Harry Potter and the cauldron of STIs...

That headline doesn't quite capture all the cheekiness, humour, irreverence and tongue-twisting (at times!) facts overload (but in a GOOD way) of an Insight Theatre *show*.  

You must attend one to get their infectious (ouch!) jokes and insightful moments.  I won't give away any punchlines; suffice to say JK Rowling's penchant for quirky names is amply explored in the naughty bits... err, skits about Sexually Transmitted Infections.  Hilarious, inspired and clever! 

The lively and talented writers/performers are adolescents who work with Planned Parenthood Ottawa staff to produce this amusing and informative show.

Last evening I spoke with Catherine Macnab and Lauren Dobson-Hughes who are respectively director and board president.  Insight Theatre is a gem in a crown of multi-faceted education and community outreach programs. We spoke about advocacy, the challenges of reproductive justice issues, pro-choice and The March for Lies, since the event is one that DJ! mines shamelessly for its unintended humour.  

Since hundreds and hundreds of Catholic Schools students who are bussed to Ottawa for the March wander about downtown Ottawa afterwards, volunteers wearing PPO shirts show up to give out information packets with its own PPO branded condoms in the ByWard Market, on Elgin Street and around Parliament Hill. 

The range of programs offered by PPO can be found here.

Unfortunately there are no videos posted yet from this year's repertoire, but here's a golden oldie from 2013:

To book a performance: all the information.

Stevie the Spiteful, Brand New Friend of Women, Except Canadian Ones

I've been a bad blogger. There are a bunch of things I want to catch up on but first some news about Stevie Spiteful's government, you know, those great, brand-new friends of women, well, as long as they aspire only to baby-making.

That great investigative organization, the Catlick Church reveals that the ReformaTories have been slashing grants to the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, formerly Planned Parenthood.

An Interim investigation has found that over the past half decade, the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health has had its federal government grants cut by more than 99 per cent.

The federation, formerly the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada and still the Canadian member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation, has charitable status, according to the Canada Revenue Agency. The CFSH says on its website that it “promote(s) sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and abroad.” It also admits being a “pro-choice organization.”

There are some details on federal funding under the most-abortion-loving PMs evah, Chretien and Martin, then this (note date):

Beginning in 2007, grants from the federal government began to decrease as it received $743,745. Its expenditures fell to $1,655,249.

In 2008, grants totaled $482,498 while its expenditures dipped to $1,467,005, about a million dollars less than it spent just three years earlier.

In 2009, total grants were $9,381. The Canadian Federation for Sexual Health’s expenditures last year totalled $815,153. Federal grants accounted for just 1.1 per cent of its spending.

Oooo. Look who's taking credit. That misogynist homophobic gang with the galling name:

For years, REAL Women has made presentations to the finance committee’s pre-budget hearings, asking for cuts to special interest groups, including Planned Parenthood and its reincarnation as the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health.

Those damned special interest groups, you know, like women.

What I want to know is -- WTF? And -- why haven't we heard about this from CFSH? And -- or the media?

h/t SUZY ALLCAPS. Pssst, SUZY, if you guys didn't gloat about stuff like this, obviously, we regular people would never find out about it.