I tested HIV positive in 1992. Since I had tested HIV negative in 1991, I was confident that only one person could have transmitted the virus to me. When I confronted him that I had tested HIV positive, he didn’t disclose his own status right away, but eventually, he did. He died of AIDS-related illness in 1994.
Needless to say, I was angry at him for years. That anger did diminish over time, especially as I repeatedly encountered the stigma and discrimination he must have experienced. I never once considered involving the legal system in what I believed to be a personal matter, but for years, I could not fault others for making a different choice. That changed soon after my chat with Sean.
I went through the same process most people do when they start to think more deeply about HIV criminalization. At least that’s how Sean described it during that talk, as a process. Realizing step by step that every objection to repealing these laws has a compelling counterpoint only leads folks to one conclusion: HIV is not a crime; therefore, these laws must be abolished.