Look at the fact that the AIDS crisis is still not over — and then look at the ballot box for the 2016 presidential election. Look to the South, where young gay black men and Latinos are showing up at clinics at record rates. Look at prisons in Louisiana, look at what trans folks, trans women, endure. Women overall are still struggling with HIV despite new prevention efforts like the vaginal ring. Imagine what a straight man goes through, and look at what gay and bisexual men are still going through. It’s vital that we carefully consider who is running for president and who is most likely to get things done for the HIV/AIDS community.
Here’s my report card for each candidate:
The Republican Candidates: Trump, Cruz and Kasich
Among the Republican candidates — Trump, Cruz and Kasich — none include any substantial mention of HIV/AIDS in their health policies, and none have answered the HIV community questionnaires for this year’s presidential contenders.
John Kasich: A Blip in the Right Direction — Grade D
But one of them had a blip in the right direction — John Kasich. Governor Kasich supports the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Bypassing the state legislature, he signed Medicaid expansion into law for all of Ohio. That took some guts for a GOP hardliner like Kasich. The AIDS Resource Center cheered for Kasich in 2015, noting that Ohio has about 1000 new HIV infections every year, and every infection costs Ohio taxpayers nearly $400,000 a year.
But Kasich also signed a bill to defund Planned Parenthood and that can’t be excused. Planned Parenthood bashing is universally political and bad for our health. Its prevention programs are excellent, including its support of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), and it is a necessary go-to for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment referrals. Too often, it’s the only game in town. Now, Kasich has done away with them, and that’s a big a strike against the Governor. Kasich’s conservative approach to health care is no replacement for the progressive plan now in effect.