Lawmakers and international organizations are calling for a shift in the legal approach towards HIV, emphasizing the disproportionate impact of the virus and the criminalization of it on the LGBTQI+ community and communities of color. Representatives Jan Schakowsky, Jackson Lee, and Rep. Wilson, alongside the United Nations, highlighted the need for education, support, healthcare access, and the protection of human rights over punishment, under the banner of #HIVIsNotACrime. They argue that laws criminalizing HIV exacerbate the vulnerability of these groups and undermine their fundamental human rights, advocating for legal reforms to reflect that HIV is not a crime. This call to action aligns with the goals of the @EqualityCaucus and was emphasized on Zero Discrimination Day by @UNAIDS.
Laws that criminalize same-sex relations undermine the fundamental human rights of LGBTQI+ people & increase their vulnerability to HIV. On #ZeroDiscrimination Day, @UNAIDS stresses that all people deserve to have their rights protected. https://t.co/WQqBtsmx6e https://t.co/OXz4eQGbDW
As a member of the @EqualityCaucus, I know how HIV has impacted the #LGBTQI+ community. #HIVIsNotACrime and it’s essential that we protect those living with it from unjust prosecution. https://t.co/AbwjvzOLTE
It’s time we update our laws to protect people living with HIV from unjust prosecution. HIV disproportionately impacts the LGBTQI+ community and communities of color, and so do laws that criminalize having HIV. #HIVIsNotACrime and it’s time our laws reflect that. https://t.co/3JeGynNooC
HIV disproportionately impacts the LGBTQI+ community and communities of color, and so do laws that criminalize having HIV. As a Member of the @EqualityCaucus, I believe that we must strongly state that #HIVIsNotACrime, and it’s time our laws reflect that. https://t.co/0DbaxZxgSb
HIV disproportionately impacts the LGBTQI+ community and communities of color, and laws which criminalize having HIV only cause these vulnerable people further harm. It’s time we prioritize education, support, and healthcare access - not punishment. #HIVIsNotACrime https://t.co/xTQetNbroM