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The recent decision by the Trump administration to restrict access to life-saving PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) medication for LGBTQ+ people, sex workers, and other high-risk groups through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) is a horrifying act of cruelty. PrEP is a highly effective medication that prevents HIV transmission. When taken consistently, PrEP reduces the risk of contracting HIV by up to 99%, making it one of the most important tools in the fight against the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. By limiting PrEP distribution to only pregnant and breastfeeding women in countries receiving U.S. aid, this administration has deliberately abandoned countless vulnerable people to the risk of HIV. This policy is not only medically indefensible but also a moral failure that betrays our shared call to care for God’s beloved children, especially the marginalized and oppressed.

A Death Sentence for the Most Vulnerable

PEPFAR has been one of the most successful global health programs in history, saving millions of lives by preventing and treating HIV/AIDS in some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. By cutting off PrEP access to LGBTQ+ people and sex workers, the Trump administration has ensured that HIV infections will rise, leading to unnecessary suffering and death. This policy is not about fiscal responsibility or public health—it is about catering to a conservative, heteronormative worldview that sees certain lives as expendable.

As people of faith committed to justice and inclusion, we must call this policy what it is: an act of state-sanctioned violence. It is an extension of the same hateful rhetoric that demonizes LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. and beyond. It is a direct attack on the dignity and worth of God’s beloved children.

What This Means for LGBTQ+ People in the U.S.

Although this particular policy targets foreign aid, it sends a chilling message to LGBTQ+ people everywhere, including in the United States. If the government is willing to let queer people abroad suffer and die rather than provide them with access to basic healthcare, how long before similar policies are enacted here? We have already seen efforts to restrict access to PrEP domestically, including legal challenges to insurance coverage and conservative-led state efforts to defund LGBTQ+-inclusive healthcare programs.

This policy reinforces the idea that LGBTQ+ lives are expendable, that their well-being is secondary to the political agendas of those in power. It fuels stigma, emboldens discrimination, and puts more people—especially Black and Brown LGBTQ+ individuals—at risk of contracting HIV. It deepens the shame and fear that many queer people already feel when seeking medical care, pushing them further to the margins.

We must reject the false narrative that this is simply a political or budgetary decision. This is about control, about punishing people for who they are, and about erasing our existence.

What Can Churches and Individuals Do?

As Open and Affirming churches and justice-seeking people of faith, we must respond with action, not just words. Here are concrete ways we can push back against this harmful policy:

1. Advocate for Policy Change – Contact elected officials and demand that they restore PEPFAR’s full funding and PrEP access for all high-risk groups. Urge Congress to push back against these unjust restrictions.
2. Support Organizations Fighting HIV/AIDS – Donate to and partner with organizations providing PrEP, treatment, and education, such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AVAC (AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition), and local LGBTQ+ health centers.
3. Educate Your Community – Host forums, webinars, or discussions in your church or community to educate people about HIV prevention, the impact of these policies, and what we can do to help.
4. Provide Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ People – Ensure that LGBTQ+ individuals in your congregation and community know they are welcomed, affirmed, loved, and supported. This includes offering tangible resources, such as health referrals, support groups, and affirming theology.
5. Raise Awareness Through Social Media – Use your platform to amplify the voices of those impacted by this decision and to call for justice. Share stories, petitions, and updates to keep people informed and engaged.
6. Push for Expanded Domestic PrEP Access – Support local and national efforts to ensure PrEP remains widely available and affordable in the U.S. Push back against religious exemptions that allow healthcare discrimination.
7. Pray and Preach for Justice – Include prayers for those affected by these policies in your worship services. Preach boldly about the call to resist injustice and care for the most vulnerable.

The decision to restrict PrEP access is an attack on the sanctity of life itself. As followers of Christ, we cannot remain silent while our siblings around the world suffer. Let us stand together in faith and action, refusing to let discrimination and indifference dictate who gets to live and who is left to die.

God’s love is for all people—unconditionally, unapologetically, and without restrictions. May we be the hands and feet of that love in this critical moment.