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.

Donna coordinates the development and implementation of communications strategies and materials for RHO. She has a Public Relations diploma and 13 years of experience working for non-profits.

Most recently Donna worked in mental health as the Manager of Communications for the Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, and her experience also includes working for the Inside Out LGBT Film and Video Festival, and the Canadian AIDS Society.

In addition to work experience, Donna has an extensive history of volunteerism and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youth Line.

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. 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 previous 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) and and contributing author of Managing Your Health (CATIE, 2009)

He currently serves on the HIV Research Ethics Board, University of Toronto and Steering Committee of the Committee for Accessible AIDS Treatment.

Matt coordinates all RHO communications, initiatives and resources serving LGBT francophones and those who provide services to them in Ontario.

Matt has a Masters in Education with a particular interest in community based education within linguistic minority contexts. He has a decade's experience in healthy sexuality education and sexual diversity workplace issues.

Matt has a background working in the HIV/AIDS sector and he was involved for a number of years with Planned Parenthood of Toronto.

Jen has been working in health and social services for a number of years. Career highlights include Special Events Manager at the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT), and founding Board Member of the Ten Oaks Project. Jen received an Honours Bachelor of Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism from Lakehead University, Thunder Bay. Committed to environmental consciousness and stewardship, she is the Co-Chair of the Sherbourne Health Centre Green Council. Jen is a proud parent of two super kids!

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.

We are currently recruiting for this position

For inquiries, please contact Loralee Gillis (lgillis@RainbowHealthOntario.ca).

Ruth is a graduate of McMaster University. She has worked in health research for the past seven years and holds a Master’s degree in Sociology. Currently she working towards a Master’s of Science degree in Health Research Methodology looking at assessing the health-related needs of queer communities in Hamilton. On campus, she is a volunteer with the McMaster Positive Space Program and Human Rights Chair for CAW Local 555. Off campus, Ruth is a board member with The Well LGBTQ Community Wellness Centre of Hamilton. In addition to work on clinical and community-based research, Ruth has past community development experience based in the rape-crisis centre movement and working with families dealing with homelessness.

At home, Ruth is a soccer-playing, flash-fiction writing mother of two. She is very interested in learning more about the services available across her LHIN that are committed to championing LGBTQ health and collaborating with them.

We are currently recruiting for this position.

We are currently recruiting for this position.

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.

Haran has over 10 years of experience working in the non-profit sector. He has been working in the area of HIV/AIDS both in community health centre settings and in social service organizations. He has lived in York Region for the last 2.5 years working at the AIDS Committee of York Region, serves  on the York Pride Fest committee, member of the Equity Council of York Region and other committees in the region.

In his previous employment, Haran has worked at the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention as the Tamil Outreach Worker – primarily in conducting outreach and education with the Tamil MSM population. He has also worked at the AIDS Committee of Toronto in the areas of education and outreach with the gay/bi/queer/trans/MSM community as well as HIV health promotion. He has also served  on the Trans Men’s Working Group and the Ethno Racial MSM Working Group in 2006/2007.

Haran is committed to ensuring that access to essential services are available to those who identify as LGBTTIQ2S and others from traditionally marginalized communities, in a non-judgemental, knowledgeable and safe environment within the communities they live.

Kirsten Schmidt-Chamberlain has been living and working in the CE LHIN for the past four years. Prior to this, she lived in downtown Toronto and was an active member of the Rainbow Health Network. Kirsten and her spouse Liz live with their three boys in Pickering. They are out-and-proud and very eager to ensure that their community is LGBT friendly.

In her 'day-job', Kirsten is the Coordinator for The Central East Hospice Palliative Care Network. In this role, she works to create an integrated, coordinated hospice palliative care services across the region - including hospitals, community-based agencies, educational institutions, long-term care, and home care. Her work informs the policies and direction of the LHIN with regard to this important health care issue. Her work takes her to meetings with people from Haliburton to Scarborough - something that comes naturally to Kirsten having worked in both rural and urban settings in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland.

Kirsten has a Master's degree in Community Health Promotion. She is passionate about the inclusion of marginalized communities in all spheres of life. When she's not working or running after children, Kirsten dreams of doing a triathalon - and is currently working on the biking part of this dream.

Bio coming soon.

Allison Armstrong was born in rural New Brunswick but has spent most of her life in Ottawa, coming out in her mid-teens and then, again, at almost thirty, under radically different circumstances. Allison is an active organizer of queer women’s arts and culture events, as well as a sex workers’ rights advocate, a freelance writer, and a performance poet. She is one half of the queer women’s literotica troupe Honeyed Tongues. She has performed at both the 2011 Dyke March stage and at Capital Pride’s 2011 Alternative Stage, as well as various fund raisers and social justice events since 2008. She is passionate about local food, sustainable living, creativity, crafting, and kink.

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.

Shannon Elissa Palmer grew up in Southern Ontario before moving North, and is a graduate of Nipissing University's Social Welfare and Social Development Studies and Gender Equality and Social Justice Studies programs. Living in North Bay, ON, Shannon has spent many years working in the fields of social justice and advocacy, spending much of her time working in women's shelters, jails, high schools, and Aids Service Organizations. In addition to Rainbow Health Ontario, Shannon is currently coordinator of the Hepatitis C program at the AIDS Committee of North Bay & Area. When not working, Shannon spends a great deal of time reading, walking her dog, and scoring points on her roller derby team.

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.