Survivors of AIDS-era “exposure” laws are fighting to overturn statutes that ignore modern science and disproportionately punish LGBTQIA+ Americans of color.
Words by Jake Angelo, Uncloseted Media
Design by Chyna Sudbury
For nearly 17 years, Lashanda Salinas-Hicks remained shackled to the reality of life on the sex registry: she was legally required to stay 300 feet away from schools, parks and playgrounds, and she was forced to report to the sheriff’s office four times a year or risk a felony charge.
That’s because in 2006, Salinas-Hicks’ partner pressed charges against her after a break up, accusing her of having sex without disclosing that she was HIV-positive. Although she says her partner knew of her status before engaging in intercourse with her, that didn’t stop her from being jailed for about two months, put on a three-year probation and forced to register as a sex offender.
