Mentorship Committee Needs
The Black Gay Men’s Network’s next steps are to create committees based on 4 key areas identified as a priority.
By lending your expertise and lived experience to the mentorship committee, you can help increase the number of shared experiences amongst elders and youth, as well as peer support within the community. Help us map out what intergenerational and peer dialogue and skill sharing could look like!
Contact us to sign up and learn more
Why is this a priority?
From reviewing themes from the first Ontario Black Gay Men’s Summit in 2010, and subsequent African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) same-gender loving meetings that occurred in October 2018 and March 2019, our pillars are reflective of common needs.
Why is this a priority?
Our pillars are founded in the themes from the participants who were part of the Ontario Black Gay Men’s Summit in 2010 and subsequent African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) same gender loving meetings that occurred October 2018 and March 2019.
These are:
● Culture & knowledge production
● Sexual health & pleasure
● Substance use, and
● Mentoring
Background
Black gay men in Ontario have stated that mentorship is important as it helps create intergenerational connections, and provides peer support and skill building. Sharing knowledge across generations and experiences helps both the mentor and mentee find worth and value in their lived experiences. From a sexual health and wellbeing perspective, it can help with finding better ways to be healthy sooner and the value of centering Black gay men as healthy. Mentorship can also guide navigating racism and other aggressions we face as racialized people.
What could the work on this committee look like?
There are many ways that mentoring amongst gay Black gay men can look like. Examples include:
- Further defining BGMN’s definition and approach to mentoring
- Improving and expanding BGMN’s current use of technology to help facilitate networking, conversations, and discussions
- Planning of social gatherings to help foster discussions