Mexico: Colima State repeals “danger of contagion” article from its criminal code

The offence of “Danger of Contagion” is removed from the Criminal Code.

Translated with Deep.com – Scroll down for original article in Spanish

With just 15 votes in favour from Morena deputies and their allies from the New Alliance Party, Labour Party, and the now non-party deputy Rigoberto García Negrete, the State Congress repealed the criminal offence known as “Danger of Contagion”, which criminalised people infected with the HIV virus.

This action was carried out following the presentation of the opinion on the Bill with draft Decree, proposed by Deputy Alfredo Álvarez Ramírez, to reform Articles 77 and 119, and repeal Chapter I of the Seventh Title and Article 212 of the Penal Code for the State of Colima.

The Commission of Legislative Studies and Constitutional Points, in charge of drafting the opinion, emphasised that the measure was adopted under a guaranteeing vision and in response to the demand of different social groups to end discrimination.

The elimination of the criminal offence “Danger of Contagion” from the Criminal Code for the State of Colima was justified by the fact that it violated the human rights of people with contagious diseases, stigmatising them and unfairly turning them into victims and perpetrators.

During the “Ninth Youth Parliament 2023”, in which 25 young people from the state participated, initiatives in favour of various social sectors were presented. This reform took up the research and proposal of youth deputy Roberto Macías Cruz, who argued that the criminalisation of HIV increases the vulnerability of those affected and leads to multiple human rights violations.

According to UN AIDS, more than 3,242 people with HIV have been prosecuted for exposure and transmission of the virus. The initiative argues that criminalising HIV not only fails to stop the epidemic, but also undermines public health prevention efforts, alienating people with the virus.

The Committee stressed that the aim of repealing the “Danger of Contagion” offence is to avoid stigmatisation, discrimination and criminalisation of people with infectious diseases, ensuring the protection of human rights such as equality, non-discrimination and health, principles upheld by the Constitution.

The opinion, when submitted to the plenary for consideration, highlighted that the “Danger of Contagion” offence infringes the rights to equality and non-discrimination of people with diseases, as it criminalises the simple fact of suffering from a contagious disease, increasing stigmatisation and fear towards these people, which undermines human dignity. The commission concluded that the repeal of the criminal offence was feasible, as it discriminates against and unjustly criminalises people with contagious diseases.

The proposal to reform articles 77 and 119, and to repeal Chapter I of Title Seven and Article 212 of the Penal Code for the State of Colima, was put to a vote without the consensus of all parliamentary groups. After a recess and discussions, an agreement was reached to approve the reforms with the support of Morena and its allies.

The PAN and PRI deputies did not vote in favour, while those of Movimiento Ciudadano abstained. Finally, by a margin of 15 votes, the repeal of the criminal offence “Danger of Contagion” was approved, marking a step forward in the protection of the human rights of people with contagious diseases, by avoiding their stigmatisation and criminalisation.

Eliminan del Código Penal el delito denominado “Peligro de Contagio

Con apenas 15 votos a favor de los diputados de Morena y sus aliados del Partido Nueva Alianza, Partido del Trabajo, y del ahora diputado sin partido Rigoberto García Negrete, el Congreso del Estado derogó el delito penal conocido como “Peligro de Contagio”, que criminalizaba a las personas infectadas por el virus del VIH.

Esa acción se llevó a cabo tras presentarse el dictamen sobre la Iniciativa de Ley con proyecto de Decreto, propuesta por el Diputado Alfredo Álvarez Ramírez, para reformar los artículos 77 y 119, y derogar el Capítulo I del Título Séptimo y el Artículo 212 del Código Penal para el Estado de Colima.

La Comisión de Estudios Legislativos y Puntos Constitucionales, encargada de elaborar el dictamen, destacó que la medida se adoptó bajo una visión garantista y respondiendo a la demanda de distintos grupos sociales por acabar con la discriminación.

La eliminación del tipo penal “Peligro de Contagio” del Código Penal para el Estado de Colima se justificó por vulnerar los derechos humanos de las personas con enfermedades contagiosas, estigmatizándolas y convirtiéndolas injustamente en víctimas y victimarios.

Durante el “Noveno Parlamento de las Juventudes 2023”, donde participaron 25 jóvenes del estado, se presentaron iniciativas en favor de varios sectores sociales. Esa reforma retomó la investigación y propuesta del diputado juvenil Roberto Macías Cruz, quien argumentó que la criminalización del VIH aumenta la vulnerabilidad de las personas afectadas y conduce a múltiples violaciones de derechos humanos.

Según ONU SIDA, más de 3,242 personas con VIH han sido procesadas por exposición y transmisión del virus. La iniciativa sostiene que criminalizar el VIH no solo no detiene la epidemia, sino que también debilita los esfuerzos de prevención de salud pública, alienando a las personas con el virus.

La Comisión Dictaminadora subrayó que el objetivo de derogar el delito de “Peligro de Contagio” es evitar la estigmatización, discriminación y criminalización de las personas con enfermedades contagiosas, asegurando la protección de los derechos humanos como la igualdad, la no discriminación y la salud, principios sostenidos por la Constitución.

El dictamen, al someterse a consideración del pleno, resaltó que el delito “Peligro de Contagio” infringe los derechos a la igualdad y no discriminación de las personas con enfermedades, ya que criminaliza el simple hecho de padecer una enfermedad contagiosa, aumentando la estigmatización y el temor hacia estas personas, lo cual atenta contra la dignidad humana. La comisión concluyó que la derogación del tipo penal era viable, pues discrimina y criminaliza injustamente a las personas portadoras de enfermedades contagiosas.

La propuesta de reformar los artículos 77 y 119, y derogar el Capítulo I del Título Séptimo y el Artículo 212 del Código Penal para el Estado de Colima, fue sometida a votación sin el consenso de todos los grupos parlamentarios. Tras un receso y discusiones, se logró un acuerdo para aprobar las reformas con el apoyo de Morena y sus aliados.

Los diputados del PAN y PRI no votaron a favor, mientras que los de Movimiento Ciudadano se abstuvieron. Finalmente, por un margen de 15 votos, se aprobó la derogación del tipo penal “Peligro de Contagio”, marcando un paso adelante en la protección de los derechos humanos de las personas con enfermedades contagiosas, al evitar su estigmatización y criminalización.

US: Tennesee lawmakers end sex offender registry requirement for HIV+ sex workers, clearing path for removal from registry

TN Lawmakers vote to remove sex offender registry requirement for Law criminalizing sex workers with HIV

By Katie Riordan

State lawmakers have voted to no longer require sex offender registration for someone convicted under the state’s decades-old aggravated prostitution law, which only affects sex workers who are HIV positive. The legislation also allows those on the registry for the offense to have their names removed.

The measure overwhelmingly passed the state house on Thursday with bipartisan support after clearing the senate earlier this month.

The vote takes place as the Department of Justice and advocacy groups have sued Tennessee over enforcement its aggravated prostitution statute. The criminal code raises a misdemeanor prostitution charge to a felony if the sex worker knowingly has HIV.

Critics have long pointed out that no actual sex act has to take place and the law does not take into account modern advances in treatment and prevention of HIV.

Under the newly passed legislation, aggravated prostitution remains a felony, but it strikes down a separate penalty requiring those convicted to register as a violent sex offender for life.

The bill also allows those on the registry for the crime to petition to be removed, as long as they aren’t listed for another offense. Additionally, victims of sex trafficking can ask the court to expunge their record.

The Nashville-based non-profit, Thistle Farms, which provides services to survivors of trafficking, prostitution and addiction, backed the legislation.

The organization initially asked for a complete repeal of the aggravated prostitution law, but Amanda Clelland, director of communications and advocacy, says the amended bill lawmakers agreed to still removes “insurmountable” barriers that the sex offender registry creates.

The registry’s restrictionson where someone can work and live, Clelland says, hinders the ability to escape a life of exploitation and sex work.

“It really just kind of perpetuates a system where folks aren’t able to leave, even though they want to,” she says. “By law they are just continuously put back into these situations where they’re unable to access the services or even the safe space to start that rebuilding process.”

About 80 people are listed on the sex offender registry for an aggravated prostitution violation, according to research released in 2022 from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. The study also found that most are in Shelby County and are Black women.

Clelland says the bill’s passing signals an openness to offering support to trafficked people and sex workers instead of further criminalizing them.

“Those doors have been closed to them for years, and those doors are finally going to start reopening, and it’s exciting, and it’s just full of a lot of possibility,” she says.

The legislation will now head to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk to decide whether to sign off on it.

State legislators made aggravated prostitution a crime in 1991 at a time when effective treatment for HIV was still limited. They followed up in 1994 with a criminal exposure law that makes it a felony for anyone not to disclose a diagnosis to an intimate partner.

Last session, the legislature removed a sex offender registry requirement for an exposure charge.

Outside of lawmakers actions, the Department of Justice is suing the state to stop enforcing the aggravated prostitution statute. The DOJ’s lawsuit argues it violates a federal anti-discrimination law by creating stiffer penalties for people living with HIV.

Slovakia: Ministry of Health asked to reconsider mandatory HIV reporting in medical facilities

HIV reporting obligations in Slovakia: patient advocacy for change in criminal code

In Slovakia, HIV-positive patients are obliged to report their diagnosis in medical facilities. This arises from the Criminal Code, otherwise you could face penalties for spreading a dangerous disease. Patients and some experts draw attention to the advanced treatment methods, which mean that this obligation should no longer be necessary. The Ministry of Health is currently not planning to change the current regulations, but is open to a discussion about it.

Jan Koller is one of the patients with this diagnosis. His life has been changed by HIV, not because of the treatment, but because of people’s prejudices: “There is a significant stigma associated with this disease. I was faced with rejection from doctors myself. We don’t pose a risk to anyone.”

This is also why Jan Koller founded a non-profit organization to help others with this disease. Some healthcare providers may have reservations or uncertainties about treating people with HIV. While Danica Staneková from the National Reference Center for HIV and AIDS Prevention understands the concerns of health workers, she reminds that patients could also go to an outpatient clinic or hospital without knowing that they are HIV-positive. Therefore, every patient should be treated as potentially infected and infectious. According to Staneková, it would at least be appropriate not to consider HIV as a special diagnosis, as is the case in the Criminal Code. The spread of HIV and other dangerous infections is listed there. However, HIV can now be treated in the same way as hepatitis B, for example, although this disease does not represent a special diagnosis in the criminal code.

HIV patients are demanding that they no longer have to legally report their diagnosis under threat of criminal prosecution. As long as the disease is treated with modern means, it poses no danger to other people, says infectiologist Peter Sabaka: “Some countries have already initiated such changes in jurisprudence. Thanks to treatment, such patients have no detectable viral load. You can therefore actually be viewed as not infected in terms of the risk of infection and therefore the need to report. I can’t give a clear answer at the moment as to whether this should also be the case in Slovakia.”

There are approximately 1,600 people living with HIV in Slovakia. In 2023, 140 new cases were added.

US: Justice Department sues Tennessee over aggravated prostitution statute targeting HIV+ individuals

Justice Department Sues Tennessee for Enforcing State Law that Discriminates Against People with HIV

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The department previously notified Tennessee and the TBI that they violated the ADA by enforcing the state’s aggravated prostitution statute against people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). That letter of findings detailed the minimum remedial measures necessary to address the discrimination.

“The enforcement of state criminal laws that treat people differently based on HIV status alone and that are not based on actual risks of harm, discriminate against people living with HIV,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “People living with HIV should not be subjected to a different system of justice based on outdated science and misguided assumptions. This lawsuit reflects the Justice Department’s commitment to ensuring that people living with HIV are not targeted because of their disability.”

The department’s investigation found that the state and TBI subject people living with HIV to harsher criminal penalties solely because of their HIV status, violating Title II of the ADA. Tennessee’s aggravated prostitution statute elevates what would otherwise be misdemeanor conduct to a felony because the individual has HIV, regardless of any actual risk of harm. A person convicted of aggravated prostitution faces three to 15 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000, while a person convicted of a misdemeanor charge based on the same conduct is subject to a penalty of no more than six months in prison and up to a $500 fine.

Aggravated prostitution is also categorized as a “violent sexual offense” mandating registration by those convicted on the Tennessee Sex Offender Registry, in most cases for life. The state maintains the registry through the TBI. Individuals placed on the registry due to convictions for aggravated prostitution are restricted in where they may live, work and go in public, and have experienced increased homelessness and unemployment. These individuals also face public disclosure of information about their HIV status, which can lead to harassment and discrimination. For example, the complaint identifies one person who has struggled to find safe housing that complies with the registry’s requirements and has experienced periods of homelessness, has been denied employment because she is on the registry, and is prevented from spending time alone with her nephew because of her conviction.

The Justice Department plays a central role in advancing the ADA’s goals of equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities. For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information on the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov.

Mexico: Initiative to repeal HIV Criminalisation law presented in Mexico State

Morena proposes repealing article 252 of the Penal Code because it is considered an attack on people living with HIV.

Translated with Deepl.com – For original article in Spanish, please scroll down.

The Morena deputy, Beatriz García Villegas, presented in the LXI Legislature, the initiative for a draft decree to repeal article 252 of the Penal Code of the State of Mexico, which describes the crime of “Danger of Contagion”, considering that it violates the right of people to a life without discrimination, especially those living with the Acquired Immune Deficiency Virus (HIV).

In the Casa del Pueblo, after presenting various human rights norms, she stressed that all authorities, within the scope of their competences, have the obligation to promote, respect, protect and guarantee human rights in accordance with the principles of universality, interdependence, indivisibility and progressivity. Consequently, the State must prevent, investigate, punish and redress human rights violations, under the terms established by law.

Despite these legal provisions, the Amecameca legislator indicated that a situation has been identified that violates the living conditions of a sector of our population. According to the website of Amigos Contra el SIDA, serophobia (seropositive – HIV carrier and phobia – fear) “is stigma and discrimination, based on irrational fear towards people who have HIV, avoiding any kind of approach or contact with people who are HIV positive or carriers”.

At the same time, she recalled that the Penal Code for the State of Mexico, in its second subtitle, on crimes against persons in danger, in Chapter I, describes the crime of Danger of Contagion, which reads as follows: Article 252.- Whoever, knowing that he or she suffers from a serious disease in an infectious period, puts another person in danger of contagion, by any means of transmission, will be sentenced to six months to two years in prison and a fine of thirty to sixty days. This offence shall only be prosecuted by complaint of the offended party.

It is argued that this crime violates the right of people, especially those living with the Acquired Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) to a life without discrimination. In other words, the criminal offence of danger of contagion punishes the act by virtue of which a person puts another person at risk of contagion, he emphasised.

She reflected that, although at first one might think that this crime is aimed at protecting people’s general health, the reality has been quite different, as it has been the ideal way to unjustifiably criminalise HIV-positive women, girls, adolescents and people with diverse sexual identities. They have been subjected to criminalisation for the simple fact that they have been diagnosed HIV-positive.

“Danger of contagion” is part of a range of crimes that were incorporated into the criminal law in our country in 1931. At that time, there was a great deal of ignorance about various infections and in general there was a strong influence of moral norms on our legal framework. Scientific advances on a global level have clarified the reality of these infections. According to the National Centre for the Prevention and Control of HIV and AIDS, in communities this infection is still associated with death, promiscuity, homosexuality, infidelity, drug use and irresponsibility, he said.

According to the Federal Health Ministry, in 2023, approximately 13,489 new people were registered with this condition, and in the State of Mexico, the figure reached 1,818 people.

Meanwhile, she added, the Council for the Prevention and Elimination of Discrimination of Mexico City (COPRED), in its Pronouncement published on 24 June 2021, mentions that the incorporation of this crime in the Penal Codes is a product of the lack of knowledge of HIV, as well as the moral prejudices that generate certain behaviours”. This led to punishing those who, by leading “an immoral sex life”, were “foci of infection” and endangered with their mere sexuality those who had “acceptable” morality.

Thus, it is possible to conclude that article 252 of the Penal Code of the State of Mexico has institutionalised serophobia, being a violation of human rights for HIV-positive people, by criminalising the sexual life of this sector of the population, he affirmed.

She pointed out that local legislatures have begun to expel this norm from their legal frameworks, the first entity to repeal this crime was Aguascalientes, then Nayarit and recently it was repealed in Mexico City, so it is considered that under the rules that oblige all public servants to respect, guarantee, protect and promote human rights, it is necessary to repeal the aforementioned criminal offence.

“This is a struggle of various social sectors that have been victims of criminalisation, the crime of danger of contagion is a door to violate the human rights of people with HIV, women, girls, adolescents and people with diverse sexual identities have been the object of this criminalisation, let us also consider situations in which HIV infection is caused by rape, infidelity of the partner, when children are born already infected by the mother during pregnancy and a long etcetera,” he said.

And she called for “closing the door to the continued criminalisation of all these vulnerable groups”. After this, the initiative was referred to the Commission for the Procuration and Administration of Justice, for its study and analysis.

Derogar el artículo 252 del Código Penal por considerar que atenta contra las personas que viven con VIH, propone Morena

La diputada de Morena, Beatriz García Villegas presentó en la LXI Legislatura, la Iniciativa proyecto de Decreto por el que se deroga el artículo 252 del Código Penal del Estado de México, donde se describe el delito de “Peligro de Contagio”, por considerar que atenta contra el derecho de las personas, a una vida sin discriminación, en especial, aquellas que viven con el Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida (VIH).

En la Casa del Pueblo, tras exponer diversas normas relativas a los derechos humanos, destacó que todas las autoridades, en el ámbito de sus competencias, tienen la obligación de promover, respetar, proteger y garantizar los derechos humanos de conformidad con los principios de universalidad, interdependencia, indivisibilidad y progresividad. En consecuencia, el Estado deberá prevenir, investigar, sancionar y reparar las violaciones a los derechos humanos, en los términos que establezca la ley.

Pese a estos ordenamientos jurídicos, la legisladora de Amecameca, indicó que se ha logrado identificar una situación que vulnera las condiciones de vida en un sector de nuestra población. Según el portal de Amigos Contra el SIDA, la serofobia (seropositivo- portador VIH y fobia – miedo) “es el estigma y discriminación, basado en el miedo irracional hacia las personas que tienen VIH, evitando cualquier tipo de acercamiento o contacto con las personas que son seropositivas o portadoras”.

A la vez que recordó que, en el Código Penal para el Estado de México, en su subtitulo segundo, sobre delitos en peligro contra las personas, en el capítulo I, se describe el delito de Peligro de Contagio, mismo que a la letra dice: Artículo 252.- A quien sabiendo que padece una enfermedad grave en período infectante, ponga en peligro de contagio a otro, por cualquier medio de transmisión, se le aplicará una pena de seis meses a dos años de prisión y de treinta a sesenta días multa. Este delito sólo se procederá por querella del ofendido.

Se sostiene que este delito atenta contra el derecho de las personas, en especial, aquellas que viven con el Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Adquirida (VIH) a una vida sin discriminación. Es decir, el tipo penal de peligro de contagio castiga el acto por virtud del cual una persona pone en peligro de contagiar a otra persona, enfatizó.

Reflexionó que, aunque en un primer momento se puede pensar, que este delito va encaminado a proteger la salud general de las personas, la realidad ha sido otra muy distinta, pues ha sido la vía idónea para criminalizar de manera injustificada a las personas portadoras seropositivas mujeres, niñas, adolescentes, y personas con diversas identidades sexuales. A sido sujeto de criminalización por el derecho de ser diagnosticados seropositivos.

“Peligro de contagio” forma parte de una gama de delitos que fueron incorporados a la normatividad penal en nuestro país en el año de 1931. En aquellas épocas, se desconocía bastante en relación a diversas infecciones y en general había una fuerte influencia de las normas morales en nuestro marco legal. Los avances científicos a nivel global han esclarecido cual es la realidad de estas infecciones. Según el Centro Nacional para la Prevención y Control del VIH y el sida, en las comunidades esta infección se sigue relacionando con la muerte, la promiscuidad, la homosexualidad, la infidelidad, el uso de drogas y la irresponsabilidad, detalló.

Según la Secretaría de Salud Federal, en 2023, se registraron aproximadamente 13 489 nuevas personas con este padecimiento y en el Estado de México, la cifra llegó a 1 818 personas.

Mientras que, añadió, el Consejo para Prevenir y Eliminar la Discriminación de la Ciudad de México (COPRED), en su Pronunciamiento publicado el 24 de junio de 2021, menciona que la incorporación de este delito en los Códigos Penales es producto del desconocimiento del VIH, así como como de los prejuicios morales que generan ciertos comportamientos.” Esto llevó a sancionar a quienes, por llevar “una vida sexual inmoral”, eran “focos de infección” y ponían en peligro con su sola sexualidad a quienes tenían una moralidad “aceptable”.

Así, es posible concluir que el artículo 252 del Código Penal del Estado de México, ha institucionalizado la serofobia, siendo una violación de Derechos Humanos para las personas seropositivas, por criminalizar la vida sexual de este sector poblacional, afirmó.

Puntualizó que las legislaturas locales han comenzado a expulsar esta norma de sus marcos legales, la primera entidad que derogó este delito fue Aguascalientes, posteriormente Nayarit y recientemente se derogó en Ciudad de México, por lo que se considera que en virtud de las normas que obligan a todo servidor público a respetar, garantizar, proteger y promover los Derechos Humanos, se vuelve necesaria la derogación del tipo penal mencionado.

“Esta es una lucha de diversos sectores sociales que han sido víctimas de criminalización, el delito de peligro de contagio es una puerta para vulnerar los derechos humanos de las personas con VIH, mujeres, niñas, adolescentes y personas con identidades sexuales diversas han sido el objeto de esta criminalización, consideremos también situaciones que en el contagio del VIH se da por una violación, por una infidelidad de la pareja, cuando los menores nacen ya con contagio de la madre en periodo de gestación y un largo etcétera”, refirió.

Y convocó “cerremos la puerta a que se siga criminalizando a todos estos grupos vulnerables”. Tras esto se remitió la iniciativa a la Comisión de Procuración y Administración de Justicia, para su estudio y análisis.

US: Tennessee bill drops “violent sex offender” registration requirement for people convicted of aggravated prostitution due to their HIV status

Bill would revise Tennessee’s decades-old law targeting HIV-positive people convicted of sex work

Tennessee would no longer be the only U.S. state to impose a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” on anyone convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV under a proposal that advanced Tuesday in the legislature.

The controversial statute still on the books is being challenged in federal court by LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates. They argue that the law stems from the decades-old AIDS scare and discriminates against HIV-positive people. The U.S. Department of Justice has also weighed in on the decades-old law after completing an investigation in December, saying that it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and called on the state to repeal the measure.

However, Republican Sen. Page Walley on Tuesday stopped short of fully removing the law and instead introduced legislation that would remove those convicted of aggravated prostitution of having to register as a violent sex offender.

“It maintains the charge,” Walley said. “But removes the sex offender registration.”

Prostitution has long been criminalized as a misdemeanor in Tennessee. But in 1991, Tennessee lawmakers enacted an even harsher statute that applied only to sex workers living with HIV. Nearly 20 years later, the state legislature revised the law once more by requiring lifetime sex offender registration for those convicted under the controversial statute.

In the years since, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that laws criminalizing HIV exposure — many of which were enacted amid the height of the AIDS epidemic — as outdated and ineffective. Black and Latino communities have been particularly affected by these laws even as the same standards do not apply to other infectious diseases.

Some states have taken steps to repeal their HIV criminal laws, such as Illinois, which repealed all of its HIV-specific criminal laws in 2021. That same year, New Jersey and Virginia repealed all their felony HIV-specific laws.

In Republican-dominant Tennessee, lawmakers have expressed resistance to outright repealing the aggravated prostitution charge. Instead, the GOP-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday agreed to advance a proposal that would drop the lifetime sex offender registration requirement.

Walley described his bill as “anti-trafficking,” arguing that the current framework hurts those who may be victims of sexual assault and hinders attempts to get their lives back on track.

According to court documents, 83 people are currently registered sex offenders for aggravated prostitution convictions in Tennessee. The majority of those convictions took place in Shelby County, which encompasses Memphis. The plaintiffs challenging the law in federal court, all named Jane Doe, have described years of harassment and hardships in finding housing and employment that complies with Tennessee’s violent sex offender registry.

The legislation would still need to clear the full Senate and House chambers before it could make it to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk for consideration. The Republican governor has not weighed in publicly on the bill.

Meanwhile, the federal lawsuit is ongoing. It’s currently scheduled to go to trial in 2026.

Mexico: LGBTTIQ+ community in the State of Mexico seeks to eliminate the crime of danger of contagion, as in Mexico City

LGBT community proposes a bill against the crime of danger of transmission

Translated via Deepl.com. Scroll down for original article in Spanish.

Members of the LGBTTIQ+ community in the State of Mexico are seeking to eliminate the crime of danger of contagion, as happened in Mexico City. With the aim of combating discrimination, the collective “Fuera del Closet” (Out of the Closet) has presented a bill to repeal article 252 of the Penal Code of the State of Mexico, which establishes penalties for people with sexually transmitted diseases who infect others.

This article establishes penalties of two years’ imprisonment and 30 to 70 days’ fines for those who, knowing that they suffer from a serious disease during an infectious period, put another individual at risk of contagion by any means of transmission.

They are hoping for support from the authorities
The proposal has been submitted to the local deputy Anais Burgos, who has expressed her support for the LGBTTIQ+ community in their fight against the criminalisation of people with HIV in the State of Mexico. The “Out of the Closet” collective has stressed that the initiative has been developed after several months of work, during which all aspects related to the issue have been studied, researched, reviewed, argued and drafted, with the aim of presenting a document of the best possible quality.

In social networks, the collective is grateful for and acknowledges the openness of the legislator Anaís, trusting that the initiative will be promoted from her responsibility. They are also willing to dialogue, lobby and socialise the proposal.

During the first quarter of 2023, the State of Mexico registered the highest number of HIV diagnoses at the national level, with 629 new cases.

CDMX has already made changes
On 11 January 2024, Mexico City repealed Article 159 that punished the crime of endangerment. This measure was considered a historic step forward in the fight against criminalisation, stigmatisation and discrimination against people living with the disease.

The “Out of the Closet” collective hopes that, through the repeal of Article 252 in the State of Mexico, it can continue to promote the protection of the rights and equality of people living with HIV, ending discrimination and promoting an inclusive society.

Comunidad LGBT propone iniciativa de ley contra delito por peligro de contagio

Integrantes de la Comunidad LGBTTIQ+ en el Estado de México están buscando eliminar el delito de peligro de contagio, al igual que sucedió en la Ciudad de México. Con el objetivo de combatir la discriminación, el colectivo «Fuera del Closet» ha presentado una propuesta de ley para derogar el artículo 252 del Código Penal mexiquense, que establece penas para las personas con enfermedades de transmisión sexual que infecten a otras.

En este artículo se establecen sanciones de dos años de prisión y de 30 a 70 días de multa para aquellos que, sabiendo que padecen una enfermedad grave en período infectante, pongan en peligro de contagio a otro individuo por cualquier medio de transmisión.

Esperan apoyo de las autoridades
La propuesta ha sido entregada a la Diputada Local Anais Burgos, quien se ha mostrado a favor de apoyar a la Comunidad LGBTTIQ+ en su lucha contra la criminalización de las personas con VIH en el Estado de México. El colectivo «Fuera del Closet» ha destacado que la iniciativa ha sido elaborada después de varios meses de trabajo, durante los cuales se han estudiado, investigado, revisado, argumentado y redactado todos los aspectos relacionados con el tema, con el objetivo de presentar un documento de la mejor calidad posible.

En redes sociales, el colectivo agradece y reconoce la apertura de la legisladora Anaís, confiando en que se impulsará la iniciativa desde su responsabilidad. Asimismo, se muestran dispuestos a dialogar, cabildear y socializar la propuesta.

Durante el primer trimestre de 2023, el Estado de México registró el mayor número de diagnósticos de VIH a nivel nacional, con 629 nuevos casos.

CDMX ya ha hecho cambios
El pasado 11 de enero de 2024, la Ciudad de México derogó el artículo 159 que castigaba el delito de peligro de contagio. Esta medida fue considerada como un avance histórico en la lucha contra la criminalización, estigmatización y discriminación hacia las personas que viven con esta enfermedad.

El colectivo «Fuera del Closet» espera que, a través de la derogación del artículo 252 en el Estado de México, se pueda seguir impulsando la protección de los derechos y la igualdad de las personas con VIH, poniendo fin a la discriminación y promoviendo una sociedad inclusiva.

An encouraging start to 2024

This year has begun with some really encouraging news: years of HIV criminalisation advocacy are really paying off.

First, we heard that the Congress of Mexico City completely repealed the crime of “danger of contagion” from the Penal Code. The repeal was approved with an overwhelming majority of 42 votes in favour and only two against. As per the decision, Articles 76 and 130 have been modified to eliminate the criminalisation of people with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. This is a direct result of community activism led by the Mexican Network Against HIV Criminalisation. Congresswoman Ana Francis López noted that, with the adoption of this decision, Congress is fulfilling the demands of communities living with HIV that asked not to be discriminated against or punished. Mexico City joins the states of Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Nayarit, San Luis Potosí and Tabasco, where their Penal Codes do not provide for a specific crime for exposure to HIV or STIs.

Then we heard that progress is being made towards HIV decriminalisation in Tajikistan. The recent Plenum of the Supreme Court marked the first step in this important process. One of the most significant changes was the recognition of the fact of placing people at risk of HIV was an unproven basis for criminal prosecution. With almost 200 known HIV criminalisation cases, this process now needs to speed up. Marginalised groups bear the brunt of the implementation of the HIV criminalisation law in Tajikistan; starting in 2014, authorities have regularly targeted sex workers and LGBT people, often under the guise of disease prevention. We remain hopeful that further progress will be made in the near future to ensure that people living with HIV are not unjustly criminalised in Tajikistan.

We also heard welcome news that another country with far too many unjust prosecutions, Singapore, is also moving towards law reform. The Singapore Ministry of Health is currently conducting a review of the law concerning HIV disclosure. This review will hopefully result in changes to current draconian practices and policies that has seen the law used to convict people – usually gay men – where condoms had been used and where the person living with HIV had an undetectable viral load.

And finally, with the support of our HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE Francophone Network, led by the HIV Legal Network, civil society groups are urging authorities in Burkina Faso to reconsider the HIV criminalisation provisions contained within its HIV law, Law 030. The call for action reflects a broader effort to improve the health and wellbeing of people living with HIV/AIDS in Burkina Faso and across the continent.

These are but a few examples of the hard work and dedication of so many of us. The global movement to end HIV criminalisation is making significant progress. Let’s keep up the momentum.

Together, we can make HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE a reality.

Tajikistan: First step towards decriminalisation of HIV taken at Supreme Court Plenary

The first step towards the decriminalization of HIV/AIDS in Tajikistan was taken on December 26, 2023 at the last meeting of the Plenum of the Supreme Court.

At this meeting, decisions of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan were adopted in order to ensure uniform practice and correct application of laws and other regulatory legal acts. An important decision taken at this meeting was the resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan “On judicial practice in criminal cases of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus.” Thanks to the successful and trusting cooperation between the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan and public organizations, this resolution was adopted and is a key and first step in the decriminalization of HIV/AIDS in the Republic of Tajikistan. This resolution examined and clarified issues related to criminal liability for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus. Now judicial practice will be based on new norms that take into account international standards and recommendations.

One of the most significant changes was the recognition of the fact of putting people at risk of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus as an unproven basis for criminal prosecution. This is an important step towards eliminating the stigma and discrimination that often accompanies HIV/AIDS. Now people living with HIV can feel more protected and not fear criminal prosecution just because of their disease.

On the other hand, the decision of the Plenum of the Supreme Court also clarifies that if infection occurred as a result of a conscious and deliberate action that created a real threat to the health of other people, the perpetrators can be held accountable. This is necessary to protect the public and prevent the spread of infection.

However, it is important to note that the adoption of this resolution is not only about changing the criminal law, but also about creating a favorable environment for cooperation between the Supreme Court and public organizations. Thanks to this cooperation, it was possible to reach a consensus and adopt a resolution that reflects the interests of all stakeholders and takes into account the opinion of experts.

Thus, this resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Tajikistan can be considered a key and first step in the decriminalization of HIV/AIDS in our country. This is an important achievement that contributes to justice, the protection of human rights and the establishment of the rule of law.

We hope that this first step will be built upon and lead to further legal reforms aimed at protecting the rights and interests of people living with HIV/AIDS and combating discrimination based on their health status. Together we can create a fairer and more inclusive society for all its citizens.

Mexico: Mexico City Congress repeals the crime of “danger of contagion” from the Penal Code

Decriminalising the crime of danger of contagion in the CDMX; they seek to eliminate the criminalisation of people living with HIV

Translated via Deepl.com. For original article in Spanish, please scroll down.

Congresswoman Ana Francis López stressed that, with the approval of this ruling, they are fulfilling the needs of HIV-positive communities who were asking not to be discriminated against or punished.

The plenary of the Congress of Mexico City decriminalised the crime of danger of contagion. With 42 votes in favour and two against, the Congress approved the repeal of the crime of danger of contagion provided for in Article 159 of the Penal Code for the Federal District, and the modification of Articles 76 and 130, with the aim of eliminating the criminalisation of people with sexually transmitted diseases.

This crime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, but once it is published in the Official Gazette it will no longer be punishable. Octavio Rivero, President of the Commission for the Administration and Procuration of Justice, commented that if punitive laws continue to stand in the way of prevention and treatment, “we will only drive citizens to avoid detection and care services for fear of being punished, in addition to the social discrimination that this entails”.

This opinion points out that the criminalisation of the danger of contagion is a remnant of how, from a criminal point of view, public health and sexual health used to be regulated. Furthermore, it does not necessarily imply that the victim has been infected, but rather that what is punished is the fact of living with HIV.

Similarly, it points out that, in the light of the principle of subsidiarity, the State must resort in the first instance to other measures that are less burdensome and less harmful to the right to personal liberty in order to protect the legal right to health from possible risks.

It also refers that States use the criminalisation of transmission and exposure to infectious diseases as a response to their failure to implement effective health strategies, without considering that the use of ius puniendi against infected persons does not work to guarantee the protected legal right, since imprisonment does not prevent the transmission of contagious diseases.

In this respect, Temístocles Villanueva explained that the denomination of danger of contagion is a crime that lacks the principle of specificity and is discriminatory, as it constitutes a barrier that prevents people from knowing their status.

He stressed the importance of finding a balance between protecting public health and respecting individual rights and protecting against prejudice and discrimination.

“Living with HIV is not, and can never again be, a death sentence, that with adherence to treatment we can achieve undetectable status and that undetectable is untransmissible. We must abandon the punishment-based vision imposed by the governments of that era and move forward with a vision that guarantees rights,” he argued.

Congresswoman Ana Francis López emphasised that, with the adoption of this decision, they are fulfilling the demands of the HIV-positive communities that asked not to be discriminated against or punished.

El pleno del Congreso de la Ciudad de México, derogó del Código Penal, el delito de “peligro de contagio”

Despenalizan el delito de peligro de contagio en la CDMX; buscan eliminar la criminalización de personas con VIH
Ana Francis López destacó que, con la aprobación de este dictamen, le están cumpliendo a las comunidades con VIH que pedían no ser discriminadas ni castigadas
El pleno del Congreso de la Ciudad de México despenalizó el delito de peligro de contagio, con 42 votos a favor y dos en contra se aprobó derogar el delito de peligro de contagio previsto en el artículo 159 del Código Penal para el Distrito Federal, y modificar los artículos 76 y 130, con el propósito eliminar la criminalización de las personas con enfermedades de transmisión sexual.

Este delito se castiga con hasta 10 años de cárcel, pero una vez publicado en la Gaceta Oficial ya se dejará de castigar. Al fundamentar el dictamen, el presidente de la Comisión de Administración y Procuración de Justicia, Octavio Rivero, comentó que de continuar con leyes punitivas que se interpongan en el camino de la prevención y el tratamiento, “solo conduciremos a la ciudadanía a seguir disuadiendo los servicios de detección y atención por temor a ser castigadas y castigados, además de la carga discriminatoria social que esto conlleva”.

Este dictamen señala que la tipificación del delito de peligro de contagio es un remanente de cómo, desde lo penal, se buscaba regular la salud pública y la salud sexual. Además, no implica necesariamente que la víctima haya sido contagiada, sino que lo que sanciona es el hecho de vivir con VIH.

De igual forma, señala que, a la luz del principio de subsidiariedad, el Estado debe recurrir en primera instancia a otras medidas menos gravosas y lesivas del derecho a la libertad personal para proteger el bien jurídico de la salud frente a eventuales riesgos.

Asimismo, refiere que los Estados usan la penalización de la transmisión y exposición a enfermedades infectocontagiosas como respuesta a su fallo en estrategias sanitarias eficaces, sin considerar que el uso del ius puniendi en contra de las personas infectadas no funciona para garantizar el bien jurídico tutelado, pues el encarcelamiento no previene la transmisión de las enfermedades contagiosas.

Al respecto, el diputado Temístocles Villanueva explicó que la denominación de peligro de contagio es un delito que carece del principio de taxatividad y es discriminatorio, pues constituye una barrera que impide que las personas conozcan su estatu.

Asimismo, destacó la importancia de encontrar un equilibrio entre la protección de la salud pública y el respeto a los derechos individuales y la protección ante los prejuicios y la discriminación.

“Vivir con VIH no es, ni puede volver a ser, una condena de muerte, que con adherencia a un tratamiento podemos acceder al estatus de indetectabilidad y que indetectable es intransmisible. Debemos abandonar la visión punitivista impuesta por los gobiernos de esa época y avanzar con la visión garantista de derechos”, argumentó.

La diputada Ana Francis López destacó que, con la aprobación de este dictamen, le están cumpliendo a las comunidades con VIH que pedían no ser discriminadas ni castigadas.