Today Andrew Sullivan talked about the melancholy anniversary of his HIV diagnosis. While his health is in good shape, his legal status in the U.S. -- because of his HIV status -- is most definitely not in good shape.
I always get depressed on this day - my psyche seems to remember the moment I found out and pulls me into gloom. On the bright side, the biggest worry is not my health, which is great. It's the fear that the US government will reward my survival by forcing me to leave my home and country of the last two and half decades, separate me from my husband and dogs, and finally force me to do what every other non-American with HIV has to do once the waivers run out: leave. I have till next March unless the law changes.
Later in the day, Sullivan posted another entry here, as some folks didn't know about the renewal bill now before Congress. Here's what he says we can do to help:
If you'd like to help, please email your senator or the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Virtually no one opposes removing this anachronism. But it takes some political will to actually do it.
His original op ed piece about the Jesse Helms HIV immigration and visitor ban can be found at the Washington Post.
Okay, Kossacks, let's go do what we do best: Take action. Demand change. Spread the word.