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Stigma and discrimination? Come on. I am HIV+ and ultimately this is a public health issue. Countries have a right to bar people on health grounds if they are sick. This is not just about discrimination. One of these days, us positive people are going to have to face the unfortunate and inconvenient fact that we are in fact physically ill and, as our illness is contagious, we are a public health risk. I don't see anything inherently untoward about the HHS's stance here.
It’s absolutely appalling, what has happened. Every delegate as well as the County of Canada deserves a forthright apology and those responsible should immediately be terminated from their positions of authority for allowing this to happen. Fortunately I know that Canada and the people of Canada are dignified enough not to retaliate, but who could blame them if they did. Marqus
I hope progressives recall dithering around and just hoping for the best back when Clinton started drifting rightward in 1993. it's obvious that authoritarians and/or conservatives have no intention of holding back their pressure...we should apply at least a fraction of such pressure ourselves. selling us out shouldn't be convenient and easy, it's up to us to ensure that it isn't.
I appraised Obama cynically during the campaign and voted for Nader, but O is already deviating so far from the progressive-messiah script that i'm genuinely saddened nonetheless. it's horrifying that Obama would institute an "every old AIDS-phobia is new again" policy when Bush(!!) had just attempted to end the bigoted travel restriction. This precedent is dangerous...i hope the leadership in the HIV community snaps out of their daydream, and takes Obama to task for this asap.
Dave, Canada does not "ban immigration by HIV positive people", and most certainly does not ban TRAVEL of HIV positive people. If that were the case, we never would have hosted the International AIDS Conference in 2006, nor would there be thousands of new Canadians who have HIV. It is shameful that Canadians are required to disclose our status in order to cross border shop in the US, or visit our family, or go on vacation, or go to a NA conference on Housing for PHAs!
every passenger on every flight to the usa has to declare him-self or her-self beeing HIV-positive...maybe CHANGE will happen then!
This is disgusting and embarrasing! However, no matter how loud the Canadians protest, their country is one of the countries that still bans immigration by HIV positive people as well.
Peter
Absolutely abhorent. I as other forward thinking people am proud of my country. I feel especially sorry for my Canadian friends who find it necessary to cross the border into the USA, I have friends there but now I am really not impressed at the thought of visiting a country which is clearly stigmatizing HIV; this present law was made in the late 80's and never repealed. We are now in the 21st century. I hope that this goes down in history. It is disgusting.
July 28, 2009 • London, UK