In a move that has sent shockwaves through the LGBTQ+ community and public health circles, the Trump administration is considering eliminating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) division dedicated to HIV prevention. This alarming proposal threatens to dismantle decades of progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS and could have devastating consequences for marginalized communities, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals who remain disproportionately affected by the epidemic.
The CDC’s HIV prevention division, with a budget of $1.3 billion, plays a crucial role in tracking infections, funding local prevention programs, and expanding access to life-saving treatments such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). By eliminating this division, the administration is not only undermining public health but also directly attacking a community that has fought tirelessly for visibility, healthcare equity, and the right to survive.
A Betrayal of the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
The administration’s consideration of this cut stands in stark contrast to its 2019 initiative, “Ending the HIV Epidemic,” which aimed to reduce new infections by 90% by 2030. While the initiative was touted as a landmark effort to finally bring HIV/AIDS under control in the U.S., these latest discussions suggest that the administration is more interested in hollow gestures than in real, effective policy.
Health and Human Services (HHS) officials claim that this move is part of a broader restructuring effort to eliminate redundancies across federal agencies. But what they frame as “efficiency” looks more like a politically motivated attack on HIV programs, many of which serve LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and low-income communities—groups that have historically been neglected and discriminated against by government policies.
The Devastating Impact of Defunding Prevention
The elimination of the CDC’s HIV prevention division would cripple the nation’s ability to monitor and prevent new HIV infections. This division directs over $1 billion annually to state and local programs that provide HIV testing, education, and prevention services, especially in communities with high infection rates. Without this funding, countless people may lose access to PrEP, harm reduction programs, and community-based services that help keep transmission rates down.
Advocates warn that gutting these resources will inevitably lead to an increase in new infections, undoing years of progress. “This is not just a bureaucratic shuffle—this is a death sentence for many people,” said one HIV activist. “If the administration truly cared about ending the HIV epidemic, they would be expanding resources, not destroying them.”
A Pattern of Attacks on the LGBTQ+ Community
This move is just the latest in a series of actions by the administration that have harmed the LGBTQ+ community. From removing LGBTQ+ health data from federal websites to rolling back protections for trans individuals in healthcare, the pattern is clear: LGBTQ+ lives are being deprioritized, if not actively targeted.
HIV prevention is not just a public health issue—it’s a human rights issue. The administration’s willingness to sacrifice this vital program shows a reckless disregard for the lives of LGBTQ+ people and others at risk of HIV. In a time when we should be investing in public health, science, and community-driven solutions, these proposed cuts would do the exact opposite, putting lives on the line.
Fighting Back Against These Cuts
LGBTQ+ advocates, healthcare providers, and allies must mobilize against this dangerous proposal. Calls to congressional representatives, participation in protests, and support for HIV advocacy organizations like ACT UP and the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) are crucial. The community has fought too hard and come too far to allow this attack on our health and our future to go unchallenged.
If the administration truly wants to end the HIV epidemic, it must protect and expand funding for prevention—not destroy it. Anything less is an abandonment of public health and a betrayal of the communities that have fought and suffered the most in this ongoing battle against HIV/AIDS.
The little guy must sacrifice and live in austerity so the parasite class can get their tax cuts. Can’t really say this is unexpected from this administration of hate mongering bigots.
If anyone from the gay community voted for Trump, this is one of the many things you voted for. Welcome back to the 1970’s
I wish nothing but a slow, painful PUBLIC death for that scumbag. I would watch it over and over again with glee.
Call me ‘just as bad as they are’, and if that’s the case, so be it. I never really hated another human being until he came onto the scene.