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.