World AIDS Day, 2011: 300 people walk through the studio doors of the Metro Theatre, in Victoria, B.C. We have come to acknowledge thirty years of HIV/AIDS. A team of volunteers, including artists, homeless folks, peer counsellors, and practicum students, in conjunction with several ASO`s, wove together a year-by-year tapestry of the disease that defines our era.

Walking into the black box space a young University student greets you with an awkward, loving smile. She places in your hands torn strips of cloth, a pen and red ribbons. Stepping up to 1981 you begin to walk along a river of struggle and success, heart-ache and liberation, fear and defiance. You find the year you lost your best friend, a daughter, a brother, another friend, your lover. Quietly, with steadier hands than you expected, you write the name of your loved one, the date, and a message of remembrance. Moving on, you find the year you found the courage to volunteer for the local AIDS Service Organization. Writing and pinning: Poz and Proud! you think, “Right, -that was before the meds came.” These long-time, grief-stained hands begin to lose composure as each pin pierces the copper-red satin cloth.

Hands now in pocket, you step back and look up. Behind each year the outline of painted figures dance, make love, play and comfort each other. The forty metre history lesson covers the sides and back of the stage, spilling out stage left into a yet to be determined future. `2011` looks somewhat hazy spilling off onto the dark wall beside the audience. Last minute entries inform us of massive funding cuts to the Global Health Fund. Does this effectively sign the death warrant of tens of thousands of lives in developing countries, one wonders. The story ravishes on despite the eager claim of a Post-AIDS world.

Turning around, you become aware that we are the ones centre stage. You see how each of us has claimed our place, a small measure of order amongst such chaos. Some faces beside you look to be at peace, others more tender and shy, others still, strained as their brows move in opposing directions.

At the back of the house AIDS quilts drape across seats, sweet photos of men and women, now gone, tonight remembered, smile back at us as we honour them. These many faces look down at us from the back of the theatre. Stage lights shine in our eyes, blurring past and present. As eyes dry and adjust we notice that through-out the seating before us other participants write letters, each beginning with the phrase, `Dear World Without AIDS.` Someone approaches and places their letter into the time-capsule standing beside you. The centre-piece is beautiful and garish, both intriguing and hard to look at directly. From 1996 onward, artist Peggy Frank saved her many bottles, medicinal and alternative, desired miracles pasted to the side of a plant pot and stand. The lid is open and letters to the future slide in.

A bell rings and the stage clears. First Nation Elders welcome and take us further back in time to their near genocide due to small pox drawing obvious parallels to the high rate of HIV infection in their community today. The new activists amongst us sit forward and listen intently. Spirit and politics of the land are simultaneously invoked and the leisurely pace of the night is cast. A vital older gay man traces his fingers along the tapestry as he tells the story of the early days and his own diagnosis; a woman invites the audience to close their eyes and imagine they too embody the virus. Early activists and organizers remind us of all the late night kitchen table discussions that rapidly rolled into the early AIDS service organizations. A once incarcerated man shares the daily on-going horrors experienced by Poz people in jail. A woman excitedly roams the stage sharing her tale of surviving sex work in order to pay for an education in order to escape her country; 18 young people from across Zimbabwe and Canada stomp out a ferocious anti-colonialization dance waking up a ferocious demand for change; active drug users who act as community volunteers read poems and place them in the time-capsule.

A single mother also drops in her five year old son`s favourite story book then asks the audience how to tell her son the story of his generational cohort, that of millions of AIDS orphans from Africa and from around the globe. She whispers the reminder that this disease is far from over. A young gay man out of drag, our own Miss Vancouver Island, begins to sing a torch song. He cries because he finally gets it. Stories not statistics, deep meaning not desperate messages help him understand where he stands tonight. Crying with him, we all have a renewed understanding of who we are together and why this night matters.

Peggy, Calyx, and Kaylin, the three artists take the stage to seal the time-capsule. Above them on the screen plays a thirty year retrospective, images of what most of us have survived as reluctant participants and sacred witnesses. Hope and horror, joy and fear co-mingle to inspire resiliency. Members of the audience spontaneously step back onto the stage and glue more bottles to complete the capsule and the night`s spell:

``Dear World Without AIDS,

On the anniversary of three decades of this disease, tonight we grieve and celebrate yet again. Our ceremony and our art remind us how far we have come and how far we must travel. Tonight, we make meaningful the sacrifices of the dead. We honour the hard work of so many people who rose up in the face of despair. Alongside them and our memories of them we envision an ever-more compassionate world in your hands. With this living archival tapestry and time-capsule we re-commit to educating coming generations about our stories, the human story of AIDS. In the spirit of re-imagining our greatest desired outcome, this time-capsule will only be opened when there is a cure. As lovers, warriors, poets and priestesses, activists and educators, scientists and storytellers, parents and friends, know we your ancestors, standing on the shoulders of countless contributors, reach out to you through time and space to say: Congratulations! And thank you for finally finding the cure. May the great work of healing this amazing world also be your joy.`

About the author: Robert Birch (above right) is the new Men`s Wellness Coordinator for AIDS Vancouver Island, B.C. He is also one of the founders of the Southern Gulf Island AIDS Society. As an Assistant Professor (adjunct) at the University of Victoria he engages applied theatre to research the lives and wellbeing of men who love or lust for men. Along with his farmer husband, he lives on Saltspring Island, works in Victoria and plays with his activist community of Radical Faeries and Reclaiming witches in San Francisco and along the west coast.

I knew nothing about the premise of the Descendants when I went to see it. I went because It got good reviews and George Clooney is in it- not in priority order. It took me a few minutes to realize that it was meant to be humorous even though there was a person in a coma from the outset. Once I did, I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. This is not for those seeking intellectual nourishment or those who think there is nothing funny about death - and life. I do and so did the cast of perfectly likeable characters on the screen. It is predictable but I didn't mind that either.

Yours for anything with George Clooney in it!

J. Edgar- The dullest Gay Guy Ever

Even Leonardo DiCaprio couldn't make J.Edgar Hoover interesting , let alone likeable. He remained an enigma to me at the end of the film and mostly I just didn't care what made him tick.The film was so bland that I didn't even feel outraged by all of the dirty tricks he pulls- barely indignant.

Leonardo DiCaprio acted very well and the make up and wardrobe were great but I sure hope he loses all that weight he gained for the part post haste.I f you have to see every Leonardo DiCaprio movie made or every movie with a closeted gay character ever made, go ahead. Otherwise you can do much better.

Yours with no patience for dull films.

Margin Call - A cautionary tale of our Times

Margin call is a realistic depiction of what probably took 24 hours before the latest crash in a brokerage firm. It is filled with great actors like Jeremy Irons and Demi Moore working for peanuts to tell this tale. The entire film was made for $3, a pittance in movie terms. It is told in a manner that allows even those of us who know nothing of the markets to see what is going on, if not exactly why. The film"s style reminded me of Mamet's Glengarry Glenross, which I always would have been better as a play. This would have made a great play but then it would not have reached the wide audience it has. Definitely worth seeing.

Martha Marcie May Marlene -Brilliant, Mesmerizing Manson-inspired film chills to the Bone

This is one of the best films of its genre I have seen. It is the story of a girl drawn into a cult but starts as she is leaving the cult and trying to reintegrate into society.

She returns to her sister and her sister's husband without telling them where she has been for the past two years. Her behaviour is bizarre but not surprising to those of us in the know. The directing is wonderful, moving back and forth from her time in the cult to present day. Elizabeth Olsen is amazing as the cult survivor and the supporting actors especially the cult crew and their leader is chilling and believable. The plot quietly but surely builds suspenseful to an enigmatic but nonetheless satisfying ending in my view. A must see.

Yours in Getting Ascared.

The Skin I Live In- Retro Almodavar , But Why ?

I love Pedro Alomodavar's films but this one is like a slick, trite revisiting of gender identity themes of early Almodavar. Unless you must see every Allmodavar film or every gender identity film or every film with Antonio Banderas or every Spanish language film every made or are having trouble sleeping, skip this one.

Yours in insomnia.

50/50- Hilarious, Poignant, Realistic Tale of Fighting a Life-threatening Illness

This was a hilarious romp through the land of hospitals, doctors visits , tubes and pills and needles that make up the fight for survival against cancer. It is realistic, utterly believable and an ode to life. People with HIV, hepatitis or any other serious disease will recognize some aprts of their lives in this film. It was much better than I thought it would be. Don't miss this uplifting but not sappy film.The acting is very good too.

Yours in thumbing our noses at death,

The Guard- Outrageous Romp in Smalltown Ireland.

Do not miss this side-splitting Irish film about a policeman in a small town in Ireland who has to work with his opposite number from the U.S,. Don Cheadle, to intercept a big drug deal.The local characters are riotous and realistic. The dialogue is side splitting. A great movie for the Holidays. Don't miss it.

Hugo- An hommage to early films dressed up as a child's tale

Yours Feeling Bah-Humbug

Live Entertainment

Prince, the Artist Presently known as the King of Bling or Love your Hair ( and Butt) , Hope you Win

Prince is 53 but looks 23; he dances like its 1999 and does a 3 hour non stop show; he is so sexy he still doesn't put on underwear (my assessment) ; his voice is as strong and fluid as ever. One of the best live shows I have ever seen. Too bad if you missed it.

Yours gloating and fantasizing.

Chagall and Avant-Garde Russian Artists Exhibit - Art Gallery of Ontario - Great Scene

Grace Kelly Exhibit - Toronto International Film Festival Building

Clothes, jewels, her wedding dress - very nice little exhibit. The most amazing fact I learned was that Grace Kelly was one of those rare women in which the clothes did not make the woman but the woman made the clothes.Some of the outfits on display look like ugly housefrau dresses and beside them are pictures of her in those dresses and they come alive. How does she do this ? Oh yes, may it's that's thimble-like waist and spectacular beauty.

Yours in love her and hate her.

Red - A Play-Goers Play at Canstage

Plays rely on two things - great dialogue and great acting- okay three , minimalist sets. So sayeth the Dame. This play had exactly that chemistry. Written by Josh Logan and directed by Kim Collier, it was an absolute delight. It is ostensibly about Mark Rothko the abstract impressionist artist who was also treated as second fiddle to Jackson Pollock. In the dialogue between Rothko and his assistant we cover the gamit of the history and theories of art, the meaning of living in the here and now and an ode to change and the ability to know when pass te torch without feeling a failure, a has been. Somethings about which everyone thinks including the great dwone, if you see it that way, death,I strongly recommend if you like pure, unadorned, intelligent thetare.

Yours in haute culture

Dame Velveeta Peron

(This piece is best read in conjunction with Michael’s earlier entry about the work Andrew Gayed featured him in here.)  

Can you talk about the process and camera you used to construct ‘4 Pills Once Daily‘?

Supplementary research was made to have a better understanding of the issue. I had an idea of what the series would look like, so I took some initial photos with a 'stand-in' model to decide various compositional elements. Then I interviewed my model to gage a personal account of his overall struggle with HIV, and the stigma associated with it. The recorded audio from the interview was then edited to create a loop that would be played while exhibiting the piece. As for the photos themselves, I shot the series using an old 120 medium-format film camera. This gives richness to the photos, especially when seeing the highly detailed 42x42 inch digital prints that came from a 6cm film negative."

What was it about HIV-stigma that made you want to explore it, particularly in such a challenging manner?

Well, my bodies of work focus on questioning the hetero-normative adaptation in society and the gender dynamics within that. Now, this leaves me with a lot of wiggle room to explore different realms of sexuality, gender-normatively, religious/institutional repercussions, and the list goes on. One thing I felt very passionately about was stigmatization of HIV. However it wasn't until '4 Pills Once Daily' where I decided on a series that would question many of these issues. I have had a project idea revolving around HIV stigma for over a year now, and sometimes that's what you need to make sure you are ready to handle something so delicate, but in a manner that is accessible and more importantly, memorable.

Everyone has an anus, and yet when you initially discussed photographing a gay man’s HIV-positive butt hole, you faced some opposition. Can you talk about that?

Well, originally I intended to photograph the anus as the central and only 'subject' in the scene. Some criticisms were given about being so blatant; the main critique was that I may be building more walls than bridges, conflicting with creating an open dialogue on the matter. I racked my brain to present the same shot yet more accessible, and that's when I decided to depict the anus shot as an intimate moment with another man in the background. While not detracting from the clear focus of the picture, the anus is then presented for the other man in the scene, we just happen to be on-lookers. While I am aware the audience has the front-row seat of the buttocks, the model isn't simply showing his ass-hole to us, rather presenting himself as a sexual being, or rather a COMFORTABLY sexual being. That is what people find the most threatening when thinking about an HIV positive individual, so that’s why I aimed to find a way to do just that while still opening the doors for dialogue."

There’s a genius to your title ‘4 Pills Once Daily’ which I absolutely love; the title is both dismissive and arduous depending on your perspective. Which one do you think the pictures speak more too?

That's just it; this piece is meant to be interpreted by the masses, not just by a specific gender, orientation, or HIV status. The idea is to open people’s minds and give a different perspective on the issue, bearing in mind the context in which the photos are presented (with the audio interview of my model playing simultaneously). If someone was offended by the series, the question is WHY they felt that way, for being uncomfortable is the only way you can re-examine what you are already comfortable with. I find the photos cater to both perspectives in regards to the title, yes I am exposing the harsh reality of stigma, but the fact that I include the audio interview during the exhibition of the piece is to give another realm of depth and interpretation, helping it be a didactic piece. The information is all there, it's a matter of opening your eyes and letting yourself see more than a medicalized death toll when thinking of HIV."

I find it interesting that in response to your work, the debate that has emerged on your message board is actually around the outright denial or diminishment of the role HIV-stigma has played, and continues to play, in poz gay men’s health and wellness. “There aren't HIV/AIDS memorials all over the world because of stigma, perception, ignorance, hatred, or fear” I thought was a very telling comment about how clueless people are to the issues in play. Did you anticipate that an HIV positive gay man, telling your audience that HIV stigma is a problem, would be so hotly debated by an HIV negative audience?

No, I can't say I am surprised with the reactions. Considering the highly political nature of my photographic body of work as a whole, it creates an easy target of criticism for people who are uncomfortable with different viewpoints. I have unfortunately dealt with hate-mail and various other attempts at silencing my works, but people need to understand that such hatred doesn't offend me as much as you think it does. While it's definitely upsetting that people feel the need to go out of their way to comfort themselves by sending hate mail, the fact of the matter is that I'm proud to have evoked such emotions in a viewer. Being critical is something my work is all about, and having such strong feelings about my work just means I made you at least THINK of the other side of the spectrum, regardless if it made you uncomfortable. My mission statement says 'art is to comfort the disturbed and to disturb the comforted', and I truly abide by this. Sometimes you need to be taken out of your comfort zone to see what else is out there, and for some people that idea is really threatening. Like I said before, being uncomfortable is the only way you can re-examine what you are already comfortable with.

To view the art of Andrew Gayed, visit http://andrewgayed.posterous.com and http://andrewgayed.tumblr.com or look for him on Twitter and Facebook.

Last month artist Andrew Gayed approached me about participating in a project addressing HIV-stigma and sex-positivity. Andrew’s goal was to explore HIV as something greater then a medical diagnoses, to look at how sex-negativity helped contribute to increasing HIV rates, and to examine the societal stigmatization of HIV positive people.

The outcome of our two hour recorded interview and two hour long photo shoot has emerged, and it’s now available to view here. (A warning: this link is not safe for work and contains profanity and  nudity.)

Hereafter – Why did Eastwood make this film?

I saw Hereafter yesterday at a 6:10 show. There weren’t too many people in the film, but those that were seemed fairly young, either Matt Damon or Clint Eastwood fans I guess. I am both. Yet I was at a loss to figure out where this film was going; what genre it was meant to be. I expected a film that was frightening, about ghosts coming back to haunt people or a “meaning of life “ theme. Instead the film just meandered around a bit of everything-romance, loss, fear of death, growing up. I decided to stop trying to pigeon hole it and just sit back and enjoy the ride. Once I did, I was fine. Matt Damon is a cutie patutie , with a few grey hairs I noticed, so that’s good. His French co-star was an adorable looking girl too. The star of the show was clearly the young boy who plays twin brothers, sad eyes and an adorable English accent. The first scene is worth the whole experience.

I don’t know what it was that attracted Eastwood to this film . That would be interesting to know. Maybe I missed something but it was really just a rather mishmash. Okay if you see it; okay if you don’t. Definitely doesn’t help resolve the meaning of life issue or the question of whether or not there is a Hereafter, if that happens to be a preoccupation for you. It isn’t for me, although if there is, I hope I live on Matt Damon’s street.

Amazing One man Art Show at the ROM – El Anatsui  of Nigeria

A friend mentioned this art show to me last week and I went with a girlfriend. It was absolutely great. The artist, a Nigerian man who has been using objects found in his own environment like beer caps, pieces of wood, stones, wine wrappers , has created striking wall hangings, sculpture and paintings depicting the history of Nigeria and the relationship it has had with its white oppressors. The works have joy, pain, pride, courage and fear. The ROM space is perfect for the show. Although El Anatsui is world renowned I had never heard of him but I am now talking about him a lot. Check out some of his work on the internet if you are skeptical. It is truly original and awe-inspiring work.

Dame Velveeta Peron