February 1, 2012 — Tonight, public television stations across the country will begin airing Perpetuating Stigma, an episode from the award-winning documentary series IN THE LIFE. This special report investigates the injustices that arise when a person's HIV status becomes a legal challenge, with a focus on how women have been stigmatized and prosecuted under these laws.
Thirty-six US states and 2 US territories have laws that criminalize HIV exposure and failure by an HIV positive person to disclose their status. The episode features women at the center of the debate over whether or not HIV criminalization laws are effective. Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced the Repeal HIV Discrimination Act in September 2011 sparking new conversation about these laws. Congresswoman Lee says, "Many states are very extreme; they are very right wing in how they see people who have HIV and AIDS."
Last season, IN THE LIFE reported on laws criminalizing the exposure and transmission of HIV, focusing on the stories of positive men. The program titled Legalizing Stigma led public education efforts, beginning with the first ever Congressional Briefing on this issue.
"IN THE LIFE's decision to continue coverage of HIV criminalization, specifically with a report on women, is motivated by the lack of a fair media perspective on this issue, " states Michelle Kristel, executive director of In The Life Media.
The episode can be viewed at www.itlmedia.org
To receive the latest updates about In The Life Media, follow @ITLMedia and use the hashtag #ITLMedia.
Perpetuating Stigma begins airing February 1st on public television stations across the country and will be available for free video streaming and embedding from the In The Life Media website. To find out when it will air in your local area, or to stream or download it, go to ITLMedia.org .
ABOUT IN THE LIFE MEDIA:
For twenty years, In The Life Media has been a leading media organization for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) movement. One of the nation's most honored and influential LGBT groups, In The Life Media creates social and political change by examining issues critical to LGBT individuals and providing audiences with powerful ways to advance equality within, and beyond, their communities. Produced by In The Life Media, the Emmy-nominated series, IN THE LIFE, was the first—and remains the only—LGBT issues-oriented show on public television. IN THE LIFE is a two-time Emmy Award nominee, a Lambda Legal Liberty Award honoree, a Seigenthaler Award recipient from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association and a Ribbon of Hope Award recipient from The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences: www.ITLMedia.org
ABOUT AMERICAN PUBLIC TELEVISION:
IN THE LIFE is distributed by American Public Television. APT has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America's public television stations since 1961. In 2009, APT distributed 56 of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children's series and classic movies. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create® — the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org . For more information about APT's programs and services, visit APTonline.org . For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com .
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