Garfield Durrant is the Men’s Prevention Specialist at the Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black CAP). In his career, he has served in various capacities and held important responsibilities in national and international medical, academic and research institutions, as well as government and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
Garfield is responsible for the development and delivery of prevention interventions specifically focused on African, Caribbean and Black gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (ACBMSM).
Garfield has supported the development and implementation of interventions for ACBMSM such as Many Men, Many Voices (3MV), AFFIRM for newcomer Black men, the online resources myblack.is and prepsquadto.ca as well as implementing a number of ACBMSM specific research studies.
He is currently a member of the Priority Population Networks (PPN) — the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance (GMSH) and the African and Caribbean Council on HIV/AIDS in Ontario (ACCHO).
What’s your favourite thing to do right now?
The thing I love to do any time of day or night is cooking. I love the whole process, buying the ingredients, matching them with other items and sometimes buying items from other cultures that I never tried to see if I can use these products properly.
How are you staying creative?
I love to read and write. I’m not sure what drives me, however, I love learning about new ideas and reading new material. It can sometimes be an insatiable craving, while at other times I may not pick up a book for a day or two. The same goes for putting pen to paper.
How have you been maintaining your physical health?
Nature Walks. The joy and adventure of giving my time and energy to nature. Walking or running on the trails admiring the beautiful landscapes. Treading through forests and grass fields just to be with my thoughts and ideas and then I will empty them out into the wild in exchange for the sounds of animals, insects and the smell of the flowers.
What are your favourite self-care activities right now?
I love travelling. I often travel to new places on the weekends and on holidays; sometimes with my friends, sometimes with family, and sometimes alone. Before setting off, I research the destination I plan to visit, including hotel bookings, restaurants and sightseeing spots. Travelling makes me very happy! I also spend quality time with members of my family of faith as we worship, serve, learn, and have fun together.
Join the Black Gay Men’s Network on Facebook and the centralized hub for Ontario African, Caribbean, & black (ACB) same gender loving (SGL) men, Afro Latino men and SGL men of the African diaspora.