Celebrities Javier Muoz and Peppermint will join other activists in Washington, D.C., in the coming week to lobby Congress against proposed cuts to HIV funding.A House bill would cut a further $1 billion from HIV prevention and services to people with the virus; there have already been spending reductions in the millions during the second Trump administration. For decades, federal funds have supported access to preventive care, primary care, mental health services, housing, and lifesaving medications. Cutting HIV programs would greatly reduce access to care for people living with chronic conditions, low-income families, and uninsured communities across the country, notes a press release from the #SaveHIVFunding campaign.Muoz, best known for starring as Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton on Broadway, is a gay man who has been living with HIV for more than 20 years. He has long been an activist for LGBTQ+ rights, reducing HIV stigma, and funding HIV prevention and treatment.Peppermint, runner-up in season 9 of RuPauls Drag Race, is now starring in Netflixs Survival of the Thickest and has performed on Broadway in Head Over Heels, which made her the first out transgender woman to originate a principal role on Broadway. She is also an LGBTQ+ rights advocate, with a particular focus on issues facing Black trans women.The campaign in D.C. coincides with the annual U.S. Conference on HIV/AIDS.Related: House Oversight Democrats demand records over RFK Jr.s HIV program cutsOn Wednesday, members of the #SaveHIVFunding campaign, including Muoz and Peppermint, will visit congressional offices to share stories and underscore the urgent need for sustained HIV funding. There will be additional meetings with lawmakers, coalition events, and caucuses Thursday. Friday will bring the reveal and presentation of the #SaveHIVFunding #CutsKill Quilt, featuring an interactive installation symbolizing the lives that will be affected by cuts to federal HIV programs.Programs fighting HIV and AIDS have a long history of bipartisan support. The proposed cuts could threaten the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the global program started by Republican President George W. Bush in 2003, which has saved an estimated 26 million lives; domestic programs funded through the Ryan White CARE Act; Medicaid, which provides health insurance for 40 percent of Americans living with HIV; and access to HIV prevention drugs in the strategy known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP.Medicaid expansion has been associated with a 33 percent increase in PrEP prescriptions, but Medicaid cuts recently passed by Congress will reduce coverage and access to HIV care. Reducing access to PrEP would further result in an increase in HIV cases.Related: What Medicaid and SNAP cuts mean for LGBTQ+ peopleThe #SaveHIVFunding campaign points out that federal spending on HIV prevention is cost-effective. Every $1 invested in prevention saves the health care system $3 to $7 in future treatment costs. Federal HIV prevention and treatment programs also provide a blueprint for addressing other health crises.More than 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and over 500,000 rely on federal programs for lifesaving medication and care. Black and Latino communities account for more than 65 percent of new HIV diagnoses.The #SaveHIVFunding campaign was launched in 2023 by PrEP4All, AVAC, and the HIV Medicine Association in partnership with the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership. It is supported by over 150 national and local organizations. So far it has prevented $1.5 billion in spending cuts, and it expanded this year in response to the Trump administrations efforts to dismantle HIV services and infrastructure.