GGN Radio :: On April 28th, it was announced that Health Canada had approved an end to policy that restricts men who have sex with men from donating blood products for three months, at the request of Canadian Blood Services.

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has promised for years in election campaigns to end the decades-old discriminatory and homophobic practice.

The headlines were met with much glee and celebration; our community has worked tirelessly for this change.

But dig deeper.

“When you see what the headlines are, and you see the difference between the headlines and the fine print, it’s very clear that people are trying to pull a fast one on the Canadian public and on the queer community,” says Shakir Rahim, a lawyer who worked on the federal human rights challenge to the ban on men who have sex with men donating blood. He joined GGN Publisher Shaun Proulx on his SiriusXM chat show for a conversation about the issue this week.

“And that should really be a cause for anger,” Rahim added. “Because it’s not right. The queer community is being told something is happening when in fact what is happening is markedly different.”

Rahim also discussed:

• Why the move isn’t a repeal at all.
• That blood donation still hinges on stigmatized anal sex (a man who has vaginal sex with countless partners can still donate; a man who has anal sex with multiple partners still cannot)
• The ignoring of science, advancements, and the effectiveness of preventative measures such as condoms, and PrEP.

Listen now:

• GGN

The post GGN Radio :: Heath Canada’s Blood Donor Repeal: “A fast one on queer community.” appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GGN Founder & Publisher Shaun Proulx and his SiriusXM colleague Arlene Bynon revisit what has happened with Sean Cribbin since they first broke the story almost three years ago after the serial killer, Bruce McArthur was arrested for 2 of the 8 murders he would eventually be charged with by Toronto Police.

Listen to the Interview with Sean Cribbin

Bynon and Proulx also talk with Cribbin about the new award-winning documentary about his experience in, Was I Next? The Sean Cribbin Story. 

Watch the trailer for Was I Next

The post GGN Radio :: What Happened To Sean Cribbin? appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GGN Publisher, Shaun Proulx discusses Racism and Oppression Awareness Month that launches this November with Carlos Idibouo, Vice President of Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion at Interpride.

Note: Racism and Oppression Awareness Month was originally scheduled for September of this year, and the audio reflects this and was published before the change to November.

Show Notes

• The Racism and Oppression Awareness Month is the initiative of a group of Black, Indigenous and People of Color involved with InterPride. 
• The project will be implemented to express their support to the Black Lives Matter movement, but also to the whole Pride organizations and LGBTQI+ globally. 
• Carlos discusses how, although over years, InterPride managed to bring together the LGBTQI+ communities around the world to celebrate our Pride, issues related to racism, oppression, sexism, misogyny, transphobia, unconscious biases have always been relevant. The organization has not been successful in addressing them.
• Carlos also shares why he feels the Covid-19 pandemic played a role in the global protests following the killing of George Floyd.

The post GGN Radio :: November is Racism and Oppression Awareness Month appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GGN Publisher, Shaun Proulx speaks with long-term survivors, Shari Margolese and Ron Rosenes, two legends in the HIV/AIDS world who share chilling comparisons between the AIDS pandemic and COVID-19, as well as the lessons we can learn and apply to COVID-19 from what we learned from AIDS. It’s a COVID-19 conversation you’ve not heard before.  

The post GGN Radio :: Chilling Comparisons Between the HIV/AIDS & COVID-19 Pandemics appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

Haven’t We Been Here Before?

In this special edition of the Think Queerly Podcast, show host Darren Stehle speaks with friend and colleague, GGN Publisher Shaun Proulx about the issue of shaming and judgment of those who are choosing (and needing) to have sex during the COVID-19 pandemic and social quarantine.

Darren and Shaun get into the various contrasts we are witnessing in human behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic and why that reminds of our own experiences having lived through the very beginnings of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s.

We discuss the layers of shame, including gay shame, bareback shaming from the early days of AIDS and eating our own — how marginalized groups are often more judgmental of their own, which further exacerbates feelings of shame and a lack of belonging and acceptance. Shaun drives home the point that this is a conversation for everyone who has sex, not just gay men. Everyone needs to hear this message and have this conversation.

Darren talks about the neuroscience of the mammalian brain, which is always seeking acceptance, connection, care. If those needs are not met, we have a difficult time using our pre-frontal cortex, the so-called human brain for logic, reasoning, and planning for things like safer-sex strategies. This all comes back to the human need for touch, physical connection, and sex — the longer we go without social connection, the more difficult it is to be “human.” We are all feeling some form of social-distancing fatigue.

All this makes it even more of a challenge being single right now, especially for people living alone. For those who suffer depression or have challenges with addiction, following the rules is more challenging and stigma and preaching abstinence simply does more harm than good.

We conclude with a discussion about the need for compassionate and empathetic advocacy, as well as practicing more empathy for all of us. COVID-19 is the straw that has broken the camel’s back; it is a tipping point for humanity to realize that it’s not just a global health pandemic, rather, this is a life-changing, world-altering, system-disruption that is forcing us to evaluate civil liberties, human rights, and greater respect for the planet.

Links to Articles Mentioned on the Show

• HIV/AIDS in Contrast with the COVID-19 Pandemic — Lessons in History
• The Prejudice of PrEP: You’re Fucked if You Don’t Bareback — LOP093
• Why Gay Shame Is Your Superpower
• Humanity’s Tipping Point — Without a Return to Compassion, We’re Finished
• GGN EMPOWERMENT: Pandemic Shaming — Sex In COVID Times
• GGN EMPOWERMENT: Sex + PnP In Pandemic Times
• COVID Conversations with Shaun Proulx
• fagdemic on Twitter & Instagram

About Darren Stehle & Think Queerly

Darren is a personal leadership coach living in Toronto, Canada who helps his clients to connect and embrace their uniqueness and freely create the life they want. He writes and podcasts regularly about Queer Leadership and how we can create a more loving and accepting world for all people. Find out more at DarrenStehle.com and download his book, Think Queerly: Meditations & Critical Reflections On Liberating Humanity.

The post GGN Radio :: Sex Shaming During COVID-19  – Think Queerly Podcast appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

Hard to believe and sad to know, but here we are, 2020, and half of our “nice” fellow Canadians – according to surveys done by the Toronto HIV Hospital and hospice Casey House – would be nervous to come in contact with someone with HIV.

Further, 50% of Canadians would not eat food an HIV-positive person touched or was near; many also incorrectly believe HIV can be transmitted through skin-to-skin touch, saliva, or by sharing glasses or cutlery.

Not nice.

Is Ronald Regan still US President? In an effort to #smashstigma stemming from misinformation and fear that makes it feel like we’re stuck in the 1980s (when Regan himself took 8 years to publicly say as President the term “AIDS”,) Casey House is continuing it’s trailblazing, attention-getting work with a three-night dining event in March, June’s HIV-Positive Eatery.

Featuring a menu prepared by HIV-positive chefs, the event, named after Casey House founder, the late force of nature June Callwood, was pre-paved by an earlier pop-up edition several years ago, and then a pop-up spa a year later.

Both served to educate and hopefully eradicate some of the stigma still festering four decades later, but there remains much work to be done. (Buy tickets to June’s HIV+ Eatery here.)

In this podcast, hear from:

• Casey House CEO Joanne Simons, who takes us on a deep dive into ongoing stigma – including the online feedback to #SmashStigma initiatives – and how to not judge the judgmental
• HIV-positive chef Greg Robinson on what he learned about HIV and AIDS that he didn’t know before becoming one of the chefs for June’s HIV-positive eatery
• Social worker and host of the new Casey House podcast, Positively Speaking, Liz Creal on the journey she and her guests underwent in creating the new podcast
• Plus: a funny, irreverent flashback to last Valentine’s Day when podcast host, GGN publisher Shaun Proulx and Simons said they wanted to run over a judgemental girl with a car they were so annoyed with her.

Well that’s one way to #smashstigma.

• GGN Staff

The post GGN PODCAST :: #SmashStigma With Casey House appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

Dear GGN Reader,

I could use your help.

SiriusXM Canada Talks 167, home of the 7th season of my weekend chat fest, The Shaun Proulx Show, is already gearing up for Pride Month 2020. I get the honour of narrating a monthly-long series celebrating 30 proud queer people and moments; they’ll air each day in June across all of Canada Talks’ programing – and I also get the pleasure of choosing the thirty people / moments to highlight.

Here’s my ask:

What / who would be your must seminal person or moment?

Click here and tell me your thoughts and ideas; thank you. I want to make sure to represent all the diversity within the rainbow flag that month, but I also know you can research all you want and still miss shiny little-known gems worth honouring. This is an opportunity to let them sparkle before millions of listeners across North America. Thank you!

Speaking of the my show, we’re early podcasting the conversations we taped last week for GGN readers. I chat with gay fashion icon Paul “Fashion Santa” Mason, who made fashion history in Paris recently by closing out the final show of legendary Jean-Paul Gauthier. Hear how the fashion moment got super spiritual, then hear a powerful conversation with Layne, about mental health. Going all the way back to when they were Linda, Layne shared their sometimes harrowing journey from mental illness to wellness – inspiring, tender and real, this convo.

And I’ve asked thousands of questions in 20 years of interviewing, but never have I asked an interview: “What does my penis smell like?”

Until this episode.

Taxi, the stellar ad agency who have created astonishing campaigns, have done it again, hijacking the conversation caused by Gwyneth Paltrow‘s GOOP candle, “This Smells Like My Vagina.”

Creating a male version of the candle, and pricing “This Smells Like My Penis” 25% higher than the vaginal version, Taxi is donating proceeds to the gender pay gap movement; of course the “male” costs more than the “female;” this is Canada.

The genius and lovely co-creator of the “This Smells Like My Penis” concept joined me for a sexy, silly, smart conversation about this very serious issue. In all, this one is one of my favourite episodes we’ve done; have a listen.

As for the candle, pre-orders have now closed. I look forward to burning mine when it arrives, to discover the scent of a woman being paid 75 cents on the dollar, a smelly idea whose time is up.

– Shaun Proulx, Founder + Publisher

The post GGN PODCAST: This Episode Smells Like My Penis appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

Meet Cody Barlow

You might not know this handsome, Southern boy’s face, but you might have seen his truck, pictured above, proudly showing his support for LGBTQ individuals.

Find out why Cody’s story brought GGN Publisher, Shaun Proulx to tears.

Listen to Shaun’s interview with Cody:

You can follow Cody Barlow on Facebook.

The post The Best Feel-Good Story You’ll Hear this Pride, 2019 appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

Just before Christmas last year, my friend Dolores Catania (Real Housewives of New Jersey fans will recognize her name) acquired for me something not many men are given: permission to enter and spend time in a women’s shelter in Paterson, New Jersey.

Inside the shelter, on a freezing early December afternoon, a day whose light was lost early to dark, I sat with some staff and residents, as Dolores unpacked bags of donated clothes she’d gathered for the women. A few kids, just babes really, were being exactly that, playing, whining, chatting in the background. With just one handheld mic, I taped an unusual, out-of-studio episode of my SiriusXM talk show (recent episodes are podcast here) as the women generously shared who they were, and what they lived to tell. It was a powerful experience I remain grateful to have been given.

The end result is not your typical radio, but it’s of my favourite shows I’ve ever done – keep reading and you’ll understand why.

A month later 2019 dawned, and Lifetime network began airing it’s riveting, shocking six-part documentary, Surviving R. Kelly. It captivated and appalled millions, and every talk show and entertainment news outlet covered the series and it’s lurid contents. I watched the whole thing as January became February – it was sad but incredible, must-see TV.

One reason for that was Drea Kelly. Though I knew nothing about the survivors of R. Kelly, my eye was drawn to Drea’s face instantly when – and despite – a whole sea of faces of survivors opened up in a sickeningly endless grid of women, on-screen, at the top of the series.

Drea, I found out quickly, is R. Kelly’s ex-wife. She has three children by him, and, as the documentary unfolded, she captivated me with her elegance, eloquence, strength and astonishing spirit.

If you saw Surviving R. Kelly, or shows like The View on which Drea appeared after the series aired, you know that she lived through unimaginable hell at the hands of her then-husband, and came thisclose to committing suicide to end the suffering of the heinous domestic violence she experienced with him.

Interviewing Drea for The Shaun Proulx Show two weeks ago – and before that, the women at the shelter in New Jersey Dolores took me to – has left me profoundly moved. I’m moved by the strength of these women to survive and overcome enormous struggle – struggle that makes the things I am working through in my life pale.

These women not only give me hope, are beacons of light, and most of all, they reinforce a truth I know in my core:

We each have within us what it takes to get through life’s toughest times. Just know that.. until you see that.

Many reading this right now are going through challenges that feel tougher than they are. Personally, right now I’m navigating what seems like too much at times. Problems problems problems; blah blah blah.

(It seems like too much at times.)

So this week, we’re sharing below both my kitchen table interview from the women’s shelter, and my conversation with Drea Kelly, with the intention of offering to you the same possibility to  feel the hope, light, gratitude, and inspiration about overcoming and moving through challenge and struggle  – that I did from these stars, and still do.

Shaun Proulx
GGN Founder & Publisher

PS: Speaking of stars, after taping at the women’s shelter, Dolores and I took her friend, a young man named Jeremiah, out for Burger King, his first meal in a day. Jeremiah was shy, but shared about his experience when he and his grandmother lived in a shelter:

The post SPIRIT :: Inspiration From Domestic Violence Survivors appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

As the new season of “Kardashians” arrives – their sweet sixteenth! – GGN Publisher Shaun Proulx talks all about the Kardashian kulture phenomenon with UK psychologist Dr. Beth Bell, who specializes in the role of media, social media and technology in the lives of young people and wrote, “How did the Kardashian Jenner family become so successful? A psychologist explains“.

Proulx is also joined by entertainment and political journalist, Seamus Kirst, author of a memoir about substance abuse called “Shitfaced“, with his first children’s book coming out in June of 2020. He has written about the influence of the Kardashians for Forbes magazine and interviewed one of the family members before.

Say what you want, the Kardashians are the most well known and talked about family around the world. Proulx asked Kirst and Bell how they would describe the Kardashians to someone who had never heard of them (presumably comatose these last many years).

Seamus Kirst describes the show as a portrait of an American / Hollywood success story; a family with no shame whose members are “so out there” for fame and have capitalized on the most extreme version of the American Dream.

Beth Bell called the family K the the epitome of the American Dream. She adds that it’s hard to imagine a world where we don’t know the Kardashians. They embody much of our cultural aspirations, namely appearance, wealth, being self-made, family, and so on. 

During the interview, Proulx and his guests cover a number of topics to explain why the Kardashians are the phenomenon that they still are today, including, 

• The role of social media and how well the family has used it to their advantage to let people into their world;
• The aspiration and inspiration the family provides to their viewers;
• Are role models like the Kardashians actually helpful to young people;
• How the family plays into and profits from insecurities around fashion, beauty, and body image, and;
• The “positives” of their lives as an escapist form of entertainment.

And that’s only what Proulx and his guests talk about in the first half of the show! If you’re a Kardashians die-hard fan, you don’t want to miss this episode of The Shaun Proulx Show Sirius XM Canada 167:

The post Pop Culture :: The Phenomenon of Keeping Up with the Kardashians appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

This morning on National Post Radio, Sirius XM Canada 167, GGN Publisher Shaun Proulx discussed the sentence given on Friday by Justice McMahon to the serial killer, Bruce McArthur. 

“When are you going to let that go?” a mate of mine asked just ahead of my interview on National Post Radio this morning about justice not being served here in Toronto Friday.

Bruce McArthur never let Andrew Kinsman, Selim Esen, Majeed Kayhan, Dean Lisowick, Soroush Mahmudi, Skandaraj Navaratnam, Abdulbasir Faizi or Kirushna Kanagaratnam go.

He wasn’t going to let Sean Cribbin go.

He wasn’t going to let “John” go.

Toronto Police, they let that man go. For years they let him go.

We, the LGBTQ2S+ community, said there was a serial killer. They let that go. We said we were living in fear. They let that go.

Justice McMahon, he let that man go. He let that man go to jail with a sliver of hope. Dark-skinned men, and men who have sex with men are worth less than others – they are not worth better police work, nor are they, or I (and you?) of equal value compared to those around us. Justice McMahon let that message go out into our collective mindset and be reinforced within our society.

Quebec City mosque gunman Alexandre Bissonnette will be eligible for parole when he is 67. The life of a Canadian Muslim is worth less than that of a white male Canadian. That idea was let go into the zeitgeist as well.

Let go of this: When three RCMP officers (POLICE) were killed in New Brunswick, justice was swift; Justin Bourque was sentenced to 75 years without parole. 

The police did not let Bourque go when their own were the victims.

Justice did not let Bourque go. Bourque will never go into society again.

The biases within those who purport to serve and protect, and those who claim to serve justice – against status-quo, homophobia, racism, Islamophobia – are festering and this is eight kinds of obvious.

That is where the letting go needs to happen. Not the other way around.

To put it quite plainly and simply: I lack greatly the self-loathing required to let any of this go.

Not without speaking out, however I can. Sick societies are born in silence.

I want to let this go, of course. And I will, probably sooner than later.

But how else do you first begin to let go, other than to say something, wherever you can?

You have a voice. Let it go. Let it out.

Happy Pride, Toronto.

~ Shaun Proulx

The post Society :: Bruce McArthur’s Sentence Degrades and Discounts LGBTQ2S+ Lives appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

BREAKING – Earlier this afternoon on The Breakdown – with Allison Dore & Arthur Simeon on Sirius XM Canada 167 – GGN Publisher Shaun Proulx shared his disgust with the sentence handed down by Justice McMahon to serial killer, Bruce McArthur who turned Toronto’s LGBTQ+ community into a hunting ground for over 10 years, preying on and murdering at least eight men that we know of. 

Proulx wrote an emotional response on his Facebook page, 

“Justice McMahon should be ashamed, removed, and this sentence re-given. I do not care one iota how old that man will be when 25 years is over or how slim the chances are of him getting parole. That he could ever hope to APPLY FOR PAROLE is another slap across the face of my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters, to the memory of the 8 (and many more – do not kid yourself) innocent souls brutally murdered, and to their families. I feel shat on today and am reeling at this shameful, shocking twist in this sick sad saga. God help us all.”

Listen to the interview with Shaun Proulx, below:

The post Society :: Justice NOT Served: Bruce McArthur’s Sentence An Insult to Toronto’s LGBTQ+ Community appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

Earlier this week, colleague and broadcast legend Arlene Bynon had GGN Founder, Publisher Shaun Proulx on her daily news analysis show (The Arlene Bynon Show) on SiriusXM Canada Talks 167. (Last March 2018, Bynon and Proulx broke the Sean Cribbin / Bruce McArthur story on Global News.

Bynon invited Proulx onto her show to talk about the recent Pride Toronto vote in which they narrowly decided to exclude Toronto Police from marching in this years’ Toronto Pride parade. Bynon opened the show with a clip from Mayor John Tory, which Proulx hadn’t heard and left him incensed.

How does what Major John Tory said make YOU feel? 

Proulx also has a bold statement for anyone calling for the resignation of Pride Toronto Executive Director, Olivia Nuamah. 

Hear the entire interview below:

The post Queer Politics :: Shaun Proulx on Pride Toronto’s Vote to Exclude Police appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

AN UNSAFE SPACE is a new play by Richard Klagsbrun premiering at the Tranzac Club in Toronto.

Find out why Shaun Proulx calls the play, “Brilliantly written, clever, laugh-your-ass-off-funny, and my fave play of the year”, and why you must go see it before it closes this Sunday 20 January, 2019.

Proulx was so impressed after seeing the play last week, that he invited writer and director, Richard Klagsbrun, along with co-stars, Precious Chong and Craig Lauzon, to join him for a lively #ThoughtRevolution chinwag earlier this week on the Shaun Proulx Show, SiriusXM Canada Talks 167.

Listen to the completely uncensored version of the interview:

AN UNSAFE SPACE is a comedic play about free speech, censorship, and the ideologically-based suppression of ideas, as well as the stereotyping of people and their opinions based on their racial and ethnic identities. 

Inspired by an actual event at a major North American university, the play addresses these concepts in a biting, irreverent way that entertains while acting as a stimulus for people to think about and confront their preconceptions. Could this be any more perfect for a queer audience?

AN UNSAFE SPACE begins with a meeting of progressive academics who have gathered to find ways to foil a large donation to their department by a conservative benefactor. 

Joanna Whitney (played by Precious Chong), a Political Science professor, is hosting a meeting at her home with her colleagues, some of whom happen to be her friends. In attendance is Joanna’s romantic interest, an aboriginal lawyer named Oliver Waterman (played by Craig Lauzon). Curious to learn what his political stances are and how he interacts with her friends, Joanna experiments with letting her personal and professional relationships interact.

Oliver expresses strong opinions which contradict the expectations of what the academics believe a First Nations person would and should hold. The events lead to romantic and professional rivalries, disputes, and outrage over Oliver’s opinions and confront the characters with the necessity of having to examine their own outlooks and prejudices. 

Run, don’t walk to see An Unsafe Place before it closes this Sunday, January 20, 2019 at the Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Ave.).

SUBSCRIBERS-ONLY CONTEST

Win a pair of tickets for the Sunday matinee final performance of AN UNSAFE SPACE with a special “After Talks” following the show, hosted by Shaun Proulx. Check your inbox for this week’s GGN newsletter with details on how to enter!

Not a Subscriber? 

It’s never too late! Click below to subscribe to The Good Life. If we draw your name to win and put it through out fancy cross-referencing machine (we call her Celeste) and Celeste doesn’t blow up, you get tickets!

The post Society :: An Unsafe Place – Comedic Play Confronts Opinion and Preconceptions appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

HO HO HO! Fashion Santa is in the house!

GGN Publisher Shaun Proulx sat down on Fashion Santa’s lap (AKA Paul Mason) for their annual tete-a-tete on the Shaun Proulx Show, SiriusXM Canada Talks 167.

Santa was dressed all in red, right down to his ruby shoes, outdoing Shaun’s cozy, cashmere-esque (looking like he’s so-ready-for-bed sweater-nay-housecoat). Just look at the two of them in the picture above! Don’t they look like they’re about to get all cozy on a thick rug by a roaring fire, with chestnuts in hand, and, since no one will be watching, one of snuggle blankets you can only order on late night TV?

#FashionSanta

The brain-child of supermodel Paul Mason, #FashonSanta works to make people happy, bring them joy, and raise money for meaningful charities. There’s a lot of ho-ho-ho-ing happening in this episode, and if you listen carefully, Proulx keeps making the moves on Mason (sounds more like, “hoe-hoe-hoe” to me, however it was clearly Mason making the first moves on Proulx if you listen to their first-ever interview here; ANYWAY WOULD YOU TWO JUST GET A ROOM!). But ’tis the season to be merry, and isn’t that what makes gay men so special? Sometimes we need to be a little bit naughty.

Hear the Mason and Proulx conversation now:

Mason has toured the world, working with the likes of Armani and Versace, and even graced the cover of Vogue. Proulx recounts when he first met Mason, at a party. Mason introduced himself at the time when Proulx was the afternoon drive host on PROUD FM, and told him: “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

Years later, Mason literally “became” Fashion Santa shortly after his mother passed away. He was so grief-stricken that he slept for six months during a depressed state, during which time he stopped shaving.

When he came out of his depression he had grown a full, white beard (perhaps not as sleek and styled as now) – Mason had literally transformed into Santa Claus. This was the beginning of #FashionSanta, and what would become a legacy to his mother’s memory.

In 2017, Mason was dealing with a very challenging legal situation around the ownership of his name-sake, Fashion Santa. He felt like the world was out to get him, convinced that he was right, and that he was being horribly wronged. Proulx, who coaches one-on-one, was with Mason on the phone, coaching him through his stuck-point about what was happening in his life.

Proulx asked, “Which would you rather be: happy, or not?”

Mason said, “Happy.”

Then Proulx asked, “Would you rather be right or wrong?” Mason respond, “I would rather be right”.

Then Proulx asked, “Would you rather be happy or be right?”

Mason said “Right.” And then understood Proulx’s point, made more clear when Proulx said simply, “Sometimes you have to give up your need to be right, so you can be happy.

Talking through these perceived problems helped Mason realize that he was making himself a part of the problem, and allow it to define him. In retrospect he realized that those challenges were “mind problems” – challenges with the way in which he was thinking at the time that were not allowing him to move forward in life.

Mason now spends most of his time attaching himself to a number of meaningful charities.

For the month of December he’s doing a special Fashion Santa Ritz-Carlton tour of four cities: Toronto, Boston, Miami, and D.C. (Georgetown).

In each location he will be working to raise money for different organizations. In Toronto the event is, Not So Silent Night, a fundraiser for Sick Kids Hospital. In Miami and Boston he will be raising money for the Boys and Girls Club of America, and in D.C. the Children’s National Hospital.

The #FashionSanta Initiative with the Ritz is about doing selfies photos with Santa in the beautifully appointed spaces of the Ritz Carleton. Guest make a donation, enjoy a drink, celebrate the holidays, and take a selfie with Fashion Santa. This is a unique way for a high-end brands like the Ritz to funnel donations into meaningful charities in a fun and interesting way.

If you are in the Toronto area on December 23rd and would like to come our for drinks, dancing, selfies with Fashion Santa, and help raise money for Toronto Sick Kids Hospital, get your tickets at www.NotSoSilentNight.ca.

Follow Paul Mason on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Shaun Proulx Media, Inc., publisher of GGN, had a fabulous, intimate pre-holiday thank-you gathering with special guest star, Woodford Reserve Whiskey.

Thankfully I had an invitation (being the editor has its benefits) and enjoyed the curated whisky tasting (the Reserve Double Oaked was my favourite) and dining experience with a three-course meal served in the Glass House at the elegant Spoke Club in Toronto.

I enjoyed a conversation with Fashion Santa on his “origin story” over a special Spoke-crafted Manhattan made with Woodford and the best cherry I’ve ever had (ahem) – can you say, “bottoms up”? Our host was thoughtful enough to give us Uber codes to “get home safely”. Funny how mine didn’t work. Was it because I had my mouth open half the time? Which, by the way, is how you sniff whiskey – with your nose above, not in the glass (as you would with red wine) and mouth open to allow the aroma to cross the palette. 

The post SOCIETY :: Fashion Santa’s Not So Silent Night appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

CANADIAN VIDEO PREMIERE EXCLUSIVE :: Maggie Szabo is the accomplished LA-based Canadian singer-songwriter from in Dundas, Ontario, (13 million YouTube views; Ryan Seacrest debuted her single.)

She is also a rising star for LGBTQ advocacy using her music to conquer social injustice.

Even though Maggie identifies as straight, soon after moving to LA she became “hyper-aware” of LGBTQ issues. In particular she wanted to work with the trans community, especially trans kids. In an interview with GGN publisher Shaun Proulx (hear it below) she expressed her desire for social justice, saying:

“Before any big social movement can be made, I believe that allies need to come together and we all have to help.”

Don’t Give Up is the first single from Maggie’s upcoming EP, Worthy. The song is dedicated to transgender youth around the world who live in fear and suffer from rejection and exclusion, and features the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles (TCLA), with whom she recently performed at LA Pride.

In getting to know many of the people who are part of TCLA she listened to their stories. She learned of the incredible strength of character required for them to come out as trans, and to live their authentic identity. When Proulx asked about what inspires her, she said,

“I love music so much and it’s who I am. If I didn’t put everything I have into it, I wouldn’t be happy. Which is why working with the Trans Chorus really moved me, because we’re all on our own journey. I admire them because they’ve all gone through this huge adjustment in their lives, and when you’re so sure of who you are and what you want, you’re willing to make sacrifices.”

TISSUE ALERT! When I first watched this video I stopped everything. I had tears in my eyes and the hairs on my arms stood straight up. You can feel the passion and truth of the message in the words and the voice of Maggie and the Chorus. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Watch the exclusive Canadian premiere of Maggie’s latest video, “Don’t Give Up” performed with the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles:

Listen to the Shaun Proulx Show Featuring Maggie Szabo:

In her interview on The Shaun Proulx Show, Maggie tells us more about her experience recording “Don’t Give Up”, and the incredible level of enthusiasm she witnessed working with TCLA, even after a long day in the recording studio.

BJ ALERT! And it’s no big surprise to anyone who knows Shaun when he swings the conversation to blow-job territory and how to get a-head (see what I did there?) in the notorious music industry. Listen in now for all the shits and giggles!

Find more about Maggie Szabo, go to her website at AllAboutMaggie.com.

The post MUSIC :: Maggie Szabo – Don’t Give Up (On Love) appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GGN Publisher, Shaun Proulx met Canadian treasure and Order of Canada recipient Molly Johnson when he first launched Canada’s first LGBT digital magazine in 2002, the very site you are reading right now. Interviewing the former Infidels and Alta Moda front woman turned jazz chanteuse over lunch, Johnson gave him some timeless advice back then, as a creative: “Make it happen. A lot of artists don’t.”

Proulx reminds Johnson of that and how well it has served him in their interview below, celebrating what many are calling Johnson’s best work so far.

“Known as one of Canada’s greatest voices, award-winning jazz vocalist Molly Johnson is a mother, singer-songwriter, artist and philanthropist, who has just released her highly anticipated new album, “Meaning To Tell Ya”.

Molly, mother of two boys, one out as gay, is beloved by the LGBT community for not just her music, style and sass, but for establishing the Kumbaya Foundation and Festival in 1992, which was dedicated to raising awareness and funds for people living with HIV/AIDS.Unlike many fundraisers of its kind, Kumbaya gave all monies raised to the cause.

Hear Molly Johnson In Conversation With Shaun Proulx:

The Legend Claps Back With A Marvin Gaye Cover:

In a new beautifully styled and shot video, Johnson dusts off 1971 activist lyrics that remain relevant now, sadly. Watch Molly Johnson’s latest, Inner City Blues:

Find out more about Molly Johnson, her complete bio, and tour dates on her website, Molly Johnson.

All quotes from Molly Johnson's website.

The post MUSIC :: Molly Johnson – Beloved Supporter of the LGBT Community appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

PODCAST :: LGBT Progress In the Canadian Armed Forces is vastly different that that of its American counterpart, where just last year President Donald Trump (gosh that’s still hard to type) tweeted he would not “accept” or “allow” transgender people from serving in the U.S. Army.

For Captain Andre P. Jean, who identifies as gay and has served in the Canadian Armed Forces since his late teens, the Canadian Army has come a long way.

In a candid conversation with GGN Publisher Shaun Proulx, Captain Jean shares the trajectory of his remarkable time In the Canadian Armed Forces. From mountainous challenges such as being soundly bullied once he came out to his army colleagues (with perhaps the worst of this coming from a female superior who sexually harassed him convinced she could “change” him) to the life-affirming experience of being responsible for D-Team, the LGBT diversity group within the army that was the driving force behind the Canadian Armed Forces’ first appearance ever in a Canadian pride parade, just last year, at Fierte/Montreal Pride – an idea suggested by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Captain Jean’s unique LGBT story of his time with the Canadian Armed Forces is a must-listen:

The post GGN Radio :: LGBT Progress In The Canadian Armed Forces appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.