Sense Project

Hey folks!

Well the birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing, and the Habs are out of the running, so why not come out of hibernation to attend some fun Head & Hands events?  Here’s a couple upcoming:

Tonight! Faggity Ass Fridays, our monthly queer dance party at the Playhouse!

Is this Life on Mars?

June 16th! Head & Hands will host its AGM (Annual General Meeting) at the NDG Legion (5455 de Maisonneuve Ouest). It’s our 40th anniversary, so help us kick it off in style! Dress as your favourite decade of Head & Hands’ history… My outfit will be inspired by the ’70s, of course!

Happy 40th birthday, Head & Hands!

July 25th! Save the date for our fifth annual bar and restaurant beach volleyball tournament, SERVE! Local bar and resto staff form teams, face off on the Jeanne-Mance courts, and raise money for sex education. This event is a blast to watch and even more fun to participate in - click below for more information!

Registration info for SERVE - click to enlarge!

Check it out (for queer women) and Check it out guys (for trans men) are two awesome campaigns that spread the word about the importance of getting regular Pap tests, regardless of who you have sex with.

Nice posters, too! Click for more

As they say:

“…we may have been told by doctors and other health care providers that because we have sex with other women, we do not need Pap tests. This is NOT true. Anyone with a cervix who has ever been sexually active needs a Pap test.”

But WHY? Because HPV, the major cause of cervical cancer, is a sexually transmitted infection that is passed on through genital skin to skin contact. You do not need to have penetrative sex in order to get HPV.

Meaning > If you’re sexually active (in any way), even if you don’t have sex with men, you should still get regular paps!

Meaning > If you have ever in your life had any kind of sexual activity with anyone that involved the genital area, you need a Pap.

The website also has advice for making pap tests and pelvic exams easier for trans guys as well as an awesome tip sheet for health care providers to give sensitive, empowering paps.

Montreal youth aged 12-25 can get Pap tests and STI tests right here at Head & Hands! Check our clinic schedule here.

Sexual orientation: Some people say “sexuality” when they mean “sexual orientation,” as in, “What’s your sexuality?” What they may mean is “Who are you attracted to?” and that can be a very complicated question. Generally, the person asking the question expects one of four answers: that you’re straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual. But there are lots of answers, and while some are a little less common, none are wrong.

Straight or Heterosexual: These mean the same thing - a sexual and romantic attraction to people of the “opposite” or different gender from yourself (example: a woman attracted to men). Hetero- is a prefix meaning “other,” “different.” Straight is slang for heterosexual. But gender is much more complex than just “man” vs. “woman.” 

Homosexual or Queer*: Homo- is a prefix meaning “same,” and so homosexual means a sexual and romantic attraction to people of the same gender as yourself (example: a boy who likes boys). The word queer was originally used to insult homosexual people, but now many people call themselves queer as a way of reclaiming the word from its negative meaning. It’s a symbol of pride or power instead of shame. Queer is also used to describe folks who are attracted to a wide variety of people, and not necessarily based on gender. Some people are more comfortable using the word queer (instead of lesbian, for example) because it doesn’t restrict gender.

Lesbian or Dyke*: Historically, “lesbian” meant a woman who is attracted to/has relationships with other women. The word dyke, like queer, used to be an insult but is now used in a positive way, mostly by younger homosexual women. Boudicca (pronounced boo-dyke-ah) was a Celtic queen who organized a revolt against the Roman Empire in 67 A.D. Since Boudicca was a powerful woman, many lesbians feel empowered by the label dyke.

Gay or Fag*: The word gay is sometimes used as a label for all homosexual people, but more specifically it means a man who is attracted to/has relationships with other men. Like queer and dyke, fag was originally an insult but has recently been reclaimed. These days, many younger gay men call themselves fags in a completely positive way.

Bisexual: Being bisexual is a sexual orientation all on its own. It means a sexual and romantic attraction to people of both genders. Sometimes bisexuals use the word queer to describe themselves. Heterosexual and homosexual people often harass bisexual people because they don’t fit into one box or the other. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea that there are other options besides being born straight or gay.

Some myths about bisexuals: 1) They just can’t make up their minds! 2) They’re obsessed with sex and want to have sex with everyone all the time! Neither is true. It’s possible to be attracted to both women and men, maybe at different times in one’s lifetime, or maybe all the time. And it certainly isn’t wrong!

Pansexual: This word means something very similar to bisexual, but without dividing people into two sexes or genders. The prefix bi- means two, but the prefix pan- means all - pansexuals are attracted to/seek out relationships with folks of all genders.

PSST… An important note about saying “queer”, “dyke” or “fag”: these labels are still offensive and hurtful to many people, so it’s REALLY important not to use them unless you’re CERTAIN that the person you’re referring to is okay with you using the label in that particular situation. Many people aren’t cool with these labels at all and others are only comfortable with them in certain situations. It’s simple respect to avoid unwanted or offensive labels.

All this information and more can be found in our awesome Peer Education Manual.

Just dance, ok? Poster by Xavier Tolentino

Hey party animals, it’s time for FaGAGAty Ass Fridays!

More Gaga than you can shake a disco stick at. Faggity Ass Fridays promises to deliver the ultimate Gaga tribute video: real life edition. Bring your wigs, your bodysuits, and well, whatever crazy thing you want to append to your body down to the Playhouse for a night of just dancin’ and bad romancin’.

As always, money raised from this monthly event goes directly to the Sense Project!

Lady Gaga tribute cabaret:
Miss Cookies
Johnny Forever
Daniel Dance
Kitty Van Dyke
nancyboy vicious
Stefan LeDude

Hosted by: Douche La Douche

Commune and consume with RPM
http://rovingpartymachine.wordpress.com/

DJ Like the Wolf / DJ Fucks / OCDJ

Look at it on Facebook.

Friday, January 29th 2010
10pm-3am
The Playhouse (5656 Avenue du Parc)
$10 suggested donation; all money goes to the Sense Project

Lots of things! Yes, there are loads of ways that you can make a difference. And, while this list is not exhaustive, it’s a good start…

1. Don’t use slurs. Don’t use “queer” or “gay” to mean stupid, lame, etc… And, when other people use slurs, you can call them on it using a variety of comebacks.

For example, here’s a few things you could say if you heard something like “Mac computers are so gay”:

-You know, saying that is insulting to gay people.

-Right, because Mac computers are all attracted to other Mac computers.

-How would you feel if I used a characteristic of yours, like your race, gender or religion as an insult?

-I know a lot of people say that, but I find it offensive. Can you make an effort not to use that phrase?

2. Don’t gossip. Rumours about who’s dating who and who’s sleeping with who can make people feel even more self-conscious about their dating choices (or their decision not to date).

3. Watch your language. If you’re with a group of people, don’t assume everyone is straight. Using “partner” instead of girlfriend or boyfriend is a good way to be more inclusive. For example, “everyone’s invited to bring their partner to this party.” If someone asks what partner means, just explain. It’s a good way of introducing the topic of sexual diversity into the conversation.

4. Speak up! This can mean a lot of things, from myth-busting to starting discussions on homophobia and sexual diversity in or out of class and/or workplace (e.g., create a “Coming Out” bulletin board featuring LGBTTI heroes and role models) to actually challenging someone directly. You’ll have to decide what your level of comfort is, but it can help to think of every homophobic comment as an opportunity to get people thinking and talking.