In Tennessee, a fight has been brewing over another public health issue. Gov. Bill Lee rejected more than $8 million in federal funding for HIV prevention. It comes as several Republican-led states have moved to restrict the rights of LGBTQ people. White House Correspondent Laura Barrón-López visited Memphis where advocates have sounded the alarm about the looming impact of those efforts.

Demonstrators condemned a move by Governor Bill Lee to reject more than $8 million in federal funding for HIV prevention. He argues the state should cover those costs, and have more say in who gets the money.

For years, the federal dollars, which come through grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have trickled down to community organizations. They use it for services like HIV testing, condom distribution, and access to the HIV prevention drug PrEP.

One such group is the Partnership to End AIDS Status, or PEAS.

How much of that CDC funding accounts for your organization?

Rosa Barber, Partnership to End AIDS Status: Ninety percent of our funding comes from the CDC.

Laura Barrón-López:

Rosa Barber, the chief operating officer for PEAS, says the organization had to let go of its permanent space due to the funding uncertainty.

On the day we met, they had set up in a small room at a Memphis beauty shop.