The AIDS Committee of Toronto over the past few years has taken on a risk mitigation strategy in it’s outreach work, encouraging Gay men to make better choices with their sex play and sexual health through better education and information.

Simply telling someone to use a condom isn’t enough.  The fact is, people have gotten tired of the no glove, no love message.

I started volunteering with the the ACT Gay Mens Outreach organization almost three years ago.    What I learned during my training was how important messaging is, and the impact to people’s attitudes.  It’s just like any human-to-human communication it’s all in how you say things whether the other person is going to shut down or be open to more.

What I learned completely turned the messaging I had learned as a young man, on it’s head.  After all, fear-based initiatives are completely ineffective and idealist points of view completely ignore reality.

With my volunteer work, I have seen first hand guys reject my offers of condoms, lube and information; only to come back to ask me question month after month, and start making positive choices.  They have been empowered to make these choices without being bashed over the head with cliches.

In short, ACT along with the Ontario AIDS Network, and the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange are leaders in North America for this kind of work.

The Bareback Roundtable discussion Master Chuck and I attended during CLAW also turned what I knew upside down.  We were able to discover, first hand, the impacts of the messaging of the ’80s and ’90s does to people, the judgements and the stigma.  Again, much thanks to Dave Watt for putting this together.

There is a great article on Xtra’s website about the new messaging that ACT is currently using:

“It’s your choice – We believe that sex is a spectrum of possibilities.  From pig sex to vanilla.  Bareback to wrapped.  We’ve got information and sex-positive tips to make your choices safer. ”

I wrote the following in response to the article and some of the comments:

It has been proven that harm reduction strategies gets people to think and often act on playing safer. It worked in the UK in rave culture in the area of drug use, and it’s working here.

When you bash people over the head with idealist points of view like, “You should always use a condom” people start to rebel and say forget it.

I attended a great seminar at an event recently that brought together people who bareback, the porn industry, and people who work in harm reduction. It was a fascinating look at how we all perceive each other and how safer sex messaging gets interpreted.

It’s not simple and the messaging has to change with the times – a lot of ASOs in North America are stuck in the 80s and 90s with their messaging.

ACT along with the OAN are well ahead of the game with this. People need to know the options to make sex safer without being overbearing. It’s about guiding people to make better choices than what they are choosing now.

ACT does not only just use risk mitigation in it’s safe sex messaging but also with it’s Club & Party Outreach.  Something as simple as having a clean straw available reduces the risk of Hep C transmission when someone is high.

I am proud to be a supporter of this initiative.  The messaging of the ’80s and ’90s has to change from dictating to risk mitigation and explaining the options, to empower men to make their own choices.

To quote someone who commented on the thread: “The community needs MORE realistic, pragmatic information, not moral indignation.”

I believe we need to talk more and open up the discussion on bareback sex and other perceived-to-be taboo topics.

ACT is hosting a Pride edition of the Pig Sex Project series. This discussion will focus on cum. “What do you like to do with it? What does it mean to you?”

• When: June 18 from 1-4pm
• Where: Steamworks, 540 Church St, Level 2
• Find out more by contacting Siva Gunaratnam at 416-340-8484 x254

Master Chuck, Eastern Canada LeatherSIR 2011 and i will be at The Beef Ball on Saturday, July 2, 2011 during Toronto Pride weekend handing out condoms and lube, and we’re happy to answer any questions you may have about play, pig sex, Leather and information to empower you.  Hope to see you there!