People living with HIV are currently not permitted to enlist, deploy overseas or commission as officers in the U.S. Armed Services. These policies are rooted in a lack of understanding and acceptance of current science about HIV, its transformation into a chronic manageable condition and the latest prevention tools, including treatment as prevention (U=U).
In 2018, Lambda Legal, Modern Military Association of America, and Winston & Strawn filed three lawsuits aiming to transform the military’s approach to the service of people living with HIV. In a ground-breaking opinion early this year, the Fourth Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction preventing the Air Force from separating Service Members based on their HIV status, finding a likelihood of success on all of the plaintiffs’ claims. This webinar discusses the strategy of this impact litigation campaign to move the military’s HIV-related policies into the 21st century.