The Pulse: July 2023

Photo Credits: Sabah Rahman

JUNE HIGHLIGHTS

pride month restaurant fundraiser

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!

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

PRIDE WEEKEND

WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEO HERE

18K+ CONDOMS DISTRIBUTED

1209 YOUTH-HIV INFO CARDS DISTRIBUTED

81 VOLUNTEERS AT PRIDE

Photo Credits: Sabah Rahman

TIMOTHY LONGWITH

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.

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

Photo Credits: Sabah Rahman

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.

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

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

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!

UPCOMING EVENTS IN CANADA

BRITISH COLUMBIA

15th World Congress on Womens Health, Reproduction and Fertility

Vancouver, BC

JuL 10-11

GoEducate: Mental Health

Networking Event

Kwantlen Polytechnic University Richmond Campus, 8771 Lansdowne Rd, Richmond, BC

JuL 15

Prince’s Island Park

sEP 02 - SEP 03

Soho, 11454 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, AB

JUL 12 - JUL 13

ONTARIO

MUSKOKA PRIDE

Memorial Park

JUL 22 - JUL 30

BARRY’S CHARITY CLASS

310 Richmond St W Unit 1, Toronto, ON M5V 1X2

JuLY 22 | 4PM - 5PM EST

ICMHS 2023: Medical and Health Sciences Conference

Toronto, Ontario

Sep 16 - 18

NOVA SCOTIA

UPCOMING EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD

North America

San Diego Pride

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

EUrope

Hiv Testing by Do it London

Various Locations Across London, England

JULY 11 - JULY 19

UNAIDS Global AIDS Update

Palais des Nations, 1211 Genève, Switzerland

JULY 13

the international AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science

Basel, Switzerland

JULY 23 - JULY 26

Sti & Aids World Congress

Hofburg Wien, Vienna, Austria

JulY 14 - JULY 17

AFRICA

WHO AT WOMEN DELIVER 2023

Kigali, Rwanda

JUL 17 - JUL 20

Asia

Asia-Pacific AIDS & Coinfections Conference

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

OUR FRIENDS