SEX & RELATIONSHIPS
THE AIDS CRISIS: HOW A G OV E R N M E N T FA I L E D T H E G AY COMMUNIT Y Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States,
The central reason as to why the Reagan Government’s
stood at a podium in 1987 and said to those watching
response to the AIDS Crisis is very simple.
that ‘when it comes to preventing AIDS, don’t medicine and
government, made up of a right-wing republican base
morality teach the same lessons?’ Such a statement was
was teeming with homophobia.
widely condemned, as was the Government’s response
with audio of White House press briefings prove what
to combating the disease. Indeed, when you consider
little interest the Government had in dealing with this
how important the fight against AIDS is now, the US
seriously. The first recorded question to the White House
Government’s response in the 1980s was as incompetent
addressing AIDS in 1982 saw the Press Secretary laugh
as it gets.
and suggest that the reporter asking the questions was
His
A transcript, along
a homosexual. A year later, when the issue was raised New Zealand, in November of 2019, completed a major
again, the Press Secretary was again amused, interpreting
breakthrough in combating HIV/AIDS. They developed
the reporter’s questions as an indication of his sexuality.
the world’s first HIV-positive sperm bank. This allows
Both subtle yet undoubtedly homophobic remarks were
those with HIV to donate sperm, with the virus itself
met with laughter from the other reporters present at
contained to a level that it cannot be detected or even
such press conferences.
passed on through unprotected sex or childbirth. The medical progress is seen as a great victory in reducing the
The disease, that for all intents and purposes, was
stigma for people suffering with the disease as revealed
originally named ‘Gay Cancer’ by the US Media,
by do-nor Damien Rule-Neal who was first diagnosed 20
symbolised the harshness of ‘Reaganism’ and the
years ago:
attitude of the administration to-wards the homosexual community. When UCLA first reported the disease in
‘I want to show the world that life doesn’t stop post-diagnosis
1981, it was made very clear to everyone that it was the
and help to remove the stigma.’
stereotypical hedonistic lifestyles of people who were gay that were to blame for the initial epidemic. The severity of
Mr Neal is undoubtedly gracious and positive role model
the disease was not taken lightly within the community.
in the fight against HIV/AIDS. As is New Zealand. It is,
Gay rights activist Larry Kramer remarked in 1982 that
therefore, nothing less than shameful when we look back
he had lost 15 friends to the diseases, with another 15
at the US, the ‘Land of the Free’ and its response to the
diagnosed. The Government, however, only saw fit to
AIDS crisis that swept America and indeed the world in
dedicate $12 million dollars to AIDS research. This was
the 1980s.
not enough. By 1987, over 16,000 people had died from the disease. The death of Rock Hudson, the first major
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Sex & Relationships
