With debt ceiling talks devolving into a monumental Congressional pissing contest, our nation’s poorest citizens have found their most needed social programs on the chopping block just so the rich don’t have to pay higher taxes. Legislators have proposed a plan to horrifically slash the budget for all HIV/AIDS-related services across the board. This includes cuts to the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act (which ensures that I get the medicine I need to survive), cuts to housing support, key research at the National Institute of Health, and the ever important prevention programs that help keep new cases at bay.
The Bilerico Project recently put out an action alert urging Americans to ask their representatives to vote against welfare cuts that would harm our most underprivileged populations. But why should you bother?
Aside from the usual bleeding-heart liberal reasons about supporting financially disadvantaged Americans, it’s just not fiscally smart to cut these programs. It costs exponentially less to provide preventative care rather than to treat someone already ravaged by HIV. With infections on the rise, the more HIV-positive people living US the more money we’ll need to save lives and halt the lethal epidemic that has killed Americans for the past 30 years. Time and time again studies show that prevention education helps blunt the spread of HIV, not to mention that poz folks on meds are much less likely to spread the virus. Cuts to preventative programs and basic medical care would place more people at risk for seroconversion.
So how can you help? Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or find your representative here. When you call, deliver this message:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“I am calling to ask my Senator / Representative to prevent harmful cuts and caps to health care, research, and low-income programs, including those that impact persons living with HIV/AIDS, such as the Ryan White Program, Medicaid, Medicare, housing, and prevention programs! We need a fair and balanced approach now!”
Balancing the budget on the backs of vulnerable Americans, including those living with HIV, is wrong, will potentially cost lives, and will cut jobs in the health care and human needs sectors.
Early and reliable access to HIV care, treatment, and support helps people with HIV live healthy and productive lives and helps keep HIV-care cost effective. Investing in HIV prevention today translates into greater health and less spending in the future.
It’s vitally important that poor Americans living with HIV/AIDS aren’t left out in the cold. Plus, um, I’d really like to live, so can we keep funding for my pills? Please?
christopher di spirito
President Pootie Tang has offered to slash Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid to appease Congressional Republicans in the bogus budget/debt debate snarling Washington.
Bogus, you ask? Yes, bogus. You see, as long as the Nitwit in the White House the both the Dumbos and the Repugs are focused on this, none of them have to address Washington’s utter failure to address the number one issue Americans care most about: JOBS.
In any case, Pootie Tang may have run as a Democrat but he governs like a Republican.
Adam Sank
@christopher di spirito: “President Pootie Tang?” What kind of racist bullshit is that?
christopher di spirito
@Adam Sank: Your “ists” and “isms” are tired. In fact, they’re circa’ 1970.
Hikigaeru
@christopher di spirito: No, I think comparing Obama to a character in a movie whose only similarity is vague skin color is fitting of the “ist” used by Adam. But you wouldn’t know that, Hellen Keller.
QJ201
With all the barebacking going on, would be wise to advocate for HIV medication programs, if they can put down the glass dick long enough.
CJ
@Adam Sank:
Oh great, the “selective” PC police out again. You missed the fact that he labeled Democrats and Republicans derogatory names too. You don’t mind people being called “Nitwits” or “Dumbos” or “Repugs” – but hands off Obama? How about the times people are called Teabaggers or something derogatory about their religion? Do you call out people who make slurs and derogatory names against them? Or, do we just stand around and protect Obama? These people that can’t take a joke about Obama and think that everything has to be PC policed is getting out of control. The comments on this site are obviously crass and quite inflammatory 90% of the time towards many groups. Besides, you’re a comedian and I’ve heard your “homos” and “faggot’ references and that lesbians have “mullets” and your own Harlem jokes that reference black people. So, that’s OK?
christopher di spirito
Adam Sank should change his name to Adam Stank. His comedy routine smells like two week old head cheese.
Adam Sank
Well, I’ve obviously stepped into a MENSA meeting here.
Jim
Don’t worry. No one’s going to balance the budget.
Jakey
@CJ: Stupid puns on the names of political parties are stupid. But racist puns are RACIST. How do you not get that one is worse than the other?
Jakey
And yeah, I realize “Pootie Tang” isn’t exactly a pun. Forgive me, I’ve had two sips of coffee so far.
cutit
They do need to cut some things. Some of the benefits are outright crazy. Here is an example.
I know somebody, a former friend who is HIV POZ. He lives IN MANHATTAN ALONE and only pays 30% of what he makes a month for rent. So when he first won the “lotto,” he cut his hours down to 30 hours and AND he gets food stamps. Now normally ok this may be a bit acceptable….BUT all he does is lay around on adam4adam, smoke out on T and fuck all day. I mean it is crazy. If they are offering these types of services to live in the most expensive city in the country, then yes I do believe there is room for cutting.
Ganondorf
Gee whiz fellas, why are you still getting the HIV? Dontcha know that it’s bad for ya? Boy howdy, it sure is! So don’t get the HIV and AIDS by having unsafe sex without condoms. I’ve just saved lives. Hero here.
So you’re surprised that Obama’s cutting social services spending and acting like the debt is the biggest problem we’re facing? Oh queerty, stick to pornostars, bravo teeeeeeveeeeeee and gaga.
Daez
Programs that require hard working people to pay for those that lack personal responsibility while failing to care for themselves should be abolished not cut. AIDS is a choice. You chose it when you chose to fuck (often unprotected) partners whose status you do not know. Making this choice reeks of a lack of personal responsibility, so hard working Americans don’t owe you shit afterwards.
If Obama cuts these programs to balance the budget (as well as cutting Social Security and Medicare/caid for the “disabled”) then he has my full support.
Peter
@QJ201: Yep. Preventative medicine is important.
jeff4justice
If LGBT media is so concerned about HIV services being endangered in this economy, I hope ya’ll will start raising the issue of glorifying condomless sex in LGBT media.
Please check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXeOdOKBExo
Ganondorf
@Daez
Yessssss. I think Obama very well may just have put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger on his reelection chances with the deal he cut, handing the teaparty a tremendous victory with over $2.5 trillion in spending cuts in one of the worst economic downturns since the great depression. Bubye, Barry (the progressive vote that got him elected is lost to him for good now). Unfortunately, a crazy person might take his place. Oh well. better a quick death than a slow one. Oh, I almost forgot: you’re a moron.
Pat Duffy
If the “deal” is as Unbalanced as it looks to be, it’s my “last straw” with Presidente Invertebrate. For the 1st time in 40 yrs I’ll Vote for the one I want, not just for the most Electible/Least Damaging to Me & Mine….
Daez
@Ganondorf: Please, the vast majority of people, including progressives want to see this country be strong. The vast majority of people don’t want to pay for everyone else while getting shafted. The other option was to raise taxes on the middle class yet again, and that would have looked very bad for Obama. Obama is a brilliant politician. You are a basement critic. I think he is most definitely smarter than you are. Oh, I forgot you are….oh wait I don’t stoop to your level of personal attacks!
@Pat Duffy: The one you want…Mitt Romney!?!
Ganondorf
@Daez
So what you’re saying is that the over $2.5 trillion in cuts implemented over the next two years that will destroy the lives of countless hard working people/families by gutting needed entitlement programs (e.g., medicare, medicaid, and social security that they will have to go without–prolonging bouts of unemployment due to health related problems) that help these people get by even with full time jobs, and causing the layoffs of a great many government employees, increasing the unemployment rate is going to make America strong? Seriously, in a great “recession”, how exactly does cutting spending (fiscal austerity) decrease unemployment and help working families by facilitating GDP growth? How is gutting the government’s ability to raise revenue supposed to help? There is no increase in revenue via tax increases or closed loopholes on people who make over $250k. How does the fact that multimillionaires pay less of a percentage of income than people who make under $100k supposed to make america strong, and that this sellout does nothing to rectify it? How is it brilliant politics to go into an election cycle with double digit unemployment figures and a great recession the likes of which most americans alive today have never experienced with no sign of a turnaround? Please don’t waste my time answering any of these questions, for you know as much about economics and fiscal policy as a four year old who just learned how to play monopoly.
I imagine that the progressives will be blamed for this by the DINOS and PUMAS, limosine liberals and the Jamie Dimon’s out there–basically, pro choice, gay friendly republicans. These message managers blamed progressives when the public option was sabotaged as Rahm Emanuel and his cronies called progressives “fucking retards!” as the Obama administration allowed the healthcare monopoly to write the health”care” “reform” act. How exactly was that the progressives fault when they were being violent barked down by corporate shills within the Obama administration as one of the worst pieces of legislation since jim crowe was enacted (health”care” reform?)? Perhaps when coke is having a poor quarter, they, too, can rely on Barack Obama and congress to pass legislation making it mandatory to buy coke at prices that they predetermine with Pepsi. Barack Obama is a sellout who has never experienced the hardships that his fiscal austerity will cause (destroying countless american lives). We needed a president not a glorified community organizer. To blame the progressives is a rhetorical tool of bait and switch. Better to not vote at all than vote for barry. More people will wake up to this. Even in the worst case, and a republican whackadoodle is elected, if you don’t have confidence that our government can weather a person like that, then why bother supporting this country at all? That argument is equivalent to a vote of no confidence in the government of the united states.