“Die-In” Mon. Dec. 13th 12:30pm Yonge & Dundas intersection

On Monday, December 13 at 12:30 pm at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas, the Student-coalition at the University of Toronto will stage a "die-in" media-stunt. Participants, dressed in red, (you – wear red) will "die" in the middle of the scramble intersection at regular intervals to bring attention to the lives lost due to a lack of medicines.

Currently, 10 million people living with HIV/AIDS do not have access to life-saving Anti-Retroviral drugs. So why hasn't the Canadian government supported legislation which could allow for more affordable life-saving medication? Bill C-393 could facilitate access to low-cost generic drugs, but on Thursday, December 16th this bill risks being abandoned.

It would be an incredible help if you could join us.  The event will only take 30 minutes.

If you are interested in participating, and for further details, please contact: leanne.rasmussen@utoronto.ca

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=109405225799696

Stunt Details:
When: Monday, December 13
Time: 12:30 pm to 1:00 pm
Where: Intersection of Young and Dundas

Please wear RED!

For more on Bill C-393:  http://www.aidslaw.ca/EN/camr/index.htm

Green Party Leader Biking to Montreal To Support AIDS Charity

Green Party of Ontario leader Mike Schreiner is raising funds for PWA (People With AIDS) Toronto by taking part in the 12th Annual Bike Rally. The ride takes these fearless fundraisers from Toronto to Montreal. I wish you well Mike. Please join me in supporting Mike by making a donation today.

This is timely considering the International AIDS Conference which took place in Vienna this year ended today, and of course once again our esteemed Prime Minister, Stephen Harper made the news, or didn't when he and his Health Minister were publicly (and rightly so) reprimanded by Dr. Julio Montaner, the Canadian head of the International AIDS Society.

From CBC.CA 

 In his closing address to the International AIDS Conference in Vienna on Friday, conference chief Dr. Julio Montaner slammed Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq.
"I would also like to have a special word of recognition to the prime minister of Canada, Mr. Stephen Harper … for demonstrating, yet again, their incredible ability to take credit where none is due."
Montaner, one of Canada's most prominent AIDS researchers, said the federal government is "punching well below its weight" in funding international efforts to fight the disease and isn't doing enough to protect Canadians from its spread.  Read the full story here.

AIDS Memorial Cawthra Park, Church St. Toronto, ON

 

More information on the AIDS Memorial can be found at the 519 Community Centre site. The 519 maintains and adds names to the memorial.

The Pope's Good Friday Message On Human Brutality...

...and my reaction to it!

This is just a small quote that I thought was worth sharing; Thanks to the Telegraph for the original story. 

So the Pope says "We are shocked to see to what levels of brutality human beings can sink."  I will add that he is speaking at the 7th station of the cross where Jesus was mocked, and

 comparing that to the way he sees Western secular society (i.e.; me) mocking religion.

I'm always impressed by the audacity of religious leaders like the Pope who will go through the motions of rituals like he did this week, washing the feet of vatican priests, as Jesus supposedly did to his disciples. The purpose; to show humility. Sounds good so far, right? 

WRONG!

He does this foot washing using a solid gold basin. 

I wonder, if that gold basin was sold off, how many starving people would it feed? How many living in tents in Italy right now because of the recent earthquake could benefit from the funds that would supply for rebuilding or food and medicine?

Lets not forget the vast riches the church has at its disposal, acquired over hundreds of years by questionable means along with donations from the faithful. 

What if these riches were all used in the spirit in which Jesus preached? Would it solve world hunger? Could it save one life? Of course it could, in fact the church could save thousands of lives and improve the quality of

 life for millions more. 

And its not even just about the money. The church could simply use its influence that it has with its audience profoundly better. One simple way would be to stop lying to the uneducated masses in Africa by telling them that condoms could increase the risk of becoming HIV positive or getting AIDS.  You might as well disallow them AIDS medication while your at it. 

As far as I'm concerned this institution is guilty of being an accessory to mass murder. At the very least just shut up and don't talk about condoms. After  all, priests are supposed to be celibate, so really condoms are not something you are best suited to be talking about to begin with. 

So finally, while your carving the easter ham, or happily decorating easter eggs. In the spirit of being shocked to see to what levels of brutality human beings can sink I humbly submit the following for you to reflect upon this easter weekend. Personally as an atheist, I will be celebrating the nice spring weather and the passing of another cold winter.

1. Legal basis for some inquisitorial activity came from Pope Innocent IV's papal bull Ad exstirpanda of 1252, which authorized and regulated the use of torture in investigating heresy.  For more click here.  
   
2. Here is one really sick family that is not Catholic, but the depravity is based in religion.
3. From the misguided Pope John Paul II, one which I take particular offense to, as someone who is a gay sexual abuse survivor. This statement reinforces the incorrect belief by some that homosexuality equals pedophilia.  The Pope decreed: because a significant majority of victims were teenage boys, disallowing ordination of men with "deep–seated homosexual tendencies"
4. For those who prefer visuals, watch this short video for a look at some of the torture tools of the inquisition.
5. Its not just christians: A pig caused hundreds of Indians to kill one another in 1980. The animal walked through a Muslim holy ground at Moradabad, near New Delhi. Muslims, who think pigs are an embodiment of Satan, blamed Hindus for the defilement. They went on a murder rampage, stabbing and clubbing Hindus, who retaliated in kind. The pig riot spread to a dozen cities and left more than 200 dead. Full Article Here
   

The Pope Vs. Condoms

The following is an email I received from Avaaz.org. Please take a moment to sign the petition. Thank you

This week, on his first visit to Africa, Pope Benedict said that "[AIDS] cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems". The Pope's statement is at odds with the research on AIDS prevention, and a setback to decades of hard work on AIDS education and awareness.
With powerful moral influence over more than 1.1 billion Catholics in the world, and 22 million HIV positive Africans, these words could dramatically affect the AIDS pandemic and put millions of lives at risk. Worldwide concern is starting to show results and a willingness by the Vatican to revise the statement - sign our urgent petition asking the Pope to take care not to undermine proven AIDS prevention strategies: http://www.avaaz.org/en/pope_benedict_petition
The personal beliefs of Catholics and all people should be respected, and the Pope does advocate for other AIDS prevention methods such as abstinence and fidelity that can be effective when combined with condom use.
The Catholic Church engages in a vast amount of social service work, including the care of those living with AIDS. But the Pope's claim that condom distribution is not an effective AIDS prevention mechanism is not supported by research. It's untrue, and if it diminishes condom use, it will be deadly.
The fact is, HIV and AIDS are prevented by condom use. There is no easy solution to the spread of this tragic disease, but condoms and education are the best known prevention combination and have not been found to increase risky sexual behaviour. That is why even priests and nuns working in Africa have questioned the Pope's statements.
We may not be able to ask the Catholic Church to change its broader position, but we are asking the Pope to stop actively speaking out against prevention strategies that work. It's important that people of all beliefs, especially Catholics, call on the Pope to exercise care in his leadership on this issue.
Sign below then spread the word to your friends and family - this petition could actually save lives: http://www.avaaz.org/en/pope_benedict_petition 25 million people worldwide have already died of AIDS, and 12 million children have been left without parents. If enough of us join this outcry, we will win an important battle in the struggle for a world without AIDS.

Pope Benedict says "Condoms can increase the problem of Aids"

"HIV/Aids is a tragedy that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which can even increase the problem." This was Pope Benedict's message to Africa at the beginning of his papal visit to the continent. 22 million people are infected with the Aids virus in sub-saharan Africa, which accounts for nearly two-thirds of infections worldwide. Source: BBC

This man is a complete idiot, and I pity those who follow his misguided and life-endangering ways.

Marrow Transplant Cures AIDS?

BERLIN - An American man who suffered from AIDS appears to have been cured of the disease 20 months after receiving a targeted bone marrow transplant normally used to fight leukemia, his doctors said Wednesday.

While researchers - and the doctors themselves - caution that the case might be no more than a fluke, others say it may inspire a greater interest in gene therapy to fight the disease that claims two million lives each year. The virus has infected 33 million people worldwide.  Full Story

330 CYCLISTS BEGIN TORONTO TO MONTREAL JOURNEY

Toronto – On July 27, 2008 , hundreds of cyclists will stream through the streets of Toronto , beginning their annual six-day trek to Montreal . This year, the Friends For Life Bike Rally honours its tenth anniversary of supporting the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA) and expects to raise $1 million.

“As long as there’s a reason, there’s a ride,” said Todd Ross, co-chair of the event. “Ten years after the rally was born, people living with HIV/AIDS in our community still need support. As long as they do, we will keep riding.”

Sunday, July 27, 2008 - Queen’s Park, Toronto

8:00 a.m. Group Photographs
8:30 a.m. Speeches - Minister of Health Promotion Margaret Best and Toronto City Councillor Adrian Heaps
8:45 a.m. Group Stretching
9:00 a.m. Departure

The ride departs north to Wellesley Street, south on Yonge Street and east on Front Street . Detailed route maps are available.

“There’s an undeniable energy that comes from hundreds of cyclists and volunteers working towards a common cause,” said Stefanie McQuaid, event rally co-chair. “Their collective efforts have allowed PWA to strengthen and expand its services to the men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in Toronto .”

Visit http://www.bikerally.org/ for backgrounders and more information. Spokespeople are available to talk about the event, as well as broader HIV/AIDS issues in Ontario .

About the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation

The Toronto People With AIDS Foundation exists to promote the health and well-being of all people living with HIV/AIDS by providing accessible, direct, and pr act ical support services. It is Canada ’s largest direct support service agency for people living with HIV/AIDS. For more information, please visit: http://www.pwatoronto.org/

1981: Mystery disease kills homosexuals

A mysterious epidemic, which has been discovered in homosexual men, is causing increasing concern in the United States.
The unknown condition, which consists of two separate diseases - a form of pneumonia and skin cancer, has been found in 180 patients in 15 states since last July.
It has claimed around 75 lives so far in the US and up to 92% of the victims are homosexual men.
One death has been reported from the virus in London.
Although doctors have identified what appears to be a new disease, they have yet to devise a cure.
The epidemic is being investigated by the Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta.
The specialist unit has already discovered the causes of two other diseases, the toxic shock syndrome and Legionnaires' disease.

From the BBC ON THIS DAY. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY.

It seems surreal to read a report of 75 deaths in the United States, when now an estimated 28 million people around the world have died and millions are infected with HIV.

QLIPP VIDEO OF THE MONTH

This is a well done video. No dialogue, just music and images... and your mind.
Sometimes less is more.