Trump's World AIDS Day Proclamation Again Omits LGBT People
- By
- Carlos Santoscoy
- | November 29, 2019
President Donald Trump on Wednesday released a proclamation recognizing December 1 as World AIDS Day. But the president once again omitted LGBT people.
Trump was criticized when his first proclamation failed to include LGBT people as among the groups primarily affected by the pandemic. Last year's proclamation also included the omission.
Trump used this year's proclamation to announce a plan to eliminate “at least 90 percent of new HIV infections in the United States within 10 years.”
“Through this initiative, we will continue to lead the charge in applying the latest science to better diagnose, treat, care for, and save the lives of individuals living with HIV by focusing on the cities and States most impacted by the disease,” Trump said of his Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America initiative.
While the president's plan outlines a strategy to focus on the cities and states with the highest numbers of new infections, it fails to mention the people most impacted the disease.
In his 2016 proclamation, President Barack Obama said that HIV/AIDS predominantly affected “gay and bisexual men, transgender people, youth, black and Latino Americans, people living in the Southern United States, and people who inject drugs.”
The closest Trump comes to mentioning these groups is near the end of his proclamation.
“On World AIDS Day, we are reminded that no challenge can defeat the unyielding American spirit. As a Nation, we must come together to remove the stigma surrounding HIV and to address disparities facing people living with this disease. Our success is contingent upon collaboration across all levels of government here in the United States and around the world, community interaction, and outreach to people with HIV and at-risk populations, and a citizenry motivated by compassion for the suffering of humankind and hope for the future. Together, we will continue to make progress in our efforts to find a cure for HIV/AIDS and to ensure that all Americans live healthier and happier lives,” he said.