Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday won re-election.

Albanese’s Labor Party defeated the Liberal Party that Peter Dutton led.

Dutton, who lost his seat in parliament, quickly conceded to Albanese, who is the first Australian prime minister to win re-election in 21 years. Foreign Minister Penny Wong, a lesbian who represents South Australia in the Australian Senate, on Saturday introduced Albanese at his victory party.

“Today the Australian people have voted for Australian values; for fairness, aspiration, and opportunity for all, for the strength to show courage in adversity, and kindness to those in need,” said Albanese. “Australians have voted for a future that holds true to these values.”

(9News Australia)

Albanese has been prime minister since 2022. In 2023 he became the first Australian prime minister to march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.

Voters re-elected Albanese less than a week after Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and his Liberal Party won the country’s federal election. The Trump-Vance administration’s global tariffs are among the issues that factored into both country’s votes.

“Congratulations to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his victory in Australia’s federal election,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio on X. “Australia is a valued U.S. friend and a close partner.”

“We look forward to continuing to promote freedom and security in the Indo-Pacific and around the world,” he added.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears last year in a handwritten note indicated her opposition to marriage rights for same-sex couples when she signed a bill that affirmed marriage equality in the state.

Brandon Jarvis of Virginia Scope on May 1 published Earle-Sears’s note on House Bill 174, which state Del. Rozia Henson, a Prince William County Democrat who is gay, introduced.

The Virginia Senate passed HB 174 by a 22-17 vote margin, and the state constitution required Earle-Sears to sign it as the chamber’s president. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the measure into law after it received bipartisan support.

“As the lieutenant governor, I recognize and respect my constitutional obligation to adhere to procedures set out in the constitution of Virginia,” wrote Earle-Sears in her note. “However, I remain morally opposed to the content of HB 174 as passed by the General Assembly.”

Earle-Sears, a former U.S. Marine who served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002-2004, in 2021 became the first woman elected Virginia’s lieutenant governor. Activists have criticized her for her opposition to LGBTQ rights in Virginia.

She sparked controversy last year when she misgendered state Sen. Danica Roem (D-Manassas), who is transgender, on the Senate floor. Earle-Sears has also spoken at the Conservative Political Action Conference.

Earle-Sears is running to succeed Youngkin as governor once his term ends in January 2026. She will likely face former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat who previously represented Virginia’s 7th Congressional District.

John Reid, a conservative talk show host who is openly gay, last month secured the Republican nomination to succeed Earle-Sears as lieutenant governor. Youngkin has called for Reid to end his campaign amid reports that he posted “pornographic content” on social media.

Reid has strongly denied the reports.

As the executive directors of LGBTQ+ advocacy orgs in nearby states, we share an unshakeable commitment to the wellbeing of our communities. This commitment drives us and our organizations to advocate for health care affordability and accessibility, whether for gender-affirming health care and HIV treatment, or simple prevention measures and non-discrimination. And, it is why we oppose giving unaccountable advisory boards the power to set prices, and therefore threaten access, to critical, life-saving drugs such as HIV treatment medication. 

The LGBTQ+ community loves acronyms, but there’s one that we wish more people knew about: PDAB. A Prescription Drug Affordability Board is an appointed board that reviews the cost of some prescription drugs and determines if they are affordable. While this sounds good, the reality is that these boards may actually limit access to some important drugs, or even cause new affordability problems for patients. Plus, they have done little to consider patient or community input or demonstrate true accountability to the communities affected by their decisions – like our friends and family members living with HIV. 

Our organizations continue to raise concerns about PDABs and their expansion because of our serious concerns about their potential impact on LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV and other chronic conditions. In fact, Virginia’s governor recently vetoed a bill that would have created a prescription drug affordability board. In his veto statement, Gov. Youngkin said: “This legislation risks limiting patient access to essential medication by prioritizing costs over medical necessity. Affordability of prescription drugs is a critical issue, but this proposal would instead compromise patient welfare in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”

Maryland’s PDAB was created in 2019 and has yet to bring down costs, even for those in the state health plans. FreeState Justice advocated against expanding the board’s scope to potentially set “upper payment limits” or UPLs for drugs purchased by state and local government health plans. UPLs can easily backfire and decrease access for many patients. We are particularly concerned about the potential unintended consequences of actions by these boards.

Because LGBTQ+ communities are disproportionately affected by HIV, our organizations advocate for the rights, equality, and well-being of people living with HIV. Thanks to significant advancements in science and treatment, HIV is now a manageable chronic illness. But only if we maintain access to the medications that people living with HIV rely on.

Beyond HIV, LGBTQ+ people experience higher needs for health care and steeper barriers to access than other populations. Almost half, or 47 percent, of LGBTQ+ people have a medical condition that requires monitoring or medication. And, LGBTQ+ people are more likely to delay or go without care due to cost issues. That is why PDABs, and in particular, upper payment limits, could exacerbate health disparities for the LGBTQ+ community.

In the handful of states with PDABs, these boards have made decisions that impact patients living with chronic conditions, including HIV– often without considering comments from advocates, patients and providers, or the programs that support patients in accessing and affording these treatments. 

Programs like the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and other supports help make the cost of HIV treatments affordable for patients. These programs were hard-won by advocates, who for years have held fast to the mantra: nothing about us, without us. This principle of HIV advocacy is directly opposite of what PDABs do: empower an appointed board of experts to make decisions about the affordability of HIV medications without any input from people living with HIV. 

In February, the Oregon PDAB heard many stakeholder comments on the importance of preserving access to HIV treatment. Advocates explained how drug assistance programs work and why patients need access to as many treatment options as possible. Despite this strong testimony, the board chose to review an HIV medication, Odesfey, against community recommendations.

Today many communities including people living with HIV are concerned and fearful about the serious impacts of federal funding cuts to health care. State PDABs are a costly tool, and they have not produced the savings they promised. This is a moment to preserve access and stabilize the system, and avoid any changes that could jeopardize the care people need.

There’s so much at stake for our communities when it comes to access to health care. We do need to address the high cost of prescription drugs, but there are better ways to do it that earnestly incorporate community input and take a more comprehensive look at the complex health care system. Our organizations are ready to bring LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV into the discussion. By bringing patients, healthcare providers, and policymakers to the same table, we can come up with better solutions that truly make medications affordable without sacrificing access. Our north star is clear: a healthcare system that listens to all voices and makes sure everyone gets the care we need to thrive.

Phillip Westry is executive director of FreeState Justice in Maryland and Narissa Rahaman is executive director of Equality Virginia.