WILTON MANORS, Fla. – A proposal to cut federal funding for HIV prevention could affect The Pride Center in Wilton Manors, its CEO says.
“We’ve been providing non-traditional testing and education since 2006,” CEO Robert Boo said.
Boo said the organization doesn’t just serve the LGBTQ community. He said 40% are “allies.”
“They come to us because they trust us,” he said. “If we don’t get this funding, we may need to scale back some of our services.”
Some grants for HIV-related issues have already been eliminated at universities, including the University of Miami.
According to a document from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, one project on the chopping block was a study on HIV-prevention medication PrEP.
The Trump administration says it’s cutting waste and too much money is spent on programs that don’t serve the American people
But Boo says South Florida can’t afford it.
“South Florida, which has been the number one area in the country for new HIV infections for the last eight to 10 years, it’s going to stop,” he said. “We will not be providing HIV testing out into the community, linking people to life-saving resources.”
Right now, there is no official word yet from the Trump administration whether those prevention services will be cut, but Boo says he doesn’t want to be caught flat-footed.
He’s talking to some of the people who use these services and to donors, trying to figure out alternative sources of funding.