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Two days after signing the historic Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act--the first federal law to extend protections to GLBT Americans--President Barack Obama addressed two other issues seen by gay Americans as crucial to the cause of equality.

The president signed into law legislation that re-authorizes the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act. The law provides funds for another four years to programs that provide medicine and care for needy people living with HIV/AIDS. An estimated 500,000 individuals rely on the program to maintain their treatment regimens...
According to Victoria Neilson, the legal director of Immigration Equality in New York, some travelers can enter the country and not report that they have HIV, because they don't realize that it's considered a "communicable disease of public health significance," as defined by the U.S. Department of State. Yet, she has seen many cases of individuals who are profiled as homosexual, and are then stopped and questioned as to whether or not they are HIV positive, a practice that she says is discriminatory.

"One of the things we always thought made the ban (regulation affecting) short-term travel kind of ridiculous is it's sort of over inclusive and under inclusive at the same time," said Neilson. "(It) continues to prevent entry by many people who pose no real public health threat, while simultaneously allowing many travelers with HIV to enter without ever disclosing their statu
Perversely, the ban has only served to perpetuate this stigma for 22 years, long after the science has shown that HIV is not a threat to the public's health and would not substantially burden our healthcare system. However, the new HHS rule finally puts these unfounded concerns to rest, removing previous barriers to to treatment and prevention:...Be sure to see Steve Ralls' excellent Bilerico post on lifting the ban, which includes a video on the topic by Immigration Equality.

Despite knowing this obvious fact for decades, the United States remained one of only twelve countries to have long-enforced such a strict, unscientific and ineffective policy, undermining its position as a global leader in combating HIV/AIDS. In supporting such a discriminatory and antiquated restriction, the United States has placed itself among the ranks of other bastions of civil liberty - includi
The US Department of Health and Human Services has released proposed regulations that would repeal a ban preventing HIV-positive foreigners from entering the country. The law, originally enacted in 1987, prohibits foreign nationals with HIV from obtaining visas for travel to the US and prevents them from becoming legal permanent residents. The new regulations are set to be implemented after a 45-day public comment period.

Senator John Kerry (D-MA) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), who both supported a congressional measure to lift the ban last year, praised the current progress this week. Senator Kerry said of the proposed regulations, "Today we are one step closer to ending a discriminatory practice that stigmatizes those living with HIV, squanders our moral authority, and sets us back in the fight against AIDS...I sincerely hope we can continue to work in a bipartisa
In a move that closes the gap between two White House administrations, numerous government agencies and a year-old act of Congress, the Department of Health and Human Services has issued regulations that would end the United States' decades-old HIV travel and immigration ban. Originally authorized as part of President Bush's PEPFAR legislation - thanks, in large part, to the heroic efforts of Senator John Kerry, Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Senator Gordon Smith - repeal of the ban took a giant leap forward this week with publication of the HHS regulations and a promise from President Obama that his administration is committed to seeing the ban rescinded soon.

Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, which played a leading role in the repeal effort called the proposed regulations "the penultimate step" toward ending the ban, noting in Newsday that
I just got some updates from our policy team who have been working on the implementation of the HIV travel ban passed in Congress last year…
The regulation is out in the preview version of tomorrow’s Federal Register, which will be the start of a public comment period. Anyone can submit their thoughts on removing the ban and once the comment period is open we’ll provide you an easy opportunity to do so with a national action alert set to launch soon. After reviewing those comments, the Department of Health and Human Services will issue a final regulation.
Late last week the Office of Management and Budget indicated that they have completed review of a proposed regulation...
The first step to ending the HIV travel ban in the United States has been taken by the Obama administration. The Office of Management and Budget posted a notice on its site Friday afternoon indicating that the department of Health and Human Services could move forward with steps to change a regulation that has restricted HIV-positive people from gaining entrance into the United States.
They have completed review of a proposed regulation which would remove the remaining barrier to HIV-positive visitors and immigrants. The proposal, which OMB indicates would remove HIV from the list of communicable diseases that bar foreign nationals from entering the United States, will now be published in the Federal Register and open for a period of public comment. After reviewing those comments, the Department of Health and Human Services will issue a final regulation.

“We are one important step closer to finally ending this discriminatory ban once and for all,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “This regulation is unnecessary, ineffective and lacks any public health justification. We are confident that this sad chapter in our nation’s treatment of people with HIV and AIDS will soon be closed.”
The first step to ending the HIV travel ban in the United States has been taken by the Obama administration.
Maybe it’s just me, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what hate crimes and the promotion of tourism into the United States have to do with each other. However, as is being reported via an “unnamed source” by way of the Washington Blade, Americablog and Pam’s House Blend, The United States Senate has, apparently, deemed adding the current Hate Crimes Bill (which passed the House as H.R. 1913) as an Amendment to S. 1023, also known as the Travel Promotion Act of 2009, proper.

The purpose of S. 1023 is “to establish a non-profit corporation to communicate United States entry policies and otherwise promote leisure, business, and scholarly travel to the United States.” But this is, apparently, the bill which will get sexual orientation and gender identity included into existing federal hate crimes legislation – have gays, will travel.
I also didn’t know about the Uniting American Families Act, which would allow American citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for green...
April 14, 2009 - Immigration Equality - Last Friday (April 10), HHS forwarded regulations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review.

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Promoting public awareness of the need for fairness in immigration policy particularly as it relates to the rights of same-sex bi-national couples in the United States who seek equal immigration rights; Providing information regarding political issues relating to gay immigration equality issues, rights and policy.