Thread by @magi_jay

In 1985, hemophiliac HIV+ children were being kicked out of schools. Scientists asked President Reagan to plainly state HIV could not spread through "casual contact." Reagan instead said the science was still out. This approach was recommended by his legal advisor, John G Roberts

At that time, gay men in particular were suffering from AIDS in the US, as were other groups, such as those who used intravenous drugs. The hemophiliac population was struck almost all at once, thru the blood supply. Kids w/ hemophilia were expelled + had their houses burned down

Reagan would not listen to gay men or other vulnerable people who were dying en masse. There was a sense, however, that he would say something to protect children from stigma. Reagan, with the guidance of now Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, did the opposite.

Despite pleas from scientists, Reagan told the public that the science was out. That perhaps "casual contact" could spread the disease, implying that the expulsion of HIV+ children from schools was justified. Scientists tried to respond, but the damage was done. Reagan lied.

John Roberts, now SCOTUS Chief Justice, explicitly directed Reagan to tell this vicious lie in a memo, writing, "He has no way of knowing the underlying validity of the scientific 'conclusion'" & that there was "much to commend the view" that AIDS could be transmitted "casually"

Reagan & Roberts and so many others contributed to the stigmatization of so many people, including children, already suffering from a cruel & fatal disease. Hemophiliac children had written to Reagan, begging for help. You can read Roberts' full memo here: science.org/content/articl…

In response to the question about parents who had bullied HIV+ children out of school, Reagan said: "I'm glad I'm not faced with that problem today . . the child is now an outcast and can no longer associate with his playmates and schoolmates. . ."

Reagan continued, ". . .It is true that some medical sources had said that this cannot be communicated in any way other than the ones we already know. . .yet medicine has not come forth unequivocally and said, 'This we know for a fact, that it is safe."

Reagan concluded, "And until they do, I think we just have to do the best we can with this problem," thus condemning every victim of HIV/AIDs to further social stigma. Government scientists were appalled and responded the next day

https://twitter.com/ruffoamy2/status/1478334132593774593

Note that John Roberts, who advised Reagan to deny the science in defiance of government scientists, later justified striking down the Voting Rights Act based on the false premise that racism was no longer a problem in the relevant states.

It's also worth noting the legal aspects of this, which can get lost in just how immoral it was. Whether HIV+ children could get kicked out of school was a *legal* issue, upon which scientific evidence & children's rights should have had ultimate bearing

https://twitter.com/magi_jay/status/1478206042945302528

The most generous interpretation of Roberts' reasoning, which is still horrific, is that he disregarded science to protect Reagan at all costs. The less generous interpretation is that Roberts was also guided by bigotry. Either way, he disregarded science & the rights of children

The Reagan Admin didn't just ignore HIV/AIDS, they actively increased stigma around the disease & trashed people's basic rights. This wasn't due to mere ignorance. The belief w/in the conservative movement was that HIV/AIDs was divine retribution, a disease "degenerates" deserved

Jerry Falwell & his "Moral Majority" played a large role in both of Reagan's elections. In 1984, the LGBTQ community were a target. Falwell's group advocated to "investigate, document and expose the gay conspirators whose goal is to completely legitimize homosexuality in America"

Falwell was also the closing speaker at the 1984 RNC. 1 year later, after Reagan had won, Roberts wrote his memo advising Reagan to lie about the science & deny children their rights. Falwell remained a figure in the upper eschelons of the GOP, saying this about HIV/AIDs in 1987

This was, again, the political movement John Roberts was a part of before he became Chief Justice of SCOTUS. An anti-scientific movement guided by bigotry that trashed the rights of children, fomented stigma against dying people, & has a significant amount of blood on their hands