GMFA OCTOBER NEWSLETTER

october news

Queer Question Time @ The Royal Vauxhall Tavern debates: The HIV Issue Disclosure of HIV status – what are your views? Latest GMFA Booklets and Postcards Want to Pre-test our campaigns? GMFA Website Updates Latest issue of FS

Queer Question Time @ The Royal Vauxhall Tavern debates: The HIV Issue From bareback porn to facial wasting, long-time survivors and teenage kicks, come join the debate and dialogue on an issue that affects us all. Now that it’s a ‘manageable condition’ does it need the same funding? Should careless infection be criminalised? When is it okay to joke about AIDS? Does anyone pay attention to safe sex literature? Who do you know that’s HIV negative? How often do you talk about this topic with your friends?. Join Stewart Who? and a panel including writer and DJ Dusty ‘O’, epidemiologist and author Elizabeth Pisani, NAT’s Yusef Azad and GMFA’s own Matthew Hodson on 29th October at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern (372 Kennington Lane, Vauxhall, SE11 5HY). Submit your questions from 7pm - 8:45pm or email them before the night to askqqt@gmail.com. Doors 7pm, debate 9-10pm, open ‘til 1am Entry £7.50(GMFA volunteers, NUS & unwaged: 2 for 1) Tickets available from www.ticketweb.co.uk

Disclosure of HIV status – what are your views? On the GMFA blog, www.outspokenonhealth.com, we want to share views on different topics relating to gay men’s sexual health. This month, we’re looking at disclosure of HIV status. What are your experiences and views? Does it matter to you whether you know the status of your partners? Do you think casual partners should always tell each other their HIV status? If you’re HIV-positive, do you prefer to disclose to casual partners? If you’d like to share your views or experiences, please write a short blog post (around 100-200 words) and email it to chris.patmore@gmfa.org.uk. We’ll try to upload as many as possible over the coming weeks, and we won’t include your real name so they’ll be kept anonymous.

Latest GMFA Booklets and Postcards There are a range of HIV-prevention booklets and postcards from GMFA currently available in gay venues across London and you can also view them online at www.gmfa.org.uk/booklets. These include our latest postcard supporting THT’s latest mass media campaign, which highlights that 1 in 7 gay men on the London gay scene has HIV. Don’t forget, you can also get hold of a copy of our latest booklet, ‘Better Sex for Gay Men’, which includes lots of advice and photos to help you keep sex safe and fun. Visit www.gmfa.org.uk/bettersex to view it online.

Want to Pre-test our campaigns? We are looking for gay men to give us their feedback on our next HIV prevention booklet. If you’d like to be one of the first to see it and are happy to spend a bit of time to give us your thoughts, we’d love to hear from you. The booklet is expected to be ready for pre-testing in the next month and you will be provided with a draft copy to read and a questionnaire to complete afterwards. If you are interested in volunteering for this, please email chris.patmore@gmfa.org.uk.

GMFA Website Updates The ‘Booklets’ section on the London Services website has had a revamp. The section is now split into three subsections: current GMFA booklets, previous booklets and leaflets & postcards. We’ ve also added some high tech wizardry to the current GMFA booklets – you can now view them using the new online readers as well as having the option to download the pdf versions. Check it all out at www.gmfa.org.uk/londonservices/booklets-and-postcards/index. Also on London Services you’ll find the new THT Proximity mass media and postcard campaign in the Ad Campaigns and Booklets, Leaflets and postcards sections, as well as the latest forthcoming dates for a variety of free courses for gay men in the Courses and Workshops section.

LATEST ISSUE OF FS The latest Autumn issue of FS, with six different regional editions, is available in bars and clubs across the country. Copies of the six editions, as well as previous issues of FS, are also available to view with our brand new onlind digital viewer here www.gmfa.org.uk/fsnation. If you work in a gay organisation or venue in England and you would like to receive copies for your service users or customers, please email fsadmin@gmfa.org.uk. FS also has a Facebook page: visit www.facebook.com/fsmag and a myspace page: visit it at www.myspace.com/fsmag. If you have something to say to FS, write to: Letters to FS Mag, c/o GMFA, Unit 43, Eurolink Centre, 49 Effra Road, London SW2 1BZ. Or email: fsmag@gmfa.org.uk. FS Competition We are running a special competition on the FS Facebook page to celebrate this months issue. To win a £50 iTunes Voucher, log onto our Faceook page and post "I love FS Mag" on our wall by 5pm Friday 8 October. FS Problem of the month for 'Sort it Out' Have you ever fancied yourself as an Agony Aunt? Phillip has a problem and needs some advice. "My Boyfriend wants to be a Pornstar". I’ve been going out with my boyfriend for over two years now and the relationship has been great. I love him to bits and I know he loves me too but recently he told me that he wants to do porn. He says it’s always something he wanted to do. I’ve asked him not to do it but he says it’s just going to be a job and the extra money will help us. He also says that there could be some bareback scenes but that it’s ok because most porn stars are tested frequently. We currently don't use condoms when fucking, so I don't know how that will work out now. I don't know how I would feel seeing him fucking someone else. I really don't know what to do can you help? Phillip – Liverpool. If you'd like to share your thoughts with him email ian.howley@gmfa.org.uk with your replies by Friday 22nd October, or alternativley check out the 'Discussion Tab' on our Facebook page.

Volunteer for GMFA Volunteers are involved in the development of all of GMFA's campaigns, resources and actions. If you live in or near London and would like to volunteer for GMFA, email newvol@gmfa.org.uk or call 020 7738 6872 during office hours. Inductions for new volunteers are usually held once a month. If you used to volunteer for GMFA and would like to get involved again, email newvol@gmfa.org.uk or call 020 7738 6872 and we will send you weekly email updates of volunteer meetings and projects that you can be a part of.

If you do not want to receive the GMFA monthly news, please email gmfanews@gmfa.org.uk with 'UNSUBSCRIBE' in the subject line or call 020 7738 6872. GMFA - the gay men's health charity (Registered Charity No: 1076854) Improving gay men's health by increasing the control they have over their own lives. Unit 43, Eurolink Centre 49 Effra Road · London SW2 1BZ Tel: (020) 7738 6872 Find out more about GMFA, volunteer or donate: www.gmfa.org.uk/aboutgmfa Sex & Sexual Health - information and advice on HIV & STIs: www.gmfa.org.uk/sex Positive Gay Guide - information for HIV positive gay men: www.gmfa.org.uk/positive Resources & sexual health services for London's gay men: www.gmfa.org.uk/londonservices GMFA's Guide to gay sports clubs & social groups: www.gmfa.org.uk/theguide