"Justice Department Takes Legal Action Against Tennessee for Discriminatory HIV Laws"

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by enforcing the state’s aggravated prostitution statute against people living with HIV. The department found that the statute subjects individuals with HIV to harsher criminal penalties solely because of their HIV status, leading to discrimination, increased homelessness, and unemployment. The lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that people living with HIV are not targeted because of their disability and aims to address the discrimination and outdated science behind the enforcement of state criminal laws based on HIV status.