US: PBS 'In The Life' highlights criminalisation in 'Legalizing Stigma' segment

In The Life, the longest running show on broadcast TV documenting the GLBT experience, is featuring the criminalisation of non-disclosure in the United States this month, starting today, World AIDS Day.

It's the first time that a nationally screened TV programme in the United States has tackled the issue with the depth and sensitivity required (notwithstanding the segment's 15 minute running time). Amber Hall, the segment's producer, showed excerpts today at a Congressional Briefing on criminalisation in Washington DC, which also featured an address by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (the only US member of the Global Commission on HIV and the Law). [Update: Barbara Lee did not attend the event but sent a member of her staff instead.]

(More on this and future US advocacy plans will be revealed following my trip to the US next week to speak at the FCAA 2010 AIDS Philanthropy Summit.)

I was actually interviewed for the show, but was left on the cuttingroom floor due to time constraints.  I totally get that they needed US voices, and there are plenty - including my colleagues Sean Strub and Catherine Hanssens of the Positive Justice Project and the leading US academic researcher into the inpact of US disclosure laws, Carol Galletly. (Her most recent findings were reported at aidsmap.com in July) However, you can still see me at the end of the segement giving my presentation at the PJP launch in September.

You can watch a preview of the episode below.  Visit In The Life's website to see the entire episode.




In related news, another interview that I did when in the US in September that finally gets an airing is with POZ magazine. It's six minutes of me talking about the problems with criminalisation in the US, and hopefully I get the message across!