Free State Justice spoke with the Washington Blade this week about his priorities for this year’s legislative session in Annapolis, which began Jan. 14.
Lonnie L. Taylor, the organization’s community director, said Wednesday that the organization continues to fight discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS. Free State Justice is sponsoring legislation in the General Assembly that would expand access to PrEP, especially in Maryland.
Taylor said Free State Justice is working with state Rep. Ashanti Martinez (D-Prince George’s County) and state Sen. Clarence Lamb (D-Arundel and Howard Counties) on a bill that would expand “the scope of practice for Maryland pharmacists to distribute PrEP.” The bill has no title or numbers, but Free State Justice expects both to be announced in the coming weeks.
Free State judiciary has long been involved In the fight to end the criminalization of HIV in the state.
Gov. Wes Moore last year signed House Bill 39, which decriminalizes HIV transmission in Maryland.
The bill — the Carlton R. Smith Jr. HIV Modernization Act — is named after longtime LGBTQ activist Carlton Smith, who was known as the “Mayor” of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood and died in 2024. The Free State judge noted that Marylanders charged under Section 18-601.1 of the Maryland Health General Law have already had their convictions vacated.
Taylor said Free State judges will continue to “oppose anti-LGBTQ laws” in the General Assembly. Their website will be launching a bill tracker later this week.
The General Assembly session is scheduled to adjourn on April 13th.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
