In 2024, UNAIDS celebrates the 10th anniversary of Zero Discrimination Day, whose theme this year is Protecting Health is Protecting Human Rights. Néomédia spoke to Maxime Roy, worker and coordinator at LBGTQ2+ Vaudreuil-Soulanges, to find out how the regional organization identifies with the day.

As Mr. Roy explains, the Vaudreuil-Dorion organization has become more and more active recently. 

Let's remember that Zero Discrimination Day was originally created to combat discrimination in the face of AIDS.

What is the situation today with this disease?

Maxime points out that a great deal of scientific progress has been made, and that there are fewer and fewer cases of HIV, as he explains, "the word AIDS is used less and less". In fact, in 2015, for example, there were almost 37 million HIV-infected people in the world. In 2022, 1.3 million people were infected.

However, in 2022, 39 million people were living with HIV, including 1.5 million children and 53% of women and girls.

The miracle that has happened is that a treatment with 93% efficacy has been found: PrEP. After regular blood tests lasting around six months, HIV becomes untransmissible and undetectable with PrEP. However, medication must not be stopped, and it does not protect against other sexually-transmitted diseases.

What about discrimination?

However, as Maxime points out, it hasn't stopped the stigma entirely. "Many people are still ashamed of the history of this disease. Some feel they are treated differently, and sometimes feel judged in the healthcare field," he observes.

What's more, he adds, "with trans and non-binary people, gynecological examinations sometimes turn, if not into nightmares, at least into moments of unappreciated discomfort. People sometimes feel very stressed and have the feeling of walking on eggshells with professionals who are not sufficiently informed".

However, says Roy, "it's understandable that some people, in all sectors, don't know all the cases of the LGBTQ+2 community. All questions are acceptable and can be asked if a spirit of openness, non-judgment and benevolence accompanies them."

LGBTQ2+ Vaudreuil-Soulanges provides a number of services to the region's population: "we offer support groups (Thursday evenings), we give talks in schools, we're trying to be more and more present, I put up posters in public places with a QR code on them.

"We also do peer-to-peer matchmaking for those in similar situations, we can offer awareness workshops in institutions, in companies."

Interested parties can easily reach the organization via its website (https://www.lgbtq2-vs.ca/). Mr. Roy reports that requests for information are usually returned within 48 hours.

His dream, Maxime Roy confides: "I'd like it if, one day, we no longer needed to extend the list of LGBTQ2+ denominations. It's a bit of a utopian vision, perhaps, but I'd like to believe that it's possible one day to stop creating other categories of marginalized people; because we'll have stopped discriminating and let everyone's voice be heard."

For information on LBGTQ2+ Vaudreuil-Soulanges' weekly meeting, check out their website and Facebook page. Messages can be left in both places. The weekly support meeting is held on Thursdays at Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi Vaudreuil-Soulanges from 6 to 8 pm. For information, feel free to leave messages at LGBTQ+2.

Here are the links again:

https://www.lgbtq2-vs.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/Lgbtq2vs/

Mr. Roy is also a hypnotherapist and a writer. He is preparing the release of a publication Métaphores et citations.