Others have already made this point, but I will reiterate it: the same people who said you couldn& #39;t be in the same room with a gay man during the height of HIV are those who are now mocking people for wearing masks. Cultural conservatism is not just irrational, but also wicked.

So I& #39;m already getting some infuriating responses to this. *Yes*, what I am describing is accurate. Children were kicked out of school b/c they were HIV+. People lost jobs. It was a big deal when Princess Diana or President Clinton showed hugged or touched HIV+ patients.

And discrimination was a problem that was endemic in society, but the fans of hatred and fear were flamed by cultural conservatives. Reagan *knew* HIV couldn& #39;t be spread through simple contact, but refused to tell people. Right wingers attacked patients.