Director of Community Engagement, Deanna Duxbury
I was approached with the opportunity to hear someone’s story and learn from his experience. It is my hope that in sharing and gaining perspective, we can all continue to learn a little bit more about what it means to live with HIV/AIDS. Meeting up over reading week made things a bit tricky, so a phone interview was best. Deanna: Hi Ricky! Thank you so much for being willing to talk to me and share your story! My phone is sometimes a bit spotty but hopefully it will clear up- this is what student pay covers. Do you mind if I jump into the questions? Ricky: Hi! No problem, go ahead. D: Can you describe the moment when you found out you had contracted HIV/AIDS? R: Yeah, okay, I was celebrating my 21st birthday and it was right after Easter weekend. I knew something was up. I knew that I might be infected with HIV. I was displaying the classic symptoms, I had flu like symptoms for two weeks and it wasn’t going away. I just kind of had a feeling. For me, I went to the local Gay and Lesbian center and did the test. Back then you had to wait two weeks for the results so I went back. I remember the nurse- I walked in and I looked at the nurse and she had the file and she looks at it and she looks at me and just says, “Okay. You’re positive.” And that was it. That’s all she said. In that split second, for me, time stopped. I had suspected it and I figured that would be the result but to hear someone say out loud that, “You’re positive”- for me it was just a moment of “Oh shit. What do I do now?” D: Of course, that’s life changing. R: Exactly, it was. So for me in that moment time stopped. For a moment I didn’t think anything. I just remember being like, “Oh crap. I don’t know what to do. I’m not ready for this.” It was numbing. I wasn’t sad, I wasn’t angry, I wasn’t mad. I just had no idea what I was going to do. D: I can only imagine, so much of your life would change. How did you come to find out about ACCM then and become involved with them? What about their community has been most helpful? R: I came to find out about ACCM through- well actually because I’m not from Montreal. I’m from the states. I was moving from an anglophone community to a francophone community and I was trying to make sure that they would have resources for the HIV community for healthcare and support here. I found ACCM because they were the only anglophone group that catered to the HIV community in Montreal. When I moved here I reached out and I contacted them. Immediately, I met with a caseworker. Well, not exactly a caseworker but more like a one-on-one person. Essentially a caseworker, they answer you questions and help you get settled, but they call it the one-on-one service. They helped me figure out the health care system here because obviously it’s a lot different than in the states. D: Do you find the healthcare help very different between Canada and the US? Is it more helpful? R: No, actually I find it more difficult. It’s kind of different because I came from a job with exceptional healthcare. I barely paid anything and I had the care I needed without any wait. I had incredible care. Adjusting was a bit of a challenge. I don’t think it’s inferior. It’s very similar but there’s a bit more of a waiting period. I don’t want to say hoops, it’s not jumping through hoops, it’s just a little more time. Luckily for me, I’m very healthy, I have a good social network- I don’t really use ACCM programs too much but when I was first infected I used services like ACCM, back in the states. These services were very important to me when I became infected so I wanted to volunteer my time with an organization like ACCM to help other people like I was helped. D: That’s great! R: Yeah, so I volunteer there a lot. They have a lot of programs like dinner and discussion, which is great for people to interact. They have the buyers food club. They have amazing programs! D: It seems like a very tight-knit community! R: Oh yeah! ACCM is a great place to volunteer for and it’s a great community I’m happy that they’re able to provide services for others. D: That’s very giving, that you went back to help more people! In your experience, What are some myths or common assumptions people make when they find out that you have HIV/AIDS? R: It depends on the people I talk to. Luckily the people I’ve been romantically involved with have been neutral. I find it’s more talked about, people are more educated and aware. In that sense, it’s okay. It’s mostly just, “Oh okay. You’re HIV positive.” I know that’s not everyone’s situation but I’ve been fortunate. You know, I think some of the funnier ones- I say funny because there is still much education needed- was my best friend and he’s like, “Oh my god. Are you scared about dying?” And I’m like, “Well, yeah! When I’m 80!” In terms of the people I hang out with, they all seem to know about the disease and enough about HIV to have a very neutral response. They care and they know it’s a liveable condition so I think I’m fortunate for that. I have had experiences in the past, which have been a little negative. D: My follow-up question leads into that, I don’t mean to wrench out heartbreaking details so I’m sorry if this is very personal. Who was the hardest person to come out about this to? What was their response and how did you handle it? I know you have a great support system, but when you initially found out was there any exceptionally difficult moment in telling people? R: Kind out. It was a weird moment. I was in a relationship with someone and I told him I was HIV positive and he’s like, “Well I don’t know much about it but that doesn’t scare me away from you.” D: That’s so sweet! R: I know, right? I thought that this was awesome so we talked about it and I thought he was coming around. After a few weeks, there was one situation where he got a little inebriated and we got into an argument. I don’t even remember what the argument was about but he just looked me straight in the eye and said, “OH MY GOD YOU AIDS FUCKER”. D: OH MY GOD. R: He just lashed out. He was saying things like, “You got AIDS because you deserved it! Because you’re a little whore! Only sluts get HIV!” It was just really awful, really rancid things to say. That took me a while to figure out. I got rid of him very very quickly. D: YES. R: It was weird because I thought this person was accommodating and we were having sex, we were intimate with each other at that moment. And I saw his true colours and thought, “Wow, there’s a lot of stigma from people”. That was my worst situation because it started off positive and then I found out it wasn’t. D: I guess sometimes you really don’t know when people are trying to show they’re educated and modern but don’t actually have that understanding on a deeper level. I am SO SORRY that happened. That was completely undeserved. R: Yeah, I mean it hurt me at the time but now I look back on it and just think, “Wow that was weird”. D: Oh yeah. Totally, very weird. R: That was also like 12 years ago so a while ago. The HIV community would have been different then. D: What are some day-to-day challenges that you face with HIV/AIDS? Or do you have many challenges that you face with it? R: I don’t. I do and I don’t. I’ve learned to deal with things that come with it. The day-to-day challenges really aren’t that bad. I mean, one of my medicines gives me horrible gas sometimes? You know, it’s kind of awkward but it’s a thing I deal with. I mean, it kind of gives me gas and it kinds of sucks. You learn to manage and mitigate. There are small things like that- I mean, I’m out about my status but I’m not so openly out that everyone knows. Like I’m not incredibly open but I don’t shy away from it. But for things like taking my pills, I take one in the morning and one at night, so if I’m at a party with people it’s hard to discreetly just take them. It’s kind of weird to be vey nonchalant and just take out a pill. D: They’ll be like, “Oh what are you having?” R: Exactly. I mean these challenges are really not so bad but at the same time I’ve been hospitalized 3 times. For certain illnesses, like once I had a staph infection and the staph infection itself wasn’t bad but because of my HIV they chose to hospitalize me because of how my system would react to that infection. I mean I live a pretty normal life people wouldn’t really know there was anything different about me but then if you go in for a simple medical condition it might be a little bit more severe because of the HIV status. D: Okay, so a matter of being more careful and moving your life around for medication. It’s great that you don’t have a lot of serious things day to day. R: I consider myself very lucky in comparison to some of my friends whose illness has taken a different path. D: I guess it really does depend. It ranges and like some of my friends when I talk about the fashion show that’s going on they’re like, “WOW you’re helping people on the brink of death!” and I have to tell them, “No, it’s really not just like that”. R: I think there’s definitely a lot more education that can happen in the community. Sometimes you’re even learning about something and you’re like, “Oh! I didn’t know that before!” D: Exactly! I was interviewing Roberto before and even when ACCM came and gave us a workshop it was really eye opening! Overall, do you wish you’d done anything differently? What’s some advice you’d give to the students and young professionals participating in this show and all the people this interview will reach? R: I mean if I could do things differently I would not want to be infected with HIV. I mean, it’s a tough question to answer because when I got my diagnosis I treated it like the end of the world. I did stupid stuff because I thought my life was over. And then, when I realized it wasn’t over, I gained a newfound love for myself. For me, I was able to appreciate my life in a new way and not treat it with such carelessness and I had done when I found out I was positive. When I figured out this wasn’t a death sentence, I feel like I gained a lot personally in my life. But for me, having HIV put me down a good path of holistic health after I got out of that stage of feeling like I’d die tomorrow. I mean I don’t want HIV, I wish I’d never have gotten it, but at the same time who knows where my life path would have gone? I’m happy with where I’m at in my life. D: I only ask because, when Roberto mentioned you were open to speaking with me, it seemed like you had reached a good place where you had accepted the things that happened and you wanted to share and to give. I just wanted to see how you developed and your journey, coming to a place where you would be comfortable to speak about it. R: Oh yeah- that was a very long journey. That was not a short journey. When I was diagnosed it took me a good solid like- I don’t know- several years from the day I was diagnosed until I figured out I’m not dying tomorrow. It became gradual after that but man, when I got to that point it opened me up to being more centered and conscious of myself. I was open to making smarter decisions. D: That’s very life-focused, that’s great. R: Yeah, live your life! Do things that matter. I started riding my bike, I started doing the things that mattered to me. I started volunteering more and being more compassionate to others. I started wanted to hear other people’s stories because I’d just had a huge life changing moment in my life story. So, I wanted to hear other people’s stories! If I hadn’t been diagnosed with HIV, I don’t know if that would have happened. It’s a double-edged sword. I still wish I didn’t have it. D: I know it is like a complicated question because I assumed that you wouldn’t have wanted to contract it. I can understand that you went through a wild phase; I mean it’s an intense piece of news. I don’t know if I would do anything differently. R: Well, if you think you’re going to die tomorrow you might as well live in the moment because you have nothing to loose. D: Well it’s great to hear that you’ve grown as a person in that way. Long-term (my last question), have any life plans changed due to being affected by HIV/AIDS? I know you moved up to Montreal and have made changes before but how do you see this affecting your future? R: Currently, in this moment today, none. No, that’s not true. I lied, I take that back. A while ago it did, I chose to live my life fully. I’m in a wonderful relationship and we’re figuring out how to maybe, eventually, have kids. D: That’s great!! R: Yeah, so I’m thinking long-term relationship things. 2.5 kids. White picket fence house. I’m kind of boring in that sense but I still do have to think about it long-term. I live in a country with access to medical care but what if I chose to move to a country that doesn’t? It’s very normal but I still do take it into consideration because wherever I move I need access to my healthcare, my medicines, my support network, D: Do you have any other questions for me, or comments to make about your experience? R: What’s the age range of the people reading this blog? D: It’s definitely university students. We’re thinking 18-23. R: The only thing I would share is if someone is reading this and they got to THE END of the interview: GO OUT HAVE FUN HAVE SEX. D: Haha, I think that may be the title of this interview. R: No, totally! Do it! But take it from someone who is living with HIV. One of the hardest things to hear from younger people is “It’s not a big deal! There are medicines and drugs and everything to help live with it.” Like, yeah, but those drugs give your really bad gas-which is very unsexy. And it sucks taking pills all the time. And it sucks if you have a simple health condition you need to go to urgent care and be in the hospital for a week. However, It’s very manageable. You’re probably not going to die tomorrow living with it but it’s still very hard to live with. So go out, have sex, be fun. Just be smart and be safe. That would be the only thing I’d add. D: It’s really encouraging to hear, its really good advice. There are those two spectrums that are like the people who don’t know anything about it and are afraid of it and the people who just brush it off because they think it’s all going to be okay. It’s good to keep in this mindfulness but at the same time not let it stop you from living your life. R: Exactly! D: Thank you, this has been so great! If you like you should definitely come to our fashion show! R: Send me the info and I might swing by!
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Director of Community Engagement, Deanna Duxbury Starbucks was crowded this time around so I took our fearless leaders to the Premium Café next door. Deanna: Hey guys! Sorry about the location change, apparently Starbucks is popular- who knew? Sophie: Hi! Sorry it’s been so busy. Deanna: It’s no problem! Mind if I jump into some interview questions? Light and fun, I promise. Kurt: No, go ahead! D: Okay, so where are you from? K: I’m from a little town outside of Toronto. D: Me too! Where about? K: Etobioke? D: I know where that is! I'm from Burlington. And you, Sophie? From Montreal? S: Not Montreal actually- I’m from Connecticut. D: How long have you been in P[h]assion? S: I’ve been with P[h]assion for 3 years! I actually started as a clothing coordinator and have been moving up ever since. K: I first got involved 2 years ago and started in Social Media. D: Look at how you’ve grown! Now you run it! That’s amazing. More personally, how’s the style in your city and how is it different from Montreal? K: Good question! D: Why thank you, I try. K: In my town everyone (the guys at least) wore Sperry’s, DC sweaters, the button up shirts- that kind of style. Wearing a button up with like two buttons down was fancy. I mean I did it too- let me just find my…(pulls out student card) See, I look like a baby. (Note: Yes, this means that you should totally ask to see Kurt’s student card picture) D: Young Kurt! You’re so tanned there. You, Sophie? What was the style like in Connecticut? S: Everyone dressed very…preppy. It was a very wealthy area. Everyone wore J-Crew and I remember it was a big thing to wear colourful scarves. I used to be much more colourful and wear a lot of bright accessories. I remember that the girls all wore like the frilly tops and I bought one just because everyone was getting one. D: How much has your look changed since you’ve come to McGill? Or, in general, what are some major differences between first-year you and you now? S: First year I used to look much more colourful, as I said. I’m much more calm now, like toned-down and classic but with a twist. Everything is more muted since coming to Montreal and now I’m more minimalist. K: Yes, your style is very unique. No one dresses quite like you, it’s nice. D: Agreed, very stylish! S: Aw, thank you guys! K: Kurt? How did you go from skater sweaters to being head-to-toe in black (which I definitely appreciate, I love the matching vibe at this interview)? K: I also toned it down, definitely. Now, I pretty much just wear a lot of dark colours. I would brand myself…preppy but street wear. D: Did you ever go through a wild fashion phase in your teen years (that you regret or find hilarious now)? S: Aside from the ultra-colourful outfits I used to wear, when I was younger I went through a weird phase of making necklaces. D: That’s not so bad- that sounds cute! I used to be a very punk/emo/angst kid so I always ask if anyone went through a regrettable fashion era or, like me, had a racoon eyes phase. S: Really?! Yeah, I used to think it looked better when I was wearing like 5 at once. I don’t know how to explain it- I just wouldn’t do that ever again. K: Oh, even last year, I went through a Yeezy phase. I wore matching pastels (a pink pastel hat and pink pastel shirt and such) and it’s not so bad but I’d never wear them all together again it was way too much. D: Is there anything you think you can’t pull off but wish you could? K: I would love to be able to pull off that effortless vintage look. S: YES! K: Yeah, like the effortless, aloof, “cool” kind of thing that I feel everyone in Montreal wears so well. S: Yeah, I wish I could pull that off I don’t think I’m cool enough. D: Nonsense! Oh, but speaking of being effortlessly cool- if you could be any persona in the fashion industry right now whom would you choose? K: I don’t really have any designer I can name now, which sounds bad. I mean I love fashion and the industry but I don’t follow individual designers much. I will admit I love Kim Kardashian. S: Hmmmm, Rihanna would be one because she’s just so cool. She can pull of anything. K: I feel like she has a very raw, real style. Like it’s just her, no stylist and no one else. S: But also Raf Simmons from Dior! The house used to be John Galliano but Raf changed the brand and made it so interesting- I just love him. D: DID YOU SEE THE FEMINIST SHIRT? It’s amazing. Rihanna, among other celebrities, wore it in honour of the Women’s March! It’s from Dior, by the new Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. (Note: I’ll save you, Dear Reader, the gushing that happened over the general greatness of such an article of clothing. Just check it out here. ) D: SO- is there any kind of style deal breaker that would stop you from being interested in someone else? An example would be (in my humble opinion) popped collar polo shirts. S: Hmmm, okay. I agree with the polo shirts. Also, colourful sweatpants. K: YES. Colourful sweatpants definitely. Also, like the sweatpants with the really colourful shoes. The ridiculous ones. I own one polo shirt that isn’t that bad though- S: No, that one’s nice. That’s fine. K: Yeah, but the colourful sneakers and baggy sweatpants. God no. S: For me at least, I think everything needs to be fitted. It just needs to fit you well. The clothes can’t be too loose or too tight. Also, I don’t believe you should be too trendy. Like, I hate it when people are too on trend and trying too hard with mixing brands. But, just put this as a blanket statement- I believe very strongly in holding doors for other people. D: Haha, manners are very stylish! D: A little bit of manners goes a long way. D: That’s very true, I totally agree. Last question: If you had to do a last minute performance in the fashion show, what would be your act? I mean, this is completely hypothetical, if the performers you scheduled weren’t going on and we needed stalling time and for some reason the entertainment fell on you. S: I would sing. I did years of a ccapella in high school! But I didn’t really continue doing that when I got into university. D: Really? You didn’t want to be “Pitch Perfect”? S: I looked into a ccapella groups here but I just couldn’t get into it enough. So that’s my talent, I’d just start singing. K: I think I’d roast people- like I’d take someone out of the audience and just roast them. I have a talent for insulting people and I think it’d be great. I worked at Just for Laughs last year, and the best part is that you get to go to all the shows. I watched the roasts and it was like, well I was laughing but also like “Oh no!” It was cringe-worthy but also hilarious. (Note: I laughed very hard at this statement and it’s important to know that I almost titled this interview “I have a talent for insulting people”: Kurt, Sophie and Other Hilarious and Mildly Worrying Things) D: Oh my god. Just put all the names of the committee into a fishbowl for the picking and see everyone on the team run out as soon as you come on stage. K: Yeah, that’d be the idea- I think it’d be amazing so that’s what I’d do if I must. D: Anything left to add? K: I think, “Why is P[h]assion and ACCM important to you?”, can we make that a question? D: Of course! K: It’s just because they are so amazing, they invited us to the Robert Mapplethorpe exhibit and were just so friendly. They’ve been so open and welcoming with everything and I’ve learned so much from them. I mean, I’m not sure if this is explicitly in P[h]assion as a mandate but the LGBT community that ACCM supports is also really important to me. At least for me, I was still in the closet when I first got to Montreal. In all my years at McGill, I’ve never fully had a cause to devote my money to but I’d love to stay in touch with them for as long as possible. S: I agree with Kurt, they’ve just been so wonderful to us and so involved. When Roberto approached us he was just so prepared with so much information, I’m learning every time I encounter them. For me, this cause is really amazing because it makes me want to put out a good show for them. Contributing to this cause makes it so much more worth it to do the P[h]assion show. We just wanted to clarify that we are very, very excited to work with ACCM and it’s a great organization to support and we are proud to support it. Safe to say, we love you guys.
Roberto Gerrard-Martinez Talks Volunteering with ACCM, Sex Trivia and Bursting the McGill Bubble1/18/2017 Director of Community Engagement, Deanna Duxbury
Roberto Gerrard-Martinez is exceptionally busy. From art auctions to lube packing to one-on-one care, it’s a miracle he had any time available for a coffee date at Starbucks. His passion revolves around providing support to those affected by HIV/AIDS through AIDS Community Care Montreal. Recently graduated from McGill, he sat down with me to chat about his schedule, the amazing events coming up soon and his full-time position with ACCM. Deanna: Hi, thanks for coming! I feel like we’ve been trying to get together for so long. Did you want a coffee or something? Roberto: Hi! No, thank you. I save coffee for finals. D: *sips coffee* Good point. I’m all set up here- mind if I jump into some questions about your work? R: No problem at all. D: How did this all start for you? How did you get involved with AIDS Community Care Montreal (ACCM)? R: I started as a volunteer and actually found out about ACCM through a McGill class. It’s with Bill Ryan- Social Work with LGBT Individuals. Because I’m taking a minor in Management (and am in Arts) you can take a certain number of electives outside of your faculty. So, I took this social work class and pretty much, on the first day, told him I want to start volunteering more. I went up and asked if he could give me some ideas of places and ACCM was one of those places. I initially started as a Buddy-Support Person, which is essentially one on one support. It can be anything from emotional support to helping people run errands. D: What do you mean by “run errands”? R: If someone is low mobility I help him or her do things like go get a hair cut. Actually, I even helped someone write a business plan. D: Really? R: Yeah, it can be anything. It’s basically member driven. (Note: When I say “member” it means HIV Positive and is a member at ACCM – they’ve applied to be a member). D: If it doesn’t cost anything to be a member (which is wonderful), how is ACCM funded? R: A large part of the funding is from the government. We apply for grants and donors are a huge part. D: What inspired you to be a part of ACCM among your other options? What made ACCM stand out, as an organization? R: It was my first time volunteering. I distinctly remember the Holiday Party when I first joined. It was was great, it was our biggest event! The Holiday party is for the members. Last year (my first year volunteering) we had just over a hundred members come out! It consisted of a holiday dinner, performances some of the staff put on and we usually have donated gifts that we give out to every single member that comes. D: That’s so sweet! It’s a great way to get into the holidays. R: I agree. With sponsorships and stuff like that, I find, most companies are pretty generous around the holidays. D: That’s good to hear. For me, the holiday season is unending. I still have my Christmas tree up and I’m not taking it down anytime soon (note: that may be because I have no storage). R: Exactly! As long as it’s still snowing it’s like the holidays! The Holiday Party in particular, with the staff and members, was so warm and welcoming- it’s really a community. I mean it’s a community-based organization surrounding the members so you get a good sense of the community feel. D: So how is ACCM organized internally? R: There is a breakdown of the board, overseeing governance, and then there is the staff. Staff are more logistical and ‘on the ground’ running programs. I’m on staff and get into more of the nitty-gritty details. D: In terms of these programs, I saw you had an Art Show planned? R: Artsida! It happens usually around March every year. This is our seventh one coming up, March 12th. I’m helping work on it. It’s a charity art auction. This year it’s held at the Montreal Contemporary Art Museum (the MAC) and we collect donations from all artists from well established to up-and-coming. Usually 300 people attend and it’s anywhere from beginner to advanced art collectors, business executives, politicians etc. D: Do the members participate? R: The members can- it’s not limited at all. Anyone can come and enjoy Artsida. D: What other notable programs/events/services do you offer through ACCM? R: We have education for prevention, one-on-one support services, treatment programs and then we have food programs. I started with the food programs. Buyers Club (a grocery cooperative) lets members buy in for a small amount and receive food security. We also have Dinner and Discussion. It takes place every Monday from 6pm-9pm and, essentially, it’s a workshop accompanied by a meal. Every week the workshop changes and, again, it is member based. The last food program is My Pantry. It offers non-perishables to members on a need basis that they can take any time. D: That’s a lot of different branches! R: We actually do have a lot of programs now. Currently, we have 49 active programs and projects. D: In what ways is ACCM involved with university campuses? R: We work a lot with Concordia actually. Concordia is our biggest university partnership, along with a lot of the CGEPs. I don’t do that work directly but our education prevention programs are very big there. Fun fact: the condoms you get during Frosh are usually provided by ACCM. D: Very smart. R: Haha, yes. Safe sex is important. D: Well, thank you. It is appreciated work. R: Right now actually, with McGill, we are working with the gay fraternity Delta Lambda Phi. They’re helping us pack lube tonight. D: I’m so curious, please elaborate. R: We don’t just do condom packing; we do lube packing as well. We’re running a lube survey program. Basically, there’s a medical lubricant that is the standard for free lube but we’re pushing to change it because it isn’t great quality. Obviously condoms are a huge push for reducing the transmission of STI’s, but lube is also really important because it reduces tearing and therefore reduces your chance of contracting an STI. We also work with Concordia’s Food Coalition. They invited us to speak at “Bite Me”, their week of Food Discussion. D: That’s really diverse- great presence on the college campuses! R: Also, (one more program) we have a text-based sexual health help line called SextEd. D: That sounds great- really useful for freshmen or any shy student really. R: Yeah, because not many people will feel comfortable asking someone in person so it’s based on being anonymous. You get a response within 24 hours and it’s a medical, fully researched answer. People may not know this, but in the condom packs we give out during Frosh there is a card for the SextEd program. We also do a Sex Ed trivia night. We had one at Gerts last year and there is probably one coming up within the next few months! (Note: The SextEd Trivia Night is happening Wednesday February 8th. Find out more details here) D: I think that would be insane fun. R: We had over 60 people come out last time, I believe. And we had prizes! We were giving out lube and, well…other sorts of things of course. I feel like we’ve digressed. D: This is great- conversational, if you will. I am very interested in coming out for a trivia night now. In general, I think it’s great to get out there and have these open conversations. Even today, when I was discussing the interview with a few friends of mine on campus, I noticed that I received some curious looks from some people around me. Words like “HIV” and “AIDS” tend to get a repulsive and unwelcome response in passing, which is unfortunate. Breaking this kind of stigma is important. R: Exactly. ACCM really does focus on that as well. D: What’s your personal draw to this organization in particular? What makes it different? R: Personally, I find that most ASOs (AIDS Service Organizations) are slanted towards people that are HIV negative- preventative education and the like. Contrariwise, a lot of the services found at ACCM are tailored towards people who are living with HIV or are affected by HIV. We provide a lot of support and I think that kind of work falls through the cracks. A lot of people think, “Oh, you’re living with HIV” as if that’s the stopping point. The number one thing people think about when they think about AIDS is research for the cure. Obviously that also affects everyone but I like how ACCM engages with the day-to-day life of people living with HIV. There’s medication costs, health burdens, and really, food security is huge. (Note: Learn more about the ACCM mission here). Many people living with HIV live with the stigmatization. Unfortunately, people are still discriminated against in the hiring practices and other kinds of things. D: Even in the hiring practices? How would that information be released to an employer? R: If they’re outed. It’s just one of those things- there’s been cases of people being outed at their workplace. D: That’s so awful. R: I can’t give you specific anecdotes of that happening but it’s very real. Some people that are diagnosed with HIV tell people that are close to them and a lot of people don’t understand what being HIV positive necessarily means. Some people just automatically shut down and think, “Oh, we can’t be friends anymore”. It’s actually alarming. I know some people that work in our education programs and they find that a lot of kids still believe they can get HIV through skin-to-skin contact. D: It’s crazy that education on this topic can be so sparse in society. R: This is why education is a huge component. Stigma reduction is an enormous issue. (Note: You can find more information on HIV and AIDS here. You can find more information on transmission, viral load and being undetectable here.) I actually wrote a paper on Grindr in a Communications class at McGill regarding these subjects. It’s with Jonathan Sterne, called Communications and Disability. D: I assume that, being a part of the ACCM, you wouldn’t be able to share anything anecdotal due to confidentiality. R: I mean, I have stories but it’s also a very private issue. We do have members that are very open and share their experiences but it’s a bit of a tricky question. D: What is the one thing you’d advise students- if you only had one tagline or tidbit to give? R: Not in relation to ACCM, but more focused on how I got there: GET OUT OF THE MCGILL BUBBLE! Start volunteering with organizations around Montreal. It expands your whole view of the city. Personally, I started doing a bunch of stuff on campus first year (like AUS council and Model UN etc.) and as I progressed through my McGill career I moved into doing more and more stuff off campus. I just became really involved in ACCM. Basically, I went to school only for class. In my final semester, it was 9 hours of class Monday and 3 hours of class Tuesday. D: That’s pure madness. I don’t even know how you managed to organize that. How did you make time to volunteer/work as well as complete school? R: I never worked during the school year, except for ACCM. The only reason I did it is because I loved the job. Honestly, I work better under pressure. I’m much more organized when I have more things to do. The semesters where I’m not busy, I find, I’m much more scattered. D: Totally the same way. I’m doing a lot of clubs and projects this semester and it’s driving me insane but in the best way. R: As long as you love what you’re doing! D: I’m having so much fun! Personally, with my arts degree, if I don’t love my major at this point I’m just losing money all over the place. R: Haha, I see what you mean. D: Anyhow, I was just curious about any positive changes or influences you’ve noticed in your time with ACCM so far? R: Around the time when I first joined they had a large changeover. Now, ACCM is a lot more cohesive. Everyone works together better and it’s very much like a family. It’s bled into the whole organization- you can feel the difference and the connectivity. ACCM was actually the easiest and most organized place I found for my volunteering. They have a wonderful volunteer coordinator and she’s on the ball about everything. She got back to me right away and I started within the next couple of weeks. From volunteers to staff- everyone really comes together. I mean, the staff have hours but there’s also so many events and everyone does want to volunteer. It’s that kind of organization. Proceeds from the P[h]assion Show 2017 will be donated to ACCM to help continue their inspired support for all those affected by HIV/AIDS. Find more information to get involved with this initiative directly here. |
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December 2017
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