The Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill on Jan. 27 that would decriminalize HIV transmission in the state. Senate Bill 1138, introduced by state Sens.
Mamie Locke (D-Hampton) and Jennifer McClellan (D-Richmond), would repeal sections of the Virginia Code that imposes penalties, including incarceration, upon anyone who transmits HIV through sex or another means. “These outdated, dangerous, and discriminatory laws disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other persons of color,” said Equality Virginia Executive Director Vee Lamneck in a Jan.
28 press release. “To ensure an equitable state for Black and Brown individuals and to promote public health, it’s essential lawmakers pass SB 1138.” According to the