Larry Kramer Responds to Hillary Clinton’s Reagan AIDS Advocacy Gaffe

[JackBeck]

I wonder if Hillary had any notion of how hateful what she said is to so many people who were going to support her. For the first time I really questioned whether I’m going to vote for her.

(Nancy) never said dipshit! And she … oh please, don’t get me started. She and Ronnie weren’t going to, in any way, talk about AIDS because they have a ballet dancer son whom the world believes to be gay and which they don’t want to confront.

I’m just so disappointed in her that I may just vote for Bernie. And I’m hearing that from a lot of gay people. The gay population is up in arms over this. I don’t think that she realizes that this is a big issue for us, what she has said in her stupidity.

I think the gay population is entitled to an apology and that we should demand an apology in return for our vote and support.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2016/03/11/larry_kramer_responds_to_hillary_clinton_s_nancy_reagan_aids_advocacy_comments.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top

[Kalidurga]

1. It isn't just gay people

It's friends family coworkers neighbors. And it's also people like me who lost a family member, a friend, a coworker to tainted blood. My uncle got a bad transfusion to combat hemophilia. He died at age 55.

[Beringia]

2. The horse is already out of the barn

No matter what she does, she cannot take back what she said in the first place, for God knows what reason. I am not a Hillary fan, but she said something diametrically opposed to the truth. How do you do that without being held responsible for what you said.

[NWCorona]

4. For some reason Hillary always feels the need

To spin any event to her advantage and it just went bad.
My Google news feed is filled with this gaffe.

[JackBeck]

8. A quote usually attributed to Mark Twain that I swear by:

"A lie can travel half way around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."

In this case, when someone who is prominent in the Democratic Party "misspeaks", what she says gets disseminated long and wide before any retraction gets crafted and released.

[Beringia]

10. this lie certainly is traveling

[SamKnause]

3. Bernie has always been on your side.

You sound like you are sad and upset that you might vote for the only honest candidate.

I am confused as to why you would ever support Hillary.

[Betty Karlson]

15. ^this^ and +1000

n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Larry Kramer started the discussion that mattered, his play The Normal Heart was so important

in 1985- it saved my life I'm sure. It was the news, and the news was unbearable.

[JackBeck]

11. Larry Kramer, Ted Kennedy, Henry Waxman were among those who started and elevated the conversation.

The Normal Heart is a masterpiece and I was fortunate enough to see the Broadway revival a few years ago. Will probably never weep like that in public ever again.

The Rage. Anger. Agitation. Accountability. Art. Activism and Advocacy.

Collectively, lead to the Change.

But the apologia from those on this board that want us to accept Clinton's claim that she simply "misspoke" and we should all just move along? They would be laughed out of any ACT-UP meeting. We're fortunate that these were not our leaders during the dark, early days.

Could you imagine Larry giving Ed Koch a pass just because he was a Democrat?

[myrna minx]

13. .

[Doctor_J]

6. I'd think that any gay person who still supports Hillary is not going to be swayed by anything

Good God she's for doma and dadt and against gay marriage on religious grounds (humorous given her marital situation). This praise of Nancy Reagan to scoop up a few more republican votes is just basic pandering - comparative peanuts.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. I strongly disagree. You might note Mr Kramer says he's now thinking of going with Bernie...

that's the entire point of the OP. Do you know who Kramer is? Look him up.

[EndElectoral]

7. K&R

[Laughing Mirror]

12. What that desperate lying woman will say to get a vote

Proves she wasn't paying attention during the AIDS Reagan years.

I never thought she deserved my gay vote or support and could never understand why any other gay person would either.

Larry, if it is the first time you've questioned your vote for her, I would say, better late than never. Why should she apologize? She doesn't care about us. Except our money and our votes.

[Betty Karlson]

14. I disagree with Mr. Kramer:

"I think the gay population is entitled to an apology and that we should demand an apology in return for our vote and support."

Yes, gay people are entitled to a BIG apology.

No, that apology isn't enough by far to earn out votes and support. She may well have forfeited those anyway. The apology is about doing the right thing. Not about electoral advantage.

If Mr. Kramer thinks that apologies are just political currency, he is almost as stupid and clueless as Clinton.