National Black Justice Coalition Commemorates HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day
CONTACT: Jordan Wilhelmi | jordan@unbendablemedia.com
WASHINGTON – Today, February 28th, marks HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day (HIVNAC). As of 2022, 35 states have laws that criminalize HIV, and 25 percent of the adult LGBTQ+ population lives in a state with an HIV criminalization law. Due to racial prejudice and bias, Black people are also more likely than their non-Black peers to be arrested and convicted for HIV crimes and face longer sentences after conviction.
In commemoration of HIVNAC, Dr. David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a leading Black LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, issued the following statement:
“HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day is an opportunity to amplify the voices and experiences of people who have been criminalized based on their HIV status while advocating for HIV criminal law reform. It’s also an opportunity to highlight the disproportionate impact HIV/AIDS criminalization has on Black communities through the adjacent epidemic of over-policing.
“No research supports the idea that HIV criminalization laws successfully reduce HIV transmission. These laws result from fear and ignorance that fueled a backlash against people living with HIV and serve as just another way to target discrimination toward the LGBTQ+/Same-Gender Loving (LGBTQ+/SGL) community. Furthermore, criminalization laws discourage testing and seeking treatment, increase stigma, and dissuade people from disclosing their status for fear of prosecution.
“Decriminalization of HIV/AIDS is long overdue, and we support President Biden’s updated National HIV/AIDS Strategy, and Rep. Barbara Lee’s REPEAL HIV Discrimination Act, calling for the repeal and reform of state HIV criminalization laws, and creating the data and infrastructure to assist federal and state governments in modernizing laws and policies that impact people living with HIV/AIDS.
“The sad reality is despite many scientific, medical, and social advancements, people are still dying due to HIV/|AIDS, and so much of that is a result of stigma affirmed by criminalization laws. Death resulting from stigma and stigmatizing laws is something we have the power to end–and we should–our communities and country deserve better.”
Earlier this month, NBJC re-released a toolkit that includes information about testing, treatment, and tips for reducing the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS. It includes guidance on ways to start conversations about HIV/AIDS, including the use of social media, hosting events, or writing an article or an OpEd. It also includes shareable facts about how HIV/AIDS affects Black communities and medications that help curb the virus’s effects and transmission. It encourages readers to prioritize their holistic health, including sexual health.
