MAX Blog
MAX OUTtawa – A Path Forward
MAX Ottawa, in partnership with KindSpace, Planned Parenthood Ottawa and the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, is pleased to announce its participation in OUTtawa: A SafetyLabs Project. “Safety Labs” are spaces that are provided for communities to practice the core skills necessary for responding to systemic harm. These strategies were originally developed by…
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Navigating Ottawa’s Gay Scene While Choosing Sobriety
Meeting new people as an adult can be challenging. And when you’re dating, it can be even more anxiety ridden.Those who are newly sober and those years into maintaining sobriety are bound to face a whole new set of challenges in a dating scene often linked to bars and other places where alcohol is served.…
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Giving Tuesday
Every year, Giving Tuesday happens around the same time as World AIDS Day, an annual global event that falls on December 1st and pays tribute to the lives lost and affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Giving Tuesday is an opportunity for people to focus their holiday giving spirit on supporting non-profit organizations. This year, as an organization that has…
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Harm Reduction Community Update
Click HERE for the French version. | Cliquez ICI pour la version française. Dear Ottawa, Gatineau, and Champlain LIHN community, I’m very excited to be writing this update to let the community know what we have been up to at MAX’s Harm Reduction programs and what we are currently working on for the near future.…
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Announcement: Manager of Partnerships and Strategic Development
French version HERE Congratulations! We are very pleased to announce that Ahmed (He/Him), our current Sexual Health Program Coordinator is moving into a new role as the Manager of Partnerships and Strategic Development. He will be supporting the building of community partnerships and fundraising strategies. Ahmed began his career in community work nearly 12 years…
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COVID & male sex work: legitimize and destigmatize
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made evident health and economic inequality among different groups of individuals around the world1. Male sex workers, among others, were put in a very delicate situation. The lockdowns and other public health guidelines made it hard for them to practice their work freely, but since sex work is not recognized…
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Change in Executive Director leadership at MAX Ottawa
Cliquez ici pour la version française. | Click here for the French version. On behalf of the Board of Directors of MAX Ottawa, I am pleased to announce the appointment of James Demers as MAX’s new Executive Director (ED). James follows MAX’s first ED, Roberto Ortiz Núñez, who left the organization in September 2020, for…
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Do the bump. The booty bump that is…
French version/Version française: https://maxottawa.ca/le-booty-bumping-ou-linsertion-anale/?lang=fr Consuming a substance anally, often called booty bumping, is an under-discussed and under-researched topic when it comes to PNP. With booty bumping, the taboo of substance use intersects with the taboo of anal sex, and often this method of consumption is only talked about in PNP spaces and by 2SLGBTQ+ organizations,…
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Quick look at SMASH 2021
This year, MAX Ottawa had the pleasure of attending the SMASH (Sommet Montréalais d’Action pour la Santé des Hommes ayant des relations sexuelles ou amoureuses avec d’autres hommes) in its 2021 online edition, organized by RÉZO. After the 2020 edition, full of critical information, this year, SMASH is back (March 18-19) with a varied program…
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Peer Support: A way to connect.
Being a newcomer and finding community and resources can be difficult, especially coming from a country that is not queer-friendly. It is for this reason that I am thankful to MAX, as I have found every space created and run by MAX to be warm, inviting and caring. The peer support program at MAX is…
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