Addressing Online Harassment in our Community

Hello Bike Rally Participants,

We wanted to take this opportunity to inform our community of an issue PWA has been dealing with over the course of the past year that may have an impact on you or otherwise come to your attention in the coming weeks and especially during the week of the Rally.

As you may already have seen or experienced, approximately one year ago, a disgruntled individual began commenting on Facebook posts related to the Bike Rally and contacting Bike Rally volunteers via direct message. This individual’s posts and messages contain baseless and harmful allegations against Bike Rally participants and PWA staff and often include implied or explicit threats that Bike Rally participants will be held “publicly accountable” in some way if they do not respond or agree to speak with the individual about his complaints.

With the Bike Rally happening this week, this individual has once again been engaging with social media posts related to PWA and the Bike Rally. If you receive any messages that cause you to feel harassed or threatened in any way, we encourage you to immediately block the sender and contact Suzanne Paddock, Executive Director, and Michael Reid, Associate Director of Events, at spaddock@pwatoronto.org and mreid@pwatoronto.org respectively. We care deeply about the safety and well-being of Bike Rally volunteers and are hopeful that this situation will not impact you directly.

We want to sincerely thank you for dedicating your time and efforts to the Bike Rally and the HIV community we support. The funds raised by the Bike Rally provide much-needed support for PWA’s critical programs and services for HIV+ people. We also want to assure you that PWA is fully committed to supporting the health and well-being of all people living with HIV/AIDS, and that our approach has always been grounded in treating all members of the community with respect and dignity. Please do not hesitate to contact Suzanne or Michael should you have any questions.