Donald Trump’s first World AIDS Day proclamation claiming to “reaffirm our ongoing commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat” completely omits groups at most risk of HIV infection, including LGBTQ people and black Americans. The Huffington Post:
The omissions are perhaps more startling when given the statistics: In 2015, 48 percent of those diagnosed with AIDS in the U.S. were African-Americans. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control found that gay and bisexual men made an an estimated 70 percent of new HIV infections in the U.S. Though data on the transgender community is limited, the CDC also found that an estimated 22 percent of all trans women are HIV positive.
Trump’s statement referenced “tens of thousands of Americans” who are infected each year, but otherwise steered clear of specifics. He did, however, highlight “adolescent girls and young women in some sub-Saharan African countries.
As Think Progress noted, there’s still no appointed director of AIDS Policy “nor is there anyone in an acting director role,” and the website of the Office of National AIDS Policy is completely blank. Some commitment. Former Barack Obama’s final World AIDS Day statement as president, for comparison:
“In the United States, more than 1.2 million people are living with HIV,” Obama wrote. “Gay and bisexual men, transgender people, youth, black and Latino Americans, people living in the Southern United States, and people who inject drugs are at a disproportionate risk.”
“On this day,” reads Trump’s statement, “we pray for all those living with HIV, and those who have lost loved ones to AIDS. As we remember those who have died and those who are suffering, we commend the immense effort people have made to control and end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.” One minor problem: Trump’s 2018 budget proposed slashing PEPFAR’s budget by $1 billion.
“Pretending to recognize World AIDS Day while proposing to slash PEPFAR’s budget by $1 billion is downright insulting,” Joel Kasnetz told the Washington Blade. “Trying to erase LGBTQ people from the history of HIV/AIDS is another slap in the face. In his first year in office, Trump hasn’t missed an opportunity to be cruel to the LGBTQ community and the millions living with HIV all over the world”:
Trump’s praise for programs like PEPFAR ignores his own plans to slash the initiatives. His fiscal year 2018 budget proposal would decrease the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and PEPFAR by 17 percent each, making more than $1 billion in cuts.
Last year, Trump tweeted “Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.” But Donald Trump doesn’t care about LGBTQ people, he doesn’t care about people of color, and he certainly doesn’t care about HIV/AIDS or how many people die from it.
Still, there’s important HIV/AIDS work being done, and by ordinary people like Cedric Sturdevant, who helps his clients “get to the doctor’s appointments, pharmacies, food banks and counseling sessions that can make the difference between life and death.” Testing sites all around the nation are also taking steps to help lives by offering free, fast, and confidential HIV testing. Click here to find a site near you.