Seattle, WA has inequities surrounding HIV access and stigma that mirror national trends. BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled, and trans communities face disproportionate barriers to testing, linkage to care, and supportive services. Many live at the intersections of poverty, housing insecurity, racism, and criminalization, which compounds the challenges of living with HIV. Fear of partner-notification laws or being charged under outdated statutes discourages some from getting tested or staying in care. Stigma also shows up in family planning, where people living with HIV are often denied life insurance or reproductive autonomy. While a few companies, such as Guardian Life Insurance and Mutual of Omaha, have developed more inclusive policies, many still treat HIV as a disqualifying condition. Chest and breast feeding stigma and reproductive health discrimination also disproportionately impact women and trans parents of color.
Washington State no longer criminalizes HIV exposure but continues to mandate partner notification in public health contexts. While reforms in 2020 reduced criminal penalties and reframed HIV as a public health issue, harmful statutes remain across the U.S., disproportionately targeting Black, Brown, BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Positively Positive Education Productions (Posi Pos Music), founded by Kriss Jackson-Harper, a Black, queer, trans, HIV+ survivor, works at the intersection of HIV justice, arts, and education. Our HIV Stigma 101 and 102 workshops connect communities to legal and mental health resources while pairing education with creative expression—spoken word, hip-hop, photography, and digital storytelling. These spaces allow participants to process trauma, build solidarity, and take action. We intentionally uplift marginalized voices, including queer youth, disabled and neurodivergent participants, and those navigating reproductive justice. We also highlight asexual and aromantic perspectives, which challenge stereotypes of HIV+ people as inherently “risky” and broaden conversations about intimacy and identity.
Since 2009, we have led more than 180 survivor-led workshops and collaborated with partners such as the Gates Foundation, UCLA’s Art & Global Health Center in the Fielding School of Public Health (Through Positive Eyes project), Young Women Empowered (Y-WE), YWCA, and ArtsEd Washington. Our work builds on Jackson-Harper’s 2011 undergraduate research in Ghana, Negotiating Approval: The Betrayal of ‘Home’ at the Borders of Identity, a 60-page peer-reviewed study on HIV stigma conducted through interviews with local organizations and activists. Together, these efforts demonstrate that survivor-led storytelling and creativity are powerful tools for racial justice, healing, and advocacy.
Looking ahead, this project will create new forums, workshops, and digital resources focused on HIV criminalization reform. With support, we will continue to center the leadership of people living with HIV and ensure survivor voices remain at the forefront of both local and national conversations about stigma, justice, and liberation.
