DOJ Calls for Repeal of Tennessee's Discriminatory HIV Prostitution Law

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that Tennessee's law that imposes harsher penalties on individuals with HIV engaged in prostitution violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The law, passed in 1991, raises prostitution from a misdemeanor to a felony for those with HIV and requires them to register as violent sex offenders. The DOJ warned that the state could face a lawsuit if it continues to enforce the law. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Transgender Law Center have already filed a federal lawsuit seeking to have the law scrapped. The DOJ argues that the law is outdated, discourages testing, and further marginalizes people living with HIV.