Two names to be added to Craig Chaplin Memorial Award

This spring’s presentation of the award in my brother’s memory will include a couple of firsts – two individuals are being cited and they’re from across the Canada-U.S. border in neighbouring Vermont. To be more accurate, one-half of the couple of Dr. Delores Barbeau and Carol Olstad, R.N. will be honoured posthumously as Carol, who [...]

Adieu Madeleine Parent

Aerial view of  Montreal Cottons Valleyfield works, 1950. Copyright undetermined as per citation at Université de Sherbrooke’s Bilan du Siècle I was saddened to learn of the death last night of the iconic Québec labour activist Madeleine Parent. She was 93 so I knew that when I wrote this tribute to her more than five [...]

So three lawyers walk into the Ontario Legislature…

…but this is no joke! There’s a friendly exercise each morning that the Ontario Legislature sits when Members have the opportunity to introduce guests seated in the gallery – family members of one of the high school student pages, perhaps a visiting township reeve, or dignitaries representing other governments, be they in Canada or elsewhere. [...]

Final tributes to Jack Layton in pictures

It was an emotion-packed, life-affirming day.

There are some blog posts I’d like to forget – on returning to the NDP

I’ve always tried to make this blog somewhat of a record of my life, however fragmented, warts and all.  Here in the archives is my defiant abandonment of the New Democratic Party for, let’s say, greener pastures.  However right it felt at the time, and for a couple of by-elections and a general election after, [...]

A letter to Canadians from the Honourable Jack Layton

August 20, 2011 Toronto, Ontario Dear Friends, Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, [...]

30 years “out” – February 5 (when Toronto cops swept through the baths)

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 have been February 5, 1981 – thirty years ago today. At 11 p.m. that night, more than 150 police carried out simultaneous raids on four of Toronto’s most [...]

“It Gets Better” tops 2010 list

Dan Savage and husband Terry Miller started something in 2010 that Mark Kelley and the CBC Connect crew put at the top of Connect 10: A  Countdown of the most popular stories online in 2010. Responding to highly-publicized cases of bullying and suicides of gays and lesbians, the “It Gets Better” project was launched with [...]

A simple gesture over the holidays that could make a world of difference

  I know that I was not the only Canadian very proud a few years back when Parliament passed legislation designed to make it easier for generic pharmaceutical companies to ship life-saving AIDS medications, and others, to developing nations of the south. So it was rather shameful to learn that, so far, only one shipment [...]

Now with pictures: Activists warmly received – okay met with mild bemusement – during very cold “Die-in” for Bill C-393

Feel free to share the video below. With Parliament now on Christmas recess, we have the entire month of January to make our views known. It was such a cold walk down to Yonge-Dundas Square this morning I was glad to be able to walk the full block south from Gerrard to Gould Streets through [...]

The re-activation of an AIDS activist

While no one could say that I had ever completely stopped my AIDS activism I have, I would suggest, limited myself in recent years to writing or speaking about it on a smaller scale. It was consistent, determined protests – some of which I was a part of – that led to government speeding up [...]

“Die” for access to generic AIDS meds in the poorest of countries – it won’t kill you!

Over the lunch hour this coming Monday the Bill C-393 Student Coalition, along with members of AIDS ACTION NOW and other allies, will join in creative protest in support of vital legislation before Canada’s Parliament. Bill C-393 is designed to reform CAMR (Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime), the legislation passed back in the dying days [...]

Celebs with $900 sunglasses and Mama’s medicine chest in their undies can be silent today if they want, not me!

I’m all for vaccuous celebrities shutting their yaps today, especially as a fundraiser, but if I don’t tweet or “poke” or “like” it won’t be because I’ve gone silent for World AIDS Day. How many years passed before those in power, like Reagan for example, even mentioned AIDS? And Canada continues to sell out on [...]

World AIDS Day 2010 – Stories – 5 – “World AIDS Day 2010″ by Aless Piper

Each writer in this series has generously given me permission to post their work. The views and experiences shared are their own. Where applicable, links will also be provided at the end of the piece. Tony Kushner wrote in the Playwright’s Notes for Act 2 of Angels in America – Perestroika that Harold Bloom translated [...]

Sticks and Stones…

I’d imagine it must be painful for a parent to have to impart to their children those familiar words, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” I was certainly skeptical. Long before summoning the courage to come out to my parents at age 21, I had known that I [...]