HIV Legal Network

06/10/2026

Listen to our conversation with Margaret Kisikaw Piyesis here:

https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/not-a-crime-indigenous-perspectives-on-hiv-criminalization-margaret-kisikaw-piyesis/?lang=en

Margaret is the Okimâw, (Chief Executive Officer), of CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks, a Canadian non-profit organization focused on HIV/AIDS prevention and support within Indigenous communities. With a long history of leadership in Indigenous health advocacy, Margaret has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes for Indigenous peoples, especially those affected by HIV/AIDS. Drawing on her Cree heritage, she integrates traditional Indigenous knowledgewith modern health practices, ensuring culturally relevant approaches in all of CAAN’s initiatives. Margaret’s work is characterized by her commitment to empowering communities, fostering collaboration, and creating lasting change in Indigenous health services.

Our conversation with Anton McCloskey is available here:
https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/indigenous-perspectives-on-hiv-criminalization-anton-mccloskey/?lang=en

We have to come know Anton through his important work with PASAN, a community-based Harm Reduction, HIV, and Hepatitis C organization that provides support, education, and advocacy to, for, and with individuals who are incarcerated or formerly incarcerated.

Stay tuned for more episodes in this series, coming soon.

06/09/2026

https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/know-your-rights-a-guide-for-african-carribean-and-black-women-living-with-hiv-and-affected-by-intimate-partner-violence/?lang=en

This guide is for women living with HIV who are experiencing — or are at risk of — intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV includes physical, emotional, psychological, s*xual, or financial abuse by a current or former partner. It is not only harmful: it is also against the law. IPV can affect anyone — relevant here are women, including trans women, Two-Spirit, and non-binary people living with HIV. This guide has been developed with a particular focus on the African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) community, recognizing the unique forms of anti Black stigma, discrimination, and racism that shape their experiences of IPV and HIV.

The law does not address all challenges related to IPV and HIV, and in some cases what is written in law does not reflect what happens in practice. For some, turning to the police, lawyers, or the courts may feel like the right step. For others, it may not. For ACB women, these decisions are shaped by systemic and intersecting forms of oppression which are further complicated for those who are trans, newcomers, or who use(d) drugs or engage(d) in s*x work. These realities can make it harder to access supports, be believed, or assert their rights.

While this guide contains legal information, it is not the same as legal advice. If you need legal advice for your personal situation, please contact a lawyer. You may also wish to speak to an AIDS service organization, ACB community organization, shelter, or survivor support centre. These organizations may be able to offer support and help you navigate your options.

06/08/2026

This legal information resource describes Markham, Ontario’s bylaws regulating personal service establishments and body rub parlours. The pamphlets provide information, tips, and guidance for massage parlour (spa) workers and owners, based on Markham’s licensing requirements, applicable fees, and regulations.

https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/personal-service-establishment-body-rub-parlour-bylaws-in-markham-2026/?lang=en

06/04/2026

Thank you to Senator René Cormier for his clear stance against the criminalization of HIV exposure.

We agree: laws must follow science. Today, HIV is first and foremost a matter of public health, treatment and human rights — not punishment.

HIV criminalization harms 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, Indigenous communities, Black communities and other racialized people in particular. Ending these injustices is urgent.

Thank you, Senator Cormier, for continuing to raise these issues in the Senate.

06/03/2026

Across Canada, we are celebrating people living with disabilities — which is recognized in human rights law to include people living with HIV and may also include people who use drugs — and committing to advancing a barrier-free, inclusive country for everyone.

As we also enter the second week of our campaign, the HIV Legal Network is particularly thinking of people living in shelter and who are in prison, including immigration detention. By the Canadian government’s own definition, HIV and — despite issues with this framing — “substance dependence” are both classified as disabilities. Until prisons and shelters remove dangerous barriers to harm reduction and other healthcare, our institutions are reneging on this year’s NAW commitment to “Building a Strong, Accessible Canada.”

We are committed to building a strong, accessible Canada for everyone. But we can’t do this work without the generous supporters who share our values and our vision.

As mentioned, we are currently running our campaign. Right now, anybody who donates any amount to the HIV Legal Network will have their donation matched. In recognition and remembrance of the 45 years of the HIV epidemic, those who donate $45 will have their donation not only matched but increased to $100. Monthly donors will have their donations matched each and every month of this year.

Donate here: https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/donate/?lang=en

06/03/2026

Dylan DeMarsh (left) and Geneviève Nevin (centre) from the HIV Legal Network are with MiRiDom President Daryl Phillip (left) in Roseau, Dominica this week for a workshop on creating human rights advocacy campaigns.

06/02/2026

05/27/2026

The HIV Legal Network is comprised of members who share our values and are prepared to fight alongside us.

For existing members, we are asking today that you renew your membership in the HIV Legal Network. The yearly membership fee for individuals is only $10, and we offer a sliding scale for member organizations based on annual budgets. We value you as a supporter, ally, and member of our worldwide community, and we are committed to ensuring that this value is returned to you in kind.

If you aren’t a member yet, please join us!

Sign up for your membership here:
https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/get-involved/become-a-member/?lang=en

05/22/2026

It’s been 10 years since Canadians learned that a trusted children’s hospital had been supplying child welfare agencies and courts ...

05/21/2026

Dr. Katie Dorman's excellent piece at Healthy Debate looks at significant policy changes that are narrowing access to opioid agonist therapy treatment options in Canadian prisons - in defiance of both health needs and human rights:

The alarming number of overdose deaths in Canadian correctional facilities warrant an urgent, multi-faceted response from the federal government.