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Today — December 1, 2012 — is World AIDS Day.  Let us use this day to remember the lives of the individuals we have lost to HIV and AIDS, be it because of a lack of access to HIV and AIDS-related information, testing procedures, prevention methods, or treatment options; or because of the ongoing stigmatization, criminalization, scapegoating, and mistreatment (including  the serophobic harassment, assault, and murder) of people living with HIV/AIDS (or, for that case, of people presumed to be living with HIV/AIDS).
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This includes:

• People who are unable to access:
  • HIV/AIDS-related information
  • public or private insurance coverage, especially due to
    • insufficient funds (regardless of income) and/or
    • ineligible residency status, and/or
    • a lack of access to employment health benefits
  • health care centres and/or health care professionals — particularly ones that are knowledgeable, respectful, and non-stigmatizing
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• People who are not given timely HIV/AIDS-related information (if at all) because they are presumed to not be at risk of transmission and/or to not be living with HIV/AIDS. Case in point: people who are straight-identified and/or who are currently in a heterosexual relationship
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• Sex workers, especially sex workers who engage clients outdoors
• Transpeople, particularly transwomen who are sex workers
• Racialized people, particularly: Black men; Black men presumed to be from Africa; Aboriginal women (both cis and trans); and East and South Asian transwomen
• First Nations people, especially First Nations women (both cis and trans) and two-spirited people who are sex workers and/or intravenous drug consumers
• Men who have sex with other men, especially older gay men and men who engage in ‘public’ sex
• Intravenous drug consumers, particularly individuals who consume heroin.
• And anyone who lives or embodies any combination of these and other unlisted social positions. (Feel free to contribute to our list).

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For more information about World AIDS Day, and the prevention, transmission, and treatment of HIV (including treatment-as-prevention), we recommend a visit to CATIE’s website at http://www.catie.ca/en/world-aids-day
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Sincerely,
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The Queer Ontario Steering Committee
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Queer Ontario is proud to launch a new initiative: its Queer Ontario Salons — designated evenings where we address key issues via guest speakers, political discussion, performances, network-building, and socializing. All events will be audiostreamed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/queer-ontario-meetings to enable participation from individuals who are unable to attend in person (for whatever reason).
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On Thursday, November 22, 2012 from 8:00 to 10:00 pm
In Room 201 at The 519 Community Centre, Toronto.

The 519 Community Centre is wheelchair accessible, and light snacks and refreshments will be provided. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us at info@queerontario.org.
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We look forward to connecting with many of you there!
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The Queer Ontario Events & Fundraising Committee

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Today marks the 13th anniversary of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day that has been set apart to remember the lives of the family, friends, lovers, and strangers we have lost throughout the year as a result of anti-trans* violence. As individuals personally invested in the recognition, protection, accommodation, embrace, and appreciation of transsexual,* transgender,* genderqueer,* two-spirited, and other/non-gendered individuals, it pains us to have to observe this day every year. Therefore, as part of your observance of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we encourage you to write to your Member of Parliament requesting that they support Bill C-279, the federal ‘gender identity’ bill.
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As you may or may not know, Bill C-279 is the federal bill that seeks to include ‘gender identity’ and ‘gender expression’ as protected grounds both in the discrimination provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act, and in the hate crimes provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada. The bill will provide the frameworks needed to ensure that violence against trans people is accurately recorded and redressed by violence prevention programs nation-wide (including law enforcement). It will also establish the legal foundation needed to get people thinking about the  violence being done to trans people in Canada and around the world, both personally and systemically.
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You can find the name and contact information of your Member of Parliament here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/MembersOfParliament/MainMPsCompleteList.aspx?TimePeriod=Current&Language=E.
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If you don’t know who your Member of Parliament is, you can find your riding here http://www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/FindED.aspx?L=e and then find your riding in the contact link above.
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Your assistance is deeply appreciated.
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In celebratory, pensive, and sorrowful solidarity,
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The Queer Ontario Steering Committee
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