In honour of the 30th anniversary of World Aids Day, AIDS Vancouver Island will participate in this year’s “Know your status” campaign on Dec. 1.
Research shows that in Canada 25 per cent of people living with HIV are unaware that they have the virus because they’ve never been tested. The campaign urges people to get tested, and for people to speak openly about HIV/AIDS to avoid stigma and shame.
Dec. 1 also marks the 20th anniversary of National Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week in Canada, and so a joined event to commemorate both anniversaries happens at the Royal B.C. Museum on Dec. 1.
Starting at 1 p.m. there will be a drop-in viewing of storyboards, education and resource stations and a living library of people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS.
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At 3 p.m. there will be a short film called Strong Medicine, which was made by Indigenous people living with HIV. This showing will be followed by a performance by the Resistance Rising Choir before everyone walks over together to the BC Legislature to light a red ribbon memorial candle display.
In the evening the Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS society will host the Day With(out) Art 2018 which will screen a film called Alternate Endings, Activist Risings before opening to a panel and discussion. The event will run 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Vic Theatre at 808 Douglas St. (for more information, head to the event’s Facebook page)
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Additionally, a play called Secret/e: how having sex while HIV+ became a crime by Rick Waines will be performed at 2% Jazz at 1701 Douglas St. from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (for more information, head to eventbrite.ca).
The Greater Victoria Public Library will also have “We Are Here” Story Boards on display at the Central, Esquimalt and Oak Bay Libraries. The story boards tell stories of local people living with HIV. They will be on display from Nov. 30 to Dec. 7.
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