Almost one year ago, the US Senate voted against the HIV ban. On July 20, 2008, President Bush "signed the re-authorization of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which included a provision eliminating the HIV ban from the Immigration and Nationality Act." (Immigration Equality, 1/14/2009).

Today, the Department of Human and Health Services (HHS) finally published its proposed regulations to lift the HIV travel and immigration ban in the Federal Register for a 45-day period of public comment.

It has certainly taken a long time and a lot of lobbying effort to reach this monumental point: when the HHS finally published its proposed regulations, before issuing the final regulations -- the day when all HIV-infected individuals will not be discriminated against from entering the country. Please respond to the HHS with your supportive comments.

We continue to thank and applaud Immigration Equality for their dedicated commitment to end this discrimination against all HIV-infected individuals. Kudos!!!