Isabella Gamk: You Will Remember Her Name
Prolific Toronto 2SLGBTQI+ activist to receive MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) written by JORIAL
If you're reading this on or after Saturday November 2nd, 2024, Isabella Gamk is no longer with us, and is at last free of pain from numerous ailments and health conditions, including HIV.
POZPLANET Magazine readers know Isabella from her feature interview and cover story of the June 2024 Pride Issue. https://issuu.com/pozplanetmagazine/docs/pozplanet_magazine_june_2024_fina l_issue?fbclid=IwY2xjawGJXUlleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdY0Koy6hazpKJpcPlTNJHe5d Q9yRNbz1S1y_HooZoMR03YVBUeauyUB-A_aem_WZOPVqlGlCzh-Lc5kKzdwg
A longtime Toronto activist, 2x mayoral candidate and passionate member of the city's 2SLGBTQI+ community, Gamk is scheduled to receive MAID (Medical Assistance In Dying) on Saturday, November 2nd, 2024.
Isabella Gamk is a 60-something transwoman and prolific poverty/HIV+ activist and founder of the 1.7+ thousand-member POOF Protecting ODSP OW Funding group and has spent the last few years contemplating, and the last year navigating the plethora of obstacles involved applying for MAID, a process that allows eligible individuals to be receive assistance from a medical practitioner in ending their life.
What exactly is MAID?
"Medical assistance in dying (MAID) is a process that allows someone who is found eligible to be able to receive assistance from a medical practitioner in ending their life. The federal Criminal Code of Canada permits this to take place only under very specific circumstances and rules. Anyone requesting this service must meet specific eligibility criteria to receive medical assistance in dying. Any medical practitioner who administers an assisted death to someone must satisfy certain safeguards first.
Only medical practitioners are permitted to conduct assessments and to provide medical assistance in dying. This can be a physician or a nurse practitioner, where provinces and territories allow.
There are 2 methods of medical assistance in dying available in Canada.
Method 1: a physician or nurse practitioner directly administers a substance that causes death, such as an injection of a drug. This is sometimes called clinician-administered medical assistance in dying.
Method 2: a physician or nurse practitioner provides or prescribes a drug that the eligible person takes themselves, in order to bring about their own death. This is sometimes called self-administered medical assistance in dying."
- Healthcare Canada
People living below the poverty line who apply for and are approved for MAID is an extremely contentious issue to Canadians from all walks of life.
Isabella has approached her decision with such bravery and confidence that a Celebration of Life party planned by Isabella's friends was held on Saturday October 26th at Toronto Chaatwala restaurant (250 Dundas Street West).
The event was playfully called Exit Stage Left (link below)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1090836059281642
Isabella's many friends, fellow activists, comrades and colleagues stopped by to say goodbye and inso doing learned more about the MAID process as they celebrated her storied history of activism and personallyy thank her for exhaustive work fighting the various powers that be on behalf of all of us.
Dozens of people attended including New Democrat MPP Jill Andrew (TorontoSt.Paul's).
If you missed attending celebration of life in-person, there's still time to send Isabella a message to her Facebook profile or to the POOF Protect ODSP OW Funding Facebook group.
https://www.facebook.com/isabella.gamk
https://www.facebook.com/groups/557774581337202
EDITOR’S NOTE:
As a fellow activist and person living with HIV, I am grateful to have met Isabella and had the opportunity to spend some time with her. I cannot image her pain and her journey, but I respect her choice. I am so glad that our magazine got to share her story Our lives and our stories are so important, and it is imperative that we tell our history and allow all people living with HIV to live their best lives with dignity.
Thank you, Isabella for all that you have done for our community.
- Alphonso King Jr
Find this blog and others here: https://marksking.com
Atlanta Event Salutes the Writing of Mark S. King
At Out Front Theater on August 8, 2024, seven Atlanta community members performed essays from my new collection, My Fabulous Disease: Chronicles of a Gay Survivor. It was the last stop of a national tour that included events in Palm Springs, Ft. Lauderdale, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Oklahoma City and West Hollywood. In each city, local performers and community notables read essays from the book. It was a great way to make the event about more than the book itself, as each reader shared their own perspectives after reading their essay.
Performers around the country included elected officials, drag queens, television personalities, and, most movingly, long-term HIV/AIDS survivors.
My adopted hometown of Atlanta made a fabulous final stop. Here is the line-up and the markers for their reading on the video:
0:00 Mark S. King, writer and survivor (“HIV and Other Fabulous Prizes”)
A story about winning a car on The Price is Right in 1980.
8:53 Darian Aaron, GLAAD (“Outliving My Father”)
When my father fell ill, a private wish I had would be fulfilled: I would outlive my father.
15:13 Devin Bernard, content creator and comic (“My Gonorrhea Nostalgia”)
Remember when getting an STI was a rite of passage and nothing more?
20:30 Jim Farmer, Out on Film (“Your Mother Liked It Bareback”)
Provocative for its time, the essay challenged judgments about sex without condoms.
28:43 Tracee McDaniel, Juxtaposed Center (“The Man Who Buried Them Remembers”)
A moving portrait of a priest who performed gravesite memorials for people lost to AIDS.
41:30 Benji Carr, actor and theater critic (“Probing My Anal Phobia”)
A hilarious episode of trying to bottom and an embarrassing douching disaster.
50:35 Mark S. King (“When Survival Ends”)
A new piece about survivors facing our mortality for a second time.
1:01:57 Larry L. Scott-Walker, spoken word artist (“Once, When We Were Heroes”)
A signature piece about the trauma survivors face in the here and now.
You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/ZKPgxnYve_A?feature=shared
We here at POZPLANET Magazine are so proud of and happy for Mark S. King being honored for his work. And we greatly appreciate his allowing us to reprint and share his blogs. We are sure that many of our readers appreciate his work too.
https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2024/10/21/hiv- cases- on-the-rise-in-alberta
HIV cases in Alberta are rising at a shocking rate, according to a new Alberta Health report. The report shows a 73 per cent increase in HIV cases in 2023 compared to 2022.
The annual Alberta Health report reveals the number of new HIV cases rising from 293 in 2022 to 507 in 2023.
“The number of new to us patients continue to rise and it’s really well above the historic numbers for the last 20 years. We have three components: new local infections, migrants across Canada, and migrants from other countries,” said Dr. John Gill, medical director of the Southern Alberta HIV Clinic.
“Migrants from other countries do at times find it diQicult to connect, maybe to improve the connectivity after someone lands to be aware of the Northern Alberta HIV program. This is where you go; this is how care is delivered,” said Gill.
According to the report, 54.8 percent of cases in 2023 were acquired outside the country, compared to 43 percent in 2022.
“It could be immigrant. It could also be people who travelled outside the country and have returned and tested positive for HIV,” said Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi, manager of community relations at SafeLink Alberta.
According to the report, the second most common category of exposure in 2023, accounting for 18.5 percent of new cases, was transmission between heterosexual partners.
“Heterosexual transmission is not necessarily consensual transmission. And yes, we certainly have a large number of heterosexuals now, usually from immigrant countries. There are diQerent needs,” said Gill.
Not only doctors, but also front-line agencies are seeing the impact of the rising numbers of HIV cases. SafeLink Alberta says more health education is needed.
“The data reminds us of a holistic approach to education and awareness on prevention. We need to work around the stigmas associated with accessing support services,” said Osowobi.
In an email to CityNews, Alberta Health said the government continues to work with Alberta Health Services (AHS) and community-based organizations to improve health, reduce barriers to sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections testing and treatment, and increase access to screening.
The number of HIV cases this year has not been finalized; however, cases are on track to be similar to what was reported in 2023.
“The government of Alberta needs to be pumping more resources into STI testing and treatment to respond to the influx of cases,” said Osowobi.
I met our featured person last year on my birthday at a CANFAR Ambassadors Meeting. We have a pretty diverse group of ambassadors, but I was really excited to have a woman of color join the team. But then she suddenly disappeared for a few months, and I did not see her at other functions. When she returned, she shared with us an article about her rescuing her daughter who had been abducted and was being held captive in her home country. Back in April we shared that interview, but I wanted to learn more about her. So, I am very happy to sit and talk with the lovely and beautiful Ciro Muiruri.
JE: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. I am so glad to finally get to learn more about you and how you became a CANFAR Ambassador. How are you today?
CM: I’m fueled by adrenaline right now! I just completed an intense multi- city fundraising tour for Pendo International Projects, where we're running a capital campaign to raise $1,000,000 for a new education facility in Kenya. I spent four days in London, UK, followed by a five- day conference in Ghana, and then capped it oV with ten days in Kenya. So far in the last two years, we’ve raised $450,000, and the experiences and connections made along the way have been incredibly rewarding!
JE: So, hopefully you have read some of our past issues. This is where I ask about your background and where you are from. Would you mind sharing a little about who you are and where you come from?
CM: I was born and raised in Kenya. I moved to Canada eight years ago. With a professional background in early childhood education, I initially trained as a teacher for young children. Today, I’m the founder and Executive Director of Pendo International Projects, a Canadian charity dedicated to development initiatives in Kenya, particularly through building “Educare Centers.” These centers provide both childcare for children ages 18 months to 3 years and early childhood education for children 4 to 6 or 7 years old, equivalent to Junior and Senior Kindergarten in Canada.
My journey in education and community development began in 2006 when I helped establish the first Educare school for deaf children in Kibera, one of Africa’s largest slums. By 2009, I had transitioned to social entrepreneurship, opening private Montessori schools in Nairobi, which I managed until 2016.
In 2019, I established Pendo International Projects in Canada, finding a way to continue my mission of educating young children in Kenya. Now, I lead teams in both countries. Beyond education, I’m a passionate advocate for HIV awareness, gender-based violence prevention, refugee rights, and human rights, and I regularly engage in public speaking on these topics.
JE: I'm sure you have heard this before, but you are a very beautiful woman. Have you ever done any modeling? 'Cuz girl...you would be a natural!
CM: Thank you for the lovely compliment! Yes, I’ve definitely been told I have the look, and funny enough, I actually dreamed of being a supermodel when I was younger. Growing up in one of Kenya's biggest slums made it tough to pursue, so I only ever modeled for fun in high school. Life has taken me in diVerent directions since, but I’d still love to give modeling a try here in Canada if the chance came up just not sure where to start! So, if any modeling agents are reading this, let’s connect!
JE: Now comes a really personal question...how long have you been HIV+ and what was it like when you received your diagnosis? I only ask because I like for our readers to know and understand they that are not alone and we all have those moments of fear of the news. I was diagnosed back in 1990 and it was a completely diVerent world back then. My reaction was that I was going to die early. Fortunately I didn't and I'm still here.
CM: While I am HIV-negative, HIV/AIDS has profoundly shaped my life. In Kenya, we refer to people like me as those "AVected by HIV" – individuals whose lives have been dramatically altered by the epidemic despite not carrying the virus ourselves.
I lost both my parents to AIDS in the 1990s. My mother passed away at just 33 years old, and six years later, my father died at 40. Their deaths thrust me into a role no child should face – becoming the head of our household at age 11. I cared for both my ailing parents until their final days while also looking after my younger sister, a responsibility that continued after their passing.
Growing up in Nairobi's slums, I witnessed firsthand how HIV/AIDS devastates families and communities. Children of HIV-positive parents face overwhelming challenges – the risk of becoming orphans, abandonment, placement in foster care or institutions, homelessness, or being forced to become household heads while still children themselves. My story is just one among many.
The impact of HIV/AIDS on Africa cannot be overstated. The continent remains the global epicenter of the epidemic, with Eastern Africa, where Kenya is located, being the second most aVected region after Southern Africa globally. The statistics are staggering: More than two -thirds of new HIV infections worldwide are in sub -Saharan Africa. AIDS in Africa is still one of the biggest humanitarian disasters of our time. AIDS has devastating social and economic consequences.
JE: What is healthcare like for people living with HIV in your country? Are the meds accessible?
CM: Healthcare for people living with HIV in Kenya has transformed dramatically since the 1990s. My parents, like many others in the 90’s, remained deprived not only of any antiretroviral therapy, but also had limited access to treatment of many opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, oral candidiasis, and pneumonia. HIV was essentially a death sentence for most Kenyans. Today, the situation is much improved. ARVs are free through public health facilities, and most hospitals have comprehensive care clinics. However, challenges remain - especially in rural areas where people struggle with transportation to clinics, occasional drug stock outs, and persistent stigma.
While we've made significant progress since the devastating 1990s, we still have work to do to ensure everyone in Kenya can access the HIV treatment and care they need.
JE: So, I'm curious about how you began your HIV activism. How do you become a CANFAR Ambassador and what is the work you are doing here in Toronto?
CM: Losing my parents to AIDS made me an orphan and ignited a deep drive to become an activist. Watching their suVering, I knew I didn’t want anyone else especially young children to endure what I did: becoming a caregiver too early, facing stigma, and living in constant fear. HIV terrified me; I avoided boys altogether, convinced they could transmit it to me.
Last year, I shared my story in Toronto Life, and someone who read it connected me with Alex, the CEO of CANFAR. This led to the incredible opportunity to serve as an ambassador. Today, I advocate through speaking engagements and volunteer with AIDS organizations across Canada.
JE: Before I let you go....one more thing. What advice would you give to a young woman who finds out that she is HIV+?
CM: That's an important question. I would tell a young woman who finds out she is HIVpositive that her diagnosis does not define her. It’s crucial to seek medical care and support; there are eVective treatments available that can help her live a healthy life. I’d encourage her to educate herself about HIV, as knowledge is empowering. Connecting with support groups or organizations can provide a sense of community and understanding.
Additionally, I would emphasize the importance of self-acceptance and resilience. There may be challenges ahead, but it’s essential to focus on self- care and mental well-being. Lastly, I’d remind her that she is not alone—many others have faced similar situations and have gone on to lead fulfilling lives. Advocacy and sharing her story can also be powerful ways to connect with others and create change.
JE: Well, Ciro....this has been amazing to sit and chat with you. I am sure that there is someone out there who needed to hear about your journey and your strength. I look forward to working with you as an ambassador and I hope we become good friends. I'll let you have the last word in case I missed something or there's something you'd like to close with...
CM: Thank you so much for this wonderful conversation! I truly appreciate the opportunity to share my journey, and I hope it resonates with those who need to hear it. As we move forward together as ambassadors, I’m excited about the impact we can make and the friendships we’ll build along the way.
I just want to emphasize that our stories have the power to inspire change and foster understanding. Let’s continue to uplift one another and advocate for those who need it most. Thank you again for your support and kindness; I look forward to our journey together!
Listen to the mix here: https://www.mixcloud.com/djrelentlessny/ear-candy-november-2024
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It’s just a few days until the U.S. election and it is gonna be a nail-biter of an evening. I have faith that Kamal Harris will be the next president, but we felt that way about Hillary Clinton. And with so many disenfranchised because of the Middle East, high food prices, misinformation and just flat out lies we should all know what is at stake. So, while I was programming this month’s mix, I chose things that might be a distraction from all the political noise.
So, let’s get started…shall we?
I hadn’t heard anything from Estelle in a while. And then suddenly “Oh I” popped up in my
video pool. Really cute track. I’m hoping there will be some remixes to come. And I kinda wish she was in the video…but at least there is one to play.
Up next is the latest from Tate McRae called “It’s OK I’m OK”. I have to say that when she first popped on the scene, I felt like she was too young and her marketing was a little Britney- esque…way too provocative for such a young girl. But I guess that’s what they were going for. I just hope that she has the right people around her to keep her sane and on the right track. Sex sells but fame can be a little tricky. As for the single…it’s a hot track and she looks great in the video.
Our third track is the Detoto Remix of “Birds Of A Feather” by Billie Eilish. This track has been out for a couple of months, but I finally found a version that I would play. Not impressed with the video, though. Random shots of her and her brother walking around an empty stadium stage in the dark is just sad. But I imagine that with the industry working like it does now, artists are responsible for their music videos. God, I miss the days of Motown when the labels really invested in their artists and prepared them for what was ahead! It almost seems like the industry loves to raise you up so they can watch you fall.
Rita Ora is our next artist. When I was programming this month’s mix I started watching this season’s “The Masked Singer” and didn’t realize she was a panelist. Then I started editing
one of Drake’s early videos for “Over” and realized that she is the female interest in it. And her latest single “Ask And You Shall Receive” came through my pool. I like it! I’m kinda wondering why she is not bigger on the scene. She’s pretty and she has a great voice.
So, I know in the past year I have been kinda bored with Afro House. I have complained that it is beginning to fall into the Reggae and Moombahton category where everything starts sounding the same. But the one thing that I do like is when Pop songs are remixed into this sound like “We Pray” by Coldplay featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna & TINI. The eSQUIRE Afro House Remix totally transforms this song into something that I would play to get a set started.
And since we are doing British Pop stars right now, I definitely had to throw in the Charlie Lane House Remix of Jamiroquai’s “Virtual Insanity” as our sixth selection. Why didn’t someone do this a long time ago?
Up next we have the 80s inspired sound of The Weeknd’s latest single “Dancing In The Flames”. While for Canadian radio it has the right elements to go Pop. But I didn’t care for the original version. My pick was the Tommy Glasses Funky Mix. Tommy always serves up the right balance of a Disco bassline and a House production.
And speaking of song titles with “Dancing” in them…our eighth track is “Dancing
Down The Path” by The Coney Island Rhythm Band. I just recently started a weekly SUNDAY TEA DANCE at a venue called The Well here in Toronto and this track will definitely be in my rotation. Just a pure fun Disco track that has a great groove.
And speaking of Disco…”Die Maschine” by Purple Disco Machine featuring Friedrich Liechterstein is probably the first German vocal that I have ever programed for an EAR CANDY mix. I have no idea what he’s saying but the rhythm and the vibe is intriguing. When I listen, I imagine myself on a huge dancefloor and this track is booming out of the speakers with a heavy bottom kick. I’d dance to this!
Our tenth selection is the Brick Afro House Edit of “My Love” by Route 94. Great track and good energy. Rowan Tyler Jones, known by his stage name Route 94, is an English record producer and remixer from Richmond, London. Initially producing Dubstep as Dream, Jones worked with the likes of Skream, Benga and Katy B. He then began producing House music. Probably because I know nothing about the UK scene, I have no idea who any of those folks are. But I’m gonna play this one.
Last month I gave a mention to Katy Perry featuring Doechii “I’m His He’s Mine”. The original version is 104 BPMs but the DJ Zompy Mashup with Snakehips is 124 BPMs. And with the sample and resung hook from Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman” this one is a banga!
So, if you follow my EAR CANDY series, you know that I love digging up remixes of Classic Hits. Not sure if this song was big anywhere else, but back in the 80s in Tampa, Florida
Donna Allen’s R&B hit “Serious” was da shit! And I recently found the Michael Gray Remix that totally transforms the song into a great House production. The music video didn’t age as well but my friend Rob T did an excellent job at editing the remixed visuals.
It’s strange to be at an age when your family and friends start dying o`. There’s been a lot of people who have left us recently. I just lost my adopted brother Anthony Evans. And back on August 30th the world lost Isaac Freeman III…better known as Fatman Scoop. He wa sonly 56…the same age of my brother. I’m 57. So, I decided to include the Ardent Nu Disco Edit of “Be Faithful” featuring Crooklyn Clan. One of the staples in the Hip Hop world. This track gave props to the Old Skool way of sampling. He death is the end of an era. There was never a better Hype Man than Fatman Scoop.
Now let’s get into some remixed Hip Hop. Up next is the Wuki Remix of “Nani” by Saweetie. I listened to the original and thank God for this remix ‘cuz I wouldn’t play this song otherwise.
Our fifteenth track is the Absinth Remix of “Rack City” by Tyga. Back in 2012 I wore this song out! It was the Bop of the time. And I’m glad that someone pumped it up to Club speed and breathed some new life into it. I hadn’t thought about it, but Tyga has been around for a minute and is still going strong. Good for him!
If shaking ya ass at the camera was a talent, Ice Spice would be the queen of it right now. Yes, her flow is recognizable, and she has a few clever lines here and there, but I am sick of seeing her videos. I get it! You have a phat ass! I’m sure if you worked in a strip club, you’d make a lot of money but at this point in the industry twerking is not enough. I like a few of your tracks but as a gay man I need a di`erent visual. Give me some fashions! Give me a runway walk! Hell…give me a story line! Anything but another video of you with your backside to the camera. Is this the legacy you want to leave? Can you sing? Can you act? Cuz this is getting really old…quick!
But I digressed.
Our sixteenth selection is the Sefu Remix of “Oh Shhh” featuring Travis Scott. If you haven’t heard of Sefu it’s time to wake up! Genius remixes and he always has a way of pulling the best hooks or rhythms from classic tracks to give his mixes familiarity. I have no doubt that his remix of this one will get folks on the floor.
So, on another sad note. We recently lost another Pop star…Liam Payne. Now, to be honest when I heard the news, I thought it was another member of One Direction…Nial Horan. I had seen a couple videos of Liam but it didn’t register that he was in that group. Apparently, they found something called Pink Cocaine (a drug that is mentioned in the case against
Diddy) in his system along with a few other drugs. This goes back to what I was saying about starting young in the business. You can’t put kids on a pedestal and just leave ‘em there. Who’s gonna be there when they fall? Who’s gonna be there when the spotlight fades? Who’s gonna be in their corner when their bandmates are doing better than them?
Unfortunately, because Harry Styles sucked all the air out of the room I slept on Liam’s track called “Strip That Down” featuring Quavo, Cheat Codes & Danny Quest. The Collipark Remix is FIYA if you need something for a Hip Hop floor, but I chose the Danny Diggz Bootleg as our seventeenth track. Rest in peace, Liam. I’m sorry that you were another casualty of the music industry.
Back in February, Kylie Minogue began her Tension Tour. And it will be closing on July 15th , 2025. She has been pumping out tracks and videos left and right. Her latest is called “Lights Camera Action” and the video looks like a fashion shoot. Ice Spice…take notes! Truthfully, I don’t get all excited about Kylie’s releases like a lot of the gay DJs I know. I used to date an Australian back in the early 2000s who was obsessed. She covered an Aretha Franklin song in one of her shows and he said that she sang it better. I knew we weren’t gonna last after that. Her music is alright…not earth shattering or gonna change my world. It’s mediocre at best. It’s the remixes that get my attention most of the time. But believe it or not…I have listened to a couple of the remixes for this one and I prefer the original. It’s
simple and to the point in its production and I like it. Kylie will be one of those artists in music history with longevity and plenty of hits…but she will never be a legend like Aretha Franklin It’s like comparing apples and oranges, darling
And to close out our November mix is the release of the music video for the Erik Elias Runway Mashup of “WALK (How Do I Look)” by GlowGirl and my alter- ego Jade Elektra
A little self-promotion never hurt nobody. The actual track was released back in June for Pride on iUnderground’s 2nd Pride E.P.I heard GlowGirl’s original track and immediately thought this would be great with my track. Erik Elias (who’s my label partner) did an amazing job with combining our vocals for this Ballroom Classic! Get into it!
