IN THE LIFE is the longest running television show documenting the LGBT experience, consistently identifying and explaining critical community issues to a national audience.  They’ve continued that tradition with an important program about HIV criminalization, which airs this month on 240 public television stations in 34 states.

It is, to my knowledge, the first national coverage of this issue in any significant depth beyond the typical hysteria accompanying HIV criminalization prosecutions.

I am featured in the program, as well as Catherine Hanssens, the founder and executive director of the Center for HIV Law & Policy, the CDC’s Kevin Fenton, activist Jose de Marco, the brother of Gregory Smith (who was sentenced to 25 years for spitting at a prison guard and then died in prison), Darren Chiacchia and his attorney (Darren was a member of the US equestrian team at the Olympics; he’s currently facing an HIV criminalization charge), Central Iowa’s AIDS Project’s Rhea Van Brocklin, Donald Baxter, who narrowly escaped a criminalization prosecution in Iowa, Harlem United’s Kali Lindsay, Obama’s AIDS czar Jeff Crowley, researcher Carol Galletly and others.

And if you’re interested in seeing more about HIV criminalization, check out a few highlights from a Congressional briefing on HIV Criminalization held in Washington on November 30. It was organized by NAPWA’s Vanessa Johnson in conjunction with the Center for HIV Law & Policy’s Positive Justice Project and sponsored by US Rep Barbara Lee.

If you would like to see if and when the program will air on a public television station in your area, type in your zipcode here.

IN THE LIFE is the longest running television show documenting the gay experience. They are a three-time Emmy Award nominee, amongst many other honors. And they are a great organization to support financially with your charitable gift.