Political Ignorance

The United States has endured numerous deadly outbreaks throughout history dating back to the Europeans arrival when smallpox spread throughout Indigenous communities and as recently as today with the Covid-19 pandemic still infecting thousands. Many of these outbreaks such as the influenza of 1918 were so fatal due to the limited resources and knowledge; however, the AIDS epidemic reached its level of severity due to an additional factor: the lack of concern and action from the federal government. The Reagan administration, the administration in office at the time of the epidemic, provided no thoughtful response for the first several years of the ever growing epidemic, showcasing their disinterest in the disease and their apathy towards those impacted by it.

The administration’s first addressment of the disease came in 1992, one year after its first detection in the United States; however, it was this initial response that displayed their apathetic view on the crisis. Larry Speakes, the president’s press secretary responded with laughter when reporter Lester Kinsolving mentioned the disease which had already affected hundreds and was known as the “gay plague,” saying “I don’t have it” and continuously questioning Kinsolving if he did. This response set the stage for the federal government’s involvement or lack thereof in the AIDS crisis.

Despite the increase in both infection and death rates, the federal government continued to dismiss the severity of the epidemic; they did not address the ever growing epidemic, disregarding any questions or mentions of it. Even as the CDC recognized the severity of the epidemic with over a thousand people affected, the government continued to show no concern. There were some Congress members who expressed concern particularly after the republican budget cuts that would include cutting funding for the CDC, but in the end many members of Congress continued to show no concern for the spreading disease, calling it the “gay plague” and going so far as to deliever a speech titled “What Homosexuals Do” and pushing to “create a government register of AIDS patients, quarantines, and deportation” (Green). While there were some members of Congress concerned with the epidemic from the beginning and urged others to take it into consideration, many representatives let their prejudiced beliefs cloud their judgment, fueling the white house’s ability to provide no response.

The first time that AIDS research was provided any sort of funding was in 1983. While this may seem like a promising measure due to the CDC’s only recent understanding of the disease's severity, the funding provided was nothing short of minimal and noncommittal. This funding was “coupled with Toxic Shock Syndrome and Legionnaires Disease in a Public Health Emergency Trust Fund” (Bennington-Castro). Furthermore, the government decided on budget cuts including cutting some funding for the CDC; therefore, the limited money set aside for AIDS research would be cut even further. At this point the CDC was extremely frustrated because they recognized the severity of the disease, but the federal government refused to listen. Such actions showcase the federal government's shift in ignoring the rising issue to avidly dismissing it altogether; their refusal to acknowledge it at first was subtle dismissal, but the miniscule funding shows that they do not care about the issue or those impacted by it enough to do anything about it.

Although the number of cases continued to increase dramatically with thousands of cases, it was not until September of 1985 that President Reagan publicly addressed the epidemic for the first time. When mentioned by a reporter, President Reagan responded saying that the AIDS epidemic was a “top priority.” With the president’s words not reflecting the administration’s actions of the first few years of the epidemic, the president was criticized, particularly for the lack of funding allocated for research. Although President Reagan continually defended his administration’s actions in regards to the epidemic, soon after his first public statement about the epidemic the administration and the criticism about the funding, or lack thereof, there was an increase in funding allocated towards AIDS research. Congress allocated nearly $190 million for research, an increase in $70 million from the administration’s original request. The additional funding would benefit the research; however, the lack of funding during the beginning of the epidemic set progress back allowing it to reach the degree of severity it did.

The same day that Congress allocated funding for AIDS research, actor Rock Hudson, a close friend of President Reagan, passed away due to an AIDS related illness. Although devastating, the death of Rock Hudson played a huge role in the AIDS crisis as a turning point for the perception of the disease affecting many. Not only did Rock Hudson donate a quarter of a million dollars to help set up the American Foundation for AIDS, but he was the first major public figure in the U.S. to acknowledge his infection with the disease. As Elizabth Taylor, another popular actor and close friend of Rock Hudson, spoke out about his death, President Reagan decided to make his first speech on the disease taking thousands of lives including the life of a close friend.

The Reagan administration ultimately ended up putting in effort to combat the deadly epidemic, but only under the pressure of an upset and concerned individuals and communities. Towards the end of 1987, six years into the epidemic with almost fifty thousand people infected, the United States began spreading awareness about AIDS by “sponsoring AIDS Awareness Month, launching the “America Responds to AIDS” advertising campaign and mailing the Surgeon General’s findings to every American household” (Bennington-Castro). These efforts proved to be beneficial as different programs and resources began to be created in an attempt to combat the disease and its harmful effects, but the efforts were put in too little too late as thousands throughout the country had already been infected and passed away from the disease or complications from it.

Although the AIDS crisis is not widely known or talked about, the Reagan administration’s connection to the epidemic will forever be negative as their lack in response followed by limited efforts showcased their apathy towards those impacted by the disease. There is no telling for sure what would have happened but there is a good chance that the epidemic would not have amounted to the severity it did if the government had stepped in from the beginning.

Sources

Bennington-Castro, Joseph. “How AIDS Remained an Unspoken—But Deadly—Epidemic for Years.” HISTORY, https://www.history.com/news/aids-epidemic-ronald-reagan. Accessed 11 Mar. 2022.

Bronski, Michael. The ACT UP Historical Archive: Reagan’s AIDSGATE. https://actupny.org/reports/reagan.html. Accessed 23 Mar. 2022.

Green, Joshua. “The Heroic Story of How Congress First Confronted AIDS.” The Atlantic, 8 June 2011, https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/06/the-heroic-story-of-how-congress-first-confronted-aids/240131/.

Gregory, Sarah. “How Posters Birthed an Entire AIDs Activism Movement.” Mic, https://www.mic.com/identity/aids-posters-activism-up-against-the-wall. Accessed 23 Mar. 2022.

Lopez, German. “The Reagan Administration’s Unbelievable Response to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic.” Vox, 1 Dec. 2015, https://www.vox.com/2015/12/1/9828348/ronald-reagan-hiv-aids.

Article By Alyssa Iovacchini, and Emily Myers, Graphic By Emily Myers