WASHINGTON, DC — GLMA strongly condemns the sweeping workforce reductions across the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including thousands of positions eliminated at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This reduction in force (RIF) is part of a restructuring effort under the Trump administration, with severe consequences for public health infrastructure—especially for historically-excluded communities such as LGBTQ+ people and communities of color. 

These cuts target Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) programs including HIV prevention, reproductive health, environmental health, and chronic disease control. This dismantling of the federal workforce specifically eliminates teams responsible for data collection, community outreach, and critical prevention and treatment initiatives—amounting to a direct attack on vulnerable populations where health disparities already persist.

“The programs targeted by these cuts are precisely the ones our communities rely on for survival,” said Alex Sheldon, MA, Executive Director of GLMA. “LGBTQ+ populations already face disproportionate barriers when accessing care, and our communities endure ongoing health disparities as a result. Eliminating federal programs designed to mitigate those disparities will result in unnecessary, preventable deaths. And this administration has ensured that by specifically targeting or eliminating health data collection initiatives that the impacts of these reductions will be incredibly difficult to quantify—and that is by design. This is not about government efficiency, it is about erasure.”

“These cuts are a major setback to our already remedial public health system. The ensuing chaos and staffing and funding shortages stand to harm all Americans, not just the most marginalized.” said Jona Tanguay, MMSc, PA-C, AAHIVS, President of GLMA. “Vital departments like the CDC’s Division of HIV Prevention exist in various forms across all developed nations. The programs run by the office are essential to making meaningful strides in ending the HIV epidemic. We have the tools to do it, but these disruptions are set to reverse positive trends and ensure the United States falls far behind other countries. This is more than a threat to LGBTQ+ communities, it is an embracement of failure at a critical time when increased efforts are needed to set this country on a healthier path.”

GLMA remains committed to supporting health professionals, organizations, and policymakers in a coordinated response to the ongoing assault on LGBTQ+ health.

About GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality
GLMA is a national organization committed to ensuring health equity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities and equality for LGBTQ+ health professionals in their work and learning environments.  To achieve this mission, GLMA utilizes the scientific expertise of its diverse multidisciplinary membership to inform and drive advocacy, education, and research. glma.org