The Pulse: November 2023

NoTimeToWait Variety Brunch

Sofonda Cox performing at The Variety Show Brunch on Day 2 of NoTimeToWait.

Check out Pg 2 for the full event recap.

SORA ALONZI

Despite Sora only working with LetsStopAIDS for a little over a month, her passion, hard work, and dedication absolutely wowed the team during the weeks of NoTimeToWait. Sora’s primary role was within the recruitment process - she spent countless hours acting as the charity’s main contact for international attendees and helping people out with their visa applications.

In the past, Sora has worked a variety of jobs within education reform, legislation, and indigenous advocacy on top of her high school course work. Next fall, Sora plans on attending Toronto Metropolitan University to work towards a PSW certificate.

Outside of school, Sora is also a skiing/snowboarding instructor, the president of a strings symphony student council, and a creative writer. Be sure to keep an eye out for Sora and the rest of our incredibly talented team at our upcoming LetsStopAIDS events!

“[I’ve

THAT’S A WRAP!

This year’s NoTimeToWait, the theme was Flip the Switch - shedding light on HIV-related issues and changing the narrative around HIV and AIDS.

Our diverse range of sessions included a pitching session with legislators, panel discussions with industry experts, brainstorming sessions to reduce systemic barriers, and workshops like The Winning Seed which provided resources and mentorship to young entrepreneurs. All of which was aimed to redefine the conversation around sex, advocacy, and leadership within the Youth-HIV space.

Thank you to all speakers, volunteers, attendees, and staff for making this event such a huge success.

See everyone next year!

Since our inaugural Sex Lives Report in 2022, LetsStopAIDS, in collaboration with the Angus Reid Group, has dug deep into the factors affecting Canadian youth's sexual experiences.

This year’s report is being delivered amidst a historic surge in STIs amongst Canadians. In order to understand why, we surveyed 1,090 Canadians aged 18-24 from all provinces; specifically aiming to delve into young people's relationship with their sexuality and gauge their knowledge on HIV and STI prevention.

The message was loud and clear: the conventional methods of addressing sexuality are obsolete, more so in today's age that values equality, diversity, and respect. The omnipresence of social media, emerging online behaviours, and the tide of disinformation only add layers of complexity to this issue.

We discovered that Sex-Ed is an important part of this equation. While the UN recognizes comprehensive sexual education as a human right, our report indicates that its implementation is often flawed and inadequately addresses key topics, leaving youth uncertain about navigating their sexual journeys.

In general, the report found that Canadian Sex-Ed was often delivered in a scientific and clinical manner, but ultimately failed to connect with the students in terms of practical application. This sentiment was further reflected by a lack of knowledge around STI and HIV treatment methods amongst Canadian youth, as well as accounts of abstinence-focused and heteronormative curriculums.

sexually active Canadian youth never wore a condom during sex in the last 6 months.

Furthermore, our report suggests that these gaps in knowledge do not exist in isolation. Our findings also uncovered trends such as increasing youth HIV infections, decreases in condom use, a heavy reliance on external sources for information, and a lack of STI testing in general.

The report suggests that the current Canadian

Sex-Ed curriculum is failing, and that this is having a tangible impact on the behaviour and sexual wellbeing of our youth.

Youth still have questions, which tells us that a sex-positive & comprehensive approach to Sex-Ed is desperately needed.

The “We’ve Got Questions” campaign was created to humanize the findings from this year’s report. It highlights 3 key findings: 1 in 3 young Canadians felt that Sex-Ed made them feel scared to have sex, 4 in 5 young Canadians do not engage in regular STI and HIV testing, and 6 in 10 young Canadians cited the internet as their primary source of sexual information.

This LetsStopAIDS Production tells a story of the consequences that result from the gap in our Sex-Ed system. The teenager’s story reinforces the need for a stigma-free learning environment, one where young people feel safe to voice their questions.

VISIT SEXLIVESREPORT.CA

Since our release of the SexLivesReport on October 16th, 2023, our CEO & Founder, Shamin Mohamed Jr., as well as our lead researcher, Gabrial Brown, have been interviewed on multiple media outlets to share findings from the report.

Our media reach on the report has hit over 40 million individuals nationwide. LetsStopAIDS will continue their efforts to expand reach to raise HIV awareness, foster youth leadership, and reduce stigma.

WATCH INTERVIEW HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS IN CANADA

YUKON

Film Screening of Pride cohosted by Queer Yukon and the United Church

The Edge on Main, Whitehorse, YT NOV 3

BRITISH COLUMBIA

CONDOM PACKING PARTY IN NEW WEST

Judge Begbie’s Tavern, New Westminster, BC Nov 5

ALBERTA

Trans day of rememberance

8712 109 Street Northwest Edmonton, AB NOV 20

Stonewall Convention

Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel, Edmonton, AB

NOV 18

NOVA SCOTIA

QUEER TRIVIA NIGHT

The Duke’s Public House, Halifax, Nova Scotia NOV 2

NEWFOUNDLAND

RAINBOW TIE GALA The C.L.B. Armoury, St. John’s NLA NOV 18

SASKATCHEWAN

GENDER EQUALITY IN PROGRAM DESIGN AND DELIVERY

Marquis Hall, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK NOV 6

Not just the tip: stigmafree & inclusive sex-ed for teachers

Planned Parenthood Regina, Regina, SK NOV 18, nOV 26

ONTARIO

SAINTS & SINNERS - A QUEER EVENT

Boxcar Social Harbourfront, Toronto, ON

NOV 17

Dekcuf Second Floor, Ottawa, ON

Nov 9

AUSU PRIDE AND DRAG NIGHT

Algoma University - SpeakEasy Pub, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Queer riot! A queercore punk drag show & dj set NOV 3

UPCOMING EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD

North America

Trans* in the CLE 2023: Community EmPOWERment

Cleveland, OH, US NOV 4

HIV STIGMA SUMMITY 2023

New Orleans, LA, US NOV 30

WORLD AIDA DAY CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

Tallahassee, FL, US NOV 30

South AMerica

Buenos Aires Pride

Playa de Mayo, Buenos Aires, AR OCT 27 - NOV 04

QUEER BA: THE HISTORY OF THE ARGENTINE SEXUAL DIVERSITY + COMMUNITY

Buenos Aires, Argentina NOV 15

RIO GAY PRIDE 2023

Rio de Janeiro, BR NOV 12 - NOV 19

EUrope

SPREADING AWARENESS FOR WORLD AIDS DAY London, UK NOV 13

Glow and Friends World AIDS Day Charity Night

Widnes, UK NOV 25

TRANSGENDER FILM FESTIVAL

Amsterdam, NL NOV 5 - NOV 7

africa

International Conference on Gender, Sexuality and Diversity Studies

Cape Town, ZA NOV 4 - NOV 5

QUEER FEST: BOYS IN HEELS: GIRLS IN SUITS

Soweto, ZA NOV 4

ASIA

HONG KONG GAY GAMES

Hong Kong, HK NOV 16

MEZIPATRA QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

Prague, CZ NOV 1 - NOV 8

WINTER PRIDE

MASPALOMAS 2023

Gran Canaria, ES NOV 5 - NOV 11

Australia

Melbourne QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

Melbourne, AU NOV 9 - NOV 19

Perth pridefest

Perth, AU NOV 3 - NOV 19

BIG RAINBOW WEEKEND 2023

Stradbroke, AU NOV 11- NOV 13

IN THE NEWS BILL 137: GENDER IDENTITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS

By: Gabrial Brown, Edited by Cole Hanson

In Saskatchewan, a rather insidious law, known as Bill 137, has been forcibly passed. This bill mandates that young students must obtain parental consent to change their pronouns in school. The bill passed after the province used the notwithstanding clause, a tool designed to allow government officials to override certain sections of the charter of rights, to overrule objections from 2SLGBTQ+ organizations. The bill emphasizes a parent's role as the "primary decision-maker" in a child's education.

It also includes provisions for parents to be informed about attendance, behavior, disciplinary actions, and grades (All seemingly innocuous provisions). However, the provision requiring parental consent for students under 16 to change their "genderrelated name or gender identity" at school has rightly sparked controversy. Many critics of the law (myself included), say it ignores the existing stigma surrounding these topics, resulting in a potential safety risk for youth who may not have the privilege of being their true self around their more prejudiced parents.

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe defended the bill, asserting that it is about giving parents the right to support their children during their formative years. The use of the notwithstanding clause to pass this policy received significant criticism, including from the province's human rights commissioner, Heather Kuttai, who resigned in protest.

This issue reflects a broader debate in Canada over how schools address sexual orientation and gender, leading to protests and counter-protests on 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive education policies in major cities.

The use of the notwithstanding clause to pass such policies has become a contentious and recurring practice in recent years, allowing provincial legislatures to override specific portions of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; relegating our country’s highest human rights protections, to strongly worded suggestions.

If we as a nation can make an effort to humanize these marginalized communities through education and awareness campaigns, it will only be become harder for politicians to deny their basic human rights.

Photo Credits: Bing Images

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