The Biden Administration has again demonstrated that it has no time for Fox News’ bad-faith brand of divisive, incendiary “journalism.”
On Monday, the conservative cable network posted a story to its website about the supposedly scandalously “woke” resumes of several administration appointees who worked on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA). Many members are LGBTQ+ people.
Among the appointees up for Fox News’ scrutiny was Adrian Shanker, a senior advisor on LGBTQI+ Health Equity. The network took issue with Shanker’s previous work for the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, which has hosted drag queen story hour events.
The story also notes that Raniyah Copeland previously worked at Planned Parenthood and was the president and CEO of the Black AIDS Institute; Tori Cooper worked as the director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign, and Guillermo Chacón worked as the president for the Latino Commission on AIDS. The piece also dredged up a mention on the resume of former Los Angeles County Department of Public Health medical director Leonard Moore of a radio show segment on “The Joys of Condom-less Sex.”
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According to Fox News, the “resumes of current Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials were obtained by America First Legal through the Freedom of Information Act.” America First Legal is headed by former Trump senior advisor Stephen Miller.
In response to the story attempting to smear qualified HHS appointees, the White House sent Fox News an image of a t-shirt that read, “Uncle Sam doesn’t care, snowflakes.”
“This is our statement, on the record,” White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told Fox News Digital.
Fox News asked the White House for comment on a trollish story about Biden appointing queer activists to an HIV advisory council.
The White House’s official comment: A shirt that says “Uncle Sam doesn’t care, snowflakes.” https://t.co/NpdGW3ayuh pic.twitter.com/jc1xDkfHsj
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) December 19, 2022
An HHS spokesperson also sent the following statement in support of the appointees:
“The AIDS council is comprised of subject matter experts who understand the lived experiences of HIV-positive individuals and have dedicated their lives to stopping the spread of this deadly disease. Every American should want qualified individuals on the council who are committed to saving lives.”
