On Sunday, President Joe Biden marked World AIDS Day by displaying the AIDS Memorial Quilt on the South Lawn of the White House for the first time. The event, attended by Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, included survivors, families, and advocates who gathered to honor those lost to the AIDS epidemic. The president highlighted the ongoing commitment of the federal government to support the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV, which can lead to AIDS.
Biden emphasized the significance of the movement, noting, “This movement is fully woven into the fabric and history of America. For all the lives lost, for all those that are still alive, look at what you’ve already done to change hearts and minds, to save lives across the country and around the world.” The quilt featured 124 sections on the White House lawn, commemorating those who died from AIDS-related illnesses. The quilt, created in 1985, made its first public appearance in 1987. Additionally, a red ribbon symbolizing awareness and support for those affected by HIV and AIDS was displayed on the White House’s South Portico.
According to the White House, there are currently 40 million people worldwide living with HIV. Jeanne White-Ginder, mother of Ryan White—who contracted AIDS from a contaminated blood transfusion at age 13 and passed away in 1990—introduced President Biden at the event. She reflected on how her son’s experience helped shift America’s approach to the epidemic, noting that “we needed to fight AIDS, not the people who have it.” In 1990, the Ryan White CARE Act became law, and White-Ginder recalled meeting Biden, then a senator from Delaware, while advocating for the measure.
Biden also acknowledged Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S.’s top infectious disease expert until his retirement in 2022, for his contributions to HIV/AIDS research. Fauci, also in attendance, is well known for his leadership during the coronavirus pandemic.
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The Biden administration has committed to combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic, including reducing stigma and improving access to prevention methods such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medication taken by at-risk populations to prevent HIV infections.