Totally outRIGHT Toronto
A past sexual health leadership program for young gay/bi/trans/non-binary/queer guys that ended in June 2023.
Totally outRIGHT Toronto is no longer offered by ACT but is available in other cities across Canada, as a sexual health leadership program for young gay/bi/trans/non-binary/queer guys.
If you are seeking referrals to other Totally outRIGHT programs, they are listed here:
Totally Outright Durham (ACDR) www.totallyoutrightdurham.com
Totally Outright Program (Peel / Moyo Health and Community Services) https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/62DCLQR
For a nationwide listing try Totally Outright programs across Canada, check out www.totallyoutright.ca
History of Totally outRIGHT Toronto
Over the past 12 years, ACT has had the pleasure of running 31 series of Totally outRIGHT Toronto, a leadership program with over 360 young gay, bi, and queer guys completing the program.
We are sad to announce that we will run the final series of Totally outRIGHT Toronto (in its current format) this May and June.
In 2012, ACT implemented the Totally outRIGHT Toronto (TOTO) program originally developed by the Community Based Research Centre (CBRC) in Vancouver. ACT received some funding through a City of Toronto grant to run the Totally outRIGHT Toronto program with consistent staffing; the limitations of this funding required ACT to find funds from other sources to offset salary and program expenses. Despite this, the Totally outRIGHT Toronto program is the only cross-Canada Totally outRIGHT strategy that was conducted twice, at one point three times, a year since March of 2012. The program has undergone many changes, effectively responding to the unique learning styles and priorities of each of the 31 series participants, adjusting to shorter virtual sessions during COVID, and onboarding/offboarding a new Peer Recruiter and Peer Facilitator for each series. ACT’s program is proud to have more graduates than any other Totally outRIGHT program in Canada.
Why Totally outRIGHT Toronto Ended
Unfortunately, the increasing administrative and reporting requirements of the City of Toronto grant far exceed the hours that ACT can subsidize with our fundraising dollars. In response to the current financial climate, while trying to manage the agency deficit of over $500,000, and with flatlined funding at all levels of government, ACT is no longer able to sustain the Totally outRIGHT Toronto program. We hope that at some point in the future ACT may be able to offer the program in some format.
Program Staff
Over the past 10-years, Totally outRIGHT Toronto has been coordinated by Rui Pires, with dozens of peer workers hired from our graduate group. They have tailored curriculum with thoughtful preparation, and nimble response to diverse needs of participants. Rui has been a leader in the program, supporting many Peer Recruiters and Facilitators, as well as responding to individual support needs within the program. After 10 years at Totally outRIGHT Toronto, (and 30 years in the AIDS movement) the end of Totally outRIGHT Toronto will also mean the end of Rui’s role as Program Coordinator at the end of June 2023.
If you have any questions about Totally outRIGHT Toronto or local resources, please contact Rui Pires at rpires@actoronto.org. For questions about ACT programs and services feel free to contact ask@actoronto.org.
Sincerely,
Ryan Lisk
Director of Community Health Programs
