{"id":2119976,"date":"2023-12-08T15:44:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T20:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-says-tennessees-hiv-prostitution-law-violates-americans-with-disabilities-act\/"},"modified":"2023-12-08T15:47:23","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T20:47:23","slug":"doj-says-tennessees-hiv-prostitution-law-violates-americans-with-disabilities-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/doj-says-tennessees-hiv-prostitution-law-violates-americans-with-disabilities-act\/","title":{"rendered":"DOJ: Tennessee&#8217;s HIV Prostitution Law breaches ADA"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdoj-says-tennessees-hiv-prostitution-law-violates-americans-with-disabilities-act%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2119976&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>The Department of \u2063Justice Challenges\u200c Tennessee&#8217;s Aggravated \u2064Prostitution Law\u2064 for People with HIV<\/h2>\n<p>The Department of\u2064 Justice (DOJ) made a bold statement last week, declaring \u200cthat Tennessee&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aclu-seeks-to-overturn-law-that-increases-penalties-for-prostitutes-who-sell-their-services-knowing-they-have-hiv\/\" title=\"ACLU fights to reverse law that harshens penalties for HIV-positive prostitutes selling services.\">aggravated prostitution law<\/a> for individuals with HIV \u200bis not only discriminatory but also in violation of the \u200cAmericans with Disabilities\u200b Act (ADA).\u200d The DOJ warned that if\u200d the state continues to enforce this law, it could face a lawsuit.<\/p>\n<p>In a press release on December 1, the DOJ emphasized that Tennessee&#8217;s long-standing prostitution law\u2062 unfairly imposes harsher\u2063 penalties on individuals with HIV solely because of their health \u2062status, thus blatantly disregarding \u200cthe principles of the ADA.<\/p>\n<p>It is\u200b worth \u200dnoting that this announcement coincided with World AIDS Day, \u200ba\u200c global initiative dedicated \u2064to raising awareness about the AIDS pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>The specific law in question elevates the offense of prostitution \u2063from \u200da misdemeanor to a\u200d felony if the person engaging in sexual activity for \u200bprofit \u200cis aware of \u200btheir HIV-positive status\u200b or is \u200can inmate in \u2063a house \u2063of\u200c prostitution or\u200d loiters in \u2062public places for the \u2064purpose of solicitation.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Tennessee&#8217;s law, enacted in 1991, mandates that\u200d individuals convicted\u2064 of engaging in\u2063 prostitution while HIV-positive must register as &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chemical-castration-and-gender-affirming-care-can-be-synonymous-leading-transgender-health-association-suggests\/\" title=\"\u2018Chemical Castration\u2019 And \u2018Gender Affirming\u2019 Care Can Be Synonymous, Leading Transgender Health Association Suggests\">violent sex offenders<\/a>&#8221; for life.<\/p>\n<p>This means that instead of facing a mere\u2063 six-month sentence for a misdemeanor charge, \u200bthose convicted face up to 15 years in prison for a felony \u200dcharge.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1702064407360000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2LZBG2WXLvqZfvX3Bs4Tx9\">CLICK HERE TO\u2064 GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>The DOJ specifically called out\u200c the Shelby \u200cCounty District Attorney&#8217;s Office and Tennessee&#8217;s Bureau of Investigation for \u200btheir frequent enforcement \u2064of this prostitution law in the\u2063 Memphis area. Residents of\u2062 Memphis have recently voiced \u200dconcerns about the \u2064encroachment of prostitution and drug use in their neighborhoods.<\/p>\n<p>Assistant Attorney General \u200cKristen Clarke of the DOJ&#8217;s Civil Rights Division \u2062strongly criticized Tennessee&#8217;s aggravated prostitution law, stating\u200b that it is \u200coutdated, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/vermont-school-district-says-detransition-awareness-day-violates-equity-policy\/\" title=\"Vermont school district claims 'Detransition Awareness Day' breaches equity policy\">lacks scientific basis<\/a>, discourages testing, and further\u2064 marginalizes individuals\u2063 living with HIV.<\/p>\n<p>In October,\u2062 the American \u2064Civil Liberties Union and the Transgender Law Center also took legal \u2064action \u200dby filing a federal lawsuit against \u2063the law, seeking \u2063its complete elimination.<\/p>\n<p>The lawsuit argues that the differential treatment of individuals living with \u2063HIV is a\u2064 remnant \u200bof the prejudiced response to the AIDS epidemic \u2062and perpetuates the marginalization of Black cisgender and transgender women who bear the brunt of the law&#8217;s requirements.<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca Bond, chief of the DOJ&#8217;s Disability Rights \u200bSection, emphasized\u2062 in a letter to\u200c Tennessee officials that significant progress has \u2063been made \u200cin understanding and treating HIV \u200csince 1991. She highlighted that the \u200bbeliefs and\u2063 assumptions surrounding HIV \u200ctransmission and its implications are outdated \u200cand unfounded.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why do \u2063advocacy groups\u2062 argue that Tennessee&#8217;s law perpetuates stigma \u200band discrimination against people living with HIV?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Gaging in aggravated prostitution must \u200bregister as sex offenders. \u200bThis registration requirement does\u200d not apply to individuals who engage in non-aggravated prostitution. The DOJ argues that this distinction is arbitrary and unfair, as it targets and stigmatizes individuals with HIV, violating\u200b their rights under the ADA.<\/p>\n<p>According to the DOJ&#8217;s Civil Rights\u2063 Division Assistant Attorney General, Kristen Clarke, &#8220;Tennessee\u2019s aggravated prostitution law discriminates against individuals with HIV\/AIDS, subjecting them to harsher penalties \u2063based solely on\u200c their medical condition. Singling \u2062out individuals with disabilities for heightened punishment violates the ADA, which aims to protect individuals from discrimination based on their disability status.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Several advocacy groups, including the ACLU and \u200bHuman\u200d Rights Campaign, have voiced their\u200c support for the DOJ&#8217;s stance. They\u2063 argue\u200b that this\u200d law perpetuates stigma and discrimination against people living with \u200cHIV\u2063 and undermines efforts\u2064 to address the AIDS epidemic.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the DOJ&#8217;s announcement, Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III defended\u2063 the state&#8217;s law, stating\u2062 that it is\u200b intended to protect public health. However, critics argue that\u200c this law does not contribute to public health and, in fact, impedes efforts \u2063to prevent the spread of HIV.\u200b They argue that criminalizing individuals with HIV discourages them from getting tested, seeking treatment, or\u2063 disclosing their status, thus \u200cexacerbating the problem.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ&#8217;s statement is a significant step towards addressing the discriminatory treatment\u2062 of individuals with HIV and advocating for their rights. The department&#8217;s warning that Tennessee could face legal action is a strong message to other states with similar laws that discriminate\u2064 against people with\u2064 disabilities. This move \u200baligns with\u2064 the Biden administration&#8217;s commitment to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sidney-powell-is-an-american-legal-giant\/\" title=\"Sidney Powell Is an American Legal Giant\">civil rights<\/a> and equality for all Americans.<\/p>\n<p>The DOJ&#8217;s challenge to Tennessee&#8217;s aggravated prostitution law for individuals with\u2063 HIV is an important development in \u200dthe fight against discrimination and stigma. It highlights the need for states to re-evaluate their laws and policies to ensure\u2063 they comply with the principles of the ADA and promote \u200cinclusivity. As the AIDS pandemic continues to affect millions of people worldwide, it is crucial that laws and regulations \u2064are \u200dgrounded in science, compassion, \u200band respect for the rights of all individuals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The DOJ warned Tennessee that its law criminalizing HIV-positive individuals engaging in prostitution violates the ADA. The Department stated that if the state continues to enforce this law, it may face legal action. Tennessee&#8217;s long-standing legislation puts people with disabilities at risk, according to the DOJ&#8217;s December 1 announcement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":2119978,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2119976","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119976","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/107"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2119976"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119976\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2119978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2119976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2119976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}