A federal judge issued a pair of landmark rulings barring the U.S. military from discharging soldiers who contract HIV and ordering the Pentagon to allow those who have the virus but no symptoms to become officers.
The decisions Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia pave the way for career advancements for HIV-positive soldiers who have long been blocked by policies barring them from deploying overseas, even when their symptoms are suppressed indefinitely by highly effective drugs.
“The court ruled that the Pentagon’s policies regarding service members with HIV are not only outdated, but unlawful,” said Lambda Legal’s Scott Schoettes, who represented plaintiffs in both cases. The findings are among “the strongest judicial rulings in over two decades for people living with HIV,” he added.
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