calgary and Edmonton. I've been in Edmonton for the last eight years.I was diagnosed with HIV on March 1 2010. I wasn't surprised I was HIV Positive but at the same time I was in shock. One of the ways I have dealt with the diagnosis is humour, friends and writing. I work in Accounts Payable and I am currently trying to find ways to grow and learn more about myself. I hope by writing, by sharing my experiences I am not only helping myself but helping others. I can be found on Twitter with the username @havinghiv

John McCullagh is the publisher of PositiveLite.com. He's an HIV-positive gay man who’s been active in Toronto's LGBTQ community since immigrating to Canada from his native Britain in 1975. A social worker by profession, he's worked in government and the not-for-profit sector in both front-line and management positions. His experience includes research, policy analysis, strategic planning, program development, project management, and communications.  

In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, John was a counsellor at the Toronto Counselling Centre for Lesbians and Gays (now known as David Kelley Services), an organization he co-founded and which was one of the first agencies in Toronto to offer professional counselling to those infected with and affected by HIV. 

Now retired, John volunteers with the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) and is a board member of CATIE, Canada’s national HIV and Hepatitis C knowledge broker.  

John regularly contributes articles to PositiveLite.com about his personal experiences of living with HIV and about issues relevant to Canada's HIV and LGBTQ communities.

Josh Kruger is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia. He writes on LGBT politics, HIV/AIDS, media and ethics using his personal perspectives oin gay life, living with HIV and Philly’s LGBT community.

Follow Josh on twitter @jawshkruger. Email josh@emapwerks.com This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or see his website www.joshkruger.com.

Louis "Kengi" Carr is a California native, born and raised in Santa Monica. He is a published photographer, writer and guest speaker. Formerly a private chef and events caterer, this formerly homeless, HIV positive, proud Angelino is now a activist and advocate for people with HIV and homeless individuals. He is the creator/founder of Project Kengikat, Do Something Saturday, Unplugging HIV and the author of 29 Months.

A lover of photography, blogging and vlogging and USC Football, Kengi has been rediscovering his love for Los Angeles, ceramics, painting and cooking while elevating the conversations of HIV and homelessness. He enjoys being outdoors, spending quality time with his friends and his amazing rescue dog Dodger.

Marc-André LeBlanc has worked in the community-based HIV/AIDS movement for 20 years.He does community engagement, capacity-building and policy work related to biomedical HIV prevention research, both in Canada and globally. He is a co-founder of International Rectal Microbicide Advocates (IRMA), serves as secretary on their steering committee, has authored two reports on the global state of rectal microbicide efforts, and leads IRMA’s global efforts to ensure the safety of sexual lubricants. Marc-André loves movies. He got a film studies degree while working full-time, just for the sheer fun of it. He is now leading advocacy efforts to get ice cream and popcorn recognised as new basic food groups in Canada’s Food Guide.

Mark S. King and his very funny site "My Fabulous Disease" must share some DNA with Positive Lite, because his light-hearted approach to living with HIV feels just like family. "My Fabulous Disease" has the authority of Mark's lifelong HIV activism mixed with the wit of your favorite gay uncle.

Check out his full blog and more at: My Fabulous Disease

Despite a passionate childhood love affair with iceberg lettuce and anything sugary, Matt Levine has worked the last 27 years in the natural and organic foods business.Born in Stamford, Connecticut, he lived in some of the grungier areas of New York City before moving to the Elysian Fields of San Francisco in 1989.

Despite graduating from college with honors, he drove a taxicab in Manhattan, a decision he credits with his father's refusal to co-sign a loan to open a natural foods store in his hometown.Matt tries to make those who would listen believe that said store of his dreams would have sold to Whole Foods for millions of dollars.Regardless, his love for his father remained and he is only occasionally bitter, mainly for dramatic effect.

He currently works as a freelance research analyst and publishes the much–loved but under–visited Natural Business News. In his free time, he mentors at-risk youth and follows his beloved New York Mets and New York Giants with more passion than is advisable. 

Megan is the Women’s Community Development Coordinator at the AIDS Committee of Guelph & Wellington County, where she hopes to bring greater awareness and action to women’s HIV prevention needs. She is a feminist and a sociologist, and loves working in this incredible field with so many inspiring activists and change-makers. As a punk teenager, Megan co-founded an animal rights organization; her early experiences of activism (mostly learning about what not to do) set the stage for a career working towards social change.  In her spare time, Megan enjoys rock climbing, thrift-store shopping and geeking out to sci-fi – but nothing beats relaxing with a great cup of coffee or glass of wine.  

*The views I share in my blog posts do not necessarily reflect those of the AIDS Committee of Guelph & Wellington County

Michael was born in California in 1970 – actually, hatched from an egg – and spent the next twenty years of his life hopping across the globe, wherever America saw fit to station troops for some inexplicable reason. In what was likely a fit of absent-mindedness, he acquired a Masters in Communications, Political Science and Comparative Literature from the University of Mainz in West Germany, probably because it was roughly equidistant to the clubs of Paris, London and Berlin. Along the way, he modeled, tended bar, wrote copy, ran an ad agency, got bored, and moved to New York City. He remains there today, making a living as a wordsmith and creative brain, all the while making sure nobody ever sees that portrait in the attic. 

Oh, and before he partnered up, he probably slept with your boyfriend.

Michael Burtch is a Taurus, and as such, is opinionated, self-indulgent, argumentative, bull headed, modest and extremely good looking. He put that trait to use in January of 2010, becoming one of the first openly HIV+ Fab Boys in the Toronto Magazine’s 16 odd year history. His handsome mug has appeared all over the blogosphere as well, including Macleans.ca. His fundraising and grassroots activism has landed him multiple times in newspapers such as 24 Hours and Capital Xtra.

t was actually in the pages of the community newsletter The Blackburn Banner that Michael’s poor Mother first learned her son was positive. She had to read it, along with 4000 other people, in black and white one morning over her bacon and eggs. Shamefully, Michael will go to great lengths to avoid confrontation, twice breaking up with boyfriends by text and e-mail. He is also a ‘star fish’ in bed (he just lays there) but being so handsome, the tattooed hunk has never needed to be particularly good in bed. Michael’s life ambition is to learn how to play the guitar

Michael Yoder currently works with Positively Connected, a project of Victoria AIDS Resource & Community Service Society (VARCS). Positively Connected provides social connection and support to gay/bi men living with HIV. He has previously sat on the board of directors of the Canadian AIDS Society (CAS), and has been involved in the HIV/AIDS movement since 1987. He worked with CAS in development and writing of the One Foot Forward Series of self training modules for people living with HIV and other work. Michael is always available for writing work, workshop development/presentation as well as public speaking.

Michael's social media connections are @michaely1961 on twitter and on Facbook here.

I am Nicholas Wise, an HIV+ gay man who is a constant work in progress.   I am a U.S. Marine, HIV/AIDS activist, bicycler, member of Positive Pedalers, computer nerd, and an avid home brewer.  I’m navigating my way in this world, breaking down walls, barriers and stigma of HIV, while having fun along the way. I currently reside in Louisville, KY with my two dogs Dash the Dane/Lab and Sheldon the Boxer/Dane.  I encourage anyone and everyone to be who they are and enjoy life. You can also find me on TwitteI currently reside in Louisville, KY with my two dogs Dash the Dane/Lab and Sheldon the Boxer/Daner, Facebook, and Formspring as POZitiveOne. I am here for you.  Let’s take this journey together.

NotDownNotOut is a late twenties (sigh, not for much longer) Brit who was found by HIV in 2010. He currently works in the corporate sector by day and is starting to write by night. An HIV diagnosis swiftly followed by an adult Aspergers diagnosis, made his head spin but determined to make sense of it all; he decided to try and make the room around him spin as well.

Regularly blogging on his experiences of HIV care in the UK (http://notdownnotout.blogspot.com), NotDownNotOut looks forward to the day when he has no more questions for the world or himself and can stop trying to take it all apart only to put it back together again just to find out how it works.

Secretly he knows this day will never come but we can all dream.

Advocate by day, server extraordinaire by night, Olivia likes to have her hands full. While it is difficult to fully describe her position as Positive Prevention Coordinator at the AIDS Committee of Guelph and Wellington County, broadly speaking, she works to challenge HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination.

Despite having a degree in English and a love of writing (which doesn’t mean that she is necessarily good at it), this is Olivia’s first blogging experience (so be gentle). When she’s not blogging or working, she’ll likely be eating chocolate, belly dancing, or enjoying a glass of wine (or beer or gin…). She’s a feminist, sociologist, and “empathist”. Expect to read sarcastic rants, explorations of questions that plague her mind, and tales from the field of HIV/AIDS. 

The Ontario HIV Treatment Network is an independent, not-for-profit organization funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.  We are a network composed of:

• People with HIV
• Academic and community-based researchers
• Members of AIDS service organizations and other community groups
• Decision makers from all levels of government and various community groups
• Health care providers

We promote excellence and innovation in HIV treatment, research, education and prevention in Ontario to:

• Improve the health and well being of people with HIV
• Contribute to HIV prevention efforts
• Promote knowledge exchange among all HIV stakeholders
• Ensure value for resources

For more information the OHTN please visit their website.

Philip Minaker, originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a multi-dimensional entrepreneur, who has been apart of the fashion trade for over two decades. His experiences have encompassed a wide variety of roles and responsibilities within a diverse spectrum of designer labels, retailers and institutions.

Throughout his career as a visual artist and window dresser, Philip has worked with hundreds of different companies, from locally to internationally renown. His ability to make individuals also look their personal best is well documented in various sales and management roles with the likes of Eaton’s, Mondi, Parachute and B.C.B.G.

While managing The Bay’s Queen Street Women’s Bridge Designer Shop for seven years, Philip also served as the stores resident Fashion Consultant working intimately with various celebrities and high profile professionals. His Style Seminars and Public Speaking Engagements have also been positively received and critiqued as informative, entertaining and insightful by large corporations, organizations and various institutions for men and women alike. Philip also dabbles with design with his own millinery creations in his spare time.

He is now living in Toronto and working independently as a writer, stylist and mad-hatter. He is also a good sport and plays competitive volleyball as a long-standing member of the Toronto Spartan Volleyball League.

I am a 34 year old HIV positive single gay man living in New York City. Any one of those would be daunting on their own, but adding them all together makes for quite an interesting dating life. I send my trials and tribulations out through the web not only to help spark a dialog that I think we are desperately missing but to help with the stigmas about being HIV positive that are put on us from other people and more importantly the stigmas that we put on ourselves. Also it gives me an outlet to rant about my dating woes.

Rob Newman - PHA Peer Support Advocate Regional HIV/AIDS Connection

Diagnosed December 1990, I have been an active and outspoken “activist” ever since.  When not busying myself over the years with work directly involving the AIDS movement I also ran the London Compassion Society until a police raid and subsequent trials and tribulations that come with that form of activism.  In 2006 I returned to school for a degree in law to devote my full time and energy to social justice.  Today I do advocacy work for clients at the Regional HIV/AIDS Connection.

PHA = persons/people living with HIV/AIDS

Robert Birch is the Men`s Wellness Coordinator for AIDS Vancouver Island, B.C. He is also one of the founders of the Southern Gulf Island AIDS Society. As an Assistant Professor (adjunct) at the University of Victoria he engages applied theatre to research the lives and wellbeing of men who love or lust for men. Along with his farmer husband, he lives on Saltspring Island, works in Victoria and plays with his activist community of Radical Faeries and Reclaiming witches in San Francisco and along the west coast.

You can follow Roy on twitter @RoyKilpatrick1  and also read his own blog scotfreehiv here.

Shari Margolese has been an advocate for HIV-positive people since shortly after her own HIV diagnosis in 1993.

Her work as a community consultant and researcher with the Women and HIV Research Program, Women's College Research Institute in Toronto includes various community based research projects focusing on the sexual and reproductive health of people living with HIV.

Shari's current research volunteer commitments include the Ontario HIV Treatment Network Ontario Study Cohort Governance Committee and the Community Advisory Committees of both Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Canadian Trials Network and the Canadian Observational Cohort (CANOC).

At the community level, Shari is a steering committee member of two important   women's health networks in Canada and internationally, Blueprint for Action on   Women and Girls and HIV and the ATHENA network. She also holds an appointment to the CIHR HIV Research Advisory Committee (CHARAC).

Shari is an inductee to the Ontario AIDS Network Honour Roll and received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal for her extraordinary commitment to the HIV community. Shari is a sought after, internationally known, speaker and frequent contributor to several magazines and community web portals including POZ magazine in New York. Shari hopes that this revolving blog will provide an open forum for HIV positive women to discuss neglected and provocative hot topics.

If you would like to contribute please contact Shari at shari.margolese@rogers.com

I'm a poz guy, just starting my tenth year living with HIV. I've been blogging here at PositiveLite.com since March 20th, 2011. I volunteer at two AIDS Service Organizations in my area, ACG (AIDS Committee of Guelph/Wellington) and ACCKWA (AIDS Committee of Cambridge Kitchener Waterloo and Area). I've also been blogging for ACG since November 2010. I am a self-taught social media junkie doing facebook and twitter. I'm a great retweeter. I was recently hired by the OHTN (Ontario HIV Treatment Network) as a Peer Research Assistant. In my spare time I am a hobby photographer; some of my photos show up in my blog.

Now that you've read a bit about me, check out our other great bloggers and follow along. We are THE site that is by and for people living with HIV

Does your AIDS Service Organization or community-based organization have an event about which you’d like to inform our readers?

If so please feel free to contact us at editor@positivelite.com