Dining Out for Life®
Dining Out For Life® Nashville has become a community-driven tradition in Middle Tennessee for an amazing 24 years. DOFL brings together local restaurants, corporate sponsors, volunteer host ambassadors and the community at large in support of our mission to end HIV in Middle Tennessee for good.
The basic idea is simple: area restaurants agree to donate 25-100% of a single day’s sales from breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. In return, we promote them before, during and after.
Last year’s DOFL events generated over $4.5M across 25 cities in the U.S. and Canada. The Nashville event delivered over 19 million impressions, attracting thousands of diners while raising visibility for CARES and our partner restaurants alike.
HIV Advocacy Day on the Hill
This annual event is organized by TAAN, the Tennessee Aids Action Network. It kicks off with a brunch and awards ceremony at the DoubleTree Hotel Downtown Nashville. Participants then proceed to the state capitol, where they meet with lawmakers and other select healthcare policy influencers. It’s an important way to maximize our positive impact around HIV policy and education.
The spirit throughout the day is one of hopefulness and purpose. PR and media coverage make this a high-profile event – last year’s total impressions reached nearly two million. By raising awareness, we’re able to keep the subject of health equity in the public conversation in ways not otherwise possible.
Modernizing HIV Laws
Nashville CARES Advocacy achieves legislative and grassroots victories by teaming up with the Tennessee AIDS Advocacy Network [TAAN]. Our efforts focus on creating an environment of dignity and respect for those living with HIV.
Modernizing the current criminalization laws for people living with HIV is a vital part of eliminating stigma and creating a safer, more equitable state for them to live. Together, we’ve been working on HIV law modernization for many years. The strides made over the past few years are nothing short of incredible, but clearly there’s still much more to be done.
Up until July 2023, Tennessee law stated that if a person living with HIV knowingly exposed another individual, they were subject to the penalties of a Class C felony. That law also required that the offender be listed on the sex offender registry for a violent sexual offense. The law did not require actual transmission of HIV, nor did it draw a distinction between intentional harm, consensual relationships or protective measures that may have been taken to prevent transmission.
Nashville CARES Advocacy and TAAN brought a bill (HB0832/SB0807) to the Tennessee state legislature during the 113th General Assembly. This bill sought to eliminate the requirement that people convicted of HIV Criminal Exposure be placed on the sex offender registry. After a defeat in the House in 2022, the bills were reintroduced in 2023 with a new House sponsor. The legislation was finally approved, and the bill signed into law effective 7/1/2023 (TCA 39-13-109).
While HIV criminal exposure is still considered a Class C Felony, the law now provides a pathway for those convicted to petition to be removed from the Sex Offender Registry. It also removes the registration requirement going forward.
Sadly, there are still other state laws on the books that unfairly criminalize people living with HIV. We strongly believe that using archaic laws to criminally punish someone simply for living with HIV is wrong. We will continue to fight for change, because we know it’s the right thing to do.
GET INVOLVED AND BECOME AN ADVOCATE
Ready to join the fight?
Contact
Paula D. Foster, LCSW
Advocacy & Special Projects Coordinator
615-294-1319
Register to vote HERE.