WHAT: Human Rights Watch Report Launch Press Conference
WHEN: Tuesday, November 20th, 2018
WHERE: The Betsy Hotel
Human Rights Watch Health and Human Rights Researcher Megan McLemore presented her latest report “Living at Risk” at a press conference sponsored and hosted by The Betsy Hotel in South Beach. This report, that reveals systematic failures to provide HIV care to the trans community, was launched on Trans Day of Remembrance to highlight the severity of this ongoing crisis.
Florida has the third-highest HIV rate in the United States, led by Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. HIV among transgender women is at crisis levels, but the state is failing to provide basic services to many trans women in south Florida, endangering their lives and the health of the community. Florida and federal HIV officials talk a lot about the importance of reaching “high risk” groups like transgender women. Human Rights Watch spent more than a year investigating whether the reality on the ground is matching the rhetoric – it isn’t.
Just before the launch of the report, Florida Department of Health reviewed the findings and approved its accuracy, expressing support for working with us to implement some of the recommendations. We are excited for Megan to carry on this meaningful work in the new year and advocate for access to health care without discrimination for those facing the greatest barriers to care.