The Pulse: July 2023

ISSUE.03

Photo Credits: Sabah Rahman

JUL.2023

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS DILDO PAINTING PARTY For Pride Month this year, LetsStopAIDS hosted a Dildo Paint Night with sex positive members in our community.

We had the privilege of partnering up with Mercatto, and Collective Arts Brewery. The community had an amazing time, getting to know each other while creating very unique pieces together.

Check out our social media channels to see some of the behind the scene production of our dildo keychains and the beautiful finished masterpieces!

pride month restaurant fundraiser Our first ever pride month restaurant fundraiser was such a success! It was the most amazing opportunity to partner with Storm Crow Manor.

$3 from every Orange Rhapsody Cocktail/Mocktail purchased during this past Pride Month will go to support efforts in mobilizing young people in the HIV/ AIDS response.

A huge thank you to Storm Crow Manor for this amazing partnership! We hope to run into you all there!

Photo Credits: Beren Sezgin 02

PRIDE WEEKEND WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE

18K+

CONDOMS DISTRIBUTED

1209

YOUTH-HIV INFO CARDS DISTRIBUTED

Photo Credits: Sabah Rahman

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VOLUNTEERS AT PRIDE

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TIMOTHY LONGWITH

Photo Credits: Sabah Rahman

From leading art workshops to photographing LetsStopAIDS events all across the world, Tim has volunteered with the charity for over 11 years. His first volunteer event was with LetsStopAIDS’ first Chew & Brew back in 2012.

Creating social awareness has always been a hobby for Tim, much of which is reflected in his paintings. His involvement with the charity has helped him realize the importance of sharing knowledge with people not just about HIV, but about health in general.

A couple of special moments for Tim during his time with LetsStopAIDS includes his painting that was auctioned and sold during the 10 year anniversary! Another memorable moment was the live painting session during the NoTimeToWait conference in 2021, a representation of ribbons of energy using historical HIV data.

This art piece is held at the entrance of LetsStopAIDS HQ in Toronto, Ontario.

Come meet Tim and the rest of our incredibly talented team at our upcoming LetsStopAIDS events! Follow us on our socials or stay tuned for our monthly newsletters for all the updates.

www.LetsStopAIDS.org 04

“I truly believe that stigma is the worst killer of everything” @LetsStopAIDS

IN THE NEWS

The Lingering Legacy: Colonialism in Uganda Photo Credits: Bing Images

By: Gabrial Brown The fallout surrounding the AntiHomosexuality Act 2023, signed into law by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, looms large this June. Among other things, the bill outlaws any individual identifying as LGBTQ+. While an earlier bill in 2014 was struck down by courts on procedural grounds, the new bill passed with support from nearly all present members of the legislature.

Many supporters of the bill depict Homosexuality as a new form of cultural colonialism from the western world, with President Museveni is urging his people to resist imperialist pressure by denouncing the anti-LGBTQ+ measures. Pro-LGBTQ+ activist Stella Nyanzi, reminds fellow Ugandans that .

there has always been homosexuality in Uganda. She contends that the imperialist import is in fact homophobia and not Homosexuality. Public opinion is still heavily influenced by the era of colonialism and Christian missionaries and as result, the human rights of LGBTQ+ people across the nation are at grave risk. Healthcare providers in the African nation fear that merely offering medical support to LBTQ+ patients could be targeted through the bill.

All of this serving as a much-needed wakeup call, reminding us that Pride Month is a month of deserved celebration, but still a continued struggle toward universal human rights.

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IN THE NEWS What is a Woman?

By: Gabrial Brown The relaunch of transphobic documentary, What is a Woman? by Matt Walsh and the Daily Wire on Twitter, highlights another side of dialogue this June. With growing antiLGBTQ+ sentiment on the fringes on society, and the forefront of online culture, it may be time to address the bad faith arguments that they present which seemingly captivate impressionable audiences. Of course, the documentary presents itself as an honest inquiry into the definition of womanhood, but quickly devolves and reveals itself as a 1 hour and 34-minute piece of “debate bro” propaganda. Among the many claims that the documentary falsely makes, perhaps the most damaging is the assertion that suicidality increases post gender affirming surgery, especially for transgender youth. A review of 23 distinct studies regarding this topic

topic, reveals that an overwhelming majority of studies found that gender-affirming treatment was associated with a reduction in suicidality (Jackson, 2023). Furthermore, Daniel Jackson at the Norton College of Medicine emphasises that any studies that attempt to claim an increase in suicidality must incorporate an intersectional approach that incorporates comorbidities such as substance abuse, depression scores, trauma, abuse, unemployment, and social isolation; all factors completed ignored by this documentary and by the few studies claiming an increase in suicidality following any gender-affirming treatment. In short, pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda may grow in popularity if they remained unchecked, and this is why we must continue the fight for equity; even against bad faith actors.

LONG TERM COVID SEEN MORE COMMONLY IN PEOPLE WITH HIV By: Shreya Pappu A large US research study has found that HIV positive people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, are more likely to experience ‘Long-COVID’ symptoms. ‘Long-COVID’ is defined as the range of symptoms that appear or linger post-COVID-19 attack, and includes fatigue, weakness, joint and muscle pain, loss of smell, and many other symptoms.

This research study has shown that the risk of a severe post-COVID event in people with HIV was two to three times higher in the preDelta variant, especially related to the risk of malignancies. However, there needs to be a more comprehensive look at the connection between HIV positivity and Long-COVID, before 06

before a clear decision can be made.

It is known that people with HIV have significant underlying health conditions like the reactivation of Epstein Barr virus causing symptoms of fatigue, impaired CD8+ functions, higher levels of inflammation, and impaired immune functions. Further investigation is needed to truly understand the contribution of HIV-related mechanisms to the increased risk of ‘long-term COVID symptoms. Hopefully by including more HIV positive people in the clinical trials of “LongCOVID” treatment, we can get a more nuanced look at HIV and its interactions with “Long-COVID”.

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Join us in the world famous Red Room and sweat it out to the empowering beats of Madonna, Elton John and other artists who have been prominent in the fight against HIV and AIDS.

All proceeds will go towards mobilizing youth in the HIV response.

REGISTER HERE

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LETSSTOPAIDS

IN ACTION

NoTimeToWait is back! Save the date now to be sure you don’t miss out on this jam-packed event including inspiring speakers, storytellers, performers, artists, workshops, networking, and social events!

pre-register here

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UPCOMING EVENTS

IN CANADA BRITISH COLUMBIA

ONTARIO

15th World Congress on Womens Health, Reproduction and Fertility

MUSKOKA PRIDE Memorial Park JUL 22 - JUL 30

Vancouver, BC JuL 10-11

BARRY’S CHARITY CLASS

310 Richmond St W Unit 1, Toronto, ON M5V 1X2 JuLY 22 | 4PM - 5PM EST

GoEducate: Mental Health Networking Event Kwantlen Polytechnic University Richmond Campus, 8771 Lansdowne Rd,

ICMHS 2023: Medical and Health Sciences Conference

Richmond, BC JuL 15

Toronto, Ontario Sep 16 - 18

ALBERTA Calgary pride festival Prince’s Island Park sEP 02 - SEP 03

Cheers for Queers 2SLGBTQIA+ Fundraiser

Soho, 11454 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB JUL 12 - JUL 13

SASKATCHEWAN PEER TO PEER WORKSHOPS University of Saskatchewan jul 26, 1pm EST

PEER TO PEER WORKSHOPS Saskatoon Open Door Society jul 27, 1pm EST

NOVA SCOTIA HALIFAX PRIDE CANADA Downtown Halifax

JUL 22 - JUL 30

International Conference on Science, Health, and Medicine Regina, Saskatoon jul 25 - jul 26

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UPCOMING EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD

North America

EUrope

San Diego Pride

Hiv Testing by Do it London

San Diego, CA Jul 08 - Jul 16

new york roc pride Cobbs Hill Park JUL 15

San Francisco Aids walk

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, JULY 16

South AMerica Guyana peer to peer workshops

Soesdyke, on Linden Highway, Madawinin Eco Resort JUL 28

the international AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science

Various Locations Across London, England JULY 11 - JULY 19

Basel, Switzerland JULY 23 - JULY 26

UNAIDS Global AIDS Update

Sti & Aids World Congress

Palais des Nations, 1211 Genève, Switzerland JULY 13

Hofburg Wien, Vienna, Austria JulY 14 - JULY 17

Asia

Asia-Pacific AIDS & Coinfections Conference

AFRICA WHO AT WOMEN DELIVER 2023

Kigali, Rwanda JUL 17 - JUL 20

1 Raffles Blvd, Singapore 039593 julY 11 - JULY 13

Australia Bendigo Queer Film Festival 2023

LaTrobe Art Institute121 View St, Bendigo VIC 3550 JUL 15-17

International HIV Coinfection + Viral Hepatitis Elimination Conference Sofitel Brisbane Central, 249 Turbot St, Brisbane City QLD, Australia JUL 21 - JUL 22 10

OUR FRIENDS

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