It’s a cold, overcast Sunday and I decided to take the day off. The past couple of weeks have been very hectic because I am stepping in new terroritory. I have been putting together my first POZ event in Toronto. And boy has it been a lot of work. On Sunday December 2nd, the first POZ-T.O. event will take place at CLUB 120 on Church Street. I am so excited! 

I guess I should start from the beginning. Last year, Jon Chaisson approached me about DJ-ing for a party called POZ-N-SEXY at Goodhandy’s. To my knowledge, there had not been a club event catered to the POZ Community before. Of course, I said yes. Jon and I ended up doing two of the parties together, but unfortunately we parted ways because he didn’t pay me for the last event. And then he moved away to another city for a job. The POZ-N-SEXY events were catching on, but nothing had been done since. 

So, when Todd Klinck, one of the owners of Goodhandy’s (now rebranded as CLUB 120) asked would I be interested in doing the party again I said yes. But I didn’t want to use the same name as before. I realized that Jon was trying to encourage the POZ Community to be out and proud about their status, but with the pornstar hosts he hired for the events I think it made the parties look like they were sex driven. And I wasn’t really comfortable with that. So, I came up with POZ-T.O. I was looking at other POZ groups and events and realized that there was a POZ-DC and a POZ-NYC. So, why not a POZ-Toronto group. 

And who knew that there would be such a frenzy around announcing a POZ event? 

Over the past couple of weeks, I had done radio interviews along with a couple of magazine peices written about my latest effort to help end the stigmatization of being HIV+. I hadn’t really thought about it, but in a way I have become a specialty item on the scene. I am the only Out HIV+ DJ/Drag Performer in Toronto right now. And what better way to use my voice than to raise awareness about the POZ Community and turn it into a benefit. 

You see, this event is going to hopefully raise money and get food donations. There is no cover, but we are asking that you donate $5 for the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) or donate food to the People With AIDS Foundation (PWA). I have also gotten a gay-owned supermarket to be a silent sponsor for this event as well. 

Now, I know that there are several POZ groups around Toronto. But to be honest....none of them seem appealing to a younger demographic. And unfortunately, there are young people who are being diagnosed everyday. I’m not as young as I used to be, but I am definitely not interested in playing cards at an afternoon tea. And although the bar and club business has taken a hit because of the internet and sex sites, nothing beats meeting a person face to face. In fact, I believe that all the information you need to know can be learned in the first five minutes of talking with someone. 

At the last POZ-N-SEXY party, the people who showed up were excited to have a space where they could feel comfortable about their status. And for some of them this was the first time that being positive wasn’t an issue. The conversation was already laid out for you. Because let’s face it....disclosing can be very difficult. 

One of my best friends always talks to me about how to tell someone you are positive. When I was single, I usually told on the first or second date. I figured....why waste your time or mine if you are gonna have a problem with my status. But the other good thing about this kind of event is that you could meet other people to talk about the challenges that the POZ Community face on a daily basis. Between the fear of someone finding out and the isolation some feel, the three “D’s” might creep into your life...Depression, Drinking and Drugs. The support of other positive people might be just what you need to cope with a new diagnosis. And if you are in your 20’s, it could be scary to go to an OUT-N-POZ meeting. This event could be used as outreach and to provide a space where the positive and positive-friendly could meet. I have been encouraging my friends who are not positive to come out and show their support. I mean afterall, if you are friends with me you already know someone who is positive. You might even make a new friend at our event. It doesn’t have to be a hookup. I want people to start connecting again and stop self-segregating. 

So, I am very optimistic about this event. The owners of CLUB 120, Todd Klinck and Mandy Goodhandy have also talked with me about making this a monthly event. Which would be fantastic! 

TORONTO, ON. On September 28th 2012, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (CLGA) will play host to an exhibit compiled of decades of archived LGBTTQ identified pin buttons. Earlier this summer, these buttons were launched online for public review) in an effort to collect and identify the stories and meanings behind their creation. The exhibit, Pushing Buttons™ will act as a facilitator for the community to engage with the pin buttons in a variety of different media forms (audio, video, and print) while simultaneously acquiring archival information and stories from the attendees. Pushing Buttons™ will be broadcast through live stream for Canadians to share in the full exhibition experience.

For decades, buttons have voiced political statements worn by the masses to spread awareness during specific campaigns worldwide. Since their original design patent in 1896, the simple communication abilities of a single button have passed the test of time. Specifically for the LGBT community, buttons have been used for a variety of reasons ranging through forms of protest, to conveying messages without use of the spoken word. Creator William Craddock comments, “The Pin Button Project is about sharing history through the display of photographs of pin buttons that represent a range of causes, events, organization, and identities from our various pasts. It's about provoking memory and inviting individuals to share their memories with others. It's a place for discussion about the past - and about the present. And it is, of course, a place to look at and enjoy all of the visual appeal that these buttons from the past have to offer.”

This particular exhibit marks the first ever LIVE stream event from the CLGA. General Manager Scott Kettles speaks to his enthusiasm regarding this particular milestone. “we’re thrilled to grant access to our content through new and exciting digital mediums. We are continuing to enhance and innovate the ways in which we distribute our archival pieces and The Pin Button Project marks an important place in the CLGAs history, contributing to our ongoing objective to keep LGBTTQ stories alive.

The Pushing Buttons exhibit opens on September 28th, 2012 with a public reception at the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (34 Isabella St., 2nd and 3rd Floor) from 7:30pm - 10pm. Complementing the launch will be “create your own button” stations that will allow attendees to make their mark and contribute to the exhibit. For more information, visit http://pinbuttons.ca.

About Pushing Buttons:

Pushing Buttons reimagines the space of The Pin Button Project, an online experience that engages individual memory and storytelling through the exhibition of a rich history of LGBTQ+ buttons from the holdings of the CLGA. In the online project, users engage with the artifacts and each other by asking questions, stating opinions, and sharing personal stories. In Pushing Buttons, the online is brought into the physical as space and content are reimagined into an enveloping and interactive experience that turns the spectator into witness and calls attention to the historical and present roles of various buttons, from social activism in the streets to social media activism on the web. 

About The Pin Button Project

The Pin Button Project is an online interactive exhibition and oral history project featuring pin buttons from the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives. Viewers engage by asking questions, stating opinions, and sharing their own stories.

About Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives

The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives was established to aid in the recovery and preservation of LGBT histories. Its mission: to acquire, preserve, organize, and give public access to information and materials in any medium, by and about LGBT people, primarily produced in or concerning Canada. To support this function, the Archives also maintain significant non-archival collections, which include a research library, international subject files, and an international collection of queer periodicals. It is the CLGA’s mandate to make this information available to the public for education and research. Over the years, the CLGA has helped hundreds of people - students, artists, journalists, lawyers, filmmakers complete numerous projects inside and outside of the LGBT community. 

Website: http://www.pinbuttons.ca

Twitter: @PinButtons

Facebook: http://facebook.com/ThePinButtonProject

Sea to Sky Stables in Paradise Valley

Ride a horse for a few hours on October 22nd at Sea to Sky Valley near Squamish. Their trail rides take you through lush coastal and temperate rainforests and along the gorgeous Squamish and Cheakamus rivers. Glacier viewing, eagles and other wildlife such as deer, coyote, wolf and the occasional bear are highlights of the ride.

What: Horseback riding

When: Saturday October 22nd 9.00am leave Vancouver Ride 10-12. For those who want to, gather for lunch in Squamish.

Cost: One Hour $45.00 Two Hours $75 (plus tax)

RSVP This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and please indicate whether you need a ride or are able to offer a ride and indicate how many passengers you can take.

Please give your driver a few bucks for gas. Thanks. Someone will respond to you in the week of the October 17th.

For more information on the Positive Living Society of BC, please visit their website.

Featured in this dicussion will be advice for sero-discordant couples, challanges for youth, discloure to children and more. All the information is below in the flyler.

The HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario (HALCO) is offering their Fall 2011 Public Legal Education Series starting in October. This is a great forum for actvists and those interest in gaining much needed knowledge on exsiting and emerging legal issues. 

For more information see below, or go their website. For your own PDF copy of the page below, click here.