HIV is not a crime - about - The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation

About

Outdated laws that were enacted decades ago, during the onset of the HIV epidemic, because of fear, ignorance, and stigma about HIV & AIDS.

However, much has changed – HIV is now considered a chronic, but treatable health condition where people living with the virus can live a healthy life and prevent transmitting the virus to others.

However, the stigma and ignorance remains – our criminal justice system has not adapted to the scientific progress. People living with HIV are being charged with felonies and serving jail time when in most cases, there was no risk or intent to transmit HIV.

As long as these laws exist, people living with HIV will continue to be unjustly charged and convicted of crimes simply because of their health status. The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation is on a mission to modernize these laws to align with today’s science. Along with the Health Not Prisons Collective of national partners, we are tackling this issue state-by-state.

Our Council of Justice Leaders

Meet our team of HIV Is Not A Crime spokespeople, who are living with HIV and have experienced HIV criminalization – our Council of Justice Leaders. Hailing from all over the United States, the Council utilizes their lived experience to guide our mission in modernizing all HIV laws and penalties.

Robert Suttle

(he/him)

Diana Feliz Oliva, MSW

(she/her)

Monique Howell

(she/her)

Ken Pinkela

(he/him)

Robert Suttle

(he/him)

Diana Feliz Oliva, MSW

(she/her)

Monique Howell

(she/her)

Ken Pinkela

(he/him)

Robert Suttle

(he/him)

Diana Feliz Oliva, MSW

(she/her)

Monique Howell

(she/her)

Ken Pinkela

(he/him)

Our Work & Focus States

HIV Is Not A Crime is made up of a number of national and grassroots partners who are committed to working together to modernize HIV criminal laws across the country.

We are currently supporting efforts in:

Nevada

Ending the segregation of incarcerated people living with HIV in NV’s correction facilities.

Indiana

HIV Modernization Movement – Indiana

Louisiana

Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization and Health (LCCH)

Maryland

FreeState Justice

Mississippi

Mississippi Center for Justice

Ohio

Equality Ohio: Modernize the harsh penalties associated with 6 statutes in the Ohio revised code.

Virginia

Equality Virginia: SB 1138 seeks to repeal and amend parts of the Virginia Code that are based on an outdated and misinformed understanding of HIV and its transmission, that create stigma and shame around living with HIV, and that harm the public health as well as personal health of those living with HIV.

Kentucky

Fairness Campaign

Tennessee

Nashville Cares

New Jersey

Garden State Equality

Georgia

Georgia Equality: SB164: provide modernization of HIV related laws to align with science to ensure that laws and policies support current understanding of best public health practices for preventing and treating HIV, scientific evidence about routes of transmission, and the public health goals of promoting HIV prevention and treatment.

Illinois

AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Illinois HIV Action Alliance: SB665 will amend the Criminal Code of 2012, repeal the statute creating the offense of criminal transmission of HIV, and make conforming changes in the AIDS Confidentiality Act, the Illinois Sexually Transmissible Disease Control Act, the Illinois Vehicle Code, the Criminal Code of 2012, and the Unified Code of Corrections.