The U.S. Justice Department has sued the state of Tennessee over its decades-old felony aggravated prostitution law, arguing that it illegally imposes tougher criminal penalties on people who are HIV positive.

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday sued the state of Tennessee over its decades-old felony aggravated prostitution law, arguing that it illegally imposes tougher criminal penalties on people who are HIV positive.

The lawsuit, filed in western Tennessee, follows an investigation completed in December by the Justice Department that warned that the statute violates the Americans with Disabilities Act. The case heads to court separately from another federal lawsuit filed in October by LGBTQ+ and civil rights advocates over the aggravated prostitution law.

Tennessee is the only state in the United States that imposes a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” if convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV, regardless of whether the person knew they could transmit the disease.

  • chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world
    14·
    9 months ago

    Oh fuck off with your healthcare high fucking horse. If you have HIV you don’t get to be a sex worker any more. Sorry, that avenue closed. Not everyone gets to be an astronaut. Some of us have to clean toilets. Find a new fucking job where you won’t run the risk of killing someone. This fucking entitled attitude you have and the lack of respect for your fellow human is honestly sickening. I’m done with this conversation now. Spout whatever sociopathic nonsense you want, I’m not going to reply.