Sense Project

If you like talking about sex or if you have any thoughts or questions about it, come to Head & Hand’s new monthly drop-in sessions!  These are informal hang-outs for youth 12-18 to come to Head & Hands and meet other youth who want to talk about sex and sexuality, or who want to become peer sex educators in their own schools and communities. There will be workshops, discussions, activities and games, possibly movies, always free food and not mention condoms and lube!!!  This is also a great way to get involved in the Sense Project or take action in your school or community! 

The first drop-in is on Wednesday, October 27th from 4-6pm at Head & Hands (5833 Sherbrooke West). If you want to come or want more info, visit http://www.senseproject.org/en/get-involved/

Ok, this is not how the training goes. It's even more fun!

I have recently been asked to participate on a radio show about peer sex-educators. Unfortunatly, I can’t make it, but it gave me the idea of sharing with you my wonderful experience as an animator for Head & Hands’ Sense Project.

That project won me over very quickly with its empowering and sex-positive approach. I started off my training with intimate and very useful meetings with new and returning Sense animators. They are all beautiful and devoted people (remember that we are not paid to do this: we do it because we LOVE it!).

In these meetings, I received more useful information about sexuality (anatomy, pregnancy, abortion, giving birth, sexually transmited infections, contraceptive, barrier methods, masturbation, pleasure, toys, selfesteem, love, gender, sexual orientation, relationships, violence, etc.) than I have in my entire life.

I got to practice animating a few times in mock workshops during the training, but I had no idea what the real deal would be like. I had NO IDEA that it would be THAT MUCH FUN!

Youth is so great to work with! Ok, not everyone is always into it, especially on a friday night, last period, but something good always come out of it.

When I started, I thought I would never be able to talk in front of a group. But I jumped right into it and fell in love with it! Facilitating sex-ed workshops gives me such drive. It’s amazing!

To anyone who would like to be a workshop facilitator or a peer-educator, I say: GO FOR IT!! The training is free, you will meet incredible people and wheter you end up animating or not, you will learn so many useful info about sex!! On top of it, when you do animate or help someone you know with what you’ve learn, it’s a great feeling of achievement! I highly recommend it.

If you would be interested in the peer education program, visit the Get Involved section of the website for updates on the upcoming trainings.

TEENAGERS MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD ON SEXUALITY?  DEFINITELY!

A group of teenagers from Toronto produced their own documentary about sexuality and pressure amongst adolescents, called It’s a Teen’s World: Wired for Sex, Lies and Power Trips.

Their opinions were taken so seriously that it was even shown on CTV.

This by teens - for teens video is GREAT!

Here is the trailer for the documentary:

Teen World

If you liked this trailer, you can watch the whole documentary online at:

http://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/passionateeyeshowcase/2009/teensworld/index.html

They also have an AWESOME website: http://www.itsateensworld.com

Hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!!

Some of you probably thought that I was crazy for asking this question. After all, HIV/AIDS is a serious issue affecting millions around the globe. However, Elizabeth Pisani, epidemiologist, journalist and author of The Wisdom of Whores, gave a talk last Thursday that really got me thinking about how HIV/AIDS is packaged and whether or not this packaging really reflects what’s going on.

For starters, Pisani argued that there is no global pandemic but rather, two separate epidemics that affect different and very specific groups of people around the globe. As many of us know already, there’s an epidemic in Eastern and Southern Africa. In the West, Pisani stated that only four key groups are at high-risk of contracting HIV; namely, male prisoners, drug injectors, people who buy and sell sex as well as gay men. Pisani warmly referred to these groups as “icky” in the sense that there’s no money or votes in relating HIV/AIDS back to them.

According to Pisani, it is precisely for this reason that HIV/AIDS has been repackaged to include everyone, with a special focus on innocent women and children. In this sense, governments are happy because they don’t have to deal with the “ick” groups, the UN and NGOs are happy because they get cash regardless of their mandate and activists are happy because HIV becomes less stigmatized. And, well, HIV is happy because it can keep on spreading.

Pisani, then, went on to show us lots of data. And, I got to say, the numbers and her explanations of them were pretty convincing. Millions of dollars are being spent every year on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment and yet, there has been no significant decrease in rates of HIV infection. Interestingly, the data, also, showed that national clean needle programs were extremely effective in controlling rates of HIV infection. So, why aren’t we doing them?!

In addition, Pisani said that HIV is at its most infectious during the 3 months following infection. And, that when there are high levels of the virus in the blood, it is at its most contagious. Thus, the four “ick” groups are at high-risk of contacting HIV because they, generally, have multiple sex partners and/or inject with multiple needles within short periods of time.

In conclusion, Pisani makes a strong argument for HIV/AIDS to be reinvented or rather, repackaged. She urged us to stop thinking about AIDS and to gear our efforts toward reconceptualizing HIV as an infectious disease. Indeed, she argued that we need to reorganize our priorities - remove the gaze from the general population and focus on HIV prevention and not AIDS; that the HIV/AIDS industry needs to respond to evidence and start spending money on the right things such as clean needle programs and condoms. Ultimately, the science does not mirror the politics and HIV prevention and treatment should be tailored to fit the particularities of the two different epidemics.

Of course, Pisani might not be taking social factors into consideration. High HIV infection rates could be caused by patterns of migration and issues related to “development” in Africa, for instance. I’m also concerned that if we start doing as Pisani suggests, we might be exacerbating other problems like homophobia. And, we cannot forget the many challenges that we already face. For example, the far right in the United-States has made it extremely difficult for prevention programs to be implemented in many communities. This, of course, is without mentioning the fact that human behaviour is extremely difficult to change. After all, the condom is an old technology that is, generally, pretty available and yet, people still don’t make use of it when they should.

So, do we live in a post-AIDS world? Well, I suppose it depends on which “world” we’re talking about and whether or not you agree with Pisani’s research and suggestions.

Faggity Ass Fridays eats out your brains:
Queer Zombies….ATTAAAAAACK!!!
Head & Hands’ Faggity dance party to support queer-positive sex ed

Would you survive a gay zombie attack? Join us and find out on Friday     October 30th at the Playhouse to celebrate the living dead and Faggity’s 2nd birthday party! It’s a dead man’…s party, and Faggity is where you’ll find zombies who want more than just your brains. These zombies want to raise money for sex education!!!

Bring your fierce. Wear your costume. Protect your brains.
Friday, October 30th 2009
10pm-3am
The Playhouse (5656 Avenue du Parc)
$10 suggested donation; all money goes to the Sense Project, Head & Hands’ holistic, queer-friendly sex education program

Dismembered DJs:
DJ witch tit, DJ fancypants

Spooky sounds:
On Bodies
Nicky Click

Deadly Drag:
Miss L’n'Q and her Drag Hoes

Haunted Hosting: Jessica Rabbit