Today In History, 1987: Presidential Advisor Urges Reagan: No Homos On AIDS Commission

Jim Burroway

June 30th, 2016

Six years into the AIDS epidemic, the Reagan administrations response to a death toll approaching the 20,000 mark was still abysmal. He waited four years and 10,000 deaths into the epidemic before giving AIDS a tiny mention at a press conference for the first time in 1985 (Sep 17), and he waited until 1987 before calling it “public enemy number one” before a meeting of the College of Physicians in Philadelphia.

On June 24, Reagan announced the creating of the President’s Commission on the HIV Epidemic and two days later he appointed Dr. W. Eugene Mayberry, CEO of the Mayo Clinic, to head the commission, despite Mayberry having no experience with the disease. But it would take another month before the remaining twelve members would be named. Part of the problem was the presence of several extremely anti-gay members of his administration, which included Gary Bauer, Reagan’s chief domestic policy advisor, opposed the appointment of any gay person to the panel. In a memo dated June 30, Bauer enumerated his objections, but conceded that if there had to be a gay person on the panel, that individual should be an “ex-gay”. Here’s the memo:

photo-exhibition-OB2241-lgMemorandum for the President:

As you know, I have opposed the notion that we should seek out a homosexual to be on your AIDS commission, for the
following reasons:

1. Those pushing the hardest to name a homosexual are generally not our friends. They will not be satisfied with one gay, but will sense that if enough pressure is exerted we will cave on other issues.

2. The gay member of the commission will be an automatic media star. His opinions will be given more weight by the media, and he will be in great demand for the talk shows. The pressure on him to attack you and the commission’s work will be overwhelming.

3. Millions of Americans raise their children to believe that homosexuality is immoral. To appoint a known homosexual to a presidential commission will give homosexuality a stamp of acceptability.

4. While it is true that homosexuals have been major victims of AIDS, they are also responsible for its spread. Recent studies show that the average gay man with AIDS has had over 150 different sexual partners in the previous twelve months.

5. I know you realize AIDS is not just a health issue; it is also a heated political issue. We must be careful not to create a situation where certain members of your own commission end up booing Administration policy.

I believe we can handle the critics short of appointing an avowed homosexual. If you feel we must, I would recommend a “reformed” homosexual — that is, someone not currently living a gay lifestyle. We have identified several individuals that meet that criteria.

Bauer’s private memo to Reagan mirrored public statements that he had already made to the press. On June 25, Bauer had told the New York Times, “would be very surprised if an administration opposed to making appointments on the basis of race or sex would agree to make an appointment based on bedroom habits.” In the end, Reagan chose not to heed Bauer’s advice. When he unveiled his Presidential Commission on the HIV Epidemic in late July, he appointed Dr. Frank Lilly, an openly gay geneticist, to the thirteen-member panel. His appointment to the panel was loudly denounced by conservatives. He would also name Cardinal John O’Connor to the panel, much to the fury of the LGBT community.

Gary Bauer would go on to lead the Family “Research” Council from 1988 to 1999. He left the FRC to run for the GOP nomination for President in 2000. He is currently the Executive Director of American Values and the Campaign for Working Families.

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