Madonna Slams President Trump for Refusing to Honor World AIDS Day: ‘It’s Unthinkable’
After decades of supporting the fight against AIDS, Madonna is refusing to go backwards — no matter what Donald Trump‘s administration dictates.
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In a passionate post on Instagram on Monday (Dec. 1), the Queen of Pop slammed the president’s administration for shirking generations of precedent and refusing to observe World Aids Day, which has traditionally taken place on the first day of December every year. “It’s one thing to order federal agents to refrain from commemorating this day, but to ask the general public to pretend it never happened is ridiculous, it’s absurd, it’s unthinkable,” Madge wrote.
“I bet he’s never watched his best friend die of AIDS, held their hand and watched the blood drain from their face as they took their last breath at the age of 23,” she continued. “The list of people that I have known and loved and lost to AIDS is pretty long. Let me say it one more time — there still isn’t a cure for AIDS, and people still die from it.”
The public call-out comes shortly after the State Department sent out an email directive ordering government employees to “refrain from publicly promoting World AIDS Day through any communication channels, including social media, media engagements, speeches or other public-facing messaging,” according to The New York Times. Recipients were also reportedly instructed not to use any U.S. funds to recognize the day, something the email explained was part of a broader administrative policy to limit “messaging on any commemorative days, including World AIDS Day.”
But Madonna isn’t letting Trump’s decision fly under the radar. “I refuse to acknowledge that these people have died in vain,” she added in her post. “And I will continue to honor World AIDS Day, and I hope you will honor it with me.”
The pop icon has long been an advocate for AIDS awareness and activism. She was one of the first big stars to speak up about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, despite it being highly taboo due to widespread homophobia at the time. Madonna has also been open about the pain of losing good friend Martin Burgoyne and dance instructor Christopher Flynn to the illness.
On her 2023-2024 Celebration Tour, Madge included a tribute to AIDS victims in her show each night.
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