One week after Lambda Legal and community activists launched protests against Cirque du Soleil for discriminating against people with HIV, the company has started sending a six-paragraph letter to members of the public—admitting that it fired a gymnast solely because he has HIV, but claiming that such action is not ‘discrimination.’
‘It’s mind-boggling that Cirque du Soleil readily admits they fired someone for no other reason than his HIV status, and then says that isn’t discrimination. Today, it’s clearer than ever that Cirque du Soleil just doesn’t get it. People with HIV can work safely in a wide variety of jobs, and it’s illegal to fire people because they have HIV,’ said Michael Adams, Director of Education & Public Affairs at Lambda Legal.