Dr. Treena Orchard is an author and award-winning professor at Western University. Her work on sexuality, gender, and health sheds new light on human behaviour in the 21st century. She has written for Maclean’s, Psychology Today, and The Walrus and been featured in top-tier media like The Social, The National Post, Wired, Global TV, Breakfast TV, The Kit, and Huffpost. Her memoir Sticky Sexy, Sad: Swipe Culture & The Darker Side of Dating Apps was nominated for Book of the Year & People’s Choice by Mindvalley. Treena’s next book project Vulnerbro: Men, Masculinity & Vulnerability explores how men cultivate their sense of identity and belonging.

In this episode, we explore how stigma shows up in dating apps and swipe culture—and how traditional masculine gender norms affect all of us, including men. Treena reminds us why it’s worth taking a chance on perspectives and voices we may not have encountered before: “The more we learn about things we don't know a lot about, the wider our sphere of understanding the world is.”

Fun. Affordable. Safe. Inclusive. Not too much to ask from a dating app, right?
Join us for a conversation about stigma, gender, dating, and what it might take to create more inclusive ways of connecting.

Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Cozmic Cat, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.

Jad Sinno, PhD (they/them) is the Director of Research at the Community Based Research Center and an affiliated Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Toronto. They are a queer, non-binary, and Shami Arab bringing over a decade of community organizing and lived experience to their research. Jad is a social epidemiologist and critical mixed methodologist with research interests including the social and cultural determinants of health for multiply marginalized queer populations.

In this podcast we discuss how and if stigma has changed toward sexual and gender diversity from Hilary Duff's 2008 "That's So Gay" PSA to Heated Rivalry's recent widespread success. We also talk about pathways to queer joy and the 'gay agenda' to reimagine the world as one that centres belonging, inclusion and safety. We discuss the ways through which all of us can individually and collectively work toward reducing stigma.

Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Cozmic Cat, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.

In this episode we discuss stigma and homicide violence, in particular its impacts on Black communities, with Dr. Tanya Sharpe. Dr. Sharpe, Professor and Endowed Chair in Social Work in the Global Community at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto, founded and directs the Centre for Research and Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims (The CRIB). Her research focus on coping strategies of Black family members and friends of homicide victims.

We talk about links between homicide violence and historical, structural and collective trauma, the role of anti-Black racism in shaping narratives around homicide in Black communities, and the social determinants of homicide. We also talk about solutions, including culturally responsive practice, cultural curiosity and humility. Learn about Dr. Sharpe's favourite shows and dream dinner destination as well as what drives her passion.

Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Cozmic Cat, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.

Dr. Lori Brotto is internationally recognized as a leader in sexual health research. She has evaluated psychological interventions for sexual dysfunction and genital pain, which collectively impact 1/3 of women. Her work influences practice internationally, with mindfulness now implemented in sexual medicine centres and recommended as front line care in international guidelines. In recognition of her contributions, she holds a Canada Research Chair in women’s sexual health, has received recent awards in mentoring junior faculty, excellent public education through media, book awards, and is listed among the top 2% cited scientists by Stanford/Elsevier (SCOPUS citations).

We talk about stigma around things sex: sexual anatomy, sexual pleasure, sexual relationships, and the harms from stigma for individuals, relationships, and society. You can find Lori's book 'Better Sex through Mindfulness: How Women Can Cultivate Desire' here and you can also find her on Netflix. We also shout out Cliterate and the World Association for Sexual Health!

Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Cozmic Cat, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.

This podcast invited Dr. Mike Lang and Kristy Wolfe, digital storytelling experts at Common Language Digital Storytelling to reflect on the power of digital storytelling and stigma reduction. Carmen met Mike and Kristy at the First International Digital Storytelling Festival in Greece in 2024 where she was blown away by their powerful stories across the world. Carmen was then a podcast guest on the Common Language Digital Storytelling Podcast Co-Created, hosted by Kristy Wolfe.

We discuss the potential power of digital storytelling in both freeing the storyteller from internalized and anticipated stigma, as well as increasing awareness and empathy among people watching and listening. Telling stories matters- they help us to understand, and this deeper understanding of oneself and others can reduce stigma. We talk about stigma spanning a range of issues, HIV, substance use, heart disease, suicide, autism, PTSD- and how both the storyteller and the listener can shift socio-cultural norms and expectations to generate more community support. Digital Storytelling can highlight strengths-based perspectives on coping, ingenuity, hope and wisdom in the face of challenges. "When we change the questions we ask, we change the answers we get." Learn more about how to meaningfully engage with digital stories from Mike's article.

As our podcast guests remind us: "If no-one is willing to tell the story, nothing is ever going to change."

Dr. Angela Kaida is a Simon Fraser University Distinguished Professor and the Scientific Director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute for Gender and Health. Dr. Kaida’s research interests pertain to understanding the impact of expanding access to HIV treatment and prevention services on sexual and reproductive intentions, behaviours, and outcomes of HIV-affected individuals and couples in high HIV prevalence global settings and in Canada. You can read some of her work here.

Angela talks about what it meant to practice allyship in contexts of stigma, in all areas of life and specifically throughout the research process. We talk about gender differences in HIV stigma, the challenges getting rid of stigma even while we make biomedical advances,  and steps for us all to take in becoming aware of and working to dismantle stigma and inequity. She  discusses recommendations for advancing sexual and reproductive health among women living with HIV in Canada that centre on creating enabling environments that amplify the voices of women in their diversity and challenge stigma and marginalization. We also learn about Angela's inspiring namesake.

Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Jupiter Productions, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.

Kim Canady is an HIV/AIDS activist, advocate, mother, and wife born with HIV. Throughout her adolescence, Kimberly became a member of many HIV/AIDS awareness organizations. These organizations include Theo, Heat, UNICEF, YWCHAC, co-chair of YACAC, spokesmodel for New York State Department of Health campaign HIVSTOPSWITHME, and Love Heals. As an African American woman born and raised in Brooklyn, Kimberly faced having to combat the ignorance and stigma that surround HIV and AIDS within her community. Kimberly continues to move forward, not only educating others and living in her truth, but working locally and on a national and global level to help those living with and affected by HIV. Kim is a community advisory board member for The Well Project and her work advances pleasure as a human right and aspect of justice.

In this podcast we talk about the ways that HIV stigma still arises in day-to-day living, the importance of experiencing pleasure in all aspects of life (including and expanding beyond sexual pleasure), and ways to make the uncomfortable-comfortable (and the incredible superpower from talking about difficult things).

Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Jupiter Productions, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.

Bridgette Picou is a nurse with several years of HIV and infectious disease experience and an avid blogger with The Well Project. She also writes a guest column with Positively Aware Magazine called "Being Bridgette." In addition to her LVN license, Bridgette has been certified as an AIDS Care Nurse (ACLPN) and received the 2022 Patrick Kenny Certified Nurse of the year award. Serving as the President of the Greater Palm Springs Chapter of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC), it's important to her to not only continue to build relationships between providers and patients but also partner with other members of the HIV medical community for education and advances. She finds that in advocating for others she advocates for herself and affirms her own journey. You can also find her on Twitter.

In this podcast we discuss Bridgette's journey and advocacy to thrive with HIV. We talk about the need to better understand the lives of women living with HIV--in particular Black women-- whose voices are often missing from research and media. Bridgette explains the importance of seeing HIV as a LIFE (vs. a disease) process and encourages us all to educate ourselves and learn more about HIV (see The Well Project for up to date info). She  recommends that we all get tested to know our HIV status, and perhaps become humbled to the experiences of stigma in the process.

Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Jupiter Productions, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.