Anna oversees the administration and management of all of RHO’s activities. She has a Masters degree in Social Work and over 25 years experience as a front-line worker and manager in community based health and social services in Ontario. She has worked with women, youth, young parents and newcomers to Canada.

Anna has done extensive professional and volunteer work in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans communities – facilitating groups and workshops, writing articles, consulting on program development and serving as a Board member for several organizations. Over the past seven years, Anna developed and managed Sherbourne Health Centre's comprehensive primary health care program for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people before moving on to become the Director of RHO.

RHO will be advertising for the Communications Coordinator position in October 2009.

Loralee is responsible for supporting the development of LGBT health research in Ontario and for encouraging public policy that supports LGBT health. Before coming to RHO, She worked as the manager of Research and Evaluation at the Association of Ontario Health Centres, the umbrella organization of Community Health Centres in Ontario. In that role she acted as Principal Investigator on a number of large research grants and supported research capacity building in the sector.

Loralee has also worked as a front-line service provider in street outreach and needle exchange services. She is currently completing her Master’s degree in Social Anthropology at York University. Her Master’s research explores the lives and experiences of Women in Southern Ontario who are living with HIV/AIDS.

In addition to having a long history of political activism, Loralee is one of the founders and co-organizers of the Toronto Women’s Bathhouse. Over the last decade she has spent lots of her spare time fighting legal battles which ensued after the Toronto Police raided the Women’s Bathhouse in September 2000. Loralee grew up in Peterborough, Ontario.

Devan coordinates all of RHO’s training and education initiatives. He has been working in the gay/MSM and HIV sector for 20 years. From the mid 1980s, he was involved in the South Asian gay/MSM community in Toronto, assisting with the founding of KHUSH, a South Asian GBLT group. In 1989 he was involved in the founding of Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP) and still works closely with ASAAP. In 2002, he was presented with an honor roll award by the Ontario AIDS Network and in 2006 he was the recipient of the Canadian AIDS Society Leadership Award.

In his most recent position as a Treatment Educator at the Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange, Devan worked with the PHA community, health care providers, pharmaceutical companies, governmental agencies and AIDS service organizations for 10 years. He is co-author of two national publications, A Practical Guide to Complementary Medicine for PHAS (CATIE, 2004) and A Practical Guide to Herbal Therapies for PHAS (CATIE, 2004) as well as contributing editor of Practical Guide to Nutrition for PHAS, (CATIE 2007).

He currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment and on the board of directors of Canadian Treatment Action Council.

Sarah is a freelance photojournalist, social activist, and proud mother of one living in Chatham, Ontario. She has volunteered with the Chatham-Kent Gay Pride Association since she came out in 2006 and co-founded Chatham-Kent Women Living OUT Loud in 2008.

Sarah has a Photojournalism diploma from Loyalist College and is working towards her degree in Sociology and Political Science at the University of Windsor. She also works as well as a digital photography teacher. Her passion for social justice is the same passion infused in her photography: a celebration of the differences and common bonds of all humanity, regardless of ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age, or gender.

Melissa is a graduate of Brock University’s Women’s Studies program and also holds a Diploma from St.Clair College’s Child and Youth Worker Program. Her employment history includes working with Niagara Family and Children’s Services in the Niagara Region. Melissa’s advocacy work began at Brock University where she served on the Positive Space Committee to promote a safe and equitable campus for fellow students and faculty. She also spent time working with Niagara Pride Support Services to assist with the implementation of community and outreach programs for sexually and gender diverse youth including Niagara’s first Pride Prom.

Melissa has recently moved to London and continues to use her passion and past experiences to promote activism and equality for the sexually and gender diverse communities. She is committed to learning and expanding her knowledge of the services and opportunities available to LGBT communities in her area.

Blair has over 20 years experience working in community and social services. A strong focus of his work has been based in the (dis)ability community for the inclusion of people into community life. He has provided consultation, community development, and training to numerous organizations through Ontario from a human rights and asset-based perspective. Blair has considerable expertise in issues facing LGBT people living in rural areas, as someone who lives in farming communities himself. He is acutely aware of the dynamics of Queer parenting and has assisted in raising recognition of diverse families. Blair is personally committed to any effort where ALL citizens are recognized for their inherent worth and people are free from discrimination and marginalization.

RHO will be recruiting for this position in October 2009.

RHO will be recruiting for this position in October 2009.

j wallace is an educator, activist, and writer based in Burlington Ontario. j came out as a bisexual in high school, transitioned to male while student president at York University and currently identifies as both queer and trans. j has worked (in both paid and volunteer capacities) in queer and trans communities for over 15 years; including TBLGAY, The Youth Line, initiating a group for immigrant and refugee youth at CultureLink, and his current work in Halton. j is currently the GSA (Gay-Straight-Alliance Co-ordinator) for HOPE (Halton Organization for Pride and Education) and a consultant to the Halton District School Board on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. This includes curriculum development, policy creation, training others, supporting individuals and resourcing student groups. j also runs juxtapose consulting, providing training on issues of sexual orientation and gender identity. j has taught in Canada, the U.S.A. and the United Kingdom. j’s been writing on queer and trans themes in Xtra! since January of 2002 and much longer of course in private.

Phyllis is the Equity Representative on the Steering Committee of the Rainbow Health Network (RHN), a volunteer-run organization which is a founding partner of Rainbow Health Ontario. In addition, as Chair of the RHN Education Committee, Phyllis has developed and presented workshops for health and social service workers on LGBTQ access issues. She has also built connections with diverse communities through RHN’s Anti-Racism / Anti-Oppression initiative.

Phyllis’ hospital work experience includes six years coordinating the volunteer program at Toronto Western Hospital (TWH), from 2001-2007. She was a member of the TWH Diversity Council and was Chair of the 2007 Rainbow Pride subcommittee. She received the 2006 Champion of Diversity Award.

A long-time activist in social justice movements, Phyllis has worked on issues including sexual orientation and gender identity, labour, women’s equality, and anti-racism. She has a Master of Fine Arts degree from York University.

Barb completed her BA, BSW and MSW at York University as a mature student, and has spent some 20 years working in a variety of agencies primarily in York Region, where she also makes her home. Until recently, Barb was coordinator of the York Region LGBT Community Outreach Project, a project Barb began working on 15 years ago. Her present role is that of supervisor of the individual, child and family program at Family Services York Region. She continues to carry a part-time contract with the Outreach Project.

Barb’s work has focused on a combination of both clinical work and community development and education. In her work as coordinator of the Outreach Project, Barb developed and delivered training to some 400 service providers in the last three years. Her commitment to building organization and community capacity in the non profit social service sector in York Region has resulted in systemic change across the Region.

RHO will be recruiting for this position in October 2009.

RHO will be recruiting for this position in October 2009.

Barry Deeprose of Ottawa brings with him some 30 years of experience in LGBT health and wellness. He has served on the boards of Gays of Ottawa, Pink Triangle Services, Centretown Community Health Centre, the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition, and the AIDS Committee of Ottawa of which he was a co-founder. In 1990, he was awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship for his work in AIDS. For a decade he sat on the Ontario Advisory Committee on HIV/AIDS, an advisory committee to the Minister of Health and Long-term Care. He is currently a member of the Ottawa Gay Men’s Wellness Initiative, the Ottawa Senior Pride Network, and the advisory committee of GayZONEgaie, a sexual health clinic for gay men.

Upon graduation with a B.A. (honours) and M. A. in English literature, Barry taught at the University of Calgary and University of Saskatchewan before doing post-graduate studies at the University of Washington. In 1975, he joined the Public Service of Canada, rising to the position of director of human resources in the Departments of National Defence and Justice prior to his retirement in 2002.

In 1998, Andrew began to work within the LGBT community as a volunteer and a member of the AIDS Committee of Simcoe County’s Youth Outreach H.O.P.E. Theatre troupe. He has facilitated presentations, workshops, and seminars on personal growth, diversity, leadership, empowerment, holistic health, wellness, indigenous traditions, and LGBT culture throughout Ontario, Europe, and Upper New York State since 2000. Currently, Andrew is completing a diploma in Native Community & Social Development in Barrie at Georgian College where he is the Vice President of Public Relations for the student-run Georgian LGBTQA Association. In this position, Andrew is a student coordinator of the LGBTQA Safe Space and Awareness through Education campaigns at Georgian College, including the development of an LGBT Sensitivity Training Manual.

RHO will be recruiting for this position in October 2009.

David Belrose has been active in the gay community in Thunder Bay for over 30 years. As the Education Coordinator of AIDS Thunder Bay (ATB) for seventeen years, he was involved in outreach throughout Northwestern Ontario. A founding member and past board chair of ATB, he has been involved in HIV/AIDS prevention and education work since the mid-1980s. A long-time member of the gay community, he has been involved with community development since the 1970s. He helped found the community group Gays of Thunder Bay in 1980. He has presented workshops on various aspects of sexual orientation and sexual health, facilitated support groups, and been active in efforts to achieve equal rights for all sexual minorities.