Gay AIDS office director leaves White House post

[kweerwolf]

Joseph O’Neill, the gay physician who has served as director of the White House AIDS office and deputy coordinator of the president’s global AIDS program, completed his last assignment with the Bush administration this week as a White House adviser on domestic AIDS issues.

O’Neill was the last remaining Bush administration appointee in a high-level job who self-identified as gay. His departure has fueled speculation that he was forced to leave the administration for a variety of reasons, including opposition to gay presidential appointees by conservative religious groups and disagreements he reportedly had over the administration’s controversial “abstinence-only” policies on HIV prevention.

In a statement released to the Blade, O’Neill said he completed his most recent assignment at the White House to help the president develop a set of principles for Congress’ effort to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act, which provides federal AIDS funds to cities and states. “I began my federal service to people at risk for, and living with, HIV/AIDS in 1988,” O’Neill said. “It is now time for me to spend more of my energy in the aspect of public health that I have always loved – medical practice.”

http://www.nyblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=2398

On the other hand, maybe he's just miffed because *'s pet name for him was "Rump Ranger." :eyes: