Features and Interviews

PositiveLite.com learned late Tuesday that Canadian AIDS Society staffer Jeff Potts, a ‎National Programs Consultant and one of the "whistleblowers" in the story that we broke last October, has had his employment terminated, effective immediately. A second un-named employee, a recently hired communications specialist, has also been terminated. While some were quick to speculate that Potts’ termination was the result of the discontent he voiced to the CAS board in an open letter last Fall

Bob Leahy: I wanted to talk to you focusing mostly on the future, Laurie ,but first let me ask you what kind of year was 2015 for HIV in Canada. A good news year?  Laurie Edmiston: I think it’s been a mixture. Certainly the last part of the year was good. I’m very enthused about the potential with the new government. I also think that the IAS conference in Vancouver was very good; there was some conclusive evidence about some important science that I think we can take into account in our

 Bob Leahy: First of all congratulations, David, your appointment was announced yesterday. How do you feel about that?  David Stempwoski: I’m absolutely elated, Bob. I’m excited about the future and moving forward in a constructive way. It’s an exciting time for me.  Bob: Tell me why you both are speaking to PositiveLite.com now.  David: We always knew we were going to do an interview with you, Bob. In fact you are our first official interview to address all these issues, because

JULIO MONTANER FROM THE BC CENTRE FOR EXCELLENCE IN HIV/AIDS TALKS ABOUT HOW 90-90-90 CAME TO BE ENDORSED, HIS DEALINGS WITH JUSTIN TRUDEAU, HIS THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF PHAC AND THE VALUE OF INDEPENDENT VOICES Bob Leahy: I wanted to talk to you about the government’s 90-90-90 statement on World Aids Day. It was very interesting that few picked on up on it.  What’s your observation about why it didn’t get out properly? Julio Montaner: There is no way I can answer that question �

Bob Leahy: Good to talk to you, Muluba. You are twenty-two, HIV-positive and you are studying journalism at Sheridan College. How do people there process that?  Muluba Habanyama: Well, it’s all I’ve ever known. I just disclosed almost a year ago, last World AIDS Day, so they have actually been really supportive, really inspired by my story. You have had a fascinating journey. You’re fairly public now. But let’s start with how did that decision to disclose happen? Probably about fiv

“I’m not really the good poster man for this but I won’t shun away from responsibilities and opportunities that draw me to helping others.”  “I’m gonna ride this wave of support. If there’s one guy on this planet to contract this that’s going to deliver a cure, it’s me. Seriously." Part one  Part two  Part three  An open letter from Charlie Sheen: Roughly four years ago, I suddenly found myself in the throws of a seismic and debilitating three-day cluster-migraine-l

Joe says: "While this may be a rough read, I think it is an important one.  The Language may seem foul but I want to try to convey the real feelings of a recovering meth addict Meth is not a drug used by any one sector of society. One-time use of meth may and often does lead to addiction. Recovery has a high remission rate; depression and lack of  self0worth often brings people  back to meth. The only real hope is cognitive behavioural therapy, which works best  if the person wants help a

Seeing clips of Danny Pintauro on "The View" and hearing holier than thou, judgemental comments from clueless host Candace Bure , I knew HIV still had stigma surrounding it. Danny kept his cool. He carried himself with grace and kept his head held high. Not only openly gay, but publicly open with his HIV status, I wanted to know how someone in the public eye could face scrutinity  and be judged unfairly. I wanted to know more about the man, rather than the entertainer or "former child star"

Our Landscape, Our Peers is a way to connect different voices, one by one - as an open reading for peers of many walks of life, some distant miles away, and bound together as we live with HIV.  There's always a different voice out there in the landscape of people living with HIV. There is always another way someone has fought and moved forward. There is always going to be the need to encourage a peer to say what she/he thinks with articulation – to listen - and hope we can use some of the

Bob Leahy: Hi Preston: Thanks for talking to PositiveLite.com again. Now I want to jump in and say right away that I know you are aboriginal, I know, you're gay or two-spirited and I know that you are HIV-positive. Those are three factors which individually and collectively can lead to discrimination.  Preston Leon: Well, in this town I can’t go around thinking it’s OK if I kiss my partner; it’s probably worse on the reservation itself. The elders, in certain cases, won’t accept it.

When Miss Florida 1992, Leanza Cornett, competed for the crown of Miss America 1993, she didn’t just have gay hearts aflutter over our love for pageant competitions. We adored her because she proudly chose an AIDS awareness platform — and she meant it down to her lovely bones. When she won, she made good on her promise to bring HIV issues to an audience that wasn’t used to Miss America hanging out with dying gay men or performing condom demonstrations. My interview with the groundbre

Vancouver, BC [September, 2015] A new study finds patients who start HIV combination antiretroviral treatment at high CD4 levels – when the immune system is still healthy – have higher likelihood of long-term adherence and better clinical outcomes. Published in the journal AIDS, the new research confirms, at the population level, the results of recent randomized clinical trials supporting immediate initiation of HIV treatment. “Our study counters concerns among clinicians that individua

From poz.com “Tanner White, who bills himself as “your favorite positive Marine” on his YouTube channel, has posted a new video in which he asks singer-songwriter Steve Grand to the 2015 Marine Corps Ball. Grand is an openly gay country singer who is as famous for his hunky body as for his music. White is an HIV-positive social media activist who posts videos about HIV prevention and awareness. UPDATE: Steve Grand Says Yes to Date With HIV-Positive Marine Bob Leahy: First of all, Tann

Bob Leahy: Hi Camiille. Why don’t you tell me first what people can expect from your book?  Camille DePutter. Sure. I wrote the book because I feel that for many of us we have a sense that we have a story we would like to tell about ourselves and our experiences so I wanted to help people do that, to help them do some of the thinking about what their personal stories may be. It’s a way to start working with those stories, to put them down on paper, think about them in new ways and start

"Merce, is about a middle aged, HIV+ guy living in NYC, and it's a musical comedy! And here's the subversive part: it's not sad and no one dies. As an HIV+ man, I've been starving for a story about HIV that isn't sad. The show is bright, colorful, campy and fun. Each episode is less than 10 minutes long, and each has an original musical number. The goal of the show is to present a fresh idea of what a person with HIV looks like, and to add some humor into the conversation about HIV. After all