People living with HIV have always been at the forefront of our interconnected movements—for queer and trans liberation, for ending the HIV epidemic, and for community safety outside of the criminal legal system. In this moment of repression and scarcity, our leadership is more precious than ever. In partnership with the U.S. People Living with HIV Caucus, we are proud to share a new guide to help you advocate for HIV decriminalization at the state level, deeply informed by the experiences and wisdom of people living with HIV.
Download the HIV Policy Campaign Guide for State Advocates
This guide is for state advocates working to modernize their state's approach to HIV. We organized it around the lifecycle of a legislative advocacy campaign, from early assessment to public engagement, and beyond. Each section includes strategic guidance, tools, and real examples from Equality Federation members and state partners who have done this work.
The tools in this guide work toward two sets of reinforcing, overlapping goals. Our policy goals include expanding HIV prevention to underserved communities, ending criminal penalties for HIV, and advancing affordable, accessible healthcare—free from the racial disparities that have long denied Black and brown communities equal access. Our communications goals are just as urgent: to redress decades of harmful stereotypes about HIV, and to consistently center the leadership and lived realities of people living with HIV.
We work at the state level because that's where Equality Federation and HIV Caucus members live, work, and fight for equality and justice. State-level practitioners are best positioned to make gains for people living with HIV—and many of these tools are built for reaching state lawmakers, a key audience for HIV policy change, across the political spectrum.
While we have more prevention and treatment options than ever before, the epidemic persists, particularly in communities of color and in the South, because of discriminatory laws, cost barriers, and unequal access to care. The history of HIV is inseparable from the history of racial bias in healthcare. So is its future. We apply a racial justice lens to HIV because we cannot end the epidemic without confronting, head-on, the disparities it has laid bare.
Equality Federation is proud to work side by side with state members and partners to make sure LGBTQ+ people can thrive in every community we call home. We encourage you to adapt these tools for your advocacy while centering the voices and experiences of people living with HIV in your state.
Download the HIV Policy Campaign Guide for State Advocates and share it with your coalition.
