About
As long as these laws exist, people living with HIV will continue to be unjustly charged and convicted of crimes simply because of their status. These laws do not protect people from HIV – instead they put public health at risk simply because stigma and fear of prosecution discourage people from getting tested and treated.
The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation is on a mission to modernize these laws to align with contemporary science. Along with the Health Not Prisons Collective of national partners, we are tackling this issue state-by-state.
Education
Science
Justice
Humanity
HIV Is Not A Crime Council of Justice Leaders
The HIV Is Not A Crime Council of Justice Leaders is a group of individuals who have been unjustly criminalized for their HIV status. Hailing from all over the United States, the Council of Justice Leaders utilizes their voice and first-hand experience to guide our mission in modernizing all HIV criminal laws and penalties.
Andre Leaphart
(he/him)
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Andre used his personal experience of HIV criminalization as an instrument of empowerment. Andre aims to use his voice as an instrument of liberation and constructive rage to dismantle HIV criminalization, HIV stigma and any system or institution that disinfranchize people that live in the margins; Black, LGBT, poor, convicts and the immigrant communities.
Andre Leaphart holds a B.A. (Speech and Drama), M. Div (Master of Divinity), and MAED (Master of Education).
He has facilitated numerous professional presentations on the topic of HIV Criminalization which includes the National Board of Certified Counselor fellows. He also was a Guest of 108 Praiser RADIO (Atlanta) with Dr. Bryan Jones, LPC. Most recently Andre Leaphart has taken his advocacy efforts to the highest seats of power in the state of Virginia. Andre testified before the State Senate Judiciary Commity about his personal experience of HIV criminalization and the role it plays in targeting minorities, promoting stigma with the added affect of discouraging people of seeking testing for HIV. His testamony about his personal experience was so compelling that it influenced the bill 1138 (HIV Criminalization bill in Virginia) to pass through the house and the senate. Mr. Leaphart is also a consultant to Echo-Virginia, one of the key organizations and driving forces that helped bring this bill to the Virginia Legislature. Andre will continue speak truth to power and be voice for the those impacted by HIV/AIDS and any communities without a voice.
Diana Feliz Oliva, MSW
(she/her)
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A graduate of Columbia University with a master’s degree in Social Work in 2005, her particular interest has been advancing the development of public policy that addresses community-level health and social problems. Turning her daunting personal challenges and barriers into the very basis of her activism, Ms. Oliva has become an effective social advocate and role model. Her work is shown giving voice and visibility to not only the HIV+ positive communities, but also to the multiple, overlapping communities her life has touched.
Julie Graham, LPN
(she/her)
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Julie works as a Department of Veterans Affairs nurse in Behavioral Health Outpatient Services. She was HIV criminalized against in 2013. It almost cost her nursing license and career. Julie’s charges have been expunged but the mental and financial detriments have left a permanent scar. She speaks for the AIDS Law Project and is a Justice leader for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. Subject matter expert in HIV since 2011. Member of Positive Women’s Network PA and founding member of PA Hiv Justice Network. She is an advocate that is determined to change the HIV criminalization laws in PA and to dispel stigma.
Ken Pinkela
(he/him)
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In 2015, the primary witness submitted a sworn statement to the Army, recanted his testimony and described an environment of lies and coercion for testimony against Ken.
The Army has continued to ignore this evidence, and all science and medical facts on HIV. A dismissal from service was approved in June 2016 erasing Ken’s nearly 30-year career and stripping his retirement and access to medical benefits for combat injuries and HIV care.
Even before his trial, beginning in July 2006, Ken had been an HIV advocate supporting HIV+ junior enlisted soldiers, sailors and marines at the Infectious Diseases Clinic, National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.
Since his release from prison in March 2013, Ken has spoken to the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, has done multiple radio shows on Sirius XM Jolt in the Morning, HuffPost Live with Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, “The Stream” on Al Jazeera English television, speaking engagements with the HIV Justice Network and the Beyond Blame Conference in Durban, South Africa, as a part of the 2016 International AIDS Conference. Ken has been featured in the June 2017 edition of Rolling Stone magazine “What’s it like to be HIV+ in the US Military,” as well as the A&U Magazine feature advocate in October 2016.
Ken continues to actively lobby Members of Congress both personally and as a part of the annual AIDS Watch campaign and helped produce and participate at the National HIV is Not a Crime Conferences, continues to write and remain extremely active across social media.
Ken remains hopeful that with the growing support and education on the Criminalization of People Living with HIV, along with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, pending legislation in both the Senate and House of Representatives aimed at Repealing HIV Criminalization and main stream national and international media highlighting the issue, real change and protections can be put in place for people living with HIV.
Ken’s awards include the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal and others. He has served at all echelons of the Army, from an Infantry Platoon Leader with combat tours in Iraq, Kuwait, Kosovo and Bosnia, including the at Department of the Army in the Pentagon, and on Capital Hill in the U.S. House of Representatives as the US Army’s legislative liaison.
Ken holds a Masters in Business Administration from George Mason University and undergraduate degrees from Washington State University, Pullman, Washington.
Born and raised in New York he now resides back in beautiful Orange County in his hometown of Otisville, New York where he volunteers as President of a local not for profit organization rehabilitating his old elementary school and creating a cultural, artistic, education and recreation community center.
Jeremy Merithew
(he/him)
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Jeremy is a long-time survivor living with HIV. He graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Psychology in 2006. After attending Kirtland Community, he held a Registered Nursing & LPN license in Michigan. In 2013, he was featured on MSNBC’S Locked-Up Outcast episode because he wanted to bring awareness to the issue of HIV criminalization.
After 57 months of incarceration, Jeremy and his mom volunteered with the Michigan Coalition for HIV Health and Safety, lobbying the legislature to pass H.B. 6020. In 2021, Jeremy received an M.S. in Legal Studies from Purdue University Global.
Jeremy is a graduate of the second cohort of the SPJI training program. He is very grateful to have attended #HINAC5 in Emory, Virginia. Jeremy is grateful for all the love he has received from his SPJI cohort and other attendees of #HINAC5. Jeremy is currently building a coalition in Michigan so that they can end HIV criminalization in the Great Lake State.
Latrese Summers
(she/her)
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Latrese has battled addiction and chronic homelessness for over 20 years, and is currently celebrating 3 years of sobriety. Through her perseverance and the support of her family and real allies, Latrese is working towards a degree in Sociology. She is passionate about working within the intersections of her community and the trajectory that the future holds with the great social changes that are being brought to the forefront.
As part of her commitment to improving the lives of others, Latrese currently serves as the Intake Coordinator at St. John’s Well Child & Family Center Transgender Health program. She focuses on working directly with trans and gender non-conforming / non-binary youth and introduces them to engagement in mental health services and recovery from active substance addiction. She is the co-facilitator of the TAAR (Trans Addressing Addiction & Recovery) support group at St. John’s, which is launching this year.
Latrese also spent some time as the Chief Operating Officer of the Unique Woman’s Coalition, the first Trans lead and only black Trans lead organization in Southern California. In this capacity, she worked directly with the organizational structure, trans community providing needs and services such as housing referrals, clothing, food resources, COVID relief funding, and support groups. She is also strongly committed to working with the Skid Row population, and currently works with Homeless Healthcare surveying and auditing organizations to ensure that agencies that serve the homeless provide stated services in a truthful and compassionate manner.
Monique Howell
(she/her)
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Monique now is a veteran, and an Author of her first book entitled “Living inside my skin of Silence,” that was published in 2010. Her personal testimonial details many of the challenges she faced in her life. Monique’s story was well received nationally and opened the door to her career in advocacy.
Monique is currently a motivational speaker and an advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness. She has been a guest speaker for several universities, grade schools, churches, and has even testified on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
She also is the Executive producer of “A Silver Lining,” a short film that vignettes her life and her victories while living with HIV. She hopes that her story serves as an inspiration and will encourage many broken people to keep pushing through the midst of their storms.
Monique is a proud mother of 5 children – 3 sons and 2 daughters that she recently adopted. Her favorite saying is “You must first love yourself before you can love anyone else.”
Robert Suttle
(he/him)
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Sanjay Johnson
(he/him)
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Tiffany Moore
(she/her)
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Tiffany Moore has been HIV-positive for 23 years. She is a survivor of HIV Criminalization who spent 20 years on the Sex offender registry for Aggravated Prostitution. Tiffany was recently released from the SOR on December 16th, 2021, from a bill she was involved in passing in 2015. At that time, it seemed that the passed bill would open the door for further HIV law change in Tennessee. Unfortunately, there is much more education our legislators and community need. Stigma is heavy. Tiffany hopes by continuing to show up and tell her story, stigma will end, and our laws will reflect science, not fear.
Affiliations:
Tennessee HIV Modernization Coalition
HIV Is Not A Crime Council of Justice Leaders
Lashanda Salinas
(she/her)
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Lashanda Salinas, a native of Hartsville, Tennessee, has been living with HIV for over 25 years. She is an active member of the Tennessee HIV Modernization Coalition, a Health Not Prisons advocate, and a member of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Council of Justice Leaders. Her advocacy started after facing an unjust HIV prosecution under Tennessee’s criminal exposure to HIV statute, placing her on the sex offender registry. Lashanda has recently begun to share her experience with different audiences across the country, from small groups of individuals living with HIV in Tennessee to speaking with federal legislators at the 2022 “Day on the Hill” with Nashville CARES.