The AIDS Committee of Guelph & Wellington County is currently entered in a contest to win Canada’s Worst Charity Website. It’s a self-deprecating title for sure but one that we’re more than willing to accept. Why? Because this is a contest that awards the winner with a $20,000 website makeover.

One of the reasons we’re so eager to win this opportunity is because we know how important a good website is to the population we serve. A lot of people access health information online. Especially information about HIV. Let’s face it, it takes a lot of courage to have a frank, open discussion about sex – and especially about HIV, STIs and unprotected sex. This is even more so considering how many different types of sex are stigmatized or considered socially deviant thanks to homophobia, sexism, and, in my opinion, narrow definitions of what is considered to be normal, healthy, sexual behaviour. Our sexual practices are a lot more diverse that we openly admit, but that doesn’t mean that people don’t need access to information about risk and HIV. 

We also know that more and more people are accessing websites through their phone or mobile devices. This is one of the reasons we created the iPhone app. We want to help people get the information they need when they want it, how they want it. To us, this is part of meeting people where they’re at, and part of being accessible. Getting access to information on a mobile device can be really useful, for instance, if you are in the middle of sexual decision making, negotiating safer sex, or trying to determine where to get tested. Mobile devices are really helpful because they are just that – mobile. We’d love to have a website that is friendly to mobile devices.

Our funds go where they are intended and where they are most deserving – to programming for people living with, affected by, and at risk to HIV & AIDS. We simply don’t have the funds to spend on web design, something that could be considered an “overhead” cost. But at the same time, we really believe that a great website would have an important educational benefit, and we’ve been excited about the prospect of being able to make it happen.

Our biggest competition right now seems to be the Ferret Aid Society and the Wild Bird Care Centre. Please vote for us! You can vote once a day, every day until April 5 at www.worstcharitywebsite.ca. Just head to the website and then click “vote” under ACG. Thank you for your help!

The Canadian AIDS Society (CAS) pulled out all the stops last week to create a fitting celebration of World AIDS Day and of excellence in HIV/AIDS work, along the way raising thousands of fundraising dollars to help further their work.

The World AIDS Day Gala, now in its fifth year, is a glittering affair that attracts a variety of generous sponsors and supporters willing to put on their Sunday best for an affair, usually held in the Nation's capital, and chip in. It’s no secret, after all, that CAS has been hard hit by funding cuts over the years, so it is reliant on events like these to continue its important work supporting its 120 community-based member organizations.

I was there, one of twenty-two from our community honoured to be receiving Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medals through a nationwide selection process that the CAS board had mediated. (Another eight recipients had received their award previously.) I was, frankly, dazzled by the whole night. So if I say everything was perfect, you will just have to believe me.

My partner Meirion and I drove to Ottawa, and crossed over the river to Gatineau (Hull) to the Chateau Cartier, the hotel where the event was to be held. The invitation specified business suit or black tie for men; we both wore tuxes. (Few people have ever seen me in a suit and tie, yet alone a tux, so photos are included here for the doubters.)

Bob Leahy with Kevin Hatt, Ontario AIDS Network board member

The cocktail hour was lovely. It was fabulous to see so many people I have profound affection for, some I have known for many years,  all in one room – and for a change, all dressed up. Meanwhile, fine grazing was available at stations around the room with elegant finger food from some of Ottawa’s best restaurants. It was an ingenious way to feature fine nibbles and showcase these establishments at no cost to CAS.

I’d estimate the crowd at about 300.

As the dinner hour approached, fellow PoisitiveLite.com writer Denise Becker who had flown in from Vancouver to receive her award was on her way from the airport in a cab, stuck in traffic.  She arrived just as we were being seated for dinner, looking chic in a black cocktail dress accented at the back with a wide white collar.

One always wonders what banquet food will be like, but there were no worries here. Chateau Cartier, who subsidized this event very generously, presented a flawless meal - lobster ravioli, followed by prime rib and then a very pretty fruit mousse for dessert.  During dinner, there was an impressive line up of speakers including Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq, future Toronto mayor (we hope) Olivia Chow in live auction mode and Sean Rourke, Scientific and Executive Director  of the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) giving the keynote address.

But even if the Health Minister took the opportunity to make a major funding announcement (thanks, Feds)  I’d be dishonest if I didn’t say that, for me, the main course that night was the presentation of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medals.

It was so well handled – dignified but warm - and struck just the right note. Very emotional too for some onlookers apparently, although for me, while I expected to be teary-eyed, I was just beaming with happiness.

Each recipient was called up to the stage individually and had their medal pinned on them by Dr Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.  This proved to be no easy task – the medals have a little pin at the back that isn’t the easiest thing for a presenter to manoeuvre in to  position  - so this awards process, with twenty-two of us receiving medals, took quite some time. 

Medal Recipients from British Columbia Dr. Brian Conway, Bradford McIntyre, Denise Becker and May McQueen. Photo courtesy of www.positivelypositive.ca 

The recipients were in high spirits. In fact, for me, one of the nicest moments of the entire evening was mingling with fellow recipients by the side of the stage, congratulating each other and exchanging hugs as the awards presentations went on. There were so many people I admire there in that group. Here are the names of those who received medals that night that formed that proud group of warriors.

Denise Becker, Dr. Brian Conway, Monique Doolittle-Romas, Richard Elliott, Louis Marie-Gagnon, Dr. Jacqueline Gahagan, David Hoe, Brian Huskins, Randy Jackson, Bob Leahy, Maria MacIntosh, Enrico Mandarino, Bradford McIntyre, Albert McNutt, May McQueen, Ted Myers, Mary Elizabeth Paul, Doris Peitier, John Plater (posthumously), Colleen Price, Darien Taylor and Deborah Warren.

Post presentation with PositiveLite.com's Denise Becker

Medal winners receiving their awards elsewhere were Adrian Betts, Jay Browne, Jim Kane, Roger LeClerc, Gerry McConnery, Dr Julio Montaner, Diane Nielsen and Lyle Watling.

While these individuals were awarded their medals through the CAS selection process, others from the HIV community have, it transpires, received  recognition with medals through other processes. The very worthy Jay Koornstra was one such example and was in attendance.

I  have lived a full life, but this night ranked as one of its happiest moments. I can’t thank CAS enough for the trouble they went to make it a very special evening for all of us. Thank you also to fellow recipients for sharing this moment and thank you too to all who attended and supported this event in other ways.

Believe me, it was a blast!

On October 27th 2012 thousands and thousands of people all gathered together in Memorial Plaza, Washington DC for the annual AIDS Walk DC which benefits Whitman-Walker Clinic, one of the best HIV treatment centers on the east coast. This blogger was there with four of my closest friends as well as my Dab the AIDS Bear Darby as “Team Special” (don’t ask, we had already had way too much coffee when we came up with the team name).

It was a beautiful fall day, perfect weather for so many amazing people to come together from all over the state and world, (there was one woman who came all the way from London to walk, and she was especially excited to meet Darby and have her photo taken). At 9:15 am we stepped off and walked 5k to support all those living with HIV/AIDS in the Greater Washington DC Metro area!! We were greeted along the way by many supporters cheering us on and supplying bottled water to keep us hydrated. We met many fun and fabulous people along the way and made some new friendships that just add to the long list of amazing people living with and fighting this disease, and allies that are fighting right alongside us.  It’s really hard to put into words just how uniting and uplifting this event was so I’ll shut up now and let some of the pictures I took along the way tell the story.

As always be well and thank you for reading/looking at pictures! LOL  XXOO Danny

It’s Friday, June 22, 2012 at approximately 4:43pm. It’s been a beautifully warm sunny day with a slight breeze.  A week from today on June 29, 2012 I will celebrate 3 years to the end of my 29 months of homelessness. This time 3 years ago I was praying that my appointment with the Los Angeles Housing Authority would go well. I recall June 22, 2009 as being a sunny warm day and I remember wanting the week to pass rather quickly, so I would know what would be next for me. Would I still be homeless? Or would I have housing?

Today my concerns are totally different. I’ve just finished answering some questions about a picture on my Flickr photo stream so that it can be licensed and sold. Last year I was invited to be a Getty Images Contributor and from time to time my pictures are considered for licensing. On the table in front of me are donated items for the outreach for next week along with a large bag of gently used clothes donated by my two best friends. Yesterday I spoke with a supporter who wanted to arrange a time to drop by donations and another supporter has asked for my address so she could mail some items.

I’ve published two books, have been in 3 art shows, working on my third, making a film about living with HIV, writing for PositiveLite.com magazine and just one day after my 3 year anniversary I’m raising money for Being Alive Los Angeles through an art, music and spoken word event called E.N.U.F. (Empowering New Understanding Forever) I’m not just a part of this show, this show was my idea, my brainstorm, my desire to take what I do to the next level. Or as my friend KoKo once said to me “elevate the conversation”

For about seven months, I’ve made it my  mission to educate my friends Tabitha Nieto and Carlos Nieto III about HIV and AIDS, by sharing my story and the putting them in touch with people who wanted to share their stories, as well as inviting them to HIV forums where they can listen and learn about HIV and AIDS. Together we’ve worked hard to plan this art show paying attention to even the smallest detail.  Making certain that we are each sensitive and educated about the very serious and urgent matter facing our two cultures. Taking every step possible to include and welcome artists who are HIV positive that have never shown their amazing talents and doing our best to embrace their beauty and individuality without guilt, shame or stigma.

For me, someone who lives with HIV, I am not at all surprised at the level of love or humanity my friends have shown. I am not surprised by the amount of compassion and personal stories shared by fellow artists about how HIV and AIDS has touched their own lives in some ways. I was not surprised that finding quality artists to be part of the show was so easy. However I was discouraged, saddened, but not surprised that nearly every HIV service organization we asked replied with a “NO” about being part of the show. We were, however, able to find an organization to provide FREE HIV testing.

Lion is provided by Nicole Pelletiert (www.pelletierart.com)

After 7 months of planning we’ve managed to gather over 40 artists (positive and negative) with 3 DJ’s, LA food trucks, amazing spoken word artists, live bands, body painters, jewelry makers, makeup professionals and FREE HIV testing all standing UNITED to celebrate the lives of people LIVING with HIV or AIDS through art, music and spoken word. As well as educate, empower and raise awareness for HIV and AIDS in respectful environment directly in the neighborhood where it is needed the most. Raising money for an outstanding organization that is unmatched in its quality of life services it provides to people LIVING with HIV, day in and day out without fail.

A lot has changed in my life in the past three years, but my desire to educate people about HIV and AIDS, to raise awareness, empower and advocate for issues facing homeless people and those LIVING with HIV or AIDS remains the same. I will continue to fight the good fight, I will continue to raise my voice in protest and I will continue to be a voice for those who are seen, but not heard. I will continue to stand for what is right for HUMANITY because it is the right thing to do and LOVE will always transcend any community.

Heart is provided by Alexandra Kube (www.alexandrakube.com)

I speak for everyone involved with the E.N.U.F. Art Show when I say “WE STAND UNITED. We are greater than middle passage, greater than illegal immigration, greater than ignorance, greater than any statistic. We are greater than anything in our past and anything in our future. We are the descendants of Kings and Queens. We are the strategy. We are the solution. WE ARE GREATER THAN AIDS”.

FREE HIV Testing van courtesy www.aidshealth.org.

You can read our interview with Barry before he left here. 

Bob Leahy: Good to talk to you while you are on the road, Barry.  Give the readers your bearings.  You are on Day which -  and where are you now?

Barry Haarde: We just completed our eighth day of riding and have now travelled 614 miles from Astoria, Oregon to Boise, Idaho. We scaled 28,250 feet of climbing in the mountains, and are enjoying our first day off today.

How has it been so far?  Are you hurting?

We’re having a great ride! There was some light rain out on the coast for the first couple of days, but we’ve been enjoying clear skies since and the forecast looks good for next week. The legs are feeling great, and our most difficult day (116 miles with over 5,000 feet of climbing) is now behind us. 

Great! Barry, tell me some of the places you’ve been through that you’ve liked.

Oregon is just a beautiful state. The route took us past Mt. Hood and Mt. Jefferson and the views were just fantastic. We travelled through the thickly-forested high mountains to the arid dessert hills in a single day. The contrast was really remarkable. There have been some really long and steep climbs, the descents from which were downright exhilarating.

So are you able to enjoy the scenery or is it head down all the way?

I’ve really made a deliberate effort to keep the pace down and take the time to absorb it all and take lots of pictures. On Sunday, we had a pretty hot day and the route was mostly flat, which is what I’m used to in Houston, so I took that occasion to air out the legs a little. I suspect when we begin rolling through South Dakota and points east, there will be a bit more hammering, as there isn’t quite as much to see and the route is really remote. But, this is a tour and by no means, a race, which is the way I want to see the country on this initial attempt to ride coast to coast.

How are you keeping in touch with social media?  What devices are you carrying?

I’ve been posting daily updates and pics on my Facebook page, and our ride sponsor, Baxter Biosciences, provided a little video camera that I’m carrying to shoot some brief video clips. Between my Blackberry and laptop, I can do a pretty decent job of documenting the ride.

Remembering to take your meds is difficult on the road?  Or what’s your system for doing so?

I’m lucky in that my HIV regimen is a basic three-drug combo which, for years, has kept my viral load at undetectable levels, so that’s easily managed. I do have to remember to set aside a few minutes every other morning to prophylactically inject my anti-hemophilic meds to control any bleeding episodes that may arise, but that’s easily done as well. As far as the hepatitis C, I managed to cure that a couple of years ago, so that’s a non-starter at this point.

Have you been able to discuss your causes – hemophilia and HIV/AIDS - with people along the way?

Actually, yes. On the opening weekend of the ride, our sponsor, Baxter, who manufactures my hemophilia meds, sent a team of seven photographers/videographers from Chicago and hired five more locally to shoot pictures and capture interviews pertaining to the ride. Needless to say, that created quite a bit of “buzz” amongst the other riders, so my story got around very quickly. They’re still kidding me about it! Everyone has been very supportive and America By Bicycle, the tour facilitator, has been very helpful and accommodating. It further serves to illustrate that the fear and paranoia surrounding HIV/AIDS in the 80s and 90s has mostly dissipated, and one of the motivations for doing the ride has been to continue that effort-of educating people and helping to further the eradication of the stigma associated with HIV. 

Good. Tell me, what part of your journey are you most looking forward to?

I am really looking forward to meeting some members of the hemophilia/HIV community along the route that I’ve thus far only been able to connect with via Facebook and the telephone. One of the difficult things about being a part of the generation of hemophiliacs infected with HIV, is that there are only 2,000 of us still living in the U.S. and we are very spread out geographically. So, one of the great things about the route, is that it will bring me to many places where I can visit, albeit briefly, with “my own”.

And what are you most looking forward to when all this is finished?

Doing it again! In reality, I’m somewhat fearful of the inevitable let-down that occurs after completing an effort of this kind. Lance Armstrong once observed that “all endurance athletes are running away from something”, and when I return home, those things will be waiting for me. There is still a lot of pain that stems from the incalculable losses sustained by the hemophilia community during the era of contaminated blood, and the way that society treated us, and that is something I will never be able to escape no matter how far I try to ride away from it. I’ve lost two family members and many friends, and the isolation and stress that lingers from that is something that no unaffected person can possibly begin to comprehend.

Barry , where can people find your itinerary, if they want to follow your progress across North America?

The itinerary can be found on my personal Facebook page and we also have a “Wheels for the World” page that people can “join” for updates on the ride.

And where can people donate?

The ride is a fundraising effort for Save One Life, which helps people with hemophilia in developing nations, who lack medication to treat hemophilia because of its high cost. Those interested in helping can visit www.saveonelife.net and donate on-line or by check. 

Great. Many thanks Barry – and please check in with us further down the road.

Absolutely, and let’s remind your readers that the ride will be coming through London and Brantford, Ontario on the 27^th and 28^th of July, so come on out and say “hello”!