Right in all the madness and vaccination scares caused by the very unbalanced RJK, who was made Health Secretary by Trump as a ‘thank you’ for ending his candidacy for the Presidential Election, this week, we got to remember the good old days. On Wednesday, Bet Mishpachah, Washington’s LGBTQ synagogue, honored  Dr. Anthony Fauci with an award for his lifelong devotion to public health and service.

He was given Harvey Milk Chesed Award in recognition of his groundbreaking leadership in infectious disease research and decades of service to global public health.  The award is given annually to someone who has made “outstanding” contributions to the LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities that “exemplify the virtue of chesed, or ‘lovingkindness.’”Fauci’s commitment to combating infectious diseases-HIV/AIDS, respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19-as well as his leadership in public health policy, embodies this valu” , according to Bet Mishpachah President Joseph Pomper. 

Fauci has advised seven presidents on key health issues, most prominently HIV/AIDS, and helped create the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR),which has saved some 26 million lives and enabled 7.8 million babies to be born without HIV infection. This, like so many essential health services, has been threatened with closure by Trump on his first day back in the White House. The detailed report by KFF makes for horrendous reading and, unlike the White House’s spin, IT relies heavily on facts AND NOT LIES.

President Pomper went on to say that “Bet Mishpachah is honored to have this opportunity to recognize Dr. Fauci for his lifelong commitment to the health and well-being of millions of people around the world. As members of the LGBTQ+ community, we are especially thankful for his courage and dedication in the fight against HIV/AIDS. He stood with us at a time when our community was often shunned and stigmatized. Today, as members of our community are again under attack, his leadership in that crisis and throughout his career serves as a shining example of the spirit of chesed (lovingkindness) that we honor with this award.”