POZPLANET Magazine (March 2024)

TAKE THE ‘LGBTQ+ AND AGING’ SURVEY NOW

If there is anything I love sharing, it’s my opinion. I just love taking surveys. And talking to therapists. And writing blogs about myself. I think you see the pattern here. But my favorite kind of opinion-sharing is when it helps my community in a really tangible way.

The LGBTQ + Aging survey is exactly just such an opportunity, so I hope you will take part in this and/or share it with someone who can. The deadline is February 29, so get busy, folks!

SAGE, a national advocacy organization dedicated to making life better for LGBTQ+ seniors, has partnered with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, to conduct the “State of LGBTQ+ Aging Survey.” The survey seeks to better understand the current experiences, needs, and resiliencies of older people in the U.S. who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, Two-Spirit, or related identities).

The survey is now open to LGBTQ+ adults 50 years old and older. It takes 30 to 45 minutes and can be conducted online or over the phone.

Does 30 minutes seem like an eternity for our fast-moving, attention deficit world? Yes. Do it anyway. In fact, take heart that the folks at SAGE care enough about our lives and experience that they want to spend this much time with each survey subject.

This can provide real insight into our lives and our needs. Please take part, or share this survey information with someone who might.

Thanks my friends, and please be well.

Mark

When I became involved in the HIV sector in 1992, a9er my diagnosis with HIV in 1991, I was one of the people living with HIV who founded a peer support program at Living PosiBve, a group of people living with HIV providing support to others living with HIV in Alberta. We had a Monday night support group in Edmonton which was run by people living with HIV. For me, it was the first connecBon I had to support. I met other people living with HIV and to me, they were my role models. They showed me that I could live with this disease and be healthy and happy. Those of you who have been diagnosed since the late 1990s may not know that “healthy and happy” were two words that very few people living with HIV used to describe themselves. We had no HIV treatments that were working. We were dying. When I came into the office, if I saw a candle burning, my stomach dropped because I wasn’t sure who had died. Over the first few years a9er my diagnosis, the people I knew through the Monday night support group became my friends. I had a conversaBon recently with my daughter and she said “Mom, all of your friends died.” Yep. A whole friend group died. But some of us lived. How did that happen? I’ve asked myself why I lived and others did not. Some people call this survivor’s guilt. Yes, there is a bit of that going on but also, I genuinely wanted to understand if there was something unique that I did that helped me get through those years.

In the summer of 1992, a group of us from the Monday night support group gathered to talk about starBng a peer support program through Living PosiBve. It would be a way for us to connect with one another and provide support to each other in a more formal way that would provide one on one support. It would allow us to potenBally connect with someone soon a9er their diagnosis. We had a person who was very keen on providing support at the point of diagnosis. He worked with the local STI clinic and was called by their staff to be on site when a diagnosis was given to someone. The person who had just received their diagnosis would be given the opportunity to meet with a peer to talk about how they were feeling right then. Or they could set up an appointment and come back another day. The community of healthcare providers would call us a9er discussing whether the person they provided support to wished to meet up with a peer. We met people at coffee shops, at the hospital when they went for their appointment, were in the room at their appointment if they felt they wanted an advocate. We were at the bedside when they were hospitalised. In many cases, we were at their bedside when they died. This program last a couple of years, but did not have any financial support, many of the peer supporters died and it gradually stopped.

Many community groups that provide support to people living with HIV are starBng to see the value of peer support or peer health navigaBon. This has become important to many people living with HIV in many communiBes. Unfortunately, the Federal government is only providing sporadic financial support for these kinds of programs. There have been pilot projects and a handful of large agencies in large ciBes that have started peer support or peer health navigaBon programs.

CATIE published a study that was done on these programs around the world. The study idenBfied what made a peer support program effecBve. Specifically, the study idenBfied what made peer support sustainable:

• “The availability of adequate financial resources will ensure that peers are properly compensated for their work and will enable the program to operate in the long term.

• Access to safe spaces helps to assure both peers and the people they are supporting that their privacy and confidentiality are being protected.

• Appropriate communication channels will help to ensure that peers are recognized and respected within healthcare settings and integrated into service delivery.

• Ongoing training for peers will help to support their personal and professional development.” h\ps://www.caBe.ca/prevenBon-in-focus/what-are-the-characterisBcs-of-effecBve-hiv-peersupport-programs

I have already highlighted that one of the reasons the peer support program was not sustained in Edmonton primarily was lack of financial resources. We made every effort to ensure confidentiality was maintained so that was less of an issue for us. At first, we were respected in the healthcare systems that we worked in and integrated into service delivery, but that support waned over time. At first, we had champions in the STI clinic who ensured that people living with HIV were connected to our peer support program. But those people moved on and new staff did not really understand what our role was. We had excellent training. We all took suicide intervention training; we got together on a regular basis to provide support to one another. Could the training have been better? Absolutely, but financial supports were so limited that there wasn’t money to provide this training on an ongoing basis. The other issue was that we were all volunteers. We did not receive an honorarium for doing this work. We would get the occasional coffee card, but transportation was not covered. Many of the volunteers died. This was the early nineties. So many people died. When the leaders died, it became more difficult to recruit new people to provide peer support.

I believe it is time for us to examine ways to bring peer support, especially peer health navigation, into the 21st century. So many people living with HIV, especially long-term survivors, have the skills necessary to provide this kind of support. But it takes the will of several levels: the will of people living with HIV to do this work, the will of community based organizations to embrace peer health navigation as an important tool, the will of healthcare professionals and health care services in general who provide healthcare to people living with HIV to integrate peer health navigators into their systems, the will of provincial and Federal governments to fund this. If we hope to provide support to people living with HIV at the point of their diagnosis through their lifespans so that they stay in care and receive the support they need, there needs to be the collective will to do so.

Am I alive today because of the peer support I’ve received over the years? Maybe? The people I rely on for peer support are people I trust. People I can talk to. People who are there when I am going through tough times. People who have access to reliable, scientific information that help me

navigate living with HIV. This support has allowed me to live with HIV. Am I privileged? Yes. Is part of that privilege that I have had access to amazing human beings who support me through this often difficult life. Without a doubt. Is it possible for all people living with HIV to have access to this same support? Only if there is collective will for that to happen.

POZPLANET MAGAZINE is always looking to introduce our readers to other people living with HIV and doing things for our community.

The program co-ordinator at CAYR Community Connections in Ontario says the takehome tests are crucial to connecting with people as Canada’s HIV infections climb.

Article content:

https://thestarphoenix.com/news/saskatchewan/no-backup-plan-funding-for-hiv-selftesting-kits-ending-in-march

But the groundbreaking initiative to provide the kits across Canada is in peril, as funding runs out at the end of March.

“What will happen after the funding ends?” Luzige asked. “What kind of answer are we going to give such community members?”

The federal government indicated it is looking to sunset the self -test program, said Sean Rourke, a scientist who was a principal investigator in a study that helped get the tests approved in Canada.

“There is no backup plan here,” he said.

Rourke is also a director with REACH Nexus at Canadian Institutes for Health Research and a scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. The hospital facilitates purchasing and distribution of most of the tests.

“This program has worked,” he said. “There’s no question.”

Tests considered a game-changer

The test, called INSTI, uses a drop of blood to deliver results in about a minute. The program was to expand to include a test for both HIV and syphilis, which was approved by Health Canada last year.

Many front-line workers say the tests are game-changers in stopping the spike in new HIV diagnoses.

There were 1,833 new diagnoses in Canada in 2022, marking a nearly 25 per cent increase from the year before.

Montreal public health officials recorded 310 in 2022, a 120 per cent increase from the previous year, marking the highest number of new reported cases in a decade.

Prossy Luzige, a prevention and linkage coordinator who works in the York Region of Ontario, with HIV self-test kits in Toronto on Feb. 16, 2024 PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER KATSAROV /The Canadian Press

Thousands of other people across the country are estimated to be undiagnosed.

The first self-test was approved in Canada in 2020. Rourke was part of the program to provide the tests on a large scale beginning in November 2022. The initiative was lauded with Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of mental health and addictions at the time, saying it would “reduce barriers that come with conventional testing methods.”

“Ensuring that everyone in Canada has access to testing and treatment options for infectious diseases like HIV is a top priority for the Government of Canada,” Bennett said in a 2022 news release, announcing a one -time investment of $8 million to purchase and distribute the tests.

An extra $8.6 million was provided to extend the program until the end of next month. No additional funds have been pledged.

“PHAC is continuing to explore options to make HIV self-test kits available to community-based organizations after March 31, 2024,” the Public Health Agency of Canada said in an emailed statement.

Kits are bridging a gap

Rourke said it doesn’t make sense not to extend funding.

If somebody knows their status, they can live a normal life and won’t infect others, Rourke said. Testing is a key component to stopping the spread, but HIV is still marred by accessibility and stigma.

The self-testing kits can bridge that gap, he said, adding data shows they work.

More than 215,000 kits have been distributed to nearly 400 organizations across the country. There are also websites and information pamphlets for people to get support and health-care information.

Many people who have picked up the tests fill out an anonymous survey, which gives researchers important real-time insight, Rourke said.

Forty-five per cent of respondents said they were testing for the first time. The tests also reached Indigenous and other racialized people, as well as those who work in the sex industry or inject drugs.

One test costs about $35 online. Rourke said through a negotiated purchasing arrangement, it costs the program $10.

“Cost isn’t an issue. This program works. We have data showing that it’s effective. We have engagement,” Rourke said.

“Why not keep on funding it, right? There’s just no good reason not to.”

One way to combat stigma

Concerned front-line workers from across the country have reached out to Rourke and his colleagues about the future of the program.

A girl who was too worried to be tested for HIV in a clinic returned later after learning about the self-testing option, wrote Ontario support worker Ana Kovacevic in an email to REACH.

Tieryn Steele with the Manitoba Harm Reduction Network said there are major issues around stigma and access to HIV testing in Flin Flon, a northern mining city on the boundary with Saskatchewan.

“People walked into my office, who would have never gone to the hospital to get tested, specifically for these kits,” Steel wrote to REACH.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan have the highest rates of new HIV diagnoses. Saskatchewan’s rate is more than four times higher than the national average.

Shiny Mary Varghese, executive director of AIDS Programs of South Saskatchewan, said the tests are especially useful for newcomers who may come from cultures where topics around sex and HIV are taboo.

Varghese said it’s critical that federal funding continues so people know they have HIV, get access to treatment and stop further transmission.

“It’s not a death sentence,” she said.

“As long as they are on treatment, they can have an optimal life.”

U=U is a conversation that we all should be having…every day.

The U.S. Department Of Justice sues over Tennessee law targeting HIV-positive people convicted of sex work

Tennessee is the only state that imposes a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” if someone is convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV.

https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/doj-sues-tennessee-law-targeting-hivpositive-people-convicted-sex-wor-rcna139083 Source: The Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday sued the state of Tennessee over its decades-old felony aggravated prostitution law, arguing that it illegally imposes tougher criminal penalties on people who are HIV positive.

The lawsuit, filed in western Tennessee, follows an investigation completed in December by the Justice Department that warned that the statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The case heads to court separately from another federal lawsuit filed in October by LGBTQ and civil rights advocates over the aggravated prostitution law.

Tennessee is the only state in the United States that imposes a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” if convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV, regardless of whether the person knew they could transmit the disease.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are close to approving a change to the law that would not fully strike it. The Republican-carried legislation would only remove the requirement that those convicted of aggravated prostitution must register as a violent sex offender.

“People living with HIV should not be subjected to a different system of justice based on outdated science and misguided assumptions,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a news release announcing the lawsuit Thursday. “This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that people living with HIV are not targeted because of their disability.”

Prostitution has long been criminalized as a misdemeanor in Tennessee. But in 1991, Tennessee lawmakers enacted an even harsher statute that applied only to sex workers living with HIV. Nearly 20 years later, the state legislature revised the law once more by requiring lifetime sex offender registration for those convicted under the controversial statute.

In the years since, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that laws criminalizing HIV exposure many of which were enacted amid the height of the AIDS epidemic are outdated and ineffective. Black and Latino communities have been particularly affected by these laws even as the same standards do not apply to other infectious diseases.

Over the years, some states have taken steps to repeal their HIV criminal laws, such as Illinois, which repealed all of its HIV-specific criminal laws in 2021. That same year, New Jersey and Virginia repealed all their felony HIV-specific laws.

The lawsuit seeks to require the state not only to stop enforcing the law, but also to remove those convicted under the statute from the sex offender registry and expunge their convictions.

The state attorney general’s office said it is aware of the complaint and will review it.

HIV and AIDS are considered disabilities under the Americans for Disabilities Act because they substantially hinder life activities. The landmark 1990 federal law prevents discrimination against disabled people on everything from employment to parking to voting.

Court documents in the other federal lawsuit say that more than 80 people are registered for aggravated prostitution in Tennessee. The majority of those convictions occurred in Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis.

The Justice Department lawsuit details the experience of an unnamed Black transgender woman from Memphis who learned she had HIV in 2008, was arrested in 2010 for prostitution near a church or school, and pleaded guilty in 2012 to one count of criminal attempt at aggravated prostitution. Because she had to register as a sex offender, the woman has experienced periods of homelessness while struggling to find safe housing compliant with sex-registry requirements.

She has also had difficulty finding a job after employers run her background check, and she can’t spend time alone with her nephew because of her conviction, the lawsuit states.

Additionally, she was arrested and pled guilty to violating a requirement to update her address change within 48 hours after she was displaced by a fire over a weekend. Tennessee law also bars her from changing her legal name to match her gender identity, the lawsuit states.

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Today we are going to have a conversation with one of Toronto's personalities...Mr. Shaun Proulx. I've done his SiriusXM show and had a lot of fun. From interviewing Oprah to his Insta Live show with Juno winner Simone Denny, Shaun has his finger on the pulse of entertainment in Canada. Back on December 12th, Shaun was honored with a POZ-TO Award for using his platform to fight the stigma of living with HIV.

Let's find out more about him...shall we?

JE: Hello Shaun...how are you today? Oh...and thank you for taking time to do this interview.

SP: I'm good today. It's a good day. And my pleasure, thanks for asking me.

JE: I'm sure our readers would like to know a little about your background. Are you originally from Toronto? Or are you a transplant like myself?

SP: I was born here, but my parents, rather wisely I think, decided to raise their family outside the city. We lived in a few small towns, and at the time the young gay boy in me, who was misunderstood and picked on by other kids at school for being different, hated it. Today, when I think about having spent, for example, my teen years on 150 acres with a river running through it, I am glad my parents made that decision. We had an abandoned barn, acres of trees (tree forts!) wildlife, places your imagination could be set free and where you could have fun. The house we lived in at the time was enormous, with a "servant's" kitchen and staircase leading to their sleeping quarters, stained glass windows, crown molding to die for - it was once a really spectacular home for someone; we lived there in its disintegrating stage. Still with many merits, but a bitch to keep warm in winter. However it had a grandeur to it I appreciated, and I'd pretend I was a Carrington from Dynasty, TV's #1 show, a cultural obsession, and what got me through the agony of being a closeted gay teen in the 1980s - Joan Collins, especially. That and The Young & The Restless which I still watch faithfully to this day. These larger than life shows taught me there was more to be had in the world, that I wasn't going to be stuck forever in Bumfuck, Ontario, that all I had to do was leave and make something of myself.

JE: It's funny how we both live but our paths rarely cross. Hopefully this will change in 2024. Could you share what you do and how you started?

SP: I hope so! You're such a force of nature and I have so much respect for the very good work you do. I'd love to get to know you better, Jade. I guess if you want labels, I'm a broadcaster and journalist. But truth be told, I make my living being myself, and for that I am very lucky. I host a weekend talk show heard across North America on SiriusXM Canada Talks 167 called The Shaun Proulx Show. Every week I'm fortunate enough to pick and choose guests who interest me and I hope, the listeners, and do a dive into their area of expertise, glean from their wisdom, hear their stories, and learn from them. Celeb-wise I've had everyone from Oprah to Lady Gaga to the late great Betty White on the show, but really it's the every person I love speaking to. People who have overcome, who have experienced

things beyond your wildest, or who help me and the listeners achieve things like overcoming trauma, mending broken relationships, be at our best. It's fun, it's smart, it's cheeky and irreverent and open-hearted, and I just signed my contract for an 11th season. I also write a lot. For various publications, for my own, TheGayGuideNetwork.com, which is Canada's oldest digital mag for the queer community, and I'm writing a memoir that my literary agent is currently pitching. I'm also writing, hosting, and producing an exciting new podcast coming soon from Realize Canada, which will shine a light on something called episodic disabilities; Realize does leading-edge work in this lane. Episodic disabilities currently affect over 2 million Canadians (though I think they affect most of us) and include long-Covid, multiple sclerosis, lupus, arthritis, cancer, HIV, diabetes, and mental health. I'm excited for people to hear it, and feel heard through it.

I got my start in all of this by quitting a six-figure job in finance, going broke and reinventing myself. It was approaching 2000 and you may recall all the Y2K fuss, the dawning of a new millenium. It was a time of change, and I looked around my work environment, which was very much "acquire and accumulate" based; I looked at my need to shop on the daily for a short-lived high that felt like fulfillment for a bit; I looked at how I

had barely tried at the things I loved, anything to do with words; and I looked at how I, who failed grade ten math, had ended up doing very well in finance, anyway - I'd even bought a house in Leslieville before I was thirty. And I asked myself: What would happen if I put the effort I'd put into finance into my dreams? If I worked as hard as I had for other people, what would happen if I worked that hard for me? And then I was watching Oprah one day, who said to-camera: "When you take one step towards Universe, it takes nine towards you." That went through me like cold-chills truth. I immediately got a pad of paper and some markers and began to doodle and write out all I thought I could be, audaciously. Writer, actor, talk show host... just everything I secretly longed for, madly writing things down. And in the bottom left hand corner I drew a stick-figure of myself with a shit-eating grin holding a mic. And on the mic I wrote "The Shaun Proulx Show." And it all came to be, over time. So you can just imagine the full circle moment of having Oprah on my show a decade and a half later, and being able to thank her for that TV moment that helped change my life, her and I... ON The Shaun Proulx Show, just as I had doodled. This is something I would want everyone to know: Oprah was right. I have come to understand that when you line up and when you seek the things that bring you joy, and you maintain an unwavering self-belief, and a belief that Universe is conspiring in your favour, and you live your daily feeling the rush of freedom and happiness that come because you are doing what you love - no matter how small that thing is you're doing - what you desire manifests. Joy is our birthright, and since quitting finance I have led a life of so much joy. I'm not saying there hasn't been drama. There has. I'm not saying there hasn't been hardship and worry and difficult times. There fucking have. But on the whole, I've led a richly blessed life of my design. Life is a string of "now moments" and you want to have most of those now moments being ones in which you feel bloody amazing because you are doing things you love. And then when you look at the string of your life, you see you've led a very happy one. I'm babbling. You got me started.

JE: Now...I hope this isn't too personal but how long have you been HIV+? And what was it like when you were diagnosed?

SP: Nope, we're good. I was diagnosed in 2005, so thinking I acquired it around 2000. So going on a quarter century ago. Again: I'm blessed. I got diagnosed when there was a cocktail. Had it been any earlier, who knows what would have become of me? Here's the thing about me and HIV: After my father died, when I was 17, I had unprotected sex - this is during the AIDS epidemic, circa Rock Hudson dying, circa Ryan White - the school boy from Kokomo who made international headlines and went through societal and personal hell when he contracted AIDS - this is circa people, especially gay men, dropping like flies, "God's punishment for being gay." I had unprotected sex with not one but two men about twice my age. If you're going to lose your virginity, why do it with just one penis? I didn't have the tools or know-how to talk to them about condoms. I felt that they were older than me, they looked healthy, they must have known they were healthy and therefore it was ok. But in the aftermath, on the school bus the next morning, I knew better. I knew there was a high risk of my being infected. And my father had just died; I was the eldest, the "man of the house," I had a grieving mother and two little brothers who needed an older male to look up to. I

was still in high school. And I lived in a small, gossipy town. There were no resources, there was no Internet. I didn't get tested. I contracted mononucleosis shortly after, and if you've ever had it, it feels like you're dying - and I was convinced I was, but of AIDS. I felt terribly alone, carrying the secret of my immense worry, and I did think I was going to die. It was such a huge relief to learn it was just "mono." When I left the small town we lived in for Toronto, of course I met guys and had sex with them. But I was - for the most part - very good about condom use, the lingering wonder in my mind if I was HIV-positive never leaving me, always rearing its nasty head. If I got a small bruise or a mark, I'd watch it and worry it might be kaposi sarcoma, until it went away. I'd read Xtra!'s "Proud Lives" section honouring those who died since the last issue, and look for guys I had slept with. And found them. And I'd worry. And sometimes, over time, I'd slip up. I wrote a piece for Xtra! about it once, detailing all the ways in which one could slip up and have unprotected sex, based on my own experience: I was happy; angry; celebrating; feeling insecure; drunk; high... the list went on. This avoidance put me in a self-created place where I was utterly terrified to get tested, ever. My doctor would ask me every time I saw him if I wanted to get tested, and I said no. Back then, there was no cocktail, you died. And I couldn't face that, I wasn't strong enough. And then one day, I began to get really, really sick. And I gave in and went and got tested. And I was HIVpositive, of course. And you know what? My doctor booked off two hours to be with me. And he laughed when he saw my reaction to the news, which was profound peace and acceptance. I wasn't what he expected: freaking out, emotionally wrecked, panicking, none of the things. I was fine with it. The monster I had been running from since I was 17 finally caught me. And I got to look him in the eye and I realized he didn't have power over me. Of course we were now in the blessed era of drug cocktails, but I also mean that about anything we are terrified of. When you lock eyes with it, it shrinks before you. That didn't stop me from keeping my diagnosis private for several years. I didn't want friends and family to worry, my career was taking off and I didn't want to be the "HIV-positive radio host" or anything like that, so only my closest gay friends knew, and people I slept with. But the things we keep private, eventually they begin to bear the weight of a secret.

JE: When I found out I decided that I needed to move away from my hometown of Tampa, Florida. I didn't want anyone that I knew back there to know. So, I moved to NYC. I didn't fully disclose my status until I moved to Toronto. When did you decide to go public?

SP: I came out publicly, on CBC radio, the year I chaired the 25th anniversary of the AIDS Walk, maybe a decade ago. That summer, working on the Walk I was able to witness the huge amount of stigma and self-stigmatization that still goes on. It stunned and saddened me. And I thought, "I'm a happy guy, doing well, with no apologies to make, maybe it would be helpful to others if I came out." As I said to Matt Galloway on-air at the time, HIV stigma to me is a metaphor for how all of us as humans beat ourselves up, simply for being human. We're too fat; our bank account is too small; our marriage failed; we hate our jobs; we're not good looking enough; we acquired HIV...

I had sex. Period. Unprotected sex, something no one I know who has had sex hasn't had. I refuse the stigma, I don't apologize, and I reject any attempts from outside or within to beat myself up.

JE: So tell our readers about your Insta Live with the lovely Simone Denny...how did that come about?

SP: Simone and I have been friends for over two decades. We met when I interviewed her for TheGayGuideNetwork.com A boyfriend at the time was doing her makeup and hooked me up. Our paths crossed over the years after, and there was always an easy warmth, and a friendship blossomed. Simone is one of the truly kindest people I know. There was a time after my ex-husband suddenly left and my marriage was over, that I had Simone on my show to promote her new album. And later that night my phone rang, it was her. She said, "I know you're doing your "happy Shaun on-air personality" for everyone, but I can see in your eyes how sad you are. And I just want you to know this will one day be over, this pain you are going through." And after I hung up, I thought, "Now THAT is a friend." Get married, get divorced, have a life crisis and see who the first responders are. You will be surprised every time who is there for you and who is nowhere to be found. Simone is a first-responder, she's my sister, and I'd do anything for her. We have a great vibe together and thought we'd try a little experiment with an Insta Live show, and people really responded beautifully to it.

JE: I believe you two are on hiatus right now. Are you coming back soon?

SP: We have put a pin in it, for now. Just our schedules. Simone has been touring a ton, and my plate is full, especially with the new Realize Canada podcast, and a memoir I'm writing, so we've pushed pause on it. For now. But never say never.

JE: This was your first time at the POZ-TO Awards. What was that experience like?

SP: What a gorgeous night! So authentic and full of heart and meaning and laughs and I cried a bunch. But then again, I'm a tap. However, in my defence, the subject of HIV/AIDS is a trigger for many of us, and the stories that were shared, especially about the late great Ron Rosenes, a personal hero of mine, made me verklempt. And you. Stellar host and impeccable performer. You're a knockout. I was very honoured to be included in the night. It was very kind and lovely of you to give me an award. Plus the fire alarm at the El Mocambo went off and when I went down to the loo there were firefighters in there, so what more does one want from an awards night?

JE: When you accepted your POZ-TO Award, you spoke about "kindness on purpose" in your speech. Can you share a bit of what you said for our readers?

SP: Well, it was such a lovely and kind thing to be given the award, and your entire event is an example of kindness of purpose, which we direly need more of in the world right now, and we need more of in the queer community right now. I'm old enough to remember the heights of the AIDS epidemic, and that's where you saw on the daily countless examples of kindness on purpose. If you knew someone was sick, dying, need help, you went to them. It didn't matter if he had once snubbed you at a bar, or hadn't said hi to you on the streets Monday after shagging you Saturday - nothing mattered but extending kindness, on purpose, because they were your queer brother or sister and they needed you. Look at all the myriad fundraisers - Fashion Cares, The Friends For Life Bike Rally, drag queens donating their tips, an endless list of kindness on purpose. These days, with computer courage and a

community living on apps and sites, it's so easy to be unkind to each other. I was chatting with a guy online recently, we had chatted several times prior on different occasions, and he was going to come by, and then he said: "Oh BTW I'm clean, neg here." (Sidebar: I despise the word "clean" when talking about health or addiction; you were never dirty in the first place, Dear.) Anyway, I told him I was undetectable, healthy and on meds. Block. He blocked me immediately. Didn't say he only played with negative guys, didn't say he wasn't comfortable with undetectable or didn't know what it means, just killed our chat with the click of a button. So weak. It took me aback for a nanosecond, then I picked up the shattered pieces of my life and moved on; water off a duck's back; his loss. And I rejected too the subtext stigmatization of my HIV status within the act of his blocking me; I don't allow that into my orbit. We do shit to each other. We block. We gossip. We are see you next Tuesdays. And so much more, worse, and often. We are so lacking in showing kindness. And so in giving my speech I realized I missed something about the AIDS crisis and that is the kindness. We were in a room full of so many kind people at The El Mocambo that night, leaders, so I wanted to point that out and encourage everyone not to stop being kind. To take the kindness of that night and inject it back into our community, and into the world. The way you do, Jade. We need it.

JE: Before I let you go, I'm curious...if you could give advice to your younger self what would it be?

SP: Oh lord. Stop giving a shit what others think of who you are, what you do and say. Quit peoplepleasing. Love yourself and the right people you want in your life will love you too.

JE: Well, it has been a pleasure getting to know more about you. As I said before, I hope our paths cross more often. Those of us in the HIV+ Community should socialize. Perhaps we can come together for a MINGLE event. Let's talk about if Realize Canada could use an event to talk about their work. Thank you again for your time.

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Is it my imagination or is 2024 rushing along? It’s already March and there is too much music for one mixed set for this month. So, I’m gonna talk about twenty-four tracks and try to give you a glimpse at Pop Culture with a few current events. And we have a little something for everyone in this month’s programming…Hip Hop, Pop, Reggae, Country, Club & House.

So let’s get started, shall we?

After some weird video on Twitter (and yes…I didn’t call it “X”), Nicki Minaj went all in on Megan Thee Stallion in an attempt to defend her husband who is a registered sex offender. Then Megan dropped her single “Hiss”. While it seems to be a general read for all female rappers who have a problem with her, Nicki took it as an attack on her and decided to take part of her rant in this strange video of her talking to someone on a cell about the situation into a track called “Big Foot”. So, I started this month’s mix with both.

According to Billboard, “Hiss” charted much higher than “Big Foot”.

I’m not understanding how Nicki is still acting like she’s back in 2012 when the charts were hers. Gyrl…take some notes from rappers like Queen Latifah. You gotta start working in

other areas. Go learn how to act. You could be a top contender for a Chaka Khan bio pic. Work on your singing. Go belt out some songs. Show some versatility. You’re too old to be a Mean Girl. Stop hating on anyone who is getting some applause when you’re not. You and Megan had a hit with “Hot Girl Summer” back in 2019. She wasn’t a threat then. So, you look ridiculously childish and foolish for defending a sex offender. His record is now forever your record…you married him. And you automatically lose this battle by default because of his crime. So, sit down and shut the fuck up!

I have to tell the truth that I never heard of Pia Mia until I came across the video for “Do It Again”. As joked about on Family Guy, she’s one of those Tomorrow People (you can’t tell what race they are). But in actuality she’s of Chamorro, Italian, Dutch & Hungarian descent. Apparently, she had a debut album on Interscope Records back in 2013. I totally missed her completely. She’s pretty girl and with the right material I think she could crossover. But there are a lot of beautiful people out there…just not enough talented people. I miss the days of when someone like Ella Fitzgerald was considered unattractive, but her voice was undeniably great. We’ve gotten too much into superficial looks and too much of missing out on real talents.

Our fourth track is “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” by Burna Boy featuring 21 Savage Now, I know that there’s an Afro Beat movement that is circling the world right now. And while I am happy that Africa is exporting something that is home grown on their culture, I also feel like this is going in the same direction as Reggae and Moombahton. The

same beat with different lyrics. It all starts sounding the same. But I’m sure folks who don’t care for Hip Hop or House music say the same thing about these genre(s) too. So when I heard this track, I automatically felt that 21 Savage’s influence must have played a part in the sample from Brandy being chosen. Because all of Burna Boy’s music just sounds like the same song over and over again. This was the first one since “Anybody” that caught my attention. I think if you want staying power stateside you should do more collaborations with different productions to keep your releases fresh and not so predictable.

And speaking of collaborations….Tee Grizzley & Machine Gun Kelly have the fifth track in our mix. From the video for “The Sopranos” it looks like it’s MGK’s track and Tee Grizzley is the feature. But it’s the other way around. In my opinion, Tee knows that he doesn’t have much of a presence and Mr. Kelly is the bigger star of the two.The song is alright but I don’t think it’s going to make a dent in the charts at all.

And up next is the Bow Tianic Remix of “Selfish” by Justin Timberlake. I watched his SNL performances and was not impressed. The funny thing is…no one else was impressed either. Britney Spears’ book really derailed his plans of a comeback and there’s rumors that he’s thinking of doing an Oprah interview. I think that would be a big mistake. But then again…Oprah is kinda light on most of her guests. No hard questions unless she has a mission to degrade them (like she did to Toni Braxton about filing bankruptcy). It still would be a big mistake for Justin. You never mentioned the pregnancy and you definitely never came to Janet Jackson’s defense after “Black Titty” Super Bowl incident. You just smirked your way onto the Pop charts while these two women had to deal with the aftermath. So while your ”Selfish” didn’t do well on the

charts, Britney’s 2011 single “Selfish” did chart as a reminder that you are not forgiven. And as a black man I am happy to see you get yours. You have made a career off of Black Music (in the tradition of Elvis) but not once spoke up during any of the high profile murdered black men who were killed by police in the 2000s and 2010s. You could have lent your support to the Black Lives Matter Movement (kinda like how Marlon Brando came to the March on Washington back in 1963). You saw how Eminem stepped up when “45” got into office. You could have done the same thing. You would have built a following with the Black Community. Instead, you have made a career of recreating their music and sound safely for a white audience. And now no one is listening.

So, earlier I mentioned the same beat while referencing Reggae. This season the Dutty Money Riddim is the sound of this genre right now. And it’s the backing track for Sean Paul’s new single “Greatest”. I like this song. Don’t know if I’d like to hear more than two songs with the same music behind them though.

When I saw the title for our eighth selection, I got a little excited but quickly discovered upon listening to the Papucho Moombahton Remix of “Pull Up To Mi Bumper” by Konshens featuring J Capri. It was not a cover of the Grace Jones classic. But it is a catchy Reggae track.

Up next is “My Love” by Leigh Anne featuring Ayra Starr has that downtempo Soca sound. It would work well in an Afro Beat set. I like it…reminds me of beach in summer.

It seems Beyoncé has started a real conversation about who is considered Country and who can enter the charts. And I’m here for it! I’m lovin’ every minute! Probably because I

remember the chilly reception she got at the 2016 Country Music Awards when she performed her Country song, “Daddy’s Lessons” with The Dixie Chicks. This is the ultimate “fuck you” to The Grammys Jay Z’s comments were the set up for what was to come. And “Texas Hold ‘Em” is brilliant! Ya’ll won’t give her Album Of Year? Well…she’s gonna do what Taylor Swift can’t! Taylor can’t do R&B and her collabs with Hip Hop artists are still just Pop. Beyoncé is showing you that she can do any genre. I’m hoping that Renaissance Part III is a Standards album. This will prove that there really is a ceiling for black artists. No one has worked as hard as this woman. Madonna used to. But what black artist can you think of that has a body of work like Beyoncé? I have nothing but mad respect for her. And for all you nay-sayers who are mad that she did a Country album – sit back and get schooled! This move is a stroke of genius!

And speaking of Country music and black artsis...Luke Combs did extremely well this past year when he covered Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”. A song written by a black lesbian went to #1 on the Country charts! And for the big divide going on in the U.S. right now, that is huge! When I reviewed his version a few months back, I complained that in all the clips I found of him performing the song he never uttered Tracy’s name. That infuriated me. Well for the Far Right, Luke did the unthinkable and performed the song as a duet with Tracy on The Grammys. Oh…you should have seen some of the comments on social media about how The Left was forcing the LGBT agenda down our throats. I personally was thrilled that they performed together. It showed he really admired and respected her as the legendary songwriter she is. And I’m glad that she got the spotlight again for this ground-breaking anthem. So, imagine my surprise when I found the DJ DigiMark Dance Mashup in my VJ circles. I think I’m gonna have to work a little more Country in my playlists and programming this year!

The twelfth song in our mix jogged a funny memory for me. Back in 1991 when “More Than Words” by Extreme was all over Pop radio, I was an avid weekly record shopper. My best friend, Rick West and I used to hit every record store in Tampa, Florida every Thursday evening. It was payday for me and we loved digging through all the crates to find promotional 12 inches and imports of the Club hits of the day. Well, I remember me finding the import 12” of “More Than Words” and Rick throwing a fit because he could not be seen with me purchasing some acoustic Pop song that wasn’t even remixed. He was a purist about Club and House music. It would be shameful if he somehow got associated with an ordinary radio hit by Extreme. But I loved the song and bought it anyway.

Well, suddenly there are several remixes that have dropped recently. And I chose the DJ Ivan Santana Remix to continue our journey for this month’s EAR CANDY. I believe you cannot be a good DJ if you only listen to one genre.

One evening while watching late night television, my husband and I came across a performance of “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan. The song didn’t do very much for me. It wasn’t my cup of tea. But when I heard the Morgan Page Remix, I figured this would be a good track to work in an acoustic guitar set. So, here we have it. Do I love the

remix? Not particularly. But I try to keep an open mind to what would work in certain settings. DJs today should try to remember that you are playing for others…not yourself.

My introduction to UK artist Youngr was his cover of “Lapdance” by NERD. It was such a fresh House take of the song that it became my “go-to-track” to help build my floor. Since then, this one-man-band has posted quite a collection of covers and originals on his YouTube channel. For our fourteenth selection, I have chosen his Incubus cover, “Are You In” If you have listened to the song, this is definitely a departure from the smoothed out Commercial Pop Rock original. I think I can work with this new version.

So, of course right after I programmed and completed this mix a Disco-House remix of “Think U The Shit (Fart)” by Ice Spice dropped. But I was not going back and re-doing this mix. It takes a lot to fit all of these songs together to try and make sense of the landscape of today’s music and releases. Is it a hit? Maybe for a week on TikTok. Is it gonna be a classic that we will be talking about as a game-changer? Probably not.

And since were moving into the remixed Hip Hop section, the sixteenth selection is the Ecky DJ & GV Remix of “Bops Goin’ Brazy” by Tyga x Franz Colmer. Because I don’t really pay attention to Tyga, I completely missed his “Ice Ice Baby” infused diddy with the video that seems to be paying homage to M.C. Hammer. But when I heard this remix, I thought…okay, I can work with this.

It seems like this is going to be a diva cat fight this year for the Pop charts. With Beyoncé, Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift dropping new projects, Jennifer Lopez has entered the fray with a new album and movie called “This Is Me…Now”. And the first single is “Can’t Get Enough”. It’s got that great NY Hip Hop vibe and a catchy hook. I have to applaud her for her performance on SNL. She brought it and brought it hard with an exclusive special guest rap by Redman as well as LATTO (who appears on the 2nd remix and video). And there’s a few Club and House remixes that have dropped but the Vincent Bastille Remix was the one that kept that Bronx Latino feel to it. I liked it and I did a video edit for that version.

One of the good things to come out of the Afro Invasion is remixes of a few of the classic Hip Hop hits. The Purple Yas Cepeda Afro Remix of “Who’s That Girl” by Eve is FIYAH! The energy of this one and the drop to the original works in so many ways. This could be a bridge to get to a more Urban set or a bridge to jump up to a House speed. Love tracks like this that can be used as tools to enhance your set.

I had seen Renee Rapp a couple of times on late night television but didn’t really pay attention. I knew she was a lesbian from her banter with Seth Meyers but did not spark my interest in her music. But after learning she is the star of the new “Mean Girls” movie of the musical and partnered with Megan Thee Stallion for a song called “Not My Fault”, I did give it a listen when they performed on SNL. And then I found the Sisco Kennedy Club Mix and fell in love with it. Since I tend to be doing video a lot more these days, the pink overtones and backgrounds in the video will work visually with any Barbie remixes from last year.

The twentieth track in this month’s mix is actually a remix of a 2000s UK hit that got featured in the movie “Saltburn”. And honestly…if it wasn’t for Barry Keoghan’s nude

dance scene in the finale, “Murder On The Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor probably wouldn’t have charted again. But the power of film and television can rechart anything. It’s a cute song and I used to enjoy mixing it with Michael Jackson’s “Blood On The Dancefloor” as a theme. But this Wilson & Smokin’ Jack Hill Reboot accompanied by footage from the film with the original music video was a selling point to include it in my programming.

I say it in almost every EAR CANDY article and I’m gonna say it again. “If we don’t support our own…who will?” I try to support as many LGBT artists as I can because I am an openly gay recording artist and DJ. Now…that does not mean I play everything that is sent my way. I have to discern what I think will be appropriate in my sets and what I think is a probable crossover hit.

Well, over the past four or five years I have struck up a friendship with singer songwriter Jaymze. Really nice guy and great Pop producer. I believe that Jaymze has an ear for what could be a hit. I like his vocals and I like his delivery. And his latest single, “Games” speaks of what I’m guessing is a past relationship. This is just the radio edit. I hope there are some DJ friendly remixes coming down the pike. And secretly I’m hoping that one day I can get him to write something for me. I wanna sing more as Jade Elektra And I believe that he could be the one to write a Pop song that would work for me.

Back in the 90s there were a few names that you would see and know automatically that the remix was going to be hot. For me, Marc “MK” Kinchen was one of those names. His interpretations of “Push The Feeling On” by Nightcrawlers and “Queenie” by Ethyl Meatplow were staples in my sets back then. And don’t even get me started on his mix of “Movin’ On Up” by M People. I first heard of MK with his House hits “Always” and “Burning”. But by the time we get to the 2000s we didn’t hear very much from him. But I’ve noticed his name popping up again and his latest single, “Take My Chance” is getting some traction (at least with me and my programming). I hope that he can get his footing again and find a new innovative sound that can reshape the landscape of House again.

I like our twenty-third track, but I don’t think “Fly Guy” by SNBRN will make a dent in the charts.

And to close out our mix is the Sisco Kennedy Club Mix of “All Night Long” by Kungs, David Guetta & Izzy Bizu. I have written about it before and I’m gonna express my distain for this practice again. I’m not understanding how or why these producers and remixers feel the need to steal a hook or line from a previous hit song and rename and rebrand it as if it was something new and their own. And because the kids today are TikTok obsessed, they don’t investigate or even care that what they are listening to is repurposed. This is clearly a line taken from Cathy Dennis’ cover of “Touch Me (All Night Long)” by Fonda Rae. By dropping “Touch Me” it is suddenly a new song and our young audience and no one is the wiser….shameful.