The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is taking the state of Tennessee to court over a law related to HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS.
The ACLU announced the lawsuit on Tuesday, specifically targeting Tennessee’s “aggravated prostitution” law, which slaps severe penalties and a lifetime sex offender label on people with HIV. “This law is unconstitutional and disproportionately affects Black and transgender women,” the ACLU said in a tweet.
They also argued that the law unfairly goes after people who are already facing social and financial difficulties, stating, “Instead of criminalizing HIV, which disproportionately targets people who are already socially and financially marginalized, lawmakers should invest in evidence-based public health support for people with HIV. Tennessee, we’ll see you in court.”
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In Tennessee, it’s illegal for someone who knows they have HIV to have “intimate contact” with another person without telling them first and getting their agreement. The state also has a separate law that makes it illegal for someone with HIV to be involved in prostitution in any way.
The lawsuit comes at a time when statistics show a troubling racial gap related to HIV. According to the US Office of Minority Health, African American men are six times more likely to die from HIV than non-Hispanic white men.
The ACLU’s lawsuit calls attention to laws that not only criminalize HIV but also create more hurdles for groups they claim are already at a disadvantage.
The reality is HIV weakens the immune system, and if it’s not treated, it can turn into AIDS. In this stage, the body can’t fight off common infections, making it a potentially deadly condition over time, medical experts say.
In typical fashion, the ACLU is doing more than just challenging a specific law in Tennessee. They are pushing for one group’s “rights” over the health and well-being of others, whether you agree with the law or not.
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