Since 1998, communities around the world have observed World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 to show solidarity in the fight against HIV and remember those who have lost their lives to the disease.

The impact of AIDS remains sobering — in Canada, Manitoba reports the second highest HIV transmission rates after Saskatchewan, with Indigenous peoples in the province disproportionately affected. However, discussions about the disease do not have to be all doom and gloom.

 On Nov. 29, the Nine Circles Community Health Centre will host a cabaret night to commemorate World AIDS Day. According to Chance Dupuis, the centre’s community engagement coordinator, Nine Circles started as an HIV clinic around 40 years ago. Currently, it continues to provide care and treatment for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.

“[Nine Circles] also delivers comprehensive primary care, social support, education, prevention and wellness services. Really, our goal is to create healthier communities for Manitobans,” Dupuis said.

The cabaret will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring comedy, burlesque and live music from eight different performers. Dupuis said the event was developed with input from the HIV Lived Experience Advisory group, a diverse collective of people living with HIV.

“[The group] really wanted to start, once we were able to gather in person again, [to] do an event that centered World AIDS Day, however, doing it a little bit differently. So, World AIDS Day, obviously recognized in the 80s to really bring attention to the AIDS epidemic, and now World AIDS Day has kind of taken on […] acknowledging all the strides that we’ve made in the realm of HIV and AIDS,” Dupuis said.

“So really, we’re taking this event to build community around, and really show that there is laughter and joy and community while you’re with HIV.”

In addition to performances, the cabaret will feature two silent auction prizes and ten raffle baskets. The proceeds will support Nine Circles’ social programs, such as the Pit Stop Harm Reduction program, Indigenous Cultural Support programming, the HIV Lived Experience Advisory and Harm Reduction Peer Advisory groups.

“Our support groups, even our social support drop-in really heavily relies on donations for things like refreshments, bus tickets, making sure that people can participate in an equitable way, and they don’t have to stress out about coming and enjoying programming and knowing that that stuff will be covered when they attend,” Dupuis said.

“We’ve had people get mastectomy products, work boots, background checks, really just help participate in day-to-day life, getting themselves following really their own journey into health and wellness and creating the life that they want to create. That fund really supports that as well.”

Dupuis emphasized a key message of the event — that people with HIV can still live long, fulfilling lives.

“You can live a long and happy, healthy life while living with HIV, and I think that’s also a big take home message. You know, there’s U=U (undetectable = untransmittable) where once you’re on steady medication, you can’t pass it on. And that’s a really, relatively new thing for the general community,” Dupuis said.

“Life doesn’t end after an HIV diagnosis […] That’s something that I think is going to be my hope, a big take-home message from this event.”

The cabaret will be hosted on Nov. 29 at the Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq. Tickets can be purchased at ninecircles.ca.