In our young professional (YP) lives, we are exposed to countless charities through fundraising events and initiatives that support a variety of causes, from cancer to homelessness and at-risk youth programming. One cause that we don’t hear as much about these days is HIV/AIDS, despite the fact that more people than ever are living with the virus today in Toronto. Since 1983, the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) has developed programs and services that respond to the changing needs of HIV-positive communities, and after a visit there, it is as evident as ever that the disease remains a cause we can’t ignore.
Located at Carlton and Church, the ACT headquarters is deceivingly large inside, and offers a safe space for people to seek counseling and social support activities, gain education and knowledge, and to participate in programs that help with the transition back into the workforce. ACT works predominantly with gay men, women and youth to increase their knowledge, skills and resilience in the face of HIV and to reduce HIV transmission. This Thursday, March 6th, ACT hosts their annual gala and photography auction, SNAP!, to raise vital funds for their organization – and trust us, this is an event you don’t want to miss. SNAP! is an evening of photography featuring established and emerging artists and provides an opportunity to purchase from a curated selection of works from local, national and global artists. This year’s honourary chair is television personality Anne Mroczkowski, who will be joined by a many other familiar faces.
We hit ACT to speak with Director of Development Daniel Knox about what we can expect at Thursday’s event, the initiatives of ACT, and misconceptions surrounding HIV/AIDS…
What is your specific involvement in SNAP!?
I am the Director of Development here at ACT and SNAP! is one of our signature events. We have two annual events that we organize and execute, the AIDS Walk being one of them and SNAP the other. It’s in its 13th year and is run, of course, by the organization, but also a steering committee of some community members who work with their networks to ensure that we have more interest in the event. The art is curated by a team of photographic professionals, who reach out to artists to seek and build a collection that our audience would be interested in based on what we know from past years at SNAP!, but also, really interesting art that is from established and emerging artists from both Canada and internationally. The artists very generously give us all the pieces that are in the live auction, which, of course, is the largest financial component to SNAP!. We also have the silent auction, which is based on a competition that anyone can enter by submitting a photograph. There are some established artists who participate, but also some amateurs who are looking for that chance to be part of a show. We have a jury that selects out of all the submissions. I think we received over 300 submissions and they selected 70 to be a part of the silent auction. The price points are a little more accessible for the silent auction, making it a good way for the entire community to participate – whether you are an established art collector looking to make an investment and support a great cause, or someone who may be just starting their collection or have a developing interest in art.
What is the crowd typically like?
It is a mixed crowd, including a lot of young people. One of the groups we have partnered with is actually the AGO Next group, the young leaders of the AGO. This will be our fourth year working with them and tonight we have a special evening to preview the SNAP! collection. We are really excited about that, as it draws a large crowd. We want more young people interested in SNAP!, especially because photographic art is a really great place to start your collection. The price points on paintings can seem daunting if you are starting an art collection, but photographs are a great way to purchase some contemporary art and to make an investment at a reasonable price point, so I think that is why there has been a lot of interest in the event from that crowd. Of course, we also get established collectors who are longtime supporters of SNAP!, and that means everything from Bay Street professionals to lawyers, doctors and other prominent supporters.
How much are you hoping to raise this year?
We are hoping to raise around $300,000 and are relying on that as an important part of our annual fundraising budget. The auction gets quite lively, and a lot of the time it helps emerging artists establish a new price for their work as well because there are always those key pieces people end up fighting for.
Do you think, 30-plus years later, that there is still a stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS? Is it lessoning, in your opinion?
I think the younger generation doesn’t carry the stigma as much as perhaps some previous generations, but it still exists, predominantly experienced by those who are out about their HIV status. We see service users whose – although it may be illegal – housing and employment are lost as a result of their HIV status. There have been issues when the wrong person finds out about their status, misunderstandings of what it is about, or a brief illness as a result of the virus that has caused them to lose their job, leading to housing issues. Then it becomes difficult to get back on track, and that is why the work we do is so important. With respect to stigma, it is hard to sometimes quantify, but you can feel that it is there. I know, even on a personal level, when I started at ACT, even informed peers of mine from the gay community wondered, does that mean that you are HIV positive? That shouldn’t be an issue, but the fact that the question is still even raised speaks to the stigma that is still there. And for individuals living with HIV, there is always that internal shame and guilt around it and a lot of that is the result of what is out there and what people are putting upon them. That’s why counseling and support services are so important. Another challenge surrounding HIV/AIDS and getting it on the radar in terms of funding is that a lot of people under 30 don’t have that first-hand experience from the 80s or early 90s of seeing that visible effect of the disease on people, so it does not have the same impact.
What other misconceptions exist?
There is often the perception of that the disease is no longer a big deal. Maybe you know somebody who is HIV positive but they are healthy, they take one pill a day and are good, so it is no big deal anymore. But there still is no cure, and this is something you are going to be living with for the rest of your life. While it is true that many people live healthy lives with HIV – often relying on just one pill a day – that does not mean that they will always have it that easy. With a compromised immune system, anything can happen. One virus that’s out there in cold season could knock you out, so you are thinking about that kind of thing for the rest of your life. Not to mention, we don’t always know the long-term effects of those pills. With the first treatments, the side effects were so severe that for a lot of people it was worse than benefit. In terms of the long-term effects of these treatments and of HIV on the body, this is the first time we have seen somebody living for 30 years with the virus, so it is still a new thing. Aside all that is the fact that we are not seeing a decrease in infection, despite all the work we do with prevention. It is not going up dramatically, but is still spreading when it should be going down. There are nearly two new infections every day in Toronto. Thanks to treatment, it is great that there are more people living with it, but it means more services are needed to support them. We are also dealing with the increase in service requirements for the aging population of those living with HIV. There are other organizations that help with housing or hospice care, but there are a lot of things in between, and that is one of the next major challenges of HIV/AIDS.
In terms of straight, young people, would you say that they naively think they are completely untouchable to the virus?
I think there still is the perception that HIV is a gay thing. A lot of heterosexual couples are more worried about birth control than HIV prevention. But HIV doesn’t discriminate gender, sexual orientation or race, and there are a lot of heterosexual people living with it. It can be transmitted in a variety of ways, not just sex. Often, it is the result of injection drug use, or occasionally a drug transfusion, but 30 per cent of people who are living with HIV don’t know it. This could be because a lot of the heterosexual population does not get tested for HIV; they may ask for a STD test, but that does not necessarily include an HIV test unless you ask for it. Somebody could be living with it for a long time and not showing any symptoms or having to see the doctor about it and unknowingly pass it on. And it is very possible from heterosexual sex. Publically straight, experimenting men are less likely to use protection because it is not the norm in their straight relationships. So they can easily bring it home. It is important to get tested regularly to know, either way. The earlier you find it out, the quicker you can work to control it. We have hosted satellite testing here in our office because not everyone is comfortable going to the recognized neighbourhood clinic because everyone knows that you are going there to get an STD or HIV test. It is done anonymously. We offer the new Rapid Test, which is essentially a pin prick and the test results are 10 minutes, as opposed to having to wait the typical two weeks. It is nearly as accurate as a blood test; it does not give false negatives. No matter what, know your status, even if it was just that one time that you didn’t use a condom. Remember, the virus isn’t going anywhere.
Clearly, then, events like SNAP! are so important. What are you most looking forward to personally with this event?
It is my fourth SNAP! I have worked in not-for-profit for a dozen years and it is one of my favourite events. It is unique in that it is one part serious auction and another really great party. At the end of the night, everyone is really looking forward to a great party. This means great music, open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and a great crowd. If you have ever been to any TD-sponsored Pride event, you will know the TD Boys. They are models who help us serve during the reception and they also present the art on stage. They work with the crowd and are always a lot of fun. In general, it is important for us to inject more of why it is important to be there, that being the funds to help programs and services.
Find out more about the event here, and stay tuned later this week for our interview with Honourary Chair of SNAP! and Gemini Award-winning journalist Anne Mroczkowski.
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