This Pride Month, we are inundated by threats to the LGBTQ community—from book bans to attacks on gender-affirming care. But one case now before the Supreme Court stands out in its potential to inflict devastating harm far beyond our community. Kennedy v. Braidwood is not just an attack on HIV prevention or LGBTQ people—it’s a coordinated effort to dismantle access to no-cost preventive healthcare for more than 150 million Americans.

This case began with plaintiffs objecting to PrEP, claiming it “promotes homosexuality” and offends their religious beliefs. But this is no isolated grievance—it’s part of the same right-wing, religious extremist agenda targeting LGBTQ youth, banning gender-affirming care, and slashing HIV prevention funding. If successful, this case would upend decades of public health progress and make critical, evidence-based services unaffordable and inaccessible to millions.

Cancer screenings. Heart disease prevention. STI testing. Mental health care. These services hang in the balance—all because some want to control who is deemed “worthy” of health and safety.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about religious liberty. It’s about using LGBTQ people as a scapegoat to push a broader agenda that punishes the vulnerable. And the truth is, most of the people harmed by this decision won’t be queer. They’ll be working-class families, Black and Brown communities, rural Americans, and anyone who relies on preventive care to stay healthy and alive.

History reminds us that silence is deadly. We hear echoes of the AIDS crisis in this case—of those who looked away while our community died, and those who weaponized faith to justify inaction. We cannot let that history repeat itself. And as we collectively continue to combat persistent health inequities across so many disease conditions, we refuse to return to a time without federal protections for full coverage of evidence-based preventive care, when these problems were even worse. We cannot turn back the clock on progress.

As leaders in medicine, law, and public health, we urge Americans to pay attention and speak out. The stakes are too high for apathy. The health of our nation cannot be sacrificed to extremism. 

We urge the Supreme Court to reject this dangerous and unconstitutional challenge. But regardless of the decision, our fight continues—in courtrooms, in statehouses, in clinics, and in the streets. Because a win for LGBTQ people is a win for everyone. When we protect the most vulnerable, we strengthen the whole.

This Pride Month, we honor the legacy of those who fought back at Stonewall, who took to the streets with ACT UP, and who demanded dignity at the height of crisis. We carry that legacy forward now. Join us. Raise your voice. Defend preventive care. Fight back.