Trump Cuts HIV Programs That Saved Lives And Rachel Levine Won’t Stay Silent
Dr Rachel Levine made significant strides for health equality as Assistant Secretary for Health in the United States, championing work vital to our community. Now, as she recently told The Advocate, with political winds shifting, that progress, especially concerning HIV, STIs, and broader health access, appears to be systematically dismantled. Dr Levine is not staying silent.
A pediatrician with a solid record in public health, Dr Levine’s approach was science-based. Appointed under President Joe Biden, she aimed to weave health equity into the core of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “It wasn’t something we worked on only on Friday afternoons,” Levine explained. “It was baked into everything we did.”
Her team tackled national health challenges, including syphilis and HIV, strengthening the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. She even quipped about becoming the “syphilis czar”. Or czarina, if I may say.” Crucially, Levine stated, “One of the aspects of health equity, which I leaned into, was LGBTQIA+ health equity,” improving data collection and more.
The current Trump administration, however, seems set on reversing these inclusive policies. HHS, now reportedly led by vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has seen alarming changes. Brian Christine, the nominee for Levine’s former post, has a public record of anti transgender statements.
If you believe Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would do a far better job than Rachel Levine at the Department of Health, give me a Thumbs-Up! 👍 pic.twitter.com/pM8FkD4ySj
— Tucker Carlson News (@TuckerCNews) April 17, 2025
Federal websites have allegedly been altered, some now featuring disclaimers against “gender ideology.” Dr Carlton Thomas, who worked with Levine, finds this deeply concerning. “When a trans person sees that, the amount of damage it causes is immeasurably high,” he said, adding that these sites are no longer reliable for accurate information.
Scout, executive director of the National LGBT Cancer Network, called the rollbacks “catastrophic.” They told The Advocate, “A generation’s worth of LGBTQI+ health research has been canceled. Federal websites have been scrubbed. The data is disappearing.” Many staff who built health infrastructure “have been criticized, castigated, and DOGE’d,” Levine noted, referring to forced departures.
The potential hit to HIV prevention is particularly worrying. Levine, who witnessed the AIDS crisis firsthand, called PrEP and U=U “medical miracles,” but warned, “We have to get those medical miracles to the people who need them most.” Current research shows PrEP access remains unequal. “All of those prevention efforts—and the research for a vaccine and a cure—are now at risk,” Levine stated.
Dr Thomas lamented the erasure of queer health needs. “She [Levine] was incredibly powerful for our community,” he said. “I don’t think many people know what she did for us behind the scenes… And now it’s all being taken away.”
Levine sees the current wave of anti trans policy as strategic. “They pivoted from marriage equality to attacking trans athletes… and now all trans and nonbinary people,” she explained. “If they have the opportunity to go for the rest of the Rainbow family, they’ll do it.”
Despite this, Dr Levine remains resolute. “I am a positive and optimistic person because I choose to be,” she said. Her message is one of unity: “We are stronger together. Our LGBTQIA+ community is stronger together — and that includes our allies. They are trying to pit us against each other. We cannot let that happen.”
The work Dr Levine championed was for a healthier, more equitable future. As she put it, “The wheel will turn… Justice will win out. But we have to work for it.”
