In an effort to join the conversation, the and the will host a free public forum Oct. 2 at the , 400 E. Gray St.
鈥淭he degree to which we as a community accept diversity goes a long way in determining our collective quality of life,鈥 said UofL School of Public Health and Information Sciences Dean Craig Blakely. 鈥淧art of the university鈥檚 mission is to provide teachable moments, and this forum provides an educational opportunity to stimulate discussion about a complex topic that impacts subsets of our community differently.鈥
Branch Manager Karen Sams and UofL law professor Samuel A. Marcosson will provide the health and legal context of this multi-faceted issue.
鈥淪ocial justice is the cornerstone of our law school,鈥 said Susan Duncan, Dean of the Brandeis School of Law. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the reasons we are especially pleased to contribute to this important forum, and we want to do our part to help the public better understand what it means to be HIV positive.鈥
Speakers also will include organizers of the Sero Project, Sean Strub and Robert Suttle. Strub will discuss his perspective on HIV criminalization and why he advocates for reform, while Suttle will share his personal story of prosecution and incarceration on a nondisclosure charge in Louisiana. His story is portrayed in the short film , which will be shown the night of the forum.
LGBT Center Director and Assistant Provost for Diversity Brian Buford said , UofL鈥檚 celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, is a great time to engage in these conversations.
鈥淭he idea that people with HIV can face criminal charges for how and when they disclose their status may come as a surprise to many, even some in the LGBT community鈥攖hat is why it鈥檚 important to host a public dialogue. The awareness of threats can be the catalyst for improvement,鈥 Buford said.
The forum begins with a reception at 5:30p.m., followed by presentations at 6 p.m. Other event partners are the , the the and the .
