The first-ever national HIV is Not a Crime conference will take place this year at Grinnell College in Iowa to untie and train advocates living with HIV and allies from across the country in the effort to end HIV criminalization. HIV criminalization refers to the wrongful use of one's HIV positive status in criminal prosecutions, which has led to people with HIV being charged under HIV-specific criminal statutes, or under general criminal statutes, including for behaviors that pose no or little risk of HIV transmission.
At the conference, attendees will take part in three days of workshops and practical trainings on state advocacy, grassroots organizing, activism, and familiarity with the legal, medical, media, and public health issues related to HIV criminalization. One goal for the conference is for individual and organizational participants to be better equipped to initiate or advance advocacy in their home states addressing HIV-related criminalization, stigma, and discrimination.
The HIV is Not a Crime conference will be held from June 2 to June 5, 2014. A coalition of more than twenty HIV, LGBT and social justice organizations is working to make the conference happen. Registration and scholarship information can be found on the conference website: www.HIVIsNotACrime.com. Scholarship applications must be submitted by April 7, 2014. To get involved or request information on the conference program, registration, and scholarship details, contact conference@seroproject.com.