U.S. Will No Longer Observe World AIDS Day

The United States government will no longer commemorate World AIDS Day, following mass cuts to their federal and global HIV response under the Trump administration.

First reported by journalist Emily Bass, and confirmed in an email viewed by the New York Times, the state department instructed employees and grant recipients to refrain from using government funds to mark the event, and not to promote the day publicly.

They are still permitted to “tout the work” the government is contributing to the global AIDS response, but must “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches or other public-facing messaging”.

The email clarified that government policy is “to refrain from messaging on any commemorative days, including World AIDS Day”, despite the Trump administration this year issuing proclamations observing Anti-Communism Week and Made In America Week, among many others.

Observed on December 1, the U.S. has marked World AIDS Day since 1988, with Republican and Democratic presidents recognising the occasion, including Trump himself in his first term.

State department spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, told the New York Times that an awareness day is not a strategy.

“Under the leadership of President Trump, the state department is working directly with foreign governments to save lives and increase their responsibility and burden sharing.”

Silence still equals death

Earlier this year, the U.S., ceased its financial contributions to UNAIDS which, having accounted for 75 per cent of international HIV funding, plunged the global response to the infection into crisis.

A report from UNAIDS released earlier this week warned that the funding cuts to international HIV prevention schemes made since Trump assumed office could see 3.3 million new HIV infections over the next five years.

When asked for comment, the White House declared the assessment “totally false”, adding that President Trump had a “humanitarian heart”.

“The Trump administration is simultaneously ensuring all programs funded by American taxpayers align with American interests, just as this president was elected to do,” said spokeswoman Anna Kelly.

Throughout his second administration, Trump has deleted almost all LGBTQIA+ and HIV content and resources from government websites, cancelled grants for HIV prevention research, and restricted funding under the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), a global HIV program established under George W Bush two decades ago, and estimated to have prevented 25 million early deaths.

U.S. representative Mark Pocan, a gay Democrat from Wisconsin and chair of the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus, labelled the move as “shameful and dangerous”.

“Silence is not neutrality; it is harm. I’m calling on the administration to immediately reverse this decision and recommit our fight against HIV/AIDS.”