December 1 is World AIDS Day, and Madonna is hellbent on acknowledging it ... with or without the approval of the president and his administration.
According to an email viewed by The New York Times, the U.S. State Department has instructed employees to refrain from commemorating World AIDS Day in any form of public-facing messaging.
Thankfully, Madonna is not a government employee.
The pop icon expressed her distaste for Donald Trump's stance on the international day for raising HIV-AIDS awareness, writing ... "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 ... "I refuse to acknowledge that these people have died in vain. And I will continue to honor World AIDS Day, and I hope you will honor it with me."
Madonna stressed that while there is effective treatment and pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV, there is still no cure for AIDS.
But it's not just a refusal to acknowledge the day that has people up in arms. Forbes reports the administration's funding disruptions have negatively impacted women-led HIV organizations -- meaning the number of new HIV infections could rise after years of decline.
World AIDS Day has been recognized all around the world since December 1, 1988.
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