| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
April 30, 2009
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Media Contacts:
Krishna Stone, GMHC, 212-367-1016
OBAMA'S FIRST 100 DAYS OFFER GREAT PROMISE FOR FIGHT AGAINST HIV/AIDS
Key appointments, commitments to policy change offer hope, GMHC says
April 30, 2009, Washington, DC — One hundred days into the first term of his presidency, Barack Obama has made key appointments and indicated support for critical policy changes that will allow a more vigorous response to the domestic HIV epidemic. Specifically:
- The White House website indicates President Obama supports working with Congress to end the federal funds ban on syringe exchange, among the most effective HIV prevention strategies.
- Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday, said in her confirmation hearing that she supported the repeal of a 1987 regulation banning HIV positive individuals from entering the U.S. for any reason.
- The appointment of Jeff Crowley as Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy, and the nomination of Dr. Eric Goosby, CEO of the Pangea Global AIDS Foundation, as the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator, round out a tremendous team that is now in place to tackle the policy initiatives set forth on the campaign trail.
- Obama and Crowley have repeatedly expressed support for a national AIDS strategy, and the President signed an FY09 omnibus spending bill that includes $1.4 million for the development of such a strategy.
- Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice are strong supporters of equality for women and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The oppression of women and gay men are two structural drivers of HIV around the world. In March 2009, the U.S. delegation to the United Nations supported a sexual orientation and gender identity nondiscrimination resolution, reversing years of opposition under the Bush-Cheney Administration.
"With any effective plan there must be a sound foundation. The Obama-Biden Administration, in this short time, has laid the necessary groundwork to combat the epidemic of our lifetimes for the remainder of his presidency," said Marjorie J. Hill, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Gay Men's Health Crisis.
In addition to installing an amazing team, President Obama has already lived up to some of his promises. He recently signed a budget that decreased funding for anti-gay, sexist abstinence-only-until-marriage education, which has proven ineffective in stopping young Americans from engaging in sex.
Dr. Hill continued, "GMHC is confident that the Obama-Biden Administration will use the next 1,361 days of its first term to create a national AIDS strategy, fund comprehensive sex education, implement evidence-based programs that allow for syringe access, expand Medicaid eligibility requirements for all HIV-positive individuals, and grant full civil-rights protections for LGBT Americans. GMHC will work closely with our new leaders to ensure that President Obama lives up to these promises."
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Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) is a not-for-profit, volunteer-supported and community-based organization committed to national leadership in the fight against AIDS. We provide prevention and care services to more than 15,000 men, women and families that are living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS in New York City, and advocate for scientific, evidence-based public health solutions for hundreds of thousands worldwide.
Our Mission: GMHC fights to end the AIDS epidemic and uplift the lives of all affected.
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