CHLP Celebrates 20 Years Making Positive Justice Possible
CHLP Celebrates 20 Years Making Positive Justice Possible
Anniversary kicks off with New York City reception honoring Founding Executive Director Catherine Hanssens with the inaugural Urvashi Vaid Visionary Justice Award
NEW YORK – In 2025, CHLP – the Center for HIV Law and Policy – proudly celebrates 20 years of advocacy, innovation, and unwavering commitment to HIV justice. Since its founding in 2005, CHLP has been at the forefront of the movement to end HIV criminalization as the first national legal and policy resource center for advocates protecting and defending the rights of people living with and affected by HIV.
From its inception, CHLP has worked in close partnership with HIV advocates and prioritized addressing the impact of HIV on LGBTQ+ people and Black and brown communities. Through its pioneering HIV decriminalization work, strategic legal and policy challenges, and its dedication to bringing an abolitionist lens to this work, CHLP has always been at the vanguard of HIV legal theory and thought throughout its 20-year history.
"As we mark this milestone, our mission remains as urgent as ever," said S. Mandisa Moore-O’Neal, Executive Director of CHLP. "We are still radical, intersectional, and community-based lawyers, public health strategists, and policy experts moving into 2025 with a sharper lens and a deepened resolve. Advocating for freedom from criminalization, championing bodily autonomy, and upholding abolitionist values are part of CHLP’s foundation and will continue to guide our work ahead."
To commemorate this historic anniversary, CHLP will host events throughout the year, beginning with CHLP20, a special celebration in New York City on February 27, 2025. At this event, CHLP will present the inaugural Urvashi Vaid Visionary Justice Award to its Founding Executive Director, Catherine Hanssens, honoring her trailblazing contributions to HIV legal and policy advocacy.
Hanssens founded CHLP in 2005 and served as Executive Director for 17 years, establishing it as a national force in HIV rights and decriminalization efforts. Under her leadership, CHLP launched pioneering initiatives such as the Positive Justice Project and Team ADA to Attack Criminalization, significantly shaping the legal and policy landscape for people living with HIV. Throughout her career, Hanssens has played a formative role in the field, including with Lambda Legal, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, and other initiatives.
The award honors the late Urvashi Vaid, an outspoken LGBTQ+ rights attorney, award-winning author, and visionary social justice movement strategist who passed away in 2022. Known for her outspoken advocacy for LGBTQ+ liberation, Vaid held leadership roles in academic, philanthropic, advocacy, and community-based organizations, including the National LGBTQ+ Task Force, Columbia Law School’s Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, the Arcus Foundation, and more.
Longtime friends and collaborators, Vaid and Hanssens both attended Northeastern University School of Law, shared an uncompromising commitment to justice, and worked together on numerous initiatives in the HIV and LGBTQ+ rights movements throughout their careers.
CHLP staff, advisory board, and event host committee are proud to celebrate 20 years of making positive justice possible at CHLP20, hosted by the Fund for the City of New York on Thursday, February 27, 2025. For more information, visit https://www.hivlawandpolicy.org/events/chlp-celebrates-20-years.
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