UPCOMING EVENTS

November 4th – LIFE IS FABULOUS! Starring Charles Sanchez at the Laurie Beechman Theatre (NY) Link posted above with ar+cle.

November 9th – MINGLE with CBRC at The Well (Toronto) 6-10 PM Guest Speaker Chris

Draenos (info on new HIV treatments /STI preven+on drug), Special guest Go-Go Boy Travis L’Henaff and music videos by DJ Relentless. NO COVER. Bar & Restaurant

Link: h1ps://www.facebook.com/events/870844707979114

November 9th – 35th Anniversary of FIFE HOUSE at The 519 (Toronto) 6:30 – 9 PM (Toronto)

November 20th – HARMONIZING HEARTS: Music For A Cause featuring Joey Niiceford (Toronto)

Tickets here: h1ps://roythomsonhall.mhrth.com/+ckets/harmonizing-hearts

November 30th – CANFAR BLOOR STREET ENTERTAINS (Toronto) SOLD OUT

Some research was just published on the website Poz.com: “Women living with HIV are more likely to have other age-related conditions that can affect their overall health and quality of life, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open.” They also report that another study shows that women living with HIV do not have the same protections against heart disease that HIV negative women have.

In the first study they found, “Women were more likely than men to have bone problems (42% versus 19%), lung disease (38% versus 10%) or diabetes (24% versus 17%), but less likely to have hypertension (68% versus 75%), psychiatric illness (55% versus 58%), dyslipidemia (41% versus 64%), liver problems (34% versus 38%), kidney disease (14% versus 15%) or cancer (7% versus 12%). Both groups were equally likely to have cardiovascular disease (15% each).” (Aging-Related Comorbidity Burden Among Women and Men With or At-Risk for HIV in the US, 2008-2019 | Infectious Diseases | JAMA Network Open | JAMA Network)” https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2807962

“In this cross-sectional study, the overall burden of aging-related comorbidities was higher in women versus men, particularly among people with HIV, and the distribution of comorbidity prevalence differed by sex,” the study authors concluded. “Comorbidity screening and prevention strategies tailored by HIV serostatus and sex or gender may be needed.”

So, what does this mean for women living with HIV? As I have said numerous times in these articles: talk to your doctor. You need to be screened for the most common co-morbidities that affect us: diabetes, bone density issues and lung disease. Even though women living with HIV are not at greater risk for cardiovascular events according to this study, you should still be screened for any cardio problems. Another study concluded that “The protective advantage of female sex against [atherosclerotic https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2304146

CVD] observed in the general population is diminished among women with HIV…Earlier and more intensive treatment strategies are needed to reduce sex-based disparities.” This means that the general population of women have a lower risk of cardiovascular issues, while women living with HIV do not have the same lowered risk. Again, talk to your doctor and insist on having cardio testing done. Recent research has shown that people living with HIV need to be on statins that protect against cardiovascular events.

As a long-term survivor of HIV, diagnosed in 1991, I have had to deal with multiple co-morbidities. More and more evidence is coming to light that some of these comorbidities could be caused by inflammation caused by untreated HIV from before effective anti-retroviral treatments were made available. Some of this can be reversed through diet and exercise. Some of it cannot. I have often not been given truthful answers when I’ve asked what caused these issues. Many HIV specialists are not willing to admit that HIV itself (through inflammation) and HIV treatments, especially the older versions, have caused this. Often, the attitude is that I must have done something to cause this. Don’t accept the blame game.

If you are on a medication that is known to cause osteoporosis (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, aka TDF, for example: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32077867/ , demand to be switched to Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF), which has a much lower risk of bone health issues. Ensure that you have a baseline bone density scan done. If your scan shows that you have osteoporosis, determine if it’s caused by a medication. If it is, switch to one that doesn’t cause this. Then do a follow up scan in 1 to 5 years, depending on the level of osteoporosis the initial scan shows. Given the elevated risk of osteoporosis, all women living with HIV should have a baseline bone scan done and if it shows you do not have bone disease, have a follow up scan done every 15 years. Because of the elevated risk for women living with HIV, your doctor may recommend a bone scan more frequently as you age. If the cause was HIV medication, after you switch, find out what dietary changes or medication additions you could take that will help you build bone mass. After I was taken off TDF, I was prescribed Alendronate, a once weekly medication that prevents further bone breakdown and increases bone density. I have recently been able to stop taking the Alendronate as my follow up scans show I am not continuing to lose bone density. I will have a follow up bone density scan done next year to ensure that my bone density stays stable. I did change some dietary things as well: increased the amount of calcium containing food that I eat (eg: almonds, green leafy vegetables, milk/soy and oat milk) and taking a daily supplement of calcium carbonate and vitamin D.

Ask your doctor to check your blood sugars and triglycerides periodically to ensure that if you have diabetes, you can start on treatment. Again, don’t accept the blame game. When I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I was told if I lost weight and changed my diet, I could bring my blood sugar under control. So, I embarked on a yearlong exercise and diet plan and lost 60 pounds. Did it make any difference? The short answer is no. Sure; I had more energy, but poor diet and lack of exercise were not the culprits in my diabetes. After reading up on the research, HIV medication (especially the old anti-retroviral medications from the late nineties and early 2000s) and genetics were probably the combined causes. Neither of these were suggested by my doctors. Women are often made to feel that they are to blame for their health conditions, when often, there is nothing they could have done to prevent the issues they are having.

We are our own best health care advocates. That being said, if your doctor is not listening to you, consider talking to your local HIV organization and seeing if they have a peer health advocate who can come with you to your appointment to discuss your concerns. Sadly, they may listen to you if there is someone else with you who can advocate for you to be heard. Sure, they should be listening to you, but sometimes you have to pull out your advocacy tools to ensure you get the healthcare support you need. This is your life we’re talking about, after all. We need to do whatever it takes to ensure we live long and healthy lives. Take good care of yourselves.

A couple of months ago I was one of the judges for The Queen's Scepter Pageant. For the interview portion before the pageant started, I asked the contestants what they thought about giving back to the community by doing charity work. The winner of that pageant was the only one to actually contact me afterwards to ask how she could help. The newly crowned Miss Queen's Scepter is Sha'naja D'jae Divine and after a phone conversation I found out that we had more in common than I thought.

So, I decided to have a sit-down with her so she could share her story.

JE: Good evening....thank you for doing this interview. How are you today?

SDD: Hey Jade, I’m doing well, no complaints. Hopefully I’m not a chatty Kathy today

JE: I'm sure our readers would love to know more about you. So...where are you from? What's your background? And (I already know this) but where do you live now?

SDD: I’m originally from The Bahamas, lived there until I was 30 and decided I needed a change of scenery, even though I can do without the freezing winters. I came to Canada as Refugee in 2017 & 6 year later I can proudly say that I am a Canadian Citizen, residing in Toronto.

JE: You know...when you contacted me about helping with our MINGLE events, I was totally surprised. Most queens on the scene are not interested in giving back to the community. What was your motivation and have you done any community work in the past?

SDD: To be totally honest, my biggest motivation is rooted in the belief that we are all in this together. We find ways to sacrifice for other things which are maybe less important, so offer up my time for something more meaningful (if that makes sense lol). Unfortunately, I have not done any outreach or giving back since moving to Canada, and I think that was mostly in part to the fact that, I’ve never been connected with the right person. So, I’d say meeting you at the pageant reignited the spark.

Before moving to Canada, I did volunteer with the pageantry system, by offering a full pampering day for women fighting or surviving Breast Cancer. Our second event was spending the day at The AllSaints Camp (Bahamas), serving breakfast, donating clothing, and spending time with persons living with HIV.

JE: Okay, I ask everyone who is featured in this column this question...how long have you been HIV+ and what was it like when you got the diagnosis? Did you have a support system or were you afraid to tell anyone?

SDD: I was diagnosed as HIV+ in 2010, and to be honest that was a strangely weird day. The nurse gave me my results and I knew what I heard, but I was also heading to work shortly after my appointment. Needless to say, I went to work as if nothing happened, and then opted to tell the one person in the world I knew who wouldn’t judge me (my grandmother). I only told her, my parents and my aunt who is more of a sister to me. They have been my strongest support system, and even though my Grams has passed, they keep me motivated.

JE: I'm curious...how did you start performing in drag?

SDD: It was sheer curiosity that got me into drag. I saw friends in my circle dressing up and looking all fab. So I was like, ok I want to be pretty too and here we many many years later, not only am I a proud drag queen, it’s also helped me discover my inner pageant girl.

JE: My name was born out of homage to the queen who took me in when I moved to New York City back in 1992. Her name was The Electrifying Grace. I wasn't going to call myself The Electrifying Jade...so I called myself Jade Elektra instead. Where did your name come from?

SDD: My name causes so much confusion when it’s time to pronounce it, so telling the back story always warms my heart. My name was randomly thought up by two of my friends who were also performers at the time Shae Shae Iman, & Naja Divine. I had no intentions of ever using it, but they combined their names and that was the birth of Sha’naja Divine (pronounced Sha’naj)

JE: I have done a few pageants back in the day. I even represented Canada in the Miss Continental Elite pageant in Chicago back in 2013. How did you get involved in the pageant system?

SDD: I got involved in pageantry when I competed for the first time in a pageant called Ms Fresh Face Bahamas. The system was created to give persons who’ve never competed before, a chance to compete and kick start their pageant career. Suffice it to say I didn’t win, but that didn’t stop me. I went on to compete for other titles:

Ms. Drag Commonwealth Bahamas Newcomer 2011 – Winner

Ms Queen’s Scepter Newcomer 2016 – Winner

Ms. Forbidden Newcomer 2017 – Winner

Ms. Opulence (Toronto) 2018

Ms. Queen’s Scepter International 2023 – Winner & Current Reigning

JE: You hosted the October MINGLE event at The Well in Toronto. How was that experience and would you do it again?

SDD: I had the time of my life, hosting & performing. Getting to meet new people, see their smiling faces. I can’t say Thank You enough for giving me the opportunity, and most definitely I would do it again.

JE: What are your goals as Sha'naja D'jae Divine? What do you want to be remembered for?

SDD: My goals are to have a successful reign, while promoting the system I love so dearly and also promoting my very own brand, not only as an entertainer but also as a proud member of the LGBTQ family. When I’m no longer on this earth ( and I intend to live a long time), I want just the mention of my name to bring a smile to peoples faces, and I’d want it to be said that she was “That Girl”. Fearless, Proud, Courageous, Gorgeous, Stunning & Queen.

JE: Well, I am very glad that you reached out to me. I look forward to doing more community work together. We need more drag performers to think beyond themselves for a change. We as performers used to be the main fundraisers for most of the causes that effected the LGBT Community. So, thank you for taking the time to do this interview and for hosting the MINGLE event.

Listen to the mix here: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny/ear-candy-november-2023

Download your free video of this mix here: https://krakenfiles.com/view/87WqD7H0E5/file.html

Check out DJ Relentless’ Mixcloud page: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny

Check out DJ Relentless’ HearThis page: https://hearthis.at/djrelentlesstoronto

Well, the year is almost over and what a hell of year it has been so far. Somehow, we have forgo8en that we are all human beings and everyone wants to be right but not listen. It seems that “Team This” wants to one-up “Team That”….dueling live concerts, elecAon deniers holding democracy hostage and history is repeaAng itself when it comes to oppression.

But as the soundtracks of our lives conAnue to pour out, it’s my task to introduce you to some new tracks and remixes with the hope of educaAng and entertaining my audience. And I know some might say why is a music column important in an HIV Community Magazine. Well…music is what got me through all my years of living with this disease and perhaps I can share some of that insight and energy with you.

We’ve got twenty-four songs to talk about this month and I say we should get started…

To start off the mix I chose that hot new collaboraAon between rapper La#o and Grammy winner Chris+na Aguilera. It’s that catchy track “(Just Eat) Did Somebody Say” for SKIP THE DISHES. Yeah…I started this month’s mix with a commercial. You see, while scrolling my Twi#er feed (I refuse to call it X) I kept seeing all these posts about how “FYRE” this collab was. So, when I first saw the clip, I thought “Wow! They went all out for this music video!” Only to realize later that day it was an adverAsement when I saw the commercial on TV. And so far, SKIP THE DISHES rocked it with their Snoop Dogg commercial, but I was kinda sick of the Katy Perry one though. But maybe LaCo & ChrisFna will do an actual single together in the future.

I am always saying that if we as a community don’t support our own – who will? Our second track is “One Of Your Girls” by Troye Sivan. I think I like the video more than I like the song. And that’s probably because I imagine some straight guy skimming through the video on social media and saying “That girl is kinda hot!”. Well…that girl is Troye. He does drag in this one and he is serving up a Taylor SwiL vibe. Don’t get me wrong. The song is nice and I like the lyrics. I hope there will be some remixes in the future. Us DJs need our dance floor friendly tracks.

I have been very concerned ever since I heard about Bad Bunny geYng involved with Kendall Jenner. That family is nothing but trouble and in my opinion, what’s wrong with social media today. Such bad examples for our kids to model themselves aZer. But I sAll find him sexy as hell in his latest music video for “Un Preview”. Nice Moombahton track at 95 BPMs but hopefully there will be some remixes. I enjoyed his performances and hosAng on SNL as well.

I read that The Weeknd said that this will be his last collaboraAon unless DaL Punk reunites. AZer listening to his feature on Diddy’s new single “Another One Of Me” with 21 Savage & French Montana, I understand. The only good thing about this track is the Phil Collins sample from “In The Air Tonight”. I mean…at this point Diddy should reAre. There was a Ame when he was a good producer but I have never had a moment when I thought “Damn, dat boy has a great flow and I want to hear his enAre catalogue.” He’s not a rapper. Never was.

And speaking of non-rappers, I came across “Rich MF” by Yella Beezy. So Ared of the brag raps and uninspired rap names. As the cops used to say back in NYC back in the 90s at any incident in the city –“Nothing to see here folks!”

Our sixth selecAon is the collaboraAon between Jung Kook and Jack Harlow called “3D”. SAll not clear on what makes a song K-Pop because by the logic for that genre right now if I sang a Country song it should be considered R&B because of my race. But I digressed…this Pop song is kinda cute. Out of the “K-Pop” genre I am groovin’ off of Jung Kook I mean…it sounds like an a8empt at doing R&B music but what do I know?

So, summer is over on this side of the marble (except for in L.A.) but I imagine down under things are beginning to heat up. So, our seventh track won’t sound out of place. “Summa Hot” by Sean Paul sounds like a summerAme banga. The music video is definitely something for the straight boys and our lesbian friends.

I don’t know about you, but I have always had a thing for Lenny Kravitz. And his music isn’t bad either. Just kidding…his music is great! And his latest single, “TK421” is no excepAon. It doesn’t hurt that he’s naked in the video. The one thing I can say about Lenny and his music is that he has been a bridge between Pop and Rock his enAre career. I’m thinking about a8empAng a remix for this one. We’ll see.

Our ninth selecAon is the Funkymix of “Greedy” By Tate McCrae. There’s a Quinten Circle Remix but the Funkymix worked be8er with my set. And while I like the remix I think the Funkymix of the original is the be8er of the two. I was surprised to find out she is Canadian and was a finalist on Canada’s version of So You Think You Can Dance. She’s only 20 years old and started her recording career in 2017 for RCA Records. With the right promoAons and stylists she could be the female version of Jus+n Bieber. She has the Pop R&B sound to crossover.

So, everyone is talking about the Taylor SwiL concert film. It’s broken all the records for Acket sales in theatres. I think she released it early because Beyoncé’s concert film is coming on December 1st and she wanted to get her flowers now before being knocked out of the box. As soon as I started seeing cellphone footage of Beyoncé’s shows, I immediately knew this is going to be a film. Cuz let’s face it….Taylor is no Beyoncé!

Apparently, there is a song in the concert called “Energy” that has a “mute moment” that the audiences are challenged to do on que. I don’t have the money to see Beyoncé’s concert. So, I’ll just have to wait for the film. I’ve been on stage with her before when Harmonica Sunbeam and myself (as Jade Elektra) performed “Crazy In Love” with her back in 2003 at The Roxy (NYC). So, I found the Herb Wind & Fire Mimosa Revibe of “Energy” to add to this month’s mix.

The eleventh track in our mix is “FUN” by Ultra Naté. I haven’t purchased it yet, but I am assuming that this is the lead single from her ULTRA Deluxe album. Ultra has been a staple in House music since 1990. So, I believe this deluxe collecAon will be a great addiAon to anyone’s library. And “FUN” is a nice single. I’m sure there will be remixes to follow.

So, my husband subscribes to Spo+fy and I guess they do a New music release day each week. He’s always got his eye out for any LGBTQ2+ arFsts and he came across a country song called h8ps://holocausteducaAon.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/1.-NonJewishVicAmsOfNaziPersecuAonMurder-Digital.pdf

“Good Lookin’” by Dixon Dallas. He then saw a TikTok video that had a hideous Techno version of the song. Thankfully I found the Jared Jones Remix that worked perfectly for my taste and great for mixing. But who is Dixon Dallas? Well, he’s actually Jake Hill (Dixon Dallas is a play on words) and he is currently shaking up the Country music world with his queer inclusive lyrics. If Lil Nas X changed the conversaAon on what is considered Country music with his release of “Old Town Road”, then Dixon Dallas is challenging acceptance of LGBT arFsts in a genre that is known for shunning anything that is not part of the good ol’ boy ideal of what a man is. So, I whole heartedly embrace Dixon’s music and hope there are more remixes in the works for his future releases.

So, our thirteenth selecAon is the Jared Jones Remix of “I Want You” by Savage Garden. Back in the 90s when this was a Pop hit for this Australian duo, I really didn’t think twice about not playing it. It was too commercial for my taste back then. But you know, as you get older you learn to appreciate a lot of the things you found trivial in the past. And aZer finding out Darren Hayes is gay, I have to support. And Jared did an amazing job at making this song DJ friendly for mixing.

I know everyone wet their panAes over “Padam Padam” but I’m kinda grooving more on Stevie Psyclone’s 8 Inch Mix of “Tension” by Kylie Minogue. It’s a li8le sexier and it has porno theme wri8en all over it. And she looks great in the video.

I was disappointed that our fiZeenth track didn’t have a video. I could only imagine it would have been hilarious! But since record labels don’t really support and spend money on music videos unless you are an already established arAst or group, it makes sense that that a House music arAst on an independent label would not have a music video. So, the Booker T Remix of “Rick James, Bitch” by Eric Redd is kinda hot. It basically a cover of “Give It To Me Baby” done as a House track.

And speaking of rebooted Disco tracks, Pitbull has teamed up with Nile Rodgers for his latest single “FREAK 54” Basically, it’s him rapping over Chic’s classic “Le Freak”. I hear that Pitbull is currently on tour with Ricky Mar+n & Enrique Iglesias. Sounds like a pre8y good Acket. As for the track, maybe the Shay Silver Remix will breathe some life into this one, but I chose the original to give you the effect of what will be played on radio.

The seventeenth track is Stevie Psyclone’s 8 Inch Mix of “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” by Chappel Roan. Every Ame I see and hear one of these waif girls with colored hair I think of Cyndi Lauper without the talent or voice. Sure, Cyndi was in her 30s when she burst on the Pop charts with “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, but she had been in bands and had worked hard for that breakthrough. Today these kids do a TikTok video and expect to be legendary. No one works for it anymore. So, when I looked at this girl in this video I was like “you haven’t even had a career and you think that you’re going to be the next Lady GaGa.” She actually worked at it and is a great songwriter. This track is not going to do that well. There are too many preYer girls jiggling their asses and fake boobs in the camera. Roan is not unusual. There are a million girls out there with the same clownish makeup and American Idol talent. Sorry, girl.

Since our eighteenth arAst is Israeli it will give me an opportunity to talk about what’s all over the news. I had been avoiding talking about the Israel / Pales+ne War because folks are really going crazy with their opinions. I support both and am against Hamas but I think the thing that bothers me the most is the anAsemiAc concept over supporAng PalesFne. I have been accused of being anAsemiAc for wishing that Israelis and PalesFnians could find common ground to live in harmony. And I’ve had too many conversaAons with Jewish friends who speak of only Jews being murdered in The Holocaust when we know that many other groups died there too (Homosexuals, Disabled People, Polish People. Black People, Mentally Ill People, Roma and Jahovah’s Witnesses). When these other groups are experiencing racism or prejudice it is rare that the Jewish CommuniAes as a whole stand up for them…but they should. They want the world to support them. We are all looking for equality and the same rights.

Okay…I’ve said my two cents. You can cancel me now

And now for my thoughts on the Teddy J Remix of “Unicorn” by Noa Kirel Honestly, I like the producAon on the Sagi Kariv & Itay Galo Remix but it doesn’t have a good intro for mixing. So, I used the Teddy J Remix instead. I like the song and I like her. Not sure it will be a big hit for her though. The video is cute.

Um…I kinda liked Shania Twain back in the 90s for a brief moment but I am not understanding the resurgence of her popularity recently. I mean…it’s not like the adoraAon for Dolly Parton She’s a legend. But hey…I guess for someone born in the late 80s or early 90s, Shania is a legend.

Anyway…our nineteenth track is the Tom BVRN Remix of “Unhealthy” by Anne-Marie featuring Shania Twain. From the lyrics it sounds like Anne-Marie is having a real unhealthy a8achment to some guy. The Wild West theme of the music video is cute. But somehow AnneMarie has not crossed over on this side of the pond. I did like her duet with Lauv called “Fuck, I’m Lonely”. I wish her and Shania well on this one.

I recently watch an interview with Olivia Rodrigo on Jimmy Kimmel. She was adorable and very likeable. And the Kue Remix of “Vampire” was a hit for me on my Halloween ediAon of my weekly video mixshow, VIDEODROME. And I liked the DASHONE & Felixx Remix so much that I just had to do a video edit for it and used it in this set. UnAl I found these two mixes I didn’t care for this song. The original reminded me how annoyed I was with that “Drivers License” song.

In a conversaAon with a content producer who wants me to get involved in one of his projects, I explained that I do not have a TikTok account and barely use my Instagram. I just feel like I don’t have the energy to keep up with creaAng posts for such a huge turnover. What on earth would my life experience mean to some kids online? So, imagine listening to a 20 year old named Mae Stephens who apparently is an online sensaAon with a new hit called “If We Ever Broke Up” and actually liking and relaAng to the lyrics. I hope that her fiZeen minutes are long and she uses them to her advantage. I used the Sick Individuals Remix in this set.

So, when Stephen Colbert leZ his show on Comedy Central to go host The Late Show on CBS, I was disappointed and upset. His old character was the perfect saArical lampoon of the Republican Party there had ever been. And then he introduced his late night band which was led by Jon Ba+ste with this Zydeco sound. I hated it! So, I am happy that Jon has leZ the show and is growing as an arAst. I know he has a background of New Orleans Jazz and is a respected arAst, but he wasn’t doing it for me on that show. So, imagine my surprise when I discovered that he teamed up with the Club duo, Sofi Tukker for a track called “Worship”. I like it. Good for you, Jon! And how many of you didn’t know that Sofi Tukker’s name was a combo of the names of the duo? I certainly didn’t unAl I Googled them.

Our twenty-third selecAon is “Pre#y Girl” by Ice Spice & Rema. I watched Ice on SNL and was heavily unimpressed. Is there anything else to your personality than bouncing your ass up and down into the camera? Your flow is one note. And this Afro Beat producAon on this duet is a bit of a snooze too. Maybe if there was a good remix it might breathe some life into this song.

So, to close out our mix this month I chose the Vandal On Da Track Remix of “We Dem Boyz” by Wiz Khalifah. The lyrics drip with “machismo” but it is sAll a banga. AZer the last track I needed something to end with some energy.