My Journey with AIDS

Txt, telephone or…blog…let’s talk about mental illness!

This is Bell Let’s Talk Day. Multiple Olympic medallist Clara Hughes, lead spokesperson for the campaign, was on CTV’s News at Noon in Toronto. From among the calls she fielded came this articulate gem, “To kill the pain too often means...

Published Wed, Feb 09 2011 11:48 AM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: family, youth, autobiography, mental illness, childhood trauma, activism, AIDS and HIV, health-care, mental health, bipolar II, stigma, friendship, youth suicide, Bell Let's Talk Day

Shelter from the St. Valentine♥s Day Ma$$acre

Having, hopefully, just paid at least the minimum owing on their Christmas credit card bills, gluttonous consumers are now being cajoled into the can’t-win Valentine’s Day debacle. Take heart…PLEASE! First of all, what are we teaching...

Published Wed, Feb 09 2011 7:36 AM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: activism, heart-health charities, fair trade chocolate, fair trade diamonds, ethical Valentine's Day

Unpacking (more) personal baggage

Pardon me for the humourless dissecting of my neuroses Have I mentioned before having used, for many years, the esteem-busting mantra “If anyone deserves AIDS, I do!” (Looking at it now I feel like each word should be italicized for emphasis, rather than...

Published Sun, Feb 06 2011 9:21 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: family, autobiography, AIDS and HIV, stigma, sexual orientation, homosexuality, coming out of the closet, fundamentalism, social conservatives, sexual abuse, Christianism, recovery, homophobia, youth suicide, self-forgiveness

30 years “out” – February 5

If ever I’ve had a “But for the grace of God, there go I” occasion (even though I have problems with that expression) it would have to be February 5, 1981 – thirty years ago today. At 11 p.m. that night, more than 150 police carried...

Published Sat, Feb 05 2011 12:39 AM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: family, youth, autobiography, activism, AIDS and HIV, politics, social justice, Toronto, homosexuality, fundamentalism, Claire Hoy, St. Catharines Standard, The Body Politic, Rick Bébout, Toronto Sun, Toronto bathhouse raids 1981, Chris Bearchell

Feeling powerless so far away from Egypt? Help change the Canadian government’s response!

Like so much of the world I have been transfixed on the dramatic events in Egypt, but feeling a little powerless to help – until I read about the Harper government’s response (which, I guess, we shouldn’t be surprised about)! What follows...

Published Fri, Feb 04 2011 2:07 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: activism, politics, human rights, Stephen Harper, Canadian Peace Alliance, Egypt, Hosni Mubarek

What to call this: P.C. f#@$s denial?

This story from Xtra! Vancouver infuriates me. AIDS groups remove ‘AIDS’ from their names. If “AIDS” still carries too much stigma, which it does, that is what to work on, not re-branding! I responded with this: It’s behaviour...

Published Mon, Jan 31 2011 7:37 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: activism, AIDS and HIV, politics, stigma, public health

“The Shack”, allegory and empathy – but forgiveness?

“I brought a book I think you’ll find interesting,” my cousin said as we sat down for lunch recently, handing me a paperback copy of The Shack by Wm. Paul Young. I will not suggest motives she might have had in giving me this...

Published Tue, Jan 25 2011 2:08 AM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: grief, youth, writing, autobiography, childhood trauma, child abuse, spirituality, mental health, faith, church, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), sexual abuse, biography/autobiography, "The Shack", Wm. Paul Young

A grand old Montréal building enters a new, uncertain phase

When I read news from over the weekend that another former Montréal banking landmark is up for sale – there’s a wealth of information from this link – I found the photo (below) of “The Canadian Bank of Commerce” which I took...

Published Mon, Jan 24 2011 8:19 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: Québec, Montréal, architecture, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Expo '67, Imperial Bank of Canada, Canadian Bank of Commerce

We Talk About HIV/AIDS (h/t Amanda)

Michael Kimber Is Out – Torontoist

A really great read from Torontoist: Michael Kimber Is Out. Read More...

Published Thu, Jan 20 2011 10:41 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: mental illness, activism, mental health, stigma, biography/autobiography, Torontoist

Thank you Candy Crowley and “State of the Union”

“I think you might have bipolar disorder,” he (psychiatrist) said. “Oh, thank God,” I answered. Surprise registered on his face. “I don’t think I’ve ever had that reaction before.” “No, I am so relieved...

Published Mon, Jan 17 2011 1:22 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: autobiography, mental illness, AIDS and HIV, mental health, bipolar II, stigma, recovery, CNN, AIDS, Candy Crowley, Major depressive disorder, Bipolar II disorder, NBC

Engaging more in my mental health care

The mass shootings in Tucson, and the evolving picture of the mentally deranged man being held responsible, continue to both intrigue and inform me. I eagerly watched three of the Sunday morning news shows: NBC’s “Meet the Press”, ABC’s “This Week”...

Published Sun, Jan 16 2011 8:44 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: media, mental illness, bipolar, bipolar II, stigma, Tucson shootings

There’s enough insanity to go around – and then some

Even some of my best friends…can be described as having, at least, a nodding acquaintance with mental illness. While, as far as I know, a police check would not flag me as mentally ill, I probably owe that more to the fact that my only direct personal...

Published Sun, Jan 09 2011 9:21 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: mental illness, politics, bipolar II, stigma, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson Arizona shootings, Sarah Palin, Feministe, Vaughan Bell, Jared Lee Loughner, brain trauma, Slate, Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic, Howard Kurtz, Andrew Sullivan

There’s enough insanity to go around

Even some of my best friends…can be described as having, at least, a nodding acquaintance with mental illness. While, as far as I know, a police check would not flag me as mentally ill, I probably owe that more to the fact that my only direct personal...

Published Sun, Jan 09 2011 1:21 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: mental illness, politics, bipolar II, stigma, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson Arizona shootings, Feministe, Vaughan Bell, Jared Lee Loughner, brain trauma, Slate, Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic

Sarah Palin incites stupidity, why not worse?

I have nothing but best wishes for the victims and families of today’s gun madness in Tucson. Speaking from family experience, the first brain surgery on Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was probably more about relieving the swelling than about making...

Published Sat, Jan 08 2011 6:39 PM by My journey with AIDS...and more!

Filed under: media, activism, politics, Barack Obama, social conservatives, Gabrielle Giffords, Tucson Arizona shootings, Sarah Palin, 2012

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