AIDS 2022 will take place from 29 July to 2 August 2022, with pre-conference meetings beginning on 27 July 2022. For the first time, the world’s largest conference on HIV and AIDS will be hosted in person in Montreal, Canada, as well as virtually, to make it accessible to as many people as possible. All registrations for AIDS 2022 must be submitted through the online registration form. Group registration is applicable for 5 or more persons. Media registration is free for qualified individuals attending AIDS 2022 as journalists, photographers, videographers and community educators. Day passes will be available for purchase soon. Pre-conference passes will be available for purchase soon. If you have submitted a scholarship application, please do not register for the conference separately. •
If your application was successful, the IAS will register you for
the conference and provide you with a letter of invitation when scholarships are awarded.
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If your scholarship application was unsuccessful, you will be able
to register at the early registration fee in early for a limited period of time. NOTE – If you require a visa to enter Canada, please note the recommended Canadian visa application period is at least 12 weeks. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, please select the hybrid registration option to attend the conference virtually. REGISTER HERE: https://profile.aids2022.org REGISTER A GROUP: https://react.regasus.de/portal/react/registration/personal;jsessionid=PnYPNHD5Bob65PWJrrC sQeOqhodptuE8RznpFs8E.edea8e3d7bb2
POZPLANET Magazine is proud to announce that our very own Jade Elektra was chosen as a representative for this year’s AIDS Conference in Montreal and will be performing and making appearances for CANFAR and ViiV events. Hope to see you there!
GET YOUR COPY at one of this link: https://www.amazon.ca/I-Am-Human-Barbara-Kingsley-ebook/dp/B08PG5NLL5 Barbara Kingsley was our UP CLOSE & PERSONAL feature November 2019 and we here at POZPLANET Magazine are so proud to see her out and about promoting her book, “I AM HUMAN”. Be sure to check it out. It’s even available on KINDLE. Let’s support our HIV+ Community when we can!
On June 11th, 2022 our correspondent Jade Elektra along with staff photographer John Richard Allan attended THE RED DRESS BALL at Daniel Spectrum Hall. It was a fabulous evening and here are a few photos from the night…
On the red carpet with the guest of hounour, ONGINA!
Jade Elektra with CANFAR Director Alex Filiatrault & Red Dress Ball Organizer Sheila Blige
Previous page: ED of Pride Toronto Sherwin Modeste & Jade
The official photographer preps the participants for a group photo.
Group organizers prepping for photo with ONGINA
Hostess for the evening Barbie-Jo Bontemps and Jade
Folks making their way down the red carpet as I catch up with the fabulous Naomi Leone who like myself was attending the Red Dress Ball for our first time.
Tyler Uptight, CANFAR Ambassador/Model Myles Sexton & Jade
Toronto People With AIDS Foundation Director Suzanne Paddock, ViiV Representative Marvelous Yeukai & Jade
Jade and Toronto’s Promoter and Nightlife Enthusiast Rolyn Chambers
Citizen of The Year Award from TICOT Empress Bekka Blake and Emperor Jason Dickson
Today we are here with creator of TRIGGERED by SANJAY! Sanjay, thank you so much for taking time to do this interview. AK: How are you today? SJ: I'm well today AK: Would you mind telling our readers a little about yourself? Where are you from? SJ: I am from Osceola, Arkansas born May 9th, 1993. Recently turning 29 years old. I have a second hometown I claim, Blytheville, Arkansas because I spent literally most of my school years there from fourth grade until my first semester of my senior year of high school. I did move back to Osceola then graduated with my original classmates in May 2011. I have been living in Little Rock, Arkansas since August 2011 where I did attend college for a year. Far as my profession, I am currently part of management for a financial institution for nearly two years. On the side from that I do engage with people through my virtual podcast "TRIGGERED BY SANJAY”. It's a show I've been doing since the summer of 2020. Another hobby I have is wood art consisting of drawings and paintings, I also do photography as well. This God given gift or hobby has been going on since April 2017. AK: May I ask a couple of personal questions about how long you have been HIV+ and how did that diagnosis effect you? SJ: I've been LIVING with it for ten years now. I found out my diagnosis three months after my brother and I lost our mother to cancer in April 2012. Before the second semester of school started, I was hanging with a friend when I got that life changing news. I received an urgent call by the campus nurse to come see her regarding my test results. I immediately felt nervous. So, when I arrived, my friend waited outside the campus clinic. The nurse met me, took me to the back and then she sat me down. "Um, I received your test results and you are HIV positive" she said softly. I was very silent, just nodding to the information she gave to me about our county clinic. She mentioned it was the place for further assistance regarding treatment. When I walked out the clinic, I had to quickly put on facade in front of my friend. When he asked what happened, I just brushed it off with a smile and said "Oh, she mentioned I have to go the county clinic and get a TB test done.” I asked him if he mind taking me and he agreed for the scheduled date. After that we just went to eat pizza in his dorm, carrying on the day like nothing happened. Unfortunately, I went to into isolation from him and others I was associated with. For years, I felt fearful, ashamed, unworthy and that I deserved it. Stigma can be a damper on your life mentally and/or emotionally. So that’s what I dealt with the most! I used to be around such a toxic environment hearing harsh commentary with certain gay peers. The hostile phrases or words about others were like: "Don't go with him because he's sick", "That's why he sick" or 'The kids dying honey!" like it was joke…very mean girl like! Hearing all these "health reads"
made me socially conscious to where I felt like I could never tell anyone. Overtime I did tell a few people I trusted like my brother, two aunts, two friends, one classmate and my cousin. This reveal was two years after my diagnosis. I can admit It felt good to tell someone I trusted. I do believe in your own time it should be you to have that chance to speak about your status. I was robbed of that twice. In 2013, I was living with two roommates and one of them was looking for through a closet. My HIV medication happened to be in there with my other items. So, he ended up telling the other roommate. This moment in my life still bothers me today. The second time was in August 2017 through the news and social media because of my mugshot being plastered everywhere. I was arrested and criminalized for HIV. I am still overcoming dealing with stigma and with low self-esteem issues. One day I'm feeling great and bold then there are days where I become like a hermit…hiding. Yet day by day I am moving forward being thankful for my support system and science for treatment. AK: I happen to catch the episode of TRIGGERED BY SANJAY that dealt with the criminalization of HIV. Tell us about your show and why you decided to cover this topic? And where can our readers find your show? SJ: I started this show during the summer of 2020 during the pandemic. I needed to be in a place of solitude and find something to do. The foundation of the show was for my Black people (no matter the gender, sexual orientation or beliefs) to come and have healthy discussions. Covering real issues like sexual assault, discipline with children, HIV/AIDS, Black mental health, Black Gay mental health, religion, etc. I have been honored to have those who are willing to be educated by having a healthy dialogue on a range of topics. As for the topic of "HIV Criminalization", it was to inform the public about this issue that can happen to anyone and how unjust these laws are for those living with HIV/AIDS. I have been criminalized and I must be a light along with others to put up a fight against HIV Criminalization. Prevention does not mean prosecution…HIV IS NOT A CRIME! You can find my podcast TRIGGERED BY SANJAY and wood art/photography Catered Woods: Wood Art and Photography page on Facebook. Podcast: https://www.facebook.com/TriggeredBySanjay/ Catered Woods: https://www.facebook.com/CateredWoods/ AK: I have to admit that I am not internet savvy enough for social media like TikTok. I think I'm too old. But I see you're actually a presence on Tik Tok. Tell me about what you do on that platform... SJ: Well, I wouldn't consider myself a TikTok star but I see certain trends far as dance routines that I haven't done yet lol. So, for me I do certain things around comedy, informational or random content. These are the things I consider when I decide to get on! I can't keep up doing a video every day after work. That would be a second job!
AK: Before we go, what advice would you give to a young person who recently tested positive? SJ: My advice is to surround yourself with those who are open minded, educated or willing to be educated. Positive thinking is key. Educated yourself if you don't know much about your diagnosis. Please know that you are a person that deserves everything good in life. You are not a weapon. You can have a full life due to modern medicine - be adherent to U = U! That's some great advice. Thank you again for doing this interview. I look forward to seeing more of you on Tik Tok and of course TRIGGERED BY SANJAY.
NOTE: Photography for this article provided by Sanjay Johnson
Listen to the mix here: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny/ear-candy-july-2022 Download the video of this mix here: https://krakenfiles.com/view/ezfHOfRgQQ/file.html Check out DJ Relentless’ Mixcloud page: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny Check out DJ Relentless’ HearThis page: https://hearthis.at/djrelentlesstoronto Alright…June may be over but for me, PRIDE is everyday! And I have it made it my mission to program and mix as many LGBTQ2+ Artists I can in my EAR CANDY series as possible. Because if we don’t support our own – who will? And with all that’s going on in the world, we need some positivity somewhere! So let’s get it started up in here… First up is the new Lil Nas X featuring NBA YoungBoy…“Late To Da Party”. Inspired by not being invited to this year’s BET Awards, Lil Nas X decided to give the finger to the award show that featured him last year for ratings but dissed him this year by inviting Jack Harlow (who was featured on his hit, “Industry Baby”). The music video starts with an image of a BET award in a toilet. I do believe they did him dirty but I did watch the awards and some shade was really thrown. Jack was invited to highlight and squash his so-called beef with Brandy as she spit her verse on his hit “First Class”. Gotta admit it was hot! But the shade was the two minute Ballroom mix featuring Billy Porter as commentator as Dominique “Tyra Allure” Jackson and a cast of Ballroom kids vogued and did runway over a very clever Classic House mini-mix. That
was hot too. Perhaps Montero’s boy-on-boy action was too much for BET last year. Who knows? But after his latest antics, I’m sure he won’t be invited back anytime soon. As for the song itself…I’m not impress. Lil Nas X needs to change his production and move up in BPMs. All your tracks are beginning to sound the same. And 75 BPMs is just tired at this point. Even Beyonce and Drake have come back with uptempo tracks…take the hint! It’s funny how one production can sound so slow while something at the same speed can have a good bounce to it. That is the case with our second selection “Girlz Night” by Alaska Thunderfuck featuring Stephanie’s Child. Most of the tracks that I have heard by Miss Alaska have been Pop Club speed but this little diddy is catchy. And what a great way to discover Stephanie’s Child. I’m assuming this is the drag version of Destiny’s Child (but white and in drag). I like this one. It’s fun and the video looks like a great night out with the girlz! Up next is “Vegas” by Doja Cat. Now, I’m still kinda upset with her. Her and Teyana Taylor did the same shit…cried that they were leaving the industry for whatever bullshit reason. Doja did her stunt right before winning a Grammy. These are attempts to get sympathy when there is nothing to sympathize for. You’re at the top of your game….especially you, Doja. What the fuck are you talking about quitting the business for? And if you are…LEAVE! Make room for the next crossover female artist! Anyway….Doja has a song on the new “ELVIS” soundtrack called “Vegas”. Why? I have no idea. It’s supposed to be a period piece done from the ‘50s to his death in the ‘70s. “Rapper’s Delight” didn’t really hit until 1980. So, how a Hip Hop song is on the soundtrack is beyond me. But probably because you need an original track to qualify for “Song Of The Year” at the Oscars is the reason she’s on it. The song is alright and I like the nod “Big Mama” Thorton but I don’t think this is going to be a huge hit by no means. Our fourth track is actually from 2020. I must have completely missed it when it was released. But it’s my job to introduce you to what I discover and this track I felt was appropriate after watching Kanye West speak before they honoured Sean “Puffy Daddy” Combs with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards. Kanye looked insane with his mask, sunglasses and oversized leather coat and cap. I know he was burning up in all that shit! Anyway… ”Kanye Krazy” by Lil Durk hits the nail on the head! The spoofs of Kanye’s videos in Durk’s video are spot on! This may be a couple years old but it worked perfectly in mix! So, like I said before, there is so much music dropping every day that it is impossible to keep up with it all. And since I have a vast taste in music, I really can’t catch everything when it comes out. Such is the case with “How Not To Drown” by CHVRCHES ft Robert Smith (of The Cure) which came out the fall of 2021. While Kanye looked insane, he actually sounded healthier and even joked about his ex-wife. I thought the sentiment in the lyrics of this song collaboration was hopeful for those who suffer with mental illness. Perhaps, Mr. West is coming back to his old self. Good for you.
It is hard to believe that on July 18th it will be ten years ago that this next song was released. “Same Love” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert was a pivotal moment in Pop Culture and Human Rights in the United States. Sad to think that with the Supreme Court striking down Roe vs Wade that Clarence Thomas is now talking about overturning Gay Marriage as well. It makes me so mad when I think of all the people who voted against Hillary Clinton back in 2016. I blame all of those celebrities that used their platforms to discredit or dismiss her because she was a woman. She was the most qualified for the job! And I don’t give a shit that Bernie Sanders spoke to younger generation. His track record has not been of someone who got things done. His track record has been of an old man yelling from his yard. Hillary knew how to get things done and was set to do the job. So, now we are where we are…with one foot on a banana peel about to slide into the abyss! Back when “Same Love” was a hit I did a slight remix by adding a percussion and speeding it up to 95 BPMs. This year for Pride I did a video edit to go with my version. I did it to remind us that we must stand with our allies. I did it because we all need each other in this fight. Women’s Rights to safe abortions and vote are the same as LGBTQ2+ Rights to marry, have housing, jobs and be protected. You take away one you are opening the door for other rights to be repealed. Interracial Marriage will be next. We are already watching Jim Crow laws popping up to supress voting by people of colour in the U.S. Now more than ever, the next election in the fall for Congress is so important. Over the past ten years they kept saying “vote as if your life depended on it.” Well, it’s true this year for sure. There’s a lot at stake!
Our seventh selection is another track you might have missed. “Feeling Good” by Sy Smith featuring Dominique Xavier. Yeah…it’s a cover of the Nina Simone classic that was released back in 2020. I’m sure when they released this Jazz infused Hip Hop version back then they were hoping that COVID would be over in a month or two. I’m sure I missed it because I was devastated to start losing so many friends so quickly. But I included this in the mix because for us to be in the sunshine and celebrating Pride again in person felt good. So, I decided to jump in BPMs to get to some more Club friendly tracks. Our eighth track is “Your Love” by ATB Topic & A75 (these names sound like some equation for a science problem). Nice Pop Club song. In a world where female vocals dominate the scene, it is refreshing to hear a strong male vocal on a Dance production. I actually believe that this next artist is genius for making sure his releases have remixes. The Colin Jay Remix of “Cooped Up” by Post Malone featuring Roddy Rich is a hot remix and a good example of something I’m going to address a little later. The production on this remix uses a sound that is very popular in Pop Club music today due to the hit song “Show Me Love” by Robin S. That song paved the way for House Music to creep into the Pop charts. Now, it’s a staple.
Our tenth song is the new Drake release called “Falling Back”. I guess he took the note that a change was needed. We need to get back to some party speeds of music. I think if I hear
another Trap / Hip Hop record I’m gonna vomit! Enough already! Now, is this going to be a big hit for Drake? I don’t think so. He is singing on this and it sounds vocally manipulated (as if it his voice was played on keys). I’d be very curious to hear him sing this live. But thank God it’s at 120 BPMs!
Now, I guess those Twlight movies started this “Us vs Them” for the internet. Anytime a new song comes out that has a sound that we have heard before critics love to jump in and say that so-and-so stole someone’s track. This is the case with the original version of Beyonce’s new single, “Break My Soul”. It’s the same setting on the keyboard but not the same keys, people! That remix of Post Malone’s “Cooped Up” has the same sound! But fortunately, I chose to use an up and coming producer’s remix. Pluto’s 2022 Pride Anthem mix of “Break My Soul” worked quite nicely in my set. There was only a lyric video for this song when I did this set, so I threw some clips from different performances and music videos under it to work as a visual. The surprise chart-topper of the season is “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. One of my favourites by her but I would have never guessed it would be on the top of the Pop charts after all these years. But a use on the Netflix show, Stranger Things will do that. Now there are about twenty different remixes. I chose the Vintage Culture Remode Mix. It just goes to show that what’s old is new again. I’m very happy for Kate. This must be vindication for those who did not understand her music back in the 80s.
Our thirteenth selection is another remix of an 80s classic from the UK…the Proppa Club Mix of “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama. After Ace Of Base did their cover in the 90s and had a club remix, I always felt that someone should have done something with the original. Well, now I got my wish! At 124 BPMs, this Summer Jam finally has a “Proppa” remix! I’ve noticed that there are all these Pop Club dance tracks coming out that sample the hooks and melodies of a lot of popular 80s songs. “Time To Groove” by Majestic featuring Nono heavily samples Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Let’s Groove”. It just makes me think “They don’t write songs like that anymore.” Our fifteenth track is the Black Caviar Remix of “Deep In My Heart” by dEVOLVE x Breikthru featuring Saint Wade. This is kind of a generic song but I love the groove of the bassline and it worked well with the follow up track. There was only a performance video of Giulia singing “My Gay Boyfriend Has A Boyfriend”. So to add more to the visual, I grabbed some footage from a couple of twinks cruising each other at a club. This worked very well for the Cutmore Remix.
Now, I had never heard of our seventeenth artist but was surprised to find that she was a Disney kid and has been recording since 2015. She’s bisexual but says “queer” is the best way to describe her sexuality. The Beat Thrillerz Remix of Dove Cameron’s “Boyfriend” is kinda hot! And I’m not a lesbian but the video is even hotter. This definitely is going into heavy rotation in my sets this summer!
Over the past year I have gotten to know Two-Spirit HIV+ Activist and Recording Artist, Tony Enos. He recently just released his sixth studio album, INDESTRUCTIBLE. Be sure to check out his cover of “I Will Survive” which is dedicated to all of us long term survivors living with HIV. Right before he dropped his new album, I had done a remix of one of his earlier works called “I Fucked Your Boyfriend”. Yeah…I know. It’s a little crass but I thought it worked well with the programming in this section of my mix. And I also did the video edit to go with it.
Up next is another LGBTQ2+ Artist making his way onto the scene…Rex Wes. If he looks familiar it’s because he was our UP CLOSE & PERSONAL feature back in February. Rex Wes is the alterego of Corey Wesley and he has teamed up with DJ Naughtyboyy to bring you “I’m A Kinster”! Just in time for a Pride celebration near you. Let your inhibitions leave you as explore your kinky side in this track. And to close out our mix is the Danny Morris Remix of “Queen” by Todrick Hall. I know that he is on tour right now and his brand is being unapologetically OUT as a gay performer but after a couple of years of hearing how fab his life is and how fiercely gay he is I’m looking for some growth. Sing me a song. Give me some meaningful lyrics. The difference between Todrick Hall and Lil Nas X is one is actually expressing his feelings and exposing his true self. The other is flossing but really doesn’t have any substance. And I’m a recording artist myself under my drag persona, Jade Elektra. I’m HIV+. I cain’t dance. I’m not a phenomenal singer either. But I do try to have something to say with my music and make it count for something. What Todrick Hall is doing in his music and videos is no different than the millions of Hip Hop artists who are doing videos in some rented mansion with a bunch of video vixens and models dancing around. It’s for show. Who are you, Todrick? What do we really know about you? How do you feel about our world? What are you doing with your platform?