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* Please forward *
Petition for access to the 519 Church Street Community Centre
To the Board of Directors of The 519,
As advocates of free access to information and community space we would like you to reconsider your ban on HEAL's use of your community centre in the gay community. For three and a half years now HEAL Toronto has been asking hard questions about the HIV/AIDS hypothesis and antiretroviral drugs. We think it is worth noting that in February the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will release a revised set of HIV treatment guidelines that represents a retreat from the four-year-long hit early, hit hard doctrine to which hundreds of thousands of asymptomatic HIV positive patients have been subjected. The new guidelines acknowledge that the precipitous use of anti-viral "cocktails" may actually do more harm than good. (See the SF Weekly article enclosed.) HEAL has been trying to raise awareness of this possibility for some time. Many people within the communities served by the 519 are directly affected by this change in treatment policy. Use of the 519 would better enable HEAL to make available alternative information and arguments that are helping fill a need to make more fully informed choices for many people affected by HIV and AIDS. We formally request HEAL be granted use of space at the 519 community center to provide access to alternative views on HIV and AIDS and to have discussion/support groups for those affected by these issues.
Anticipating your prompt reply,
Sincerely,
You can be submit your name to this petition to 
or by phone to 416/406-4325.
Please submit:
Your name:
City of residence:
Contact info: (email or phone - to be kept private and not submitted with petition)
Would you like to be contacted regarding future action on this issue?:
Note: Signatories do not necessarily have any organizational affiliation with HEAL.
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