After President-elect Donald Trump announced plans last week to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, his position on HIV and other health issues impacting the LGBTQ community has led to his appointment. Concerns have been raised about how the Notify the agency if his nomination is approved by the U.S. Senate.
Controversial environmental lawyer promotes false, dangerous and conspiratorial claims about science and medicine, especially misinformation about life-saving vaccines (linking vaccines to autism diagnosis in children) (including ideas that have been debunked).
RFK Jr. said in an interview last year that endocrine-disrupting chemicals in drinking water are the cause of homosexuality and gender dysphoria in young people, a claim not supported by scientific evidence.
He also falsely claimed that HIV is not the cause of AIDS; rather, the cause is the “gay lifestyle,” which includes the recreational use of amyl nitrate (poppers) by men who have sex with men. He proposed the following to U.S. health officials: Taking a “break” from infectious disease research could raise questions about the future of HHS’s Office of Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS policy under his leadership.
Additionally, RFK Jr. has spoken out against medical interventions for transgender minors that are considered safe and medically necessary by mainstream scientific and medical institutions, and has spoken out against abortion, same-sex marriage, and transgender rights. It has received support from conservative groups such as the American Principles Project, which opposes it. and the Voting Rights Act.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a gay Democrat, posted a post on X Thursday supporting RFK Jr.’s nomination, saying, “He helped defeat Colorado’s vaccine mandate in 2019. will help make America healthy again,” he wrote, prompting backlash. Shaking up HHS and FDA. ”
Polis called for “capping drug prices so that companies can’t charge Americans significantly more than Europeans are paying,” “moving away from pesticide-intensive agriculture,” and improving effectiveness. Touted RFK Jr.’s promise to abolish departments that do not exist or that are owed to corporate interests. What I’m interested in.
At the same time, the governor acknowledged the candidate’s anti-vaccine claims and wrote that he hopes RFK Jr. will oppose not only the mandate but also the ban. In May, Polis posted on X, “I don’t see how bringing back measles and bringing back polio will improve health…”
In a statement to the Washington Blade, Polis spokesperson Eric Maruyama addressed concerns about RFK Jr.’s controversial and unproven claims about health issues important to the LGBTQ community.
“Governor Polis has not changed his previously stated concerns regarding some of RFK Jr.’s positions. The Governor has expressed concerns about vaccines, bans on fluoridation, policies and messages that negatively impact the LGBTQ community, and misinformation about HIV/AIDS.” Governor Polis will hold RFK accountable for his statements and actions in these areas.
“But he would welcome efforts on pesticides, efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and if Trump were to nominate someone like him, he would welcome efforts on pesticides, processed foods, pesticides, heavy metal pollution, etc. They should also take on the powerful special interests of the United States.”
“But he has never supported actions that lead to measles outbreaks and opposes unscientific propaganda that undermines confidence in the life-saving effects of vaccines.”
Human Rights Campaign national spokesperson Brandon Wolf also issued a statement to the Blade:
“Beyond the Twitter exchange, the important thing here is that we are not naive about the impact this nomination will have on the American people. We deserve an HHS Secretary who will work in good faith with local communities to end this crisis.
“This country deserves a leader who believes in the value of vaccines and supports the overwhelming medical consensus that supports transgender youth receiving the care they medically need. The American people deserve serious leadership and have every right to demand it.”
Post-COVID-19 Democratic Party coalition government emphasizes expertise
Journalist Ezra Klein wrote in a column in Sunday’s New York Times headlined “Jared Polis wants the hippies back,” that Polis “is bucking the trends that have swept Democratic governance during the pandemic.” It is written.
For example, “He was unusual among Democratic governors in emphasizing both personal responsibility and personal freedom. I tried to rely on
And RFK Jr. ran for president in 2024 as a Democrat, at least initially, Klein noted.
“The bitter, anti-vaccine, anti-corporate politics he represents were once deeply rooted in the Democratic Party.” left behind. There is little room in the Democratic coalition for people who agree with Kennedy’s politics. ”
Klein said the post-pandemic realignment is due to the fact that Elon Musk’s shift to the right appears to have started with his opposition to coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns, as well as the fact that Elon Musk’s shift to the right appears to have started with his opposition to coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns, as well as the fact that popular podcasters who endorsed Trump on the eve of the election It’s also claimed to be evidenced by Joe Rogan, who first broke with Democrats over vaccine skepticism.
Source: Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, Gay News – www.washingtonblade.com
