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.

  • GroundedGator@lemmy.world
    3·
    9 months ago

    I see what you’re trying to get at but I’d say your argument is disingenuous at best. As far as I know such an illness does not exist. More importantly you’re using an industry that, in most locales, is highly regulated and has laws for food safety.

    What you do do is raise a great argument for why sex work should be legalized and regulated.