QUEEROCRACY & Members of “The Naked Seven” Hold Press Conference on Steps of City Hall, Demanding City Council Speak Out Against HIV Criminalization

New York, NY: On December 1st, as part of World AIDS Day, QUEEROCRACY and many of the “The Naked Seven” will host a press conference on the steps of City Hall to demand that the New York City Council pass a resolution speaking out against the discriminatory practice of prosecuting people based on their HIV status. People living with HIV/AIDS, folks who have faced prosecution for their HIV status, and their advocates/allies will address the press on the issue of HIV related prosecutions within the United States and demand that the NYC Council support a resolution that directly confronts this injustice.

The U.S. and Canada lead the world in the number of HIV related prosecutions and in the United States alone there are thirty four states and two territories where HIV-specific laws and statutes are on the books. These laws and statutes have in many ways proven to be harmful to public health measures. Thirty-two states, including New York, have arrested or prosecuted HIV positive individuals for consensual sex, biting and spitting, often despite actual transmission or risk of transmission.

Even in states such as New York where there are not specific statutes on the books, HIV positive people continue to be prosecuted for their status under general criminal laws. David Plunkett, a man who was convicted in Herkimer County New York under an Assault With a Deadly Weapon charge– the deadly weapon being his HIV status– has issued a statement that will be released during the press conference.

“We knew very little about the HIV virus when these laws were created– how it is transmitted, how transmission can be prevented. The laws don’t reflect the science. It’s time for the law to catch up. What it comes down to is that this is a public health issue, not a criminal justice one,” said Megan Mulholland, a community organizer for QUEEROCRACY.

Additionally, not knowing one’s HIV status in many cases can protect one from not being prosecuted in the court of law for an HIV related offense, reflecting a strong correlation among people’s unwillingness to then go and get an HIV test.

“HIV criminalization is just another way of slowing down the efforts to achieve an AIDS free generation. With everything we know today about HIV and AIDS and how it’s transmitted, these outdated and unscientific laws can ruin people’s lives. These laws are discouraging folks to get tested and seek out care. We can’t afford to take these steps back! People will die!” said Reginald Brown, a member of QUEEROCRACY.

We are calling on all Council members in NYC, and local electeds in all 50 states to come forth and pass a resolution against HIV criminalization. We know we can end the AIDS pandemic and fighting back against HIV criminalization and the stigma it fuels is an essential step in doing so.

About ACT UP

Founded in 1987, ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), is a diverse, non-partisan group of individuals united in anger and committed to direct action to end the AIDS crisis. ACT UP currently meets every Monday night (via zoom).

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