From Bradford McIntyre of PositivelyPositive.ca  comes this notice of Vanocover’s up coming candlelight memorial . . 

“We have a stellar cast of speakers and performers this year to celebrate and perform a musical tribute to people affected and infected by HIV and to all of those friends and family we have lost to HIV/AIDS.

This year marks AIDS Vancouver's 30th Anniversary. This year also marks the AIDS Candlelight Memorial’s 30th Anniversary.

AIDS Vancouver is the host of the 30th Vancouver International AIDS Candlelight Memorial.

In this special year, this event is a musical tribute.

In Solidarity: A Musical Tribute to People Infected and Affected by HIV and those we have lost to AIDS.

As vice-chair on AIDS Vancouver’s board of directors, I have spent the past three months organizing the 30th Vancouver International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, planning the program and inviting this year’s participants. I will be master of ceremonies (MC) for the event. Learn more about it here.

The Program:

The 30th Vancouver International AIDS Candlelight Memorial

In Solidarity: A Musical Tribute to People Infected and Affected by HIV and those we have lost to AIDS.

May 19th 2013 at 7:30 PM in Alexandra Park, 1755 Beach Avenue, at Bidwell

Master of Ceremonies: Bradford McIntyre

Speakers and Performers

Chief Bill Williams

Bob Baker & The Eagle Song Dancers

Vancouver Men's Chorus

Leora Cashe

Jess Cullen

PALS Chorus

Andrew Hiscox

James Johnstone

Ending with the Lighting of the Candles "

On May 5th, we will be celebrating six months of the POZ-TO Monthly Dance Parties. We are proud to say that each month has been getting better and better.

It is so great to see everyone enjoying themselves and socializing. This is exactly what I was going for - a safe space where the HIV+ community can come and just let their hair down. No worries about having to disclose, because the conversation has already been started. And although we open the doors for the POZ Community, we also welcome anyone and everyone who wants to support the organizations we choose to raise money for. 

For the past six months we have raised money for ACT & PWA, but starting in June we have decided that the main organization we are going to be helping is PWA. Mainly because I believe that their services are really hands on and food is important. And with their new garden programs, they are going to need all the help they can get. And POZ-TO is proud to throw our support behind them.

But we will still occasionally invite in other AIDS organizations to help them as well. We are all in this fight together. It is going to take all of us to help in educating and preventing the spread of the virus.

We will also be celebrating a my good friend, Richard Kikot's Birthday. So, I'm sure it's gonna be a fun night. Hope to see you there on Sunday (May 5th).

And to show my appreciation for all of those who have come out to support the event, here is a special megamix I have put together. It's just a taste of all the great music I spin for our party. Give it a listen….you never know what you might hear.

What’s SPUNK! ? 

SPUNK! is a confidential, non-judgmental group for gay, bi, queer and trans men in Toronto who want to talk about drugs, alcohol, sex and PnP. 

Who's Welcome? 

Gay/Bi/Trans/Queer/MSM guys aged 19 and over. 

What is it? 

A free and confidential six week group for guys that use drugs or alcohol and want a safe place to talk about the ways that substances impact our lives. Previous group members have found the skills and tools that they learned in SPUNK! to be very useful in their day-to-day lives. It’s a non-judgmental space to set goals of moderation, abstinence, or continued use but with an intention of getting rid of some of the side-effects of use. 

When?           

Tuesday Nights from 7-8:30pm, six weeks in a row, starting at the end of April 2013! 

Where?       

ACT offices, 399 Church Street, Toronto, Ontario 

Why?          

This group was formed as a safe place for GBTQ guys to talk about the ways we use, the reasons we use, and the impacts that substances have on our lives. Discussions of PnP and sexuality, as well as other topics that are specific to our community may be discussed in this group. The group is facilitated by two queer men that will make the space safe for group members to set goals around their substance use, in an effort to reduce unpleasant outcomes. 

What do I do if I'm Interested in SPUNK! ? 

Contact Ryan Lisk, Gay Men's Harm Reduction Coordinator at ACT

416-340-8484 ext. 235

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Totally outRIGHT is a free leadership workshop series for young gay and bi guys in the Toronto area interested in sexual health. Sponsored by ACT, these workshops are for a cross-section of young gay and bi guys (ages 18-29). They are open to HIV-negative and HIV-positive guys, trans guys and guys from different ethnic backgrounds. 

The workshops consist of 17 modules over four days that build resilience and community. They are based on the success of the Totally outRIGHT program that was pioneered in Vancouver by Health Initiative for Men.  

Totally outRIGHT is a great way to meet other young gay and bi guys and connect with leaders in our community. It’s for guys who identify as gay or bi, want to learn about love, life, sexuality and sexual health and who want to apply that knowledge in their community. 

For more information go here.  

Want to be part of this amazing experience? Registration is now open for the workshop series being offered over four Saturdays: May 4, 11, 18 and 25, 2013. (Registration closes on Thursday, April 18, 2013 at 5:00 pm.) Register at http://www.actoronto.org/to.