Legislators in Kansas are considering a bill that could lead to people with HIV or AIDS being quarantined.
House Bill 2183, which has passed in the state Senate, amends Kansas’ public-health regulations to allow for the isolation of people with “infectious diseases.”
Lawmakers refused to add an exemption for people with HIV/AIDS , which AIDS Healthcare Foundation director Michael Weinstein says “either shows how little they understand about HIV and how it is transmitted… or it shows that they want the ability to quarantine people, and/or discriminate against them in other ways as they see fit.” Weinstein says either rationale reveals “a real lack of understanding about public health and safety.”
The measure was originally proposed to aid EMTs and firefighters in finding out if someone they were exposed to is a carrier for any infectious diseases. But, manipulated by the wrong people, it could easily lead to widespread discrimination of HIV-positive Kansas residents.
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“We live in a very conservative state and I’m afraid there are still many people, especially in rural Kansas, that have inadequate education and understanding concerning HIV/AIDS,” says Cody Patton, Executive Director of Positive Directions. Patton said he’s not so much afraid that the measure would lead to leper colonies for HIV-positive people, but that it could let bigots “justify their religious beliefs over their professional responsibilities and discriminate against people with HIV/AIDS.”
Dakotahgeo
Kansas! Sort of says it all, doesn’t it? although there are many other Neanderthal cultures/states with the same low IQ. Such silliness in 2013!
Eric Auerbach
@Dakotahgeo: Being snobbish and arrogant based on your geographic location isn’t really very useful.
Dakotahgeo
@Eric Auerbach: And your point is??? What…eva!
OnEDGE
Wow Eric. Looks like you done been told!… Oy.
Dakotahgeo
@OnEDGE: Thank you, OnEDGE, and it was so easy! Eric “assumes” that I am from either of the Dakotas or Kansas… he missed the mark by miles. Too bad the only exercise he gets is jumping to conclusions, but I forgive him, lolol. Kudos!
Polaro
Its too late for HIV/AIDS. Had we quarantined people when it first came out it would have made sense. I know other gay people disagree with me, but we should have tested everyone and quarantined all who were positive in 1983. They would have had health care and mostly all died rather fast anyway. Would have prevented a lot of suffering. Now, HIV/AIDS is manageable, and their are too many to quarantine.
the other Greg
@Polaro: “we should have tested everyone and quarantined all who were positive in 1983.” ???
There wasn’t even a test until 1987.
Dakotahgeo
@the other Greg: Thank you so much, the other Greg! Obviously, some/most people do not know their GLBT/HIV-AIDS history. Not only would that have squelched any research into the cure for AIDS, but it would have stigmatized an entire group of people for no other reason that they were a group discriminated against! And what about the people who are hemophiliac and received tainted blood transfusions?? Or those who were accidently infected by a needle prick? or drug user(s)? This disease has far-reaching consequences for the entire population, not just for the GLBT community!!
hyhybt
A quarantine for HIV would only have made sense if 1) it were implemented when only a localizable handful of people were infected and 2) it was recognizable even in its earliest stages. Instead, it takes years to get sick, there wasn’t a test for a long while, and looking over records has turned up probable cases going back decades before anyone even realized the disease existed.
By the time enough was known to make quarantine possible, it was not only impractical and unfair, but also unnecessary because of its means of transmission.
As for this law… if it passes, and if it’s used this way, it won’t last long. Surely any court that touches it will consider the ADA a higher priority.
Bumper
Guess they never heard of universal precautions. Headquarters of the Westboro Baptist church. Go figure.
1EqualityUSA
Hepatitis B or even C is deadly, why not throw those in the pen too. Total asses!
MuscleModelBlog.com
This sounds like another round-about way for conservatives to discriminate. They are getting craftier and craftier these days.
Dakotahgeo
@MuscleModelBlog.com: Well, the Fundies, conservies, and the American christian Taliban have to have someone to pick on… they’re in the process of losing their asses on Prop 8 and DOMA. They’re panicking! Couldn’t happen to finer groups of duds!
Raquel Santiago
Did Kansas sign the constitution? Just checking:p
Dakotahgeo
@Raquel Santiago: Kansas presently has a government run by Republicans who can neither read nor write… and show very little progress. Let’s hope for better governing when the Progressives/Democrats return to power. Based on Brownback’s governing, that shouldn’t be too long!