For Jeanne White-Ginder, the mother of Ryan White, the last week has felt like Indiana in the '80s all over again, fighting ignorance and conservatives.
White-Ginder is shocked over Republican presidential candidate and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's stance regarding people living with HIV/AIDS. The Associated Press revealed that in 1992, Huckabee stated in a questionnaire that all people living with HIV/AIDS should be isolated. After recently being confronted about this, the candidate has remained steadfast in standing by the statement he made 15 years ago.
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Jeanne White-Ginder. Photo by Michael Ruppal
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'You don't know whether to laugh or cry,' White-Ginder told Windy City Times. Since, both the Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) and The AIDS Institute have requested that Huckabee meet with White-Ginder to discuss his comments. So far, Huckabee's campaign has not given any type of official response.
During the '80s, the nation had its collective eye on Ryan White, an Indiana teenager battling AIDS contracted during treatment for his hemophilia. White was banned from his school due to fear that the disease could be spread via casual contact. Both he and his mother fought to eradicate ignorance and hate; White passed away in 1990. White-Ginder now lives in Florida, and serves on the board of The AIDS Institute.
One of the first things that ran through White-Ginder's mind when she heard the news while at a board meeting in Washington, D.C. was, 'Where are all the other Republicans? Why aren't they embarrassed?'
She fears that conservatives are eating up Huckabee's comments. 'They are loving every minute of this,' White-Ginder said. 'They found somebody to agree with them.'
Huckabee recently told the press he is willing to have a meeting, but both The AIDS Institute and HRC have not received any official response from their multiple requests.
White-Ginder isn't too hopeful until she hears from his campaign. 'I don't know if he would ever retract it, though,' she said. 'From my understanding, he's standing by it.'
She doesn't want a meeting in which her words would fall on deaf ears, but does want to give Huckabee one of Ryan's books. 'Apparently, he hasn't heard the story, yet.'
The tireless advocate is surprised that Huckabee, despite his words, is leading in the polls. She is baffled that he continues to receive support, and that other Republicans haven't spoken out against his stance. 'We can't have a presidential candidate who is uninformed,' she said.
'How could he be leading in the polls?' she asked. 'Would you want a president who believes that?'
White-Ginder also fears that there are people out there who will believe his words simply because he is a presidential candidate. Also, she's afraid of the harm that might come to people living with the disease. 'Ryan went through so much of this,' she said. 'A lot of people can't handle it like Ryan did. To put certain people in that situation again, who might not be able to handle it like Ryan did, is just sad.'
'C'mon America,' White-Ginder pleaded. 'We've already fought this battle. This battle is over about how you get AIDS. We're on to fighting the disease now.'
Although she doesn't want to put words in Huckabee's mouth or categorize him, Ginder-White wonders what causes such beliefs, despite scientific fact and common knowledge. Due to her prior experience dealing with conservatives over the years, she wonders if Huckabee's beliefs stems from a desire to 'punish people with AIDS' because of homophobia and religious beliefs. 'I guess only time will tell,' she said.