First Lady Jill Biden said Monday that former First Lady Nancy Reagan has a face on the seal. That may seem like a good thing, except that he did it when LGBTQ Pride Month began – and Reagan’s wife’s administration ignored for years the fact that thousands of gay people are dying from AIDS complications. .
Nancy Reagan has “made a huge difference,” Biden said at a White House ceremony as she stood next to a large photo of the former First Lady in the ring.
“First Lady Nancy Reagan has kindly served the Americans,” he said. “She understands that the role of the first lady is accompanied by inherent flaws and observations, but she finds humanity in it all.”
Both Jill Biden and President Joe Biden are strong supporters of LGBTQ rights, which at best is undesirable for Reagan’s respect at the start of Pride Month.
Last week the president released a ban Announced in June 2022 as “Pride Month for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Gay and Intersex (LGBTQI +)”.
“This month, we remind the LGBTQ + community that they love and value them,” President Biden said in a statement. “My administration sees you for what you are: you deserve dignity, respect and support”.
Former President Ronald Reagan was very different. Before becoming president, he referred to gays as “Sick Calamity.” And as California governor, he suspended the repeal of state antitrust laws.
Since coming to the White House in 1980, Reagan has remained silent for years as the AIDS epidemic devastated the LGBTQ community. He did not give his first public speech about the AIDS crisis until May 1987, when thousands of people, mostly gay and bisexual men, died. That was after he recommended reducing federal spending on AIDS in 1986.
Nancy Reagan herself The request for help was rejected By her friend, actor Rock Hudson, who in 1985 desperately tried to cure AIDS in France. Nine weeks before his death, he enlisted the help of the White House to transfer him to another hospital for experimental treatment to save his life. Nancy Reagan said no.
The event in Reagan on Monday was also attended by U.S. Army General Louis DeJoy, who recently visited a former post office employee who says he was discriminated against and fired for being gay and HIV positive.
White House spokeswoman Carine Jean-Pierre, the first openly LGBTQ person to take the position, directed the HuffPost First Lady’s office for comment.
Michael Larrosa, a spokesman for the First Lady, said the timing of the event in honor of Nancy Reagan was tied to the opening of a building in Washington.
“The unveiling of this seal marks Mrs. Reagan’s 100th anniversary and is scheduled for the day before the Ronald Reagan Institute building opens in Washington,” Larosa told HuffPost on Tuesday.
“President Biden and the First Lady have a long and proud experience in advocating, fighting and leading for LGBTQ + and HIV / AIDS rights,” he said. Last month, Dr. visited. Biden at an HIV / AIDS reception center in Panama and announced an additional $ 80 million in PEPFAR funding for the region. The White House and First Family are planning different ways to honor and celebrate PRIDE month.
Source: Huffpost
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