1983 - Lambda Legal files the first HIV discrimination lawsuit; it’s for Joseph A. Sonnabend, a New York City doctor evicted from his office for treating patients with AIDS.
1985 - Ryan White is refused entry to his middle school. He soon begins a major public campaign against AIDS stigma and discrimination.
1990 - Congress enacts the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), formally prohibiting discrimination based on any disability, including HIV/AIDS.
1993 - Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks, is the first major Hollywood film to discuss AIDS and HIV discrimination.
1996 - Congress enacts the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which ensures people the legal right to privacy and confidentiality regarding their medical conditions.
1998 - In Abbot v. Bragden, the U.S. Supreme Court set the precedent that people with HIV/AIDS, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, are considered disabled and therefore covered under the ADA.
2010 - The White House releases the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy. As a result, the U.S. Department of Justice puts all HIV discrimination cases—more than 50 so far—on the fast-track as part of the policy.
2014 - Rollout of the Affordable Care Act means people with HIV can no longer be denied health care for having a pre-existing condition.
Click here to read our feature story on HIV discrimination.
Click here to read tips on filing an HIV discrimination lawsuit.
Time After Time
Since AIDS was discovered in 1981, HIV discrimination has been part of its history, as illustrated by these milestones.
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