Repeal of HIV Travel and Immigration Ban Effective Today

[The Straight Story]

Repeal of HIV Travel and Immigration Ban Effective Today


(Washington, D.C.) The repeal of a federal regulation that prevents HIV-positive foreign nationals from entering the country for travel or immigration will go into effect today, January 4th. President Barack Obama announced the ban repeal on October 30th, 2008, however, those living with HIV who wish to enter the United States for treatment, to become citizens or even visit family had to wait until today when the regulation changes were made official.

Martin Rooney, a Canadian citizen, was denied access to the United States on November 11th, 2007 when he tried to cross the border to get a turkey for Thanksgiving. It was his HIV positive status that kept him out of the United States. Rooney is an activist and the creator of a large facebook group entitled, "HIV Travel to US OPENS January 4th - Join me in Crossing the Border!" that aims to raise awareness about the ban as well as organize people to celebrate its official repeal. He will travel to Washington State today accompanied by his friends and supporters. Rooney says that the repeal is "very much a liberation of sorts. I always believe in the freedom of travel and I thought to be very discriminatory."

Rooney lives only 15 minutes from the United States border and used to travel to the states to shop, visit friends and work with a group in San Diego that assists AIDS Tijuana. The United States was also his base for flying back to Europe to visit family in Ireland. After he was denied entry, Rooney filed complaints with the International Court System and Egale Canada, which Rooney describes as "the Canadian ’version’ of the US National Gay & Lesbian Task Force". He also spoke out to media, and both local and federal politicians in Canada. On March 16th, 2008 Rooney helped organize a rally in Vancouver, British Colombia to support a US Senate Bill that would lift the ban.

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ch=health_fitness&sc=health&sc2=features&sc3=&id=100635

[Bluebear]

1. WBZ radio: "People with the AIDS virus are being allowed into the US..."

I almost went off the road hearing how they framed it!

Anyhow, about time!

[Nikki Stone1]

2. KNX in LA handled it pretty well.

They also had a few words from an activist.

[ProSense]

3. Come As You Are: The End of America's HIV Ban

here