Positioning Statements

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At SafeLink Alberta, we for the communities we serve.

We support and promote the following positions that are directly related to our mission:

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The Decriminalization of Sex Work

We advocate for the decriminalization of sex work to ensure the safety and human rights of sex workers.

Position: SafeLink Alberta supports the decriminalization of sex work and opposes the continued implementation of Bill C-36, Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act and sections of the Immigrant and Refugee Protection Regulations in addition to all other municipal, provincial, and federal legislation that imposes violence on sex workers.

As an active member of the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform (CASWLR), SafeLink Alberta (identified under the program name Shift, Calgary), supports and continues to advocate for the 49 recommendations for law reform as outlined in the CASWLR’s Safety, Dignity, and Equality: Recommendations for Sex Work Law Reform in Canada (2017)

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Undetectable = Untransmittable:

We believe in the science of U=U, which states that people living with HIV who are on effective treatment and have an undetectable viral load cannot transmit HIV to their sexual partners.
Position: SafeLink Alberta supports the Government of Canada, the World Health Organization, and the global HIV Community in their call for a global declaration of Undetectable = Untransmittable. We acknowledge that the science is clear; an individual living with HIV, when taking their medication as directed by their physician, can achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load. Once an undetectable viral load has been achieved, the HIV virus cannot be transmitted to sexual partners.
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Decriminalization of Personal Drug Possession:

We advocate for the decriminalization of personal drug possession to reduce the harms associated with criminalization and provide support for those struggling with substance use.

Position: SafeLink Alberta supports the decriminalization of drug possession for personal use. SafeLink Alberta believes that substance use should be approached from a public health and human rights lens and that Canada’s existing punitive drug laws are causing extreme harms within the community.

SafeLink Alberta supports the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, and its supporting members, in their advocacy work for decriminalization of substances in Canada as outlined in Decriminalization Done Right: A Rights-Based Path for Drug Policy. In alignment with this document,

SafeLink Alberta’s support extends beyond decriminalization of personal drug possession to include national provision of low-barrier access to safe drug supply, expungement of previous convictions related to personal drug possession; equitable access to services including recovery and treatment services, supervision consumption sites, and safer substance use supplies; prevention programs focused on addressing inequities and social determinants of health; anti-stigma and public awareness campaigns to support the shift in social attitudes towards people who use substances; and a National Strategy to address problematic substance use throughout Canada, designed through meaningful consultation and engagement of people with lived and/or living experience and allies.

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Decriminalization of HIV Non-Disclosure:

We support the decriminalization of HIV non-disclosure to reduce stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.

Position: SafeLink Alberta supports the decriminalization of HIV non-disclosure. SafeLink Alberta believes that people living with HIV and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections should be offered support, equitable access to treatment, and provided the resources needed to feel empowered to take control over their sexual health, rather than threatened with punishment under Canada’s Criminal Code for non-disclosure of their HIV status.

SafeLink Alberta supports the Canadian Coalition to Reform HIV Criminalization (CCHRC), a national coalition comprised of people living with HIV (PLWH), community organizations, academics, and lawyers (CCRHC, 2022) and endorses their calls to reform Canada’s Criminal Code and enact other changes to HIV criminalization as outlined in Community Consensus Statement: Change the Code, Reforming Canada’s Criminal Code to Limit HIV Criminalization.

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