Queer Eye's grooming guy
Jonathan Van Ness on Wednesday reminded followers on Twitter of
former President George H.W. Bush's inaction on AIDS.
Bush died on November 30 at the age of
94. The following day, December 1, marked World AIDS Day.
“People died of HIV/AIDS when George
HW Bush left office,” Van Ness tweeted. “His inaction allowed
the virus to spread, stigma to grow, and [left] so many vulnerable
people in the cold. He served our country yes, but his hand guided
so many towards HIV & stigma that still lasts today.”
Van Ness also suggested that the Trump
administration wasn't doing enough to end the epidemic, saying that
the government “has no plan for HIV/AIDS.”
“Serving our country is great but
remembering people and their actions clearly and accurately is
important,” he added in a separate tweet. “This could happen
again, as the current admin has no plan for HIV/AIDS & tells the
@CDCgov what and how they're allowed to study and say.”
While in office, Bush signed into law
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which protects people with
HIV and AIDS from discrimination, and the Ryan White Comprehensive
AIDS Resources Emergency Act, which provides treatment funding for
low-income people living with HIV.
LGBT activist Urvashi Vaid, the former
head of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, on Monday told the
New
York Times that Bush “did not lead on AIDS.”