The Reagans, particularly Nancy, helped start "a national conversation" about HIV and AIDS. –Hillary Clinton
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Ronald Reagan took office in 1981. The first cases of AIDS also appeared in 1981. Four years later 6,000 Americans had died from AIDS, yet Reagan was silent. However, while the man was silent, people associated with his administration had things to say. His Communications Director, Pat Buchanan, declared AIDS to be God’s punishment for being gay.* His Press Secretary, Larry Speaks, found the whole AIDS crisis hilarious, repeatedly laughing at reporters who raised concerns about the growing epidemic**. And as for Nancy Reagan herself? When her friend, Rock Hudson, called her to ask for help in reaching a doctor who Hudson thought might help, Nancy decided it wouldn’t look good for her to get involved. She refused to help.
Reagan did finally discuss AIDS in 1987, after his re-election and the last midterm elections of his presidency. By that time over 36,000 Americans had been diagnosed with HIV, and more than 20,000 of them had died.*** Reagan refused to let his Surgeon General C. Everett Koop speak out about the AIDS epidemic until 1988, when Koop was finally allowed to issue a pamphlet explaining the disease and recommending condom use as a preventative measure. ****
This is the “conversation” Hillary Clinton is praising. This gross dereliction of duty and of basic human decency is something Clinton describes as a positive part of the Reagans’ legacy.
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Pat_Buchanan#Homosexuality
**http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/12/01/reagan_press_secretary_laughs_about_gay_people_dying_of_aids.html
***http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/Reagan-s-AIDS-Legacy-Silence-equals-death-2751030.php
****https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_policy_of_the_Ronald_Reagan_administration#Response_to_AIDS
Friday, Mar 11, 2016 · 9:32:09 PM +00:00 · Heather in Carrboro
Hillary Clinton has tweeted an apology for her statement about the Reagans and the AIDS crisis.
While the Reagans were strong advocates for stem cell research and finding a cure for Alzheimer’s disease, I misspoke about their record on HIV and AIDS. For that, I’m sorry.
https://twitter.com/HillaryClinton/status/708403247795539968