Rebranded service offers MAX support to GBT2Q men

By Natalie Rocha

The Ottawa Gay Men’s Wellness Initiative has rebranded itself as MAX, and is launching its first mental health awareness campaign for “guys who are into guys” this month.

MAX is Ontario’s first, and only, standalone, non-profit community health organization that is focused on catering to the health and wellbeing of men who are gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, or queer — GBT2Q.

An event hosted by Somerset Coun. Catherine McKenney was held at city hall on March 2 to launch Ottawa’s newest health resource.

“We needed to have a name that was flexible,” Roberto Ortiz, executive director of MAX, said of the reason behind the organization’s decision to give itself a much-needed makeover.

“More and more, the word ‘gay’ is not being used, and a lot of guys don’t identify as gay, even though they might have sex with guys or be attracted to guys,” he said.

MAX operates from a modest office at 251 Bank St., and is just around the corner from Gay Zone, a sexual health clinic located at the Centretown Community Health Centre. The clinic offers a wide range of programs and services for GBT2Q men in Ottawa, including testing for sexually transmitted infections and treatment options.

MAX is teaming up with Gay Zone, the AIDS Committee of Ottawa and nearly 20 other local health care services to come up with mental health initiatives for guys who are into guys.

“What we’re really doing with MAX is building from the ground up because we don’t have any resources tailored to gay, bi and queer guys who are interested in learning about their own mental health, their emotional wellbeing, and their sexual health,” said David MacMillan, the men’s outreach coordinator with the AIDS Committee of Ottawa.

Brent Bauer, chair of the board of MAX, said the organization is currently working on “a navigation hub for gay men who may be feeling a bit isolated and disconnected in the community, and want access to community groups or resources that they weren’t aware of, like a sports team.”

Mental health workers will be waiting by the phones at MAX’s head office, and be ready to redirect members of Ottawa’s GBT2Q community who are seeking professional help for mental health issues to counselling services or support groups around the city.

“We’re very excited about the idea that gay men can contact us either through the web, or drop into our office, or give our mental health worker a call, and he can help them navigate the system of existing resources that are already here in Ottawa, and that are gay-friendly,” Bauer said.

MAX wants to help connect guys who are into guys with “competent, sex-positive, and hassle-free resources in the nation’s capital” because these individuals have higher rates of anxiety, depression and suicide than their straight, cis-gender counterparts, according to the organization’s website.

“The fact is that the health system is extremely ill-informed of gay men’s health issues and fairly insensitive, and the resources are extremely limited in Ottawa,” said Barry Deeprose, the co-chair of Gay Zone’s steering committee.

MAX will go before the Ottawa Health Board for the first time next month to seek funding.