Daniel Grace, PhD, Simon Fraser University, Institute for Intersectionality Research and Policy & University of British Columbia, Faculty of Medicine

1.     What is your place of birth?

Toronto, Ontario

2.     How did you get involved in gay men's health?

Through research regarding testing, treatment and support as a graduate student.

3.     Quantitative, qualitative or versatile?

Qualitative focus in much of my work; I am currently working on mixed-methods longitudinal research with gay men.

4.     What social determinant of health impacts gay men the most, do you think?

It is challenging to disentangle what social determinants “matter most” for gay men given the ways in which (a) social determinants are co-constitutional/inform one another and (b) the fact that gay men are a heterogeneous population and are differentially situated depending on social and structural locations. I am increasingly interested in the roles of heterosexism and income inequity on gay men’s health outcomes.

5.     What's something that everyone interested in gay men's health should read?

Adam, B. (2011). “Epistemic fault lines in biomedical and social approaches to HIV prevention”. Journal of the International AIDS Society. 14(Suppl 2): S2. Available at: http://rd.springer.com/article/10.1186/1758-2652-14-S2-S2#page-1

6.     Do you have a favourite gay bar moment?

No. Does Starbucks count?

7.     If you could poll 10,000 gay men, what two questions would you ask them?

This is a challenging question. I am currently conducting research related to the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure in the Canadian context. I am interested in understanding the impact of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision on (a) testing patterns (e.g., the extent to which a climate of criminalization is a deterrent to being tested) and (b) the reasons why gay men do/do not think HIV non-disclosure should be criminalized. 

8.     What is the secret to a perfect relationship?

Patience, honesty, humility and a sense of humour.

9.     How would you describe your current work?

Mixed-methods longitudinal research with HIV-positive and HIV-negative gay and bisexual men in BC. I also conduct research related to global HIV legal reform processes.

10.  What's the last piece of writing you did on gay health?

Grace, D. (2012). “Reconceiving the ‘problem’ in HIV prevention: HIV testing technologies and the criminalization of HIV non-disclosure”. An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis Framework. Simon Fraser University. Paste into browser: http://www.sfu.ca/iirp/documents/IBPA/8_HIV%20Testing%20and%20Criminalization_Grace%202012.pdf

11.  What gay man do you most admire?

I have many gay men that I admire. One in particular is Justice Edwin Cameron (Constitutional Court of South Africa). Justice Cameron was extraordinarily helpful during my doctoral work and I thoroughly recommend his book Witness to AIDS (2005, Tafelberg Publishers).

12.  Where would you like to see gay men's health in five years?

I would like to see the field of gay men’s health research more robustly funded in the Canadian context in and beyond HIV research. I hope that sex-positive policies and programs which support the social, mental, physical and sexual health of gay men are increasingly supported.