HIV Criminalization: A Conversation with Queer News — Then and Now
For LGBTQ History Month, I’m reflecting on the history we inherit, and the history our communities are still making.
Recorded in July 2025, this conversation with Robert Suttle reflects a moment when advocates in Louisiana and across the country were continuing the long work of challenging outdated HIV criminalization laws. Since the interview was recorded, Louisiana enacted significant reforms to its HIV law, an important milestone made possible through years of organizing, coalition-building, lived-experience leadership, and sustained support.
In this conversation with Queer News host Anna DeShawn, Robert discusses HIV criminalization, stigma, and the broader systems that shape the lives of people living with HIV. The interview offers an opportunity to look at where the work stood then, what sustained advocacy has made possible since, and why the work must continue.”
Archived here as part of Robert’s Lived Experience Archive, this episode represents a period of public witnessing that informs—but does not replace—his current work focused on systems analysis, policy reform, and institutional accountability related to HIV criminalization.
Archive Note:
This material is archived to document lived experience already shared publicly. Current inquiries should focus on systems analysis, policy strategy, and structural reform.
