Gay is Good

Who We Are

The Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance champions the health and wellbeing of our communities.

We lead in developing sexual health promotion resources and work with HIV service organizations and other service providers in Ontario to ensure gay men have the information, supports, and services they need to have the sex they want.

Mission

Our mission is to improve the quality of sexual healthcare for all gay men in Ontario. We do this by working with HIV service organizations, researchers, and front-line healthcare providers to increase their capacity and keep them up-to-date with the latest science and best practices. We also produce resources and campaigns to educate guys in community directly, equipping them with the knowledge to take the best care of themselves.

Vision

All gay, bisexual, queer, two-spirit, and other men who have sex with men in Ontario should have easy, accurate, and supportive sexual healthcare where and when we need it.

All of our communities should be free of new HIV transmission, empower those living with HIV, and be affirming of our full sexual and emotional lives. Our communities should be free of stigma, violence, discrimination, and hate.

Keep it Fruity! Celebrate the power of love!

So which is it—Gay or Queer or GBMSM or 2SGBTQ+ or…?

The language we use in our work is fluid and generally aims to be the most appropriate words for the specific audience for each project. You’ll see different terms or acronyms used throughout our work, but we typically use “gay men” as an imperfect short-hand.

Overall, our work covers all men who have sex with other men. That includes both cis- and trans men, transmasculine non-binary folks, Two Spirit people, and sometimes trans women who have experiences within or connection to gay men’s spaces. We’re welcoming in our work, but acknowledge that there is an eventual limit to our expertise.

Our Impact

A sex positive approach for over 20 years.

In 2010 the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) moved from being an advisory body to the AIDS Bureau, Ontario Ministry of Health to a self-generated Alliance housed within the Ontario AIDS Network. With funding from the AIDS Bureau, the GMSH has continued to evolve and is now recognized as a community-led provincial hub of learning, capacity building, and resource/campaign development to address the HIV and sexual health-related needs of gay men.

The broader GMSH network helps to build community ownership, leadership, and involvement in strategic planning across the HIV sector. Our Alliance of queer men’s program and outreach staff work together with us to create consistent, evidence-based, and skilled responses.

The GMSH now also represents one of the Priority Population Networks designated by the AIDS Bureau (along with WHAI—the Women & HIV/AIDS Initiative—and ACCHO—the African Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario) as a strategy to achieve the goals in the provincial HIV/AIDS strategy to 2026. 

We share a home with the Ontario AIDS Network and maintain a small and talented team in Toronto.

How We Work

We strive to raise the bar on health promotion work across the sector and for gay men around Ontario. Everything we produce has to work—for service providers, for researchers and policymakers, and for guys in the community—and reflect our values.

Our Alliance

Our Partners

A big tent vision.

While we focus our support on our key mission, we will happily accept all people who want to participate in and support our efforts across a range of opportunities.