First Lady Dr. Jill Biden on Friday
visited an HIV/AIDS clinic in Washington.
Biden visited Whitman-Walker Health, a
DC-based community health center and clinic that serves the LGBT and
HIV/AIDS communities.
Alphonso David, president of the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate,
said that the visit marks a departure in priorities from the Trump
administration.
“By prioritizing the foremost LGBTQ
community health center in Washington, D.C. as one of her first
public visits, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden has highlighted that the
health and wellness of our community is a top priority,” David said
in a statement. “For decades, Whitman-Walker Health has provided
crucial services and support to LGBTQ people and people living with
HIV and AIDS. Today, they serve as one of the critical resources for
our nation's capital as we combat COVID-19.”
“Dr. Biden’s visit proves she and
the Biden administration understand the importance of providing
resources to LGBTQ focused health centers and addressing health
disparities among the most vulnerable. From Day One, the President
and the First Lady’s commitment to taking immediate action to
improve the lives of LGBTQ people has been a welcome breath of fresh
air,” he said.
Jill Biden's office said that the visit
served “to highlight and promote support services for cancer
patients and caregivers, as well as hear about the impact of COVID-19
on access to health care, including cancer screenings and prevention
efforts.”
Biden reportedly met with Naseema
Shafi, CEO of Whitman-Walker Health, and Kim Thiboldeaux, chief
executive officer of the Cancer Support Community.
In her public remarks, Biden said that
President Joe Biden's highest priority is getting Americans
vaccinated against coronavirus.
According to the Washington Blade,
Former First Lady Barbara Bush in 1989 visited the clinic, where she
held a baby and hugged a gay man, both of whom had terminal AIDS.
Hillary Clinton as first lady also visited the clinic.