SOCIAL AID :: As vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Canadian AIDS Society I want to share with you some of the work we’ve been doing leading up to this important time of year, and invite you to join in. As we all know, Canadian HIV/AIDS Awareness Week is here, World AIDS Day is Thursday (related events) and so my colleagues and I at the Canadian AIDS Society want you to get out and Do Something!

December 1st is often marked with a variety of events, including vigils, the World AIDS Day Gala, awareness campaigns and many other activities. World AIDS Day is especially poignant this year as we commemorate two milestones: the 30^th year of HIV, with the first reported case documented in 1981 and the Canadian AIDS Society 25^th anniversary responding to the epidemic.

Recognizing the importance of these anniversaries, CAS expanded its World AIDS Day activities this year by launching an exciting month-long social media campaign earlier this month. You can actively participate in the key messaging and social media activities leading up to December 1st. By participating you’ll be engaging both yourself and your peers on important issues affecting Canadians living with and affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as increase awareness to our friends all across Canada as well as on an international level.

Here is how you can spread the word:

1. CAS World AIDS Day Website: Promote the CAS World AIDS Day website. This website has all of CAS’ World AIDS Day Do Something themed activities which include a new daily action-oriented activity, youth-focused educational activities, information on our video competition (prizes, people!), and the chance for you to check out our snazzy campaign posters, Facebook Avatars and badges.

2. Twitter: Follow @CDNAIDS. Use our hashtag #DoSMTHG in English and #AGISSONS in French. We can provide you with our list of tweets or make up your own spreading the word about HIV/AIDS in Canada and World AIDS Day. Follow and retweet what you like, using one of the hashtags.

3. Facebook: “Like” the CAS page. We will have daily updates with our messages and activities and we encourage you to ‘like’ our posts and discuss your views by leaving a Comment. Save one of the Facebook Avatars from our World AIDS Day website and post the photo on your Facebook Profile or even make it your own Profile Picture! You can inspire others to get connected to the campaign by updating your status with one of our Tweet messages or sharing your own HIV/AIDS awareness message and linking to the CAS World AIDS Day site.

4. Make a video and enter our Youtube competition: CAS, in partnership with Abbott Laboratories, is hosting a video contest with two categories: one for youth between the ages of 13 and 29 and a general category for all Canadians. It’s as simple as making a 30-to-90 second video on what HIV means to you and submitting it. Plus, there are awesome prizes to be won (including an iPad!) and your video will be uploaded to the CAS website and shared on the contest’s official Youtube channel. Check out the World AIDS Day website for more info.  Submit your video here!

5. LinkedIn: Join the Canadian AIDS Society group on LinkedIn and share your story about HIV/AIDS in Canada and what you are doing about it.

- Just Rick

XO

As we enter AIDS Awareness week I ask all who read this, BE AWARE! Be aware of those that we have lost; be aware of what we have to celebrate in our lives; be aware of the where we still have to go in the fight against HIV & AIDS.

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Every month, someone from our InterACTion panel will ask you what you think about issues that matter in our community – especially the topics we don’t usually talk about.  To kick things off, Harry asks you your opinion on:

“HIV, are we really over it? “

Infection rates for new HIV transmissions in Toronto show that there is a continued increase in the rates for gay men. Does anyone really care? I mean from an existential point of view I think most people ‘care’, but what about from the completely personal perspective? I mean where do we stand on the subject now?

When I was in my late teens and early twenties HIV was a life and death epidemic. You never knew when you hooked up with someone whether or not you were doing something that could ultimately kill you.

In my thirties there was a ray of hope with an introduction of medications that could reduce an individual’s replication of the virus. There was access to anonymous antibody testing that let you know whether you were positive or not. We had scientific evidence of what activities could place you at risk. We had access to harm reduction materials and for a while the rates of transmission among gay men dropped significantly. HIV was no longer a death sentence.

Now in my forties, we have a few more pills to work with, we still have harm reduction resources, anonymous testing can give results in 20 minutes and we have greater awareness of HIV and how to live with it. But there is still no cure, and gay men are becoming infected at similar rates to what they were over 20 years ago. So what does this say about gay men? Are we really over HIV?

InterACTion is about YOU – Leave YOUR thoughts – are we REALLY over HIV?  InterACT below!

Disclaimer: The comments expressed in InterACTion are those of the individual blogger and do not necessarily reflect the position of the AIDS Committee of Toronto.

I had to make the title Facebook friendly. Those poor soles who’ve signed up as my friends….

My usual pitch for a proper World AIDS Day (WAD) usually goes like this: Tomorrow on WAD, mark it by taking someone you know who is positive out for lunch, dinner or at least some flowers and a card.  For fuck sakes, administrative assistants get more for Secretaries Day.

Millions of people have suffered for this day to come about. But I wonder if only we had the ability to use Excel or type over 100 words a minute, what kind of day tomorrow would have been.

However thinking back on this one experience, I’ve changed my mind on how the day should unfold.

A couple years ago, while being interviewed for the hard-hitting newspaper, The XXXX XXXX, I jokingly said this explained my view of WAD. Much to my surprise, he took it literally, and sent me an email later on asking if he could take me out for dinner on WAD. I was shocked. “The reporter? Me?” I would never have guessed that would happen. But hey why not?  Anything is possible right?

This fellow, albeit was a very nice guy, but wasn’t really a good match. His low raspy voice from years of chain smoking invoked images of those cancer ads where he’s calling out my name while holding onto his throat speaking with a robotic-like voice.

I couldn’t help but wonder if Mr. Reporter would have been a pity date, or sex. For me, it wouldn’t have mattered.  Someone as undiscerning as myself,  I’d wouldn’t be asking“Why,” but rather “Why not.”

This all brings me back to my main point. I think it’s time up the anti for December 1^st. Screw the dinner, so to speak, and fuck a hot positive guy instead.

Tis almost the season to give, and for me that includes head.  Use your power for random acts of kindness for good. Pretend you’re on an episode of Oprah. You never know how good deeds will be repaid, karma can do wonders for you.

In closing, my friends, take my advice; fuck a poz guy on WAD.  If you want to make the day extra special for someone, supply the condom.