Madonna slams Trump's 'unthinkable' AIDS Day move: 'Bet he's never watched his best friend die'
WASHINGTON, DC: Madonna criticized President Donald Trump as he instructed government employees and agencies not to commemorate World AIDS Day this year.
Trump didn't want the government to send out any kind of notice or to use any resources in order to commemorate the day in any department or agency under the State Department's management.
Decision part of broader policy 'to refrain from messaging on any commemorative day'
Last month, public health expert Emily Bass publicized a State Department email asking personnel not to use government resources or communications channels to promote the day, which was first marked in 1988, claiming it was part of a broader policy “to refrain from messaging on any commemorative day.”
On Monday, December 1, Madonna publicly condemned the US government's decision to forgo official recognition of World AIDS Day. It was the first time the country didn't participate in the annual commemoration since its inception in 1988.
The singer shared her outrage in an emotional post on Instagram, calling the move "unthinkable."
Madonna highlights the toll of the HIV crisis, slams Trump's move
On Monday, Madonna shared her views in an Instagram post, among the activists and health experts, who were shocked by the decision. In the post, she labeled the White House’s decision as "ridiculous" and mentioned the human aspect of the AIDS epidemic.
“For four decades, this day has been internationally recognized around the world by people from all walks of life, because millions of people’s lives have been touched by the HIV crisis,” she wrote. “People have lost lovers and husbands and wives and girlfriends and boyfriends and mothers and daughters and children to this deadly disease, of which there is still no cure.”
“Donald Trump has announced that World AIDS Day should no longer be acknowledged,” Madonna added. “It’s one thing to order federal agents to refrain from commemorating this day, but to ask the general public to pretend it never happened is ridiculous, it’s absurd, it’s unthinkable.”
Writing about the personal pain of losing a loved one to the virus, Madonna expressed, “I bet he’s never watched his best friend die of AIDS, held their hand, and watched the blood drain from their face as they took their last breath at the age of 23.”
State Department says 'an awareness day is not a strategy'
State Department deputy spokesperson Tommy Pigott defended the Trump administration’s move in a statement to The New York Times. “An awareness day is not a strategy,” it said.
Critics of the administration’s policy argue that formal commemoration plays a vital role in raising awareness, destigmatizing the disease, and mobilizing support for those living with HIV.
