Resurrection

Ronald Reagan's HIV/AIDS Crisis (pt. 2)

Resurrection

Show Notes

The story of President Ronald Reagan's failure to adequately respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s. In the second part of this two-part story, we dive into Reagan's second term in office. We discuss Rock Hudson, the Koop Report, the Helms Amendment, the President's Commission on the HIV Epidemic, and more.

The presenting sponsor of this season is Freddie, Canada's #1 PrEP provider. To learn more about PrEP and to book your free consultation with Freddie, visit gofreddie.com/dane.

Help us make our show—commit $1 per month on Patreon. Reach out to us on Instagram or at [email protected].

Special thanks to Molly Bower for joining us on this Ronald Reagan journey!

There are many sources for today's episode, our top sources include:

How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS. David France. 2016. Photo of Rock Hudson, Nancy Reagan, & Ronald Reagan. Wikimedia. 1984. And the Band Played On. Randy Shilts. 1987. Surgeon General's Report on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. 1986. Safer Sex Comix #8. Gay Men's Health Crisis. 1987. (explicit) Setting the Record Straight. The Jesse Helms Center. 2024. Congressional Record—Senate—October 14, 1988. Congress.gov. 1988. President Reagan's Remarks to the American Foundation for AIDS Research May 31, 1987. Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. 1987. Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. Election Results Breakdowns. Nancy Reagan’s Real Role in the AIDS Crisis. The Atlantic. 2021. On Call: A Doctor's Journey in Public Service. Dr. Anthony Fauci. 2024.

This episode was researched, hosted, and edited by Dane Stewart with music by Matthew Rogers. Produced by Dane Stewart & Matthew Kariatsumari. Our outro track is Easy to Love by Clara Jones. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More from Resurrection

Sep 16, 2026

Dane has a new podcast! It's funny, campy, gay... and stupid? It's called The Blank List, and in each episode, Dane and his co-hosts, Tranna Wintour and Adam Capriolo, take on the very serious work of creating the definitive Top 5 list for a given category, with categories ranging from “The Most Famous People Alive” to “The Craziest Thing That Has Ever Happened.”

Jul 18, 2026

As Nova Scotia faces a forest fire that's raging out of control, Dane sits down for a conversation with his parents. And Peter and Neoma search for meaning across generations.

Jul 11, 2026

A few months before Margaret died, Dane sat down with her for an interview. But, Margaret proved to be a more challenging interview subject than expected. This is Margaret's story.

Jul 4, 2026

In 2020, Bruce spent several months caring for his mother during end of life. It's an experience that had big impacts on him and his family. This is part one of Bruce's story.

Jun 27, 2026

Resurrection Season Three: The Ghost Writer. July 4, 2026. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

See all episodes →