HIM SOLIDARITY STATEMENT WITH THE BIPOC COMMUNITY

HIM is an organization dedicated to strengthening the health and well-being of gay men from all communities, so when Black, Indigenous, and other POC face violence and oppression at the hands of law enforcement and the justice system, HIM needs to raise its voice in solidarity. Hundreds of protests around the world, including here in Canada, are highlighting the injustice of racial oppression, discrimination and inequality. These protests have evoked passionate accounts of the lived experience of marginalized populations and are prompting widespread action and accountability.

At HIM, we know that the safety and health of all members of our communities are deeply connected to sexual, mental, social and physical health, so when Black, Indigenous and other POC are less safe, all of us are less healthy.

Health Initiative for Men (HIM) stands in complete solidarity with Black, Indigenous, and other POC expressing anger over oppression caused by white society and its imposed systems.

First and foremost, HIM is committed to listening, and to taking concrete actions to identify and dismantle systems that continue to oppress Black, Indigenous, and other POC, and that impair equitable access to healthcare for QTBIPOC. Internally, we will create a safer environment for BIPOC staff and volunteers and create opportunities for white staff to unlearn and develop procedures that foster equitable access to HIM’s programs and services. We will redirect resources to ensure that they benefit QTBIPOC community members. While the nature of our work to address these systemic issues is not fully known or explored at this time, we are dedicated and will hold ourselves accountable.

We have compiled a list of anti-racism resources to help the GBT2Q community and members of the broader society learn about and respond to racism in their communities and support the BIPOC community.

HIM honours the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and the territories of many nations on the west coast of Turtle Island, on whose unceded and stolen land we live and work. As uninvited inhabitants, we acknowledge that this space is and always will be Indigenous land.

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