Laws that make it a crime to live with a chronic, treatable health condition do not protect anyone. The Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization & Health seeks to end the criminalization of HIV, and aims to support good policy while pushing back against legislation that seeks to criminalize individuals based on any health status.

While we understand the necessity and importance of science and data as we lead the movement to end HIV Criminalization in Louisiana, we also value and center the lived experience of People Living with HIV/AIDS and the communities they come from. We recognize that we are the experts of our own experience and that is what guides us.

We recognize that while we all have a commitment to ending HIV criminalization within our state, we may have differing strategies and tactics that we believe will achieve this. We also know that while conflict is unavoidable and often helps us grow, we are committed to principled struggle-meaning we engage difference with integrity, accountability and honesty-all with the purpose of moving through conflict instead of staying in it.

Although our work is to end HIV Criminalization, we deeply understand that HIV criminalization sits in the broader context of criminalization of communities of color, low-income communities, and LGBTQ communities. We therefore understand that the impact of HIV criminalization will impact people of color, low-income and LGBTQ communities at disproportionate rates. We are grounded in this knowledge and legacy of systemic racism, classism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, as well as the tremendous work our communities have done and continue to do to end these interlocking systems, and it informs our work. HIV Is Not A Crime: We know that People living with HIV/AIDS should not be criminalized, stigmatized, or otherwise discriminated against because of their status. This includes in government policies, our non-profits and our communities.

Learn more: https://www.lacch.org/