CNP applauds the passage of SB 164—the bill that modernizes Georgia’s decades-old statute criminalizing people living with HIV. The updated legislation introduced by State Senator Chuck Hufsteler (R-52) received bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp on May 9, 2022.

Before the passage of SB 164, a person living with HIV (PLHIV) could face a felony and up to 10 years in prison for not disclosing their HIV status prior to any sexual activity. The degree of risk of HIV transmission was not a factor in the statute—including circumstances where there was no HIV transmission, nor even any risk of HIV transmission.

In the land of rainbow flags and endless grand openings, the ribbon-cutting of an LGBTQ+ lounge in Atlanta is a painfully mundane event. But venture down the road to Middle Georgia, however, and the climate shifts. Commercial opportunities there are fewer and attitudes towards gays and lesbians, not always as friendly. Both can make creating an LGBTQ+ social spot an uphill battle.

For Atlantan turned Macon resident Daaijee Sultan, it’s unacceptable. The serial entrepreneur has embarked on a personal revolution, recently opening the doors to LGBTQ+ friendly Flavorz Coffee and Hookah in downtown Macon.

Since 2013, the Georgia HIV Justice Coalition, a conglomerate of up to 10 active social justice and HIV-centered organizations, has been at the forefront of reforming Georgia’s draconian HIV criminalization laws. Eric Paulk and Malcolm Reid, newly elected co-chairs of the Georgia HIV Justice Coalition, and proponents of HIV criminalization law reform, say they would like to see the law updated to reflect scientific advancements such as “U=U,” undetectable equals untransmittable, which has not only extended the lifespan of people living with HIV but has reduced the risk of transmission to zero for those individuals on antiretroviral therapy.

New data from the Georgia Department of Corrections has found that more people between 1999-2020 have been impacted by Georgia’s HIV crime laws than previously reported, with the average cost to Georgia of incarceration alone adding up to over $9 million in the last two decades.

The new analysis appears in an updated report from The Williams Institute UCLA School of Law that finds between 122 and 133 people have been incarcerated for an HIV crime in Georgia since 1988. This is a 61% to 76% increase in the previously reported number of 74 convictions. Much of the difference (26 cases) is the result of new data from 2017 to the present.

Imagine having to process the life-altering news that you’ve acquired HIV. Now imagine that your new health status can be weaponized against you, setting the stage for a felony conviction with a penalty of up to ten years in prison. The premise may sound like the story arc of a screenplay, but for Georgians living with HIV, the possibility of entering the criminal justice system because of HIV-related offenses is real, even more so if you’re Black, a sex worker, or identify as LGBTQ.

There has been an outpouring of support for queer Democratic State Rep. Park Cannon (D-58) in the aftermath of her March 25 arrest, where she was apprehended by Georgia State Troopers at the office of Gov. Brian Kemp. In a viral video that has been viewed over two million times on Twitter, Cannon can be seen knocking on Kemp’s office door during the signing of SB 202, a controversial voting rights bill critics say targets Black and Brown voters, effectively making it harder for minorities to exercise their right to vote.

Your power is in your vote. The 2020 presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most important elections in the history of modern politics. And with voter enthusiasm at an all-time high and record turnout during the first week of early voting in Georgia, it’s imperative that voters are equipped with the information they need in order to successfully cast their ballot.