A group of organizations, spearheaded by the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) is asking the President to direct federal agencies not to condition the receipt of global AIDS or anti-trafficking funds by U.S.-based organizations on the signing of a pledge condemning prostitution.
Federal agencies recently began requiring U.S.-based groups receiving funds under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act to explicitly commit to opposing prostitution. Public health and social service groups have expressed concern that the move will create a stigma that will impede work with populations at risk from prostitution.
CHANGE has recevied over 200 sign-ons so far to its letter to the President regarding this issue. Learn more on their website.
In a letter to the President, Rep. Waxman cites the far-reaching implications of a precedent of imposing potentially unconstitutional speech restrictions and policy requirements on U.S. organizations. Rep. Waxman urges the President to instruct his Administration not to enforce this policy. In a letter to Attorney General Gonzalez, Rep. Waxman asks for an explanation of the Justice Department’s new support for the policy. Learn more about the letter and the funding limitations.
A minor victory was scored in this fight when on May 19th, 2005, Randall Tobias, US Global AIDS Coordiantor, said the US would not seek to impose this funding restriction on orgnaizations receiving money from multilateral international groups, like the Global Fund to Fight HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
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