Indeed, AIDS education is diminishing all over the U.S. in response to laws in the spirit of "Don't Say Gay."

This is tragic considering that the US could be on track to virtually eliminate HIV circulation. PrEP and TAsP (treatment as prevention) are so effective that many major metro areas like New York City have set realistic goals of no new HIV cases within the next few years.

However, HIV circulation strongly persists in many areas, particularly in the South, especially among people of color in the South. HIV/AIDS advocates and and medical specialists point to lack of access to treatment and lack of public education campaigns — caused by lack of will among conservative politicians, who preach that abstinence campaigns are the only thing we need to stop HIV.

Their attitudes are deeply rooted in homophobia and in disdain for IV drug users, who they say need to be in prison rather than in addiction-education programs.

We could have mostly eliminated HIV circulation already if state and local governments followed best-practice recommendations from the U.S. CDC, which are proven to save public-health dollars, and which even the Trump administration promoted.

And now, things are getting worse instead of better as disdain for LGBTQ people grows across the US public stage. No, AIDS is not a gay disease, but men who have sex with men are disproportionately at risk for HIV in the U.S.

Which is very bad news in the fight to stop HIV.