Ted Kerr from Visual AIDS shares Valentines Day plans!

 

How do you make love?

How do you love yourself?

How do you love other bodies?

These are questions that Nelson Santos, Esther McGowan and I (Ted) at Visual AIDS think about all the time. We think about them in terms of art, HIV/AIDS, sex, our own bodies, and activism. Love is important. Love is vital. Love is confusing. And we can’t love alone. So we work with others. We ask others. We listen to others. We love others.  PLAY SMART, our safer sex series came out of a conversation around sex parties. What do guys need at sex parties that will provide them condom, lube and info? Our answer: sexy playing cards with “stats’” on the back. The stats are like tips on how to make the most out of sex: love your body, love everybody, love every body. And it includes information on PREP and PEP. 

 

For Valentines week we want to share ourselves, some of the thinking behind PLAY SMART and the work of people that inspire us. Sharing is one way to love.

 

On Tuesday, February 12th, we are presenting POSITIVE ASSERTIONS with AMOS MAC, DEVIN ELIJAH, IVAN MONFORTE, JESSICA WHITBREAD and SACHA YANOW. We hope to inspire you to love and express yourself even more. The 5 amazing artists will share their thoughts and images of their work to explore how they use art, community and love to express what it is to live with HIV, be a person of color, be trans.

 

Then on Thursday Visual AIDS is teaming up with AIDS ACTION NOW out of Toronto and Rebel Cupcake to co-host a NO PANTS NO PROBLEM Dance party.

 

On Friday, as we are feeling more connected from the night before, we are part of a reading from women living with HIV.

 

In the end, part of what love is to Visual AIDS is community.  We need it. We love it. We hope to see you next week.  Email me if you have any questions.

 

Ted Kerr

Programs Manager

Visual AIDS

tkerr@visualaids.org