US Vice President Mike Pence has been criticised for delivering a World AIDS Day speech that made no mention of the LGBTIQ+ community.
Pence continued a traditional among Republican administrations of not mentioning the gay community when discussing HIV. Last year President Donald Trump released a World AIDS Day statement that didn’t make mention of LGBTIQ+ people, and President George W Bush never made mention of the gay community during his time in power.
Vice President Pence said the virus had had a big effect on African communities and also made mention of teenager Ryan White who passed away in 1990. White contracted HIV via a blood transfusion and significantly raised awareness of the disease through his political advocacy.
“He passed away in April of 1990, just a month before he was ready to graduate from high school,” Pence said. “And only a few months later, the Congress of the United States passed the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency Act.” Vice President Pence said.
The Vice President said the act continued to provide care to people living with HIV. While Pence praised the work carried out via the act, when he was first elected to the US Congress two decades ago he argued that support should not go to LGBTIQ organisations.
“Congress should support the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act only after completion of an audit to ensure that federal dollars were no longer being given to organizations that celebrate and encourage the types of behaviors that facilitate the spreading of the HIV virus.” Pence said back in 2000.
Pence added, “Resources should be directed toward those institutions which provide assistance to those seeking to change their sexual behavior.”
The comment has been interpreted by some as an endorsement of conversion therapy, the practice of trying to change someone’s sexuality via counselling, prayer or other methods.
Pence also saw a dramatic increase in new diagnosis of HIV during his time as Governor of Indiana. After Pence closed down needle exchange programs because he believed they encouraged drug use, the state saw a dramatic increase in new diagnoses of HIV.
During his speech Vice President Pence said faith based organisations needed to be thanked for their ongoing efforts in tackling the challenges of HIV.
“Now, the credit for this achievement is widely shared, but faith-based organizations and faith communities like those represented here have played a preeminent role.” Pence said, announcing that the administration would be providing more funding specifically to face based groups.
“I’m pleased to announce that our administration will invest $100 million in new resources to expand our engagement with faith-based organizations and communities of faith that are on the front-lines of the fight against HIV/AIDS,” Pence said.
Scott Schoettes, who leads the LGBTQ advocacy group Lambda Legal’s HIV Project, called Pence’s speech “short-sighted and biased.”
“It’s hard to see how you can actually address HIV in the United States without talking about the populations most affected,” Schoettes told NBC News.
OIP Staff
