America's HIV+ Travel Ban To Be Lifted
America’s discriminating laws banning incoming HIV positive travellers are to be lifted. Despite being reinforced by the Bush regime in 2007, the archaic laws have been overturned by congress, supported by both parties with an 80-16 vote.
The indiscriminate rejection of anyone with the HIV virus came about in the 1980s and was made law in 1993. HIV positive individuals could not enter the country, and even passengers transferring flights in the US required a waiver to do so.
George W Bush stated he would ‘streamline’ the laws in early 2007, but appeared to be engaging in political rhetoric. The changes brought in by the administration meant ‘a visitor would need to travel with all the medication he would need during his stay in the US; prove that he has medical insurance that is accepted in the US and would cover any medical contingency; and prove that he won’t engage in behaviour that might put the American public at risk. The maximum term for any waiver would be 30 days’ reported GayCityNews at the time.
“We applaud the Senate for rejecting this unjust and sweeping policy that deems HIV-positive individuals inadmissible to the United States,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the gay advocacy group Human Rights Campaign.
A bill containing a provision lifting the ban will go before a joint committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate, before it goes to George W Bush for approval. According to BBC News, Bush has indicated that he supports the change.
13 countries ban travellers and permanent residents with HIV, including Iraq, China, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Sudan, Qatar, Brunei, Oman, Moldova, Russia, Armenia, and South Korea. Finding the US on this list has not escaped the attention of critics of the law, citing the irony of the USA’s so called ‘democracy’ and ‘equality’, in spite of such ignorance.
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Ruffnut
said on the 23rd Jul, 2008