Op-ed: The Gay Tth About Ronald Reagan

Contents:

• RON JR. ON THE RERD: THE SON OF RONALD REAGAN BREAKS HIS SILENCE REGARDG THE WHISPER MPAIGN THAT HE IS GAY.
• RONALD REAGAN FEARED SON WAS GAY WHEN HE BEME BALLET DANCER
• THE REAL RERD OF THE REAGANS ON GAYS AND AIDS
• OP-ED: THE GAY TTH ABOUT RONALD REAGAN
• RONALD REAGAN WORRIED HIS SON WAS GAY
• RONALD REAGAN WAS NCERNED HIS SON MIGHT BE GAY
• ADAPTED OM SECRET CITY: THE HIDN HISTORY OF GAY WASHGTON BY JAM KIRCHICK. PUBLISHED BY HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY. COPYRIGHT © 2022 BY JAM KIRCHICK. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.
• WHEN REAGAN SAID GAY
• RONALD REAGAN’S SON BELIEV GAY MARRIAGE WILL LEAD TO ‘POLYGAMY, BTIALY AND MURR’
• HOMOSEXUALY AND GAY RIGHTS
• RON REAGAN: MY FATHER, RONALD REAGAN, WOULD NOT WANT REPUBLINS TO VOTE FOR ‘TRAOR’ TMP 2020‘SQUALID LITTLE MAN’EXCLIVEJAE C. HONG/APRON REAGAN DISCS WHY HIS FATHER WOULD HAVE NEVER VOTED TMP, RONALD REAGAN’S GAY RIGHTS AND AIDS RERD, FIGHTG “RELIG EEDOM,” AND HIS “BURNG HELL” ATHEISM TV AD.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JAN. 17, 2020 8:27AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 17, 2020 4:39AM EST AMID THE MBLG DRAMA OF ELIZABETH WARREN AND BERNIE SANRS’ ANTIPATHY OVER WHAT HE DID OR DIDN’T SAY ABOUT A FEMALE PRINT, PETE BUTTIGIEG’S LOW ENERGY, JOE BIN WATCHG THE CLOCK OVER HIS ALLOTTED TIME, AMY KLOBUCHAR’S LANIC W, AND TOM STEYER’S VOTN TO PLAID, THE CNN/D MO REGISTER DEMOCRATIC BATE THIS WEEK FEATURED A STRIKG SCENE-STEALER THE MERCIAL BREAKS. THERE, A 2015 AD FOR THE FREEDOM FROM RELIGN FOUNDATN AIRED ONCE AGA, FEATURG RON REAGAN, SON OF FORMER PRINT RONALD REAGAN, CLARG HIMSELF AN “UNABASHED ATHEIST,” ALARMED “AT THE TSNS OF RELIGN TO SECULAR ERNMENT.” HE SAID HE SUPPORTED THE FFRF S MISSN TO KEEP “STATE AND CHURCH SEPARATE, JT LIKE THE FOUNDG FATHERS TEND.” HE SIGNED OFF THE MERCIAL WH THE MIC DROP-WORTHY “RON REAGAN. LIFELONG ATHEIST. NOT AAID OF BURNG HELL.”THE NTRAST WH REAGAN’S FATHER ULD NOT BE STARKER. AS PRINT, RONALD REAGAN WELED THE “MORAL MAJORY” EVANGELIL VOTE. IT FLOURISHED UNR HIS PRINCY—AND PRINT TMP BENEFS OM AND URTS THAT SAME SUPPORT TODAY. UNR PRINT REAGAN, CHURCH AND STATE BEME EXTRIBLY TERTWED AND HAVE REMAED SO, WH THE TMP ADMISTRATN’S BACKG OF “RELIG EEDOM” AND “RELIG LIBERTY” AS BATTERG RAMS AGAST LGBTQ RIGHTS AND REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE.  NOW REAGAN’S SON—WHO TRAC THE START OF HIS ATHEISM TO HIS CHILDHOOD—MPAIGNS TO SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE, TWO PILLARS HIS FATHER HELPED MELD. TODAY RON REAGAN WILL TALK NDIDLY TO THE DAILY BEAST ABOUT HIS FATHER AND WHAT HE SE AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAGAN SR.’S OPEN-MD PRIVATE BELIEFS AND THAT ADMISTRATN’S HOMOPHOBIA AND ACTN OVER AIDS; HIS POLIL LEGACY; THEIR RELATNSHIP; THE MORS ABOUT HIS OWN SEXUALY, FIGHTG TO SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE; AND WHY THE NOW-CEASED REAGAN WOULD NOT WANT REPUBLINS TODAY TO VOTE FOR TMP 2020. RONALD REAGAN, HIS SON TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TMP “A TRAORO PRINT WHO IS BETRAYG HIS UNTRY.”“THE REPUBLIN PARTY AT THIS POT, FOR A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS TO DO WH DONALD TMP, IS AN ENTIRELY ILLEGIMATE POLIL PARTY JT MA UP OF A BUNCH OF SYPHANTIC TRAORS MOUTHG KREML PROPAGANDA TO FEND THIS SQUALID LTLE MAN WHO IS OCCUPYG THE WHE HOE,” RON REAGAN TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, SPEAKG OM ITALY, WHERE HE SPENDS HALF HIS YEAR, SPL WH HIS AMERIN HOME SEATTLE, WHERE HE HAS LIVED FOR 25 YEARS. “THIS IS SHAMEFUL STUFF ALL SORTS OF WAYS,” HE SAID. “THIS IS A DYG PARTY. THEY EHER HAVE TO REMAKE THEMSELV ENTIRELY OR THEY WILL DISAPPEAR EVENTUALLY. WH A THE REPUBLIN PARTY WILL BE A MOR GE GROUP IF NTU GOG THIS WAY.” ADVERTISEMENT “MY FATHER WOULD HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED THAT A PRINT OF THE UNED STAT WAS AS PETENT AND TRAORO AS THE MAN OCCUPYG THE WHE HOE NOW. HE’S A DISGRACE TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRINCY.” WHAT WOULD HIS FATHER HAVE MA OF DONALD TMP?RON REAGAN SAID, “MY FATHER WOULD—ALTHOUGH HE MIGHT NOT E WORDS LIKE THIS BEE HE WAS A FAIRLY GENTEEL PERSON—MY FATHER WOULD PCH TMP’S EMPTY HEAD OFF AND SH DOWN HIS FLABBY NECK.”REAGAN, 61, NTUED: “MY FATHER WOULD HAVE BEEN ASHAMED OF THIS REPUBLIN PARTY. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED THAT A PRINT OF THE UNED STAT WAS AS PETENT AND TRAORO AS THE MAN OCCUPYG THE WHE HOE NOW. HE’S A DISGRACE TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRINCY.“IT IS PERHAPS THE MOST DANGERO TIME FOR OUR REPUBLIC MY LIFETIME, PERHAPS SCE THE CIVIL WAR. IF THERE IS A SEND TMP ADMISTRATN, HE’S GOG TO FEEL LIBERATED TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO DO. HE’LL TRY AND GO FOR THE THIRD, FOURTH, HOWEVER LONG HE LASTS. HE WANTS TO BE PRINT FOR LIFE. IT WOULD KEEP HIM OUT OF JAIL, FOR ONE THG.”EVEN FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT REAGAN SUPPORTERS, RON REAGAN SAID, “AT LEAST MY FATHER HELD THE OFFICE WH A GREE OF DIGNY AND CLASS. THIS MAN HAS NONE OF THAT.” ADVERTISEMENT TO REPUBLIN VOTERS 2020, RON “SPECTS” RONALD REAGAN WOULD—IF HE WERE ALIVE—ADDRS THEM TH: “OUR NATN IS AT A REAL TURNG POT. OUR REPUBLIC IS DANGER. DEMOCRACY IS DANGER, AND WE NEED TO PUT SOMEBODY ELSE THE WHE HOE BEE THIS MAN IS BETRAYG THE UNTRY EVERY SGLE DAY HE OCCUPI THE OVAL OFFICE.” “YOU N FD JTIFITN FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE BIBLE, AND ’S UGLY, CEL, AND STUPID”THE FFRF AD HAS N ON CNN, MSNBC, AND COMEDY CENTRAL, BUT NOT THE MAJOR BROADST WORKS. “CBS SAID, ‘MAYBE WE’LL N , BUT YOU’VE GOT TO CUT THE ENDG,’” HE SAID. REAGAN THKS ’S MORE THAT THE MAJOR WORKS BELIEVE THE AD S ENTIRETY WOULD OFFEND THEIR VIEWERS, “WHO ARE MOSTLY RELIG OR CHRISTIAN. THEY ARE AAID OF LOSG OR ALIENATG THEIR DIENCE.”THE AD HAS BEEN FAVORABLY HAILED ON TWTER BY SARAH SILVERMAN AND SRNED BY TONY PERKS, PRINT OF THE VILENTLY ANTI-LGBTQ FAY REARCH COUNCIL.“I WOULD REMD MR. PERKS THAT HE IS NO POSN TO TALK TO ANYBODY ABOUT ANYTHG THAT REMOTELY TOUCH ON ETHICS AND MORALY SCE HE IS THE CHIEF OF A HATE GROUP,” SAID REAGAN. (THE FRC HAS BEEN SIGNATED AS A “HATE GROUP” BY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER.) ADVERTISEMENT THE LAST WORDS WERE IMPROMPTU AND MA UP ON THE SPOT WHEN THE AD RAN SHORT, SAID REAGAN. “IT GAVE THE EXTRA UPLE OF SENDS WE NEED. FOR MOST RELIGNISTS, THAT CUTS TO THE RE. IF YOU TELL THEM YOU’RE NOT AAID OF BURNG THEIR HELL, THEY’VE GOT NOTHG ON YOU,” HE SAID.RON WAS RAISED PRBYTERIAN. HE LGHED. “I DON’T KNOW IF REALLY UNTS. I WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR A FEW YEARS. I ACPANIED MY PARENTS TO CHURCH FOR A WHILE. BUT AROUND 10, I REALIZED, ‘THERE’S NO SANTA CLS AND NO GOD EHER. THIS DON’T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME, THIS ISN’T REAL.’ BY THE TIME I WAS 12, I HAD ANNOUNCED I WOULD NO LONGER ACPANY THEM TO CHURCH, THAT I NO LONGER BELIEVED , AND WOULD BE HYPOCRIL AND SULTG TO THEIR RELIGN TO GO THROUGH THE MOTNS PRETENDG.”REAGAN SR. WAS “NCERNED BUT KNEW BETTER THAN TO STRONG-ARM ME TO GOG TO CHURCH. OCSNALLY HE WOULD CIRCLE BACK AND TAKE ANOTHER N AT ME. I ASSURED HIM I WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY WHOUT ‘THE MAN UPSTAIRS,’ AS MY FATHER PUT .” HIS FATHER ALSO ASKED HIS THEN-PASTOR TO TRY TO NVCE RON TO E BACK TO CHRISTIANY WHEN HE WAS 16. BUT WH 15 MUT HE AND THE PASTOR WERE TALKG ABOUT THE UCLA AND USC FOOTBALL TEAMS. “I’VE SORT OF BEEN A LIFELONG ATHEIST, MORE OR LS,” RON SAID. HE FEELS ABASHED TALKG TO FFRF MEMBERS, WHO HAVE STGGLED TO LEAVE THEIR FAH BEHD. “FOR ME, WAS JT SAYG, ‘NAHHH.’ I NEVER LOOKED BACK.”REAGAN FDS “CUR” THAT THOSE WHO VOKE “EEDOM OF RELIGN REALLY MEAN EEDOM TO BE BIGOTS. ‘WHO N WE REFE SERVICE TO?’ IT STARTS WH LGBTQ PEOPLE. WHAT ABOUT UNMARRIED UPL? WHAT ABOUT DIVORCED PEOPLE? WHAT ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE? YOU N FD JTIFITN FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE BIBLE, AND ’S UGLY, CEL, AND STUPID. WE’RE ON TO THEM. WE’LL KEEP SPEAKG UP. DO TONY PERKS HAVE SCERE RELIG BELIEFS? I ULDN’T ANSWER THIS. THE PEOPLE MAKE MONEY OFF WHAT THEY DO.”“FREEDOM OF RELIGN” SOUNDS GENTLER THAN OVERT AND VIC ANTI-LGBTQ DISGT, WHICH MIGHT IGHTEN VOTERS AND DONORS. “THERE HAS TO BE THIS VENEER OF NICENS,” HE SAID. ADVERTISEMENT “THEY’RE SPERATE BEE THEY’RE LOSG NTROL. MORE PEOPLE ARE BEG ATHEIST OR AGNOSTIC. THE MOGRAPHICS ARE NOT MOVG THEIR DIRECTN.” THE LATT MOVE BY TMP TO “PROTECT” PRAYER PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS LEFT REAGAN CRLO. “TELL ME ANYONE WHO N PREVENT ANYONE PRAYG ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. THERE IS NO RTRICTN ON DIVIDUALS PRAYG. WHAT THIS IS TEND TO DO IS TO FORCE OTHERS TO WATCH THEM WHILE THEY PRAY—AND SO THOSE WHO AREN’T PRAYG FEEL MARGALIZED AND THEN THROUGH PEER PRSURE FEEL THEY SHOULD PRAY. IT’S A CHEAP, WARDLY GAME.”FOR REAGAN, THIS LATT POLICY SHOWS THE THORARIAN BEARG OF RELIGN, SEEKG TO EXERT NTROL OVER CIZENS’ LIV AND BODI, EXERTG MORAL JUDGMENTS ALL THE TIME. “THEY’RE SPERATE BEE THEY’RE LOSG NTROL. MORE PEOPLE ARE BEG ATHEIST OR AGNOSTIC. THE MOGRAPHICS ARE NOT MOVG THEIR DIRECTN.”VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE MAY BE A GENUE EVANGELIL EMISSARY, REAGAN SAID, BUT TMP’S EMBRACE OF THE EVANGELIL MUNY IS “ENTIRELY TRANSACTNAL. THEY SUPPORT HIM, HE’LL GIVE THEM WHATEVER THEY WANT. HOW FUNNY HE LOOKS WHEN HE CLOS HIS EY TO PRAY, OR JT LOOKS SULLEN WHEN HE DON’T WANT TO SG HYMNS. IT’S ENTIRELY CYNIL. THIS IS ABOUT HIS POLIL FUTURE. LGBTQ PEOPLE SHOULD BE VERY NCERNED. WE NEED TO TAKE THIS ADMISTRATN AND WHAT IS DOG VERY SERLY.” PHOTOQUT/GETTY CHURCH AND STATE BEME FULLY TERNNECTED UNR REAGAN SR.; WHAT DID RON HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT AT THE TIME TO HIS FATHER? ADVERTISEMENT “WE DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF NVERSATNS ABOUT HIS EMBRACE OF THE EVANGELIL MUNY. I WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOG ON. MY FATHER HIMSELF—I’M NOT HERE TO FEND THE POLICI OF HIS ADMISTRATN OVERALL—HE HIMSELF WAS REALLY NOT HOMOPHOBIC. MY PARENTS HAD GAY IENDS, SOME UPL. THEY ME TO OUR HOE. THEY WERE GOOD IENDS. HE DID NOT LOATHE THEM BEE THEY WERE GAY. HE WAS A MAN OF HIS ERA, BORN 1911, A GUY’S GUY. HE WOULD EMPLOY A PHRASE LIKE ‘LIGHT HIS LOAFERS.’ WE’RE TALKG HALF A CENTURY AGO. I’M NOT FENDG , BUT THE NTEXT IS WORTH NOTG. HE HAS TAKEN A LOT OF HEAT FOR THE ADMISTRATN’S FOOT-DRAGGG RPONSE TO THE AIDS CRISIS.”IT WAS MORE THAN FOOT-DRAGGG. THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN DID NOT ENGAGE WH THE CRISIS AT ALL S EARLY YEARS. IT WAS A TIME OF RAMPANT HOMOPHOBIA TOO. REAGAN HIMSELF DIDN’T E THE WORD AIDS OUT LOUD PUBLIC FOR YEARS. “FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS THERE WAS NO WORD,” RON REAGAN SAID. “THEN, THE PERCEPTN WAS THIS WAS A DISEASE AFFLICTG IV DG ERS AND GAY MEN MOSTLY—NOT TRADNAL NSTUENCI OF THE REPUBLIN PARTY.” DO ONE HAVE TO BE A “NSTUENCY” OF A POLIL PARTY FOR THAT PARTY, PECIALLY IF IS POWER, TO RE ABOUT YOU AND BE ACTIVELY WATCHFUL FOR YOUR WELFARE, I WONR.“MY FATHER WAS SURROUND BY PEOPLE OF A MD TO IGNORE ,” SAID RON REAGAN. “AS PRINT OF THE UNED STAT YOU RELY ON PEOPLE TO FUNNEL RMATN TO YOU. AND HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SOMEONE ON HIS OWN TO READ UP ON THE DISEASE.” “HE AND HIS ADMISTRATN WERE SLOW TO GET ON BOARD. I WON’T FEND THAT, BUT WASN’T AS IF HE ME TO OFFICE WH A FULLY BLOWN AIDS CRISIS ON HAND. AT THAT POT, NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS.” ADVERTISEMENT NONE OF THIS EXC REAGAN’S NON-ENGAGEMENT WH THE AIDS EPIMIC, OF URSE. RON REAGAN SAID HE DID HIS BT TO GET HIS FATHER TO TAKE NOTICE. “I SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT , MY MOTHER DID. WHEN ROCK HUDSON DIED OF AIDS [ 1985], SUDNLY WOKE HIM UP,” SAID RON. “HE KNEW ROCK WAS GAY, OF URSE. IT DIDN’T DIMISH HIS AFFECTN FOR HIM. HE AND HIS ADMISTRATN WERE SLOW TO GET ON BOARD. I WON’T FEND THAT, BUT WASN’T AS IF HE ME TO OFFICE WH A FULLY BLOWN AIDS CRISIS ON HAND. AT THAT POT, NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS.”SURE, THIS REPORTER SAID, BUT THEN PEOPLE AND SCIENTISTS DID KNOW. THE EPIMIC GREW, AND STILL HIS FATHER AND HIS ADMISTRATN DID NOTHG. MANY LGBTQ PEOPLE OF THAT ERA REMEMBER HIM AND HIS ADMISTRATN AS HOMOPHOBIC AND PROFOUNDLY NEGLIGENT. “I TOLD HIM, ‘THIS IS REAL, THIS IS SER. IT DON’T MATTER WHO AFFECTS OR WHETHER YOU’RE GAY OR NOT. YOU NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THIS. YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHG.’” RON MT HAVE SEEN S EFFECTS, BEG A BALLET DANCER AT THE TIME AND SEEG THE IMPACT OF THE DISEASE AMONG IENDS AND LLEAGU. WHAT DID RON SAY TO HIS FATHER?“I TOLD HIM, ‘THIS IS REAL, THIS IS SER. IT DON’T MATTER WHO AFFECTS, OR WHETHER YOU’RE GAY OR NOT. YOU NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THIS. YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHG.’”  ADVERTISEMENT BUT HIS FATHER DIDN’T. WHY?“POLICS,” SAID RON STARKLY. “THE SAME REASON TMP TERS TO EVANGELILS NOW. IT’S JT POLICS. WHAT N I SAY? THAT’S WHAT WAS. I TOOK SOME HEAT MYSELF. [THE FAMED ACTIVIST AND PLAYWRIGHT] LARRY KRAMER BEGAN PUBLICLY EXRIATG ME, CLAIMG THAT I WAS GAY AND AS A GAY MAN I HAD A RPONSIBILY TO BE MORE ACTIVE, PHG MY FATHER TO DO SOMETHG ABOUT THIS. “I WROTE LARRY A LETTER EXPLAG THAT I DIDN’T RE WHAT ANYBODY THOUGHT MY SEXUALY WAS BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE HIM SULTG MY WIFE THAT WAY. IN A SENSE HE WAS LLG MY WIFE A LIAR. I SAID SHE WAS THE FT PERSON I KNEW AND THAT I WOULD NOT TOLERATE HIS SULTS OF HER.”RON SAID HE UNRSTOOD WHY KRAMER WAS SO ANGRY. HE HAD LOST IENDS TO AIDS, “BUT HE WAS ACCG ME OF NOT DOG ANYTHG WHEN I WAS PRSG MY FATHER. I DIDN’T GIVE A RAT’S ASS WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT. I WAS AMED PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS GAY BEE I WAS A BALLET DANCER. ACTUALLY, ’S KD OF HOMOPHOBIC TO ASSUME THAT A MALE DANCER HAS TO BE GAY.” “I’M NOT GAY, AND NO, I’VE NEVER HAD SEX WH A MAN... I HAVE NEVER BEEN SECURE ABOUT MY SEXUALY. WHEN PEOPLE WOULD BRG UP, I’D PLAY WH THEM. I WOULD REFE TO GIVE THEM A STRAIGHT ANSWER. TO ME WAS AN IRRELEVANT QUTN. I ENJOYED WATCHG THEM SQUIRM.” IS RON GAY? THIS REPORTER ASKED. HAS HE HAD SEXUAL EXPERIENC WH MEN?  ADVERTISEMENT “NO, I’M NOT GAY, AND NO, I’VE NEVER HAD SEX WH A MAN,” RON REPLIED. “I WAS MARRIED TO A WOMAN [DORIA PALMIERI] FOR 35 YEARS UNTIL SHE DIED [ 2014], AND NOW I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE MARRIED TO ANOTHER WOMAN WHO HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF HER ART IENDS [FERI BASAGNI, WHOM RON MARRIED 2018]. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SECURE ABOUT MY SEXUALY. WHEN PEOPLE WOULD BRG UP, I’D PLAY WH THEM. I WOULD REFE TO GIVE THEM A STRAIGHT ANSWER. TO ME WAS AN IRRELEVANT QUTN. I ENJOYED WATCHG THEM SQUIRM.”BUT HE STILL SAW CHURCH AND STATE ENTWE THEMSELV UNR HIS FATHER’S WATCH.“IT DID NOT FEEL GOOD,” SAID RON. “I ALSO DIDN’T FEEL PARTICULARLY GOOD ABOUT THE ADMISTRATN’S STANCE TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT EHER. WE DISAGREED ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF. I WAS UP ONT TELLG MY FATHER WHAT I THOUGHT, AND HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO ME. WE REMAED IENDS, BUT HE KNEW HOW I FELT ABOUT ALL SORTS OF THGS. I PHED HIM AS OFTEN AND AS HARD AS I ULD. BUT HE WAS HIS OWN MAN. I ULDN’T NTROL HIM.”SO THE HOMOPHOBIA AND AIDS PREJUDICE WE ASSOCIATE WH THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN WAS ALL FOR VOT?“NO,” SAID RON. “IT WAS MORE IGNORANCE. IN HIS FIRST TERM HE FOCED ON THE ENOMY AND LOWERG TAX. THEN HIS SEND TERM HE WAS FOCED ON GETTG RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND REACHG AN AGREEMENT WH GORBACHEV. THAT OCCUPIED MOST OF HIS BRA SPACE.”IF PRIVATELY HE DIDN’T LIKE THE HATE RHETORIC AGAST GAY PEOPLE AND THE PREJUDICE TOWARD PEOPLE WH AIDS, WHY DIDN’T RONALD REAGAN SPEAK OUT AGAST PUBLIC? ADVERTISEMENT “THAT’S A VERY GOOD QUTN,” SAID RON. “I NEVER PUT TO HIM THAT WAY. I NEVER HEARD ANY OF THAT RHETORIC PRIVATE, ANY MORE THAN I HEARD ANYTHG ANTI-ABORTN TONE OM HIM. PERSONALLY HE FOUND ABORTN UNFORTABLE, BUT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY RELUCTANT TO SAY WOMEN SHOULDN’T HAVE THEM.” RON LGHED. “HE HAD A WIFE WHO WAS NOT ANTI-CHOICE, AND HER MOTHER, WHO WAS A PISTOL, WOULD HAVE TORN HIM A NEW ONE IF HE’D E OUT WH SOMETHG LIKE THAT.”GROWG UP, RON RELLED TWO “NTS,” NOT NTS BUT A LBIAN UPLE, WHO WERE CLOSE WH THE FAY. “THERE WAS NOT HATE TGHT OUR HOEHOLD.” “TO SGLE OUT MY FATHER AS A BêTE NOIRE, AN AVATAR OF HOMOPHOBIA, IS REALLY STRETCHG A B”THE SOLUBLE TTH REMAS: REAGAN’S WAS AN ADMISTRATN WH A STRONG ANTI-GAY ANIM. IF REAGAN REALLY WAS PRO-GAY AND PRO-PASSN AND CENT TREATMENT FOR PEOPLE WH HIV PRIVATE, WHY DIDN’T HE EXPRS ANY OF THIS PUBLICLY?“I DON’T KNOW,” SAID RON. “IT WAS NOT ONT AND CENTER FOR HIM, UNTIL ROCK HUDSON’S ATH. I APPRECIATE YOU ASKG ABOUT MY FATHER’S ADMISTRATN, BUT THAT WAS MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO.” ADVERTISEMENT NIK WHEELER/GETTY DID HIS FATHER EVER LL OUT PAT BUCHANAN, JERRY FALWELL, OR JSE HELMS, OR ANY OF THE OTHER VLENT HOMOPHOB OF THAT ERA, WHOSE SUPPORTERS BACKED REAGAN SR.?“I HAVE NO IA, PROBABLY NOT,” SAID RON. “I DON’T KNOW IF HE PAID ANY ATTENTN TO WHAT JSE HELMS SAID ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, TO BE HONT.”RON ADD THAT HIS FATHER’S PUBLIC SILENCE WAS NOT ISOLATN; THAT HE ULD NOT RELL PRINT JIMMY CARTER OR WALTER MONDALE, HIS FATHER’S 1984 PRINTIAL ELECTN RIVAL (AND CARTER‘S VICE PRINT OM 1977 TO 1981), SPEAKG UP FOR GAY PEOPLE. “THK OF THOSE TIM. TO SGLE OUT MY FATHER AS A BêTE NOIRE, AN AVATAR OF HOMOPHOBIA, IS REALLY STRETCHG A B,” SISTED RON.IN FACT, ACRDG TO A WASHGTON POST ARTICLE BY RICK VALELLY, A PROFSOR OF POLIL SCIENCE, CARTER WAS THE FIRST PRINT TO HAVE MPAIGNED FOR GAY RIGHTS. AFTER BEG CRICIZED FOR NOT BEG VOLLY SUPPORTIVE THE LATE 1970S, MONDALE ADDRSED GAY RIGHTS SUPPORTERS 1982, LLG OUT REAGAN SR.’S HOMOPHOBIA. IN THE 1984 MPAIGN, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ACTIVELY REACHED OUT TO GAY AND LBIAN VOTERS, AND JSE JACKSON NAMED GAYS AND LBIAN AMERINS HIS FAMED “RABOW ALN” SPEECH AT THE PARTY’S NVENTN THAT YEAR (A NVENTN FIRST).THE ROOTS OF WHAT FLOURISHED UNR PRINT REAGAN—WHO DIED, AGE 93, 2004—IS WHAT RON REAGAN’S FFRF MERCIAL IS ALL ABOUT UNTERG, THIS REPORTER SAID. IT WAS SURELY RELEVANT TO TERROGATE WHAT THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN OVERSAW S URTG OF THE “MORAL MAJORY”; LGBTQ PEOPLE NTUE TO LIVE UNR S AFTER-EFFECTS TODAY, AS SUCCSIVE REPUBLIN ADMISTRATNS HAVE RELIED ON THE LOYALTY OF THAT VOTG BLOC. ADVERTISEMENT “YOU’RE NOT GOG TO GET ANYWHERE BY ATTACKG RONALD REAGAN. HE’S AD AND GONE. HIS ADMISTRATN IS LONG GONE. WE HAVE TO FOC ON THE PRENT. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? WHAT WE HAVE TO FOC ON IS GETTG THIS ASSHOLE OUT OF THE WHE HOE AND HIS HOMOPHOBIC IENDS.” IF REAGAN JR. IS KEEN TO SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE, HE WILL BE DISMANTLG ONE OF HIS FATHER’S MOST SIGNIFINT POLIL LEGACI.“WE ARE NOW THE PRENT,” SISTED RON. “YOU’RE NOT GOG TO GET ANYWHERE BY ATTACKG RONALD REAGAN. HE’S AD AND GONE. HIS ADMISTRATN IS LONG GONE. WE HAVE TO FOC ON THE PRENT. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? WHO IS RPONSIBLE NOW GOG FORWARD? WHAT WE HAVE TO FOC ON IS GETTG THIS ASSHOLE OUT OF THE WHE HOE AND HIS HOMOPHOBIC IENDS, AND SPEAKG FORTHRIGHTLY OF THE VRL AND VENOM EMBEDD THIS EVANGELISM RIGHT NOW, TODAY.”BUT RONALD REAGAN’S LEGACY IS PRENT AND POTENT. THE REPUBLIN PARTY HAS BEEN RELIANT ON THOSE EVANGELIL VOT SCE HIS FATHER’S ERA. IF THE REPUBLIN PARTY WANTED TO, ULD SEVER THAT ALLIANCE? “NOT S CURRENT FORM,” SAID RON REAGAN, POTG OUT THAT THE “SOUTHERN STRATEGY” HAD REALLY BEEN POPULARIZED UNR RICHARD NIXON, AFTER LYNDON B. JOHNSON NOTED THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAD “LOST THE SOUTH FOR A GENERATN” BY PILOTG THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT TO UN 1964. “THIS DIDN’T JT START WHEN MY FATHER ME TO OFFICE,” SAID RON. “THAT WAS THEN. NOW IS NOW. WE’VE GOT TO FIGHT HARD AGAST THE SORTS OF PEOPLE. THEY’RE DYG OUT. THIS WILL GO AWAY. IT DO NOT MEAN STILL DON’T POSE A DANGER, AND NEEDS TO BE NONTED.” ADVERTISEMENT WHAT PRINT REAGAN OVERSAW—THE TWNG OF REPUBLIN AND EVANGELIL POWER—IS STILL PLACE.“IT’S PLACE RIGHT NOW, AND THRIVG,” SAID RON PASSNATELY, “AND TMP RIGHT NOW IS TAKG ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND THAT IS DANGER RIGHT NOW. WE SHOULDN’T GO BACK AND RE-LIGATE HISTORY 40 YEARS AGO. THIS IS THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. WH THIS PRINT. THAT’S WHAT WE SHOULD FOC ON, NOT WHAT HAPPENED WH MY DAD.”TO EXTRITE CHURCH AND STATE, RON REAGAN SAID, WE SHOULD “OBSERVE” THE CONSTUTN, WHICH WARNS AGAST THE BG OF CHURCH AND STATE. LAWS “SHOULD BE BASED ON SCIENCE, FACTS, REASON, AND MON CENCY. WE DON’T NEED RELIGN TO MAKE LAWS. IF YOU DON’T WANT AN ABORTN, DON’T HAVE ONE. DON’T PRUME TO TELL OTHERS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WH THEIR LIV. “I WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE, ‘DON’T BE AAID TO SPEAK UP.’ BE WILLG TO SAY YOU’RE NOT AAID OF BURNG HELL. DON’T KOWTOW TO THE PEOPLE. WHEN THE TONY PERKS OF THIS WORLD RAISE THEIR POTY LTLE HEADS, BE READY TO SLAP THEM DOWN. POT OUT THEY ARE THE HEADS OF HATE GROUPS, THAT THEY’RE BIGOTS, THAT THEY’RE TOLERANT AND UGLY.” WHY, ASKED RON REAGAN, SHOULD CHURCH NOT PAY TAX? WHY DID THE SSN OF CONGRS OPEN WH ALMOST EXCLIVELY CHRISTIAN PRAYERS? WHY IS THERE A NATNAL DAY OF PRAYER? “PEOPLE N PRAY ANYTIME, ANYWHERE THEY WANT. IT DON’T NEED TO BE PUBLICLY FUND. WHAT THEY ARE LOOKG FOR IS SPECIAL RIGHTS TO BE BIGOTED AND TO HATE, TO SEPARATE ONE GROUP OM ANOTHER.”REAGAN SAID HE WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT HE KNEW THAT NOT ALL CHRISTIANS VOTED FOR TMP, NOT ALL WERE BIGOTS, AND MANY WERE DISGTED BY THE PRINT. “I HAVE NO PROBLEM WH PEOPLE HAVG THEIR OWN FAH, I JT DON’T WANT THE PUBLIC SPHERE.” ADVERTISEMENT “I SAID TO HER, ‘YOU KNOW THAT I DON’T BELIEVE THE AFTERLIFE THE SENSE OF THE SUPERNATURAL. BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HIM, WHEREVER HE WENT, YOU’RE GOG THERE TOO.’” UNLIKE HIS FATHER, HIS MOTHER NANCY REAGAN, RON SAID, “WAS NEVER MUCH OF A BELIEVER.” SHE WENT TO CHURCH WH HER HBAND, AND TOWARD THE END OF HER LIFE ASKED HER SON WHETHER HE THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE RNED WH HER HBAND AGA AFTER SHE DIED.“I SAID TO HER, ‘YOU KNOW THAT I DON’T BELIEVE THE AFTERLIFE THE SENSE OF THE SUPERNATURAL. BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HIM, WHEREVER HE WENT, YOU’RE GOG THERE TOO.’ THAT SEEMED TO SATISFY HER.” (SHE DIED, AGE 94, 2016.)AS FOR RON HIMSELF, HE IS “FORTABLE” THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE. HE LGHED SOFTLY. “I SUPPOSE I WILL QUOTE THE GREAT PHILOSOPHER KEANU REEV, WHO TOLD STEPHEN COLBERT WHEN HE WAS ASKED THE SAME QUTN: ‘I KNOW THE ON WHO LOVE WILL MISS .’”IT’S LS VLENT AND VIVID THAN A VISN OF BURNG HELL, BUT STILL QUE THE MIC DROP. TIM TEEMAN

RON JR. ON THE RERD: THE SON OF RONALD REAGAN BREAKS HIS SILENCE REGARDG THE WHISPER MPAIGN THAT HE IS GAY.

It follows him still, even though he and his longtime wife, clil psychologist Dorta Reagan, appear to be happily married, ensnced Seattle wh their three typed as gay "has never bothered me, " says Reagan, 46, a polil mentator for MSNBC and dog show host for Animal Pla. " He plans to vote for John outspoken cric of Bh, Reagan ma headl July when he addrsed the Democratic Natnal Conventn support of feral fundg for stem cell is equally passnate about gay marriage. Ronald Reagan feared his son was gay when he dropped out of Yale to bee a ballet dancerThe 40th print's son went on to marry wife Doria 1980, and the two are still together livg Seattle wh their ts Published: 21:14 BST, 3 June 2014 | Updated: 22:52 BST, 3 June 2014 It has been revealed that Ronald Reagan secretly feared his son was gay when the younger Ron dropped out of Yale 1976 to bee a ballet dancer.

Twelve days before Reagan was elected print November, 1980, Christians for Reagan, a supposedly pennt lobby anized to pture the fundamentalist vote for the Republin nomee, announced that would pay for a barrage of advertisements throughout the South, which attacked Print Carter for “terg” to homosexuals. By far the most fluential gay man the Reagan ner circle was Robert Gray, an extremely succsful Washgton public relatns man who had been a closeted pal player ever sce he had served as Dwight Eisenhower’s appotments secretary. ” In New York, the gay power broker Roy Cohn boasted of his fluence wh the Reagan Whe Hoe, and his law partner, Tom Bolan, beme head of the screeng mtee for feral judghips New York State.

Homophobia led many cisn makers to disunt the AIDS epimic, partly bee they didn’t re much about those who were sick, and partly bee they believed that as long as they were straight, they themselv would never have to worry about .

RONALD REAGAN FEARED SON WAS GAY WHEN HE BEME BALLET DANCER

The only real hero were a few scientists si the CDC, who lobbied early and often for more money to fight the epimic, and a very small group of ngrsmen om California and New York, cludg Philip Burton, Henry Waxman, and Ted Weiss, whose openly gay staff members nvced them to take the epimic serly. In April 1982, Wtmoreland wrote a statement for Waxman to read which clared, “There is no doubt my md that if the same disease had appeared among Amerins of Norwegian scent, or among tennis players, rather than gay mal, the rpons of both the ernment and the medil tablishment would have been different.

Insi the Reagan admistratn—at the Whe Hoe, at the Office of Management and Budget, and wh the Department of Health and Human man Servic—there were no openly gay staffers, and therefore, very ltle will to attack the problem forcefully. This attu was another ditn of the persistence of the myth that homosexualy was ntag—even though Reagan himself had publicly rejected that ia durg the battle over the Briggs amendment that would have banned gay teachers om California’s public schools. “Many people, pecially our youth, are not receivg rmatn that is val to their future health and well-beg bee of our reticence alg wh the subjects of sex, sexual practic and homosexualy, ” the surgeon general wrote.

THE REAL RERD OF THE REAGANS ON GAYS AND AIDS

This narrative was further rerced recently the HBO film The Normal Heart, which Reagan is basilly held personally acuntable for the lack of progrs fightg the disease durg his picture that people like to pat of Reagan the LGBT muny is that he was a ferocly antigay zealot who believed that AIDS was a punishment brought down by God upon the gay muny.

I know I'm gog to be torn apart by many of the rears of this article, nsirg that I am a young gay progrsive Democrat who wouldn't ordarily e to the fense of a nservative Republin, but ultimately the ntext matters. Whatever his mistak were when me to HIV and AIDS, she suggts that the former print kept a live-and-let-live attu when me to gay people, le wh the broar pro-eedom prcipl he poed for father once said that Reagan was "the most thentic man" he'd ever met and that "he didn't have a mean-spired bone his body. Not all male ballet dancers are gay — see Mikhail Baryshnikov — but enough are that Ronald Reagan was worried when his son, Ron, qu Yale Universy 1976 to pursue a dancg reer.

OP-ED: THE GAY TTH ABOUT RONALD REAGAN

There were snickers om the right, but the prsure me om the left: Larry Kramer, one of the earlit and most proment AIDS activists, was one of the lour voic, sayg publicly that Ron was gay. ANI New York Last Updated: Jun 03 2014 | 4:55 PM ISTRonald Reagan was apparently worried that his son Ron, might be gay, when he gave up Yale Universy to pursue a dancg 1976. It was 3:15 on the morng of June 26, 1980, and Congrsman Bob Livgston was extraordarily dnk, hidg the ngrsnal gym beneath the Rayburn Hoe Office Buildg, petrified that a team of highly traed right-wg homosexual assasss workg on behalf of Ronald Reagan was about to kill him.

RONALD REAGAN WORRIED HIS SON WAS GAY

While public attus have bee far more open, the suatn that someone is gay — whether te or not — remas a potent weapon (as elements of the mpaign agast North Carola Republin Rep. This acunt of the alleged “homosexual rg” that ntrolled Ronald Reagan, and the efforts to expose on the eve of the 1980 Republin Natnal Conventn that nomated him for the princy, is piled om terviews wh several of the survivg participants and documents unvered the papers of former Washgton Post Executive Edor Ben Bradlee.

“That stuff, ” or what Kemp adviser Ju Wanniski termed “the homosexual thg, ” had dogged the upstate New York ngrsman and former profsnal football player sce the fall of 1967, when the syndited newspaper lumnists Drew Pearson and Jack Anrson published a piece lkg Kemp to a “homosexual rg” operatg wh Reagan’s gubernatorial office. ” The “slanr” and “old lumny” that the virile ex-football pro and father of four might be gay, journalists Rowland Evans and Robert Novak wrote at the time, was a “vic nard, ” the sort of “poisono” “garbage” one found “submerged the polil sewers” and other “gutter munitns” that “not only do gross jtice to their victims but also mean and pollute mocratic ernment. Behd those closed doors, McCloskey suggted strongly that the possibily of Kemp as a nng mate was proof that the “homosexual rg” around Reagan, long dismissed as mor, might be somethg all too real.

Bt began llg him antilly to report that “homosexual people were very close to Reagan’s mpaign learship, ” that they were “nng” Reagan’s mpaign, and that “the suatn is absolutely out of ntrol. ” It was not until a boozy lunch wh a man claimg to have been a “long time Reagan associate, ” however, that Bt found what he believed to be the “smokg gun” provg that Reagan was ntrolled by homosexuals. ” After hearg om Bt, McCloskey agreed that a Kemp nomatn would revive the 1967 “Sndal Sacramento, ” possibly leadg to revelatns about the other homosexuals Reagan’s orb and thereby imperilg the GOP ticket.

RONALD REAGAN WAS NCERNED HIS SON MIGHT BE GAY

An Eisenhower-era executive orr barrg gay people om holdg feral ernment jobs (on the grounds that they were supposedly more sceptible to blackmail) had led to a purge of thoands of workers, and while the civil service lifted s ban 1975, gays were still prohibed om holdg secury clearanc (a rtrictn that would not be lifted until 1995). Over dner at The Palm, some five weeks after the exchange McCloskey’s office, Livgston apparently uld not get the salac stori volvg Kemp and the homosexual Reagan ais out of his md. Livgston’s md began to procs the jumble of thgs he had seen and heard over the past few weeks: the long-standg mors about Kemp; the supposed gay work encirclg Reagan; McCloskey’s ntact who claimed that he, too, had been h on by gay Reagan; Bouchey’s ti to var Lat Amerin juntas and paraari.

ADAPTED OM SECRET CITY: THE HIDN HISTORY OF GAY WASHGTON BY JAM KIRCHICK. PUBLISHED BY HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY. COPYRIGHT © 2022 BY JAM KIRCHICK. ALL RIGHTS RERVED.

” He “has the pacy to ‘h’ people both Lat Ameri and here” the Uned Stat, and he “dited to me durg the eveng that Kemp was certaly a participant homosexual nduct and that he thought possible Reagan was also.

Apprised of a clanste homosexual bal reachg all the way om Washgton to Sacramento, and om San Salvador to Santiago, Livgston had balked at s iatn r and th put himself grave danger. When Bill Bt first told McCloskey back 1976 about the homosexual advanc ma to him by the two Reagan ais, he had given McCloskey and four other people sealed envelop ntag a statement about one of those enunters.

Over the urse of the followg week, McCloskey typed up everythg he knew about the trigu ncerng the prumptive Republin printial nomee — the 1967 “homosexual rg” sndal Sacramento, the repeated sexual importung of Bill Bt by var Reagan ais, Bob Livgston’s dramatic pe om a dread homosexual h squad — to a two-part, 13-page, 33-pot nfintial memorandum.

WHEN REAGAN SAID GAY

The sence of Bt’s allegatns, Armstrong wrote a memo to his lleagu, was that submissn to the sexual mands of an fluential circle of gay men was “the se qua non of succs the Reagan anizatn.

“Count me out until someone on this list [of alleged homosexuals] is actually servg a printial admistratn wh accs to natnal secury rmatn or until a more current pattern of some group is evint, ” Armstrong nclud. While gay sex might still have been illegal most Amerin stat at the time, and gay people officially remaed “secury risks, ” was hard to see how any of the alleged activy volvg the Reagan ais threatened the public tst.

RONALD REAGAN’S SON BELIEV GAY MARRIAGE WILL LEAD TO ‘POLYGAMY, BTIALY AND MURR’

The prence of a closeted homosexual, Peter Hannaford, a potential Reagan admistratn uld pose a threat to natnal secury, McCloskey believed, and so he took his ncerns directly to Reagan’s longtime adviser and mpaign chief of staff, Ed Mee.

“Wh the growg numbers and polil volvement of the homosexual muni across the natn, ” a velopment McCloskey weled, “ would be my judgment that there will be very few secrets about who has and who has not engaged homosexual nduct. McCloskey suggted that Mee ask “any persons agast whom reputable cizens have raised ntentns of homosexual nduct to step asi om posns of rponsibily the Reagan team at the earlit possible date.

HOMOSEXUALY AND GAY RIGHTS

While he did not “specifilly” rell the meetg wh McCloskey, “the implitn that Pete [Hannaford] had anythg to do wh homosexualy is absolutely false, and the reason, if I said [he was not jog the admistratn] at the time was that there was no pot gog to bee Pete wasn’t gog to the admistratn anyway. In light of this rerd, his last-dch effort to torpedo Ronald Reagan wh a tale portrayg him as the dupe of a right-wg homosexual nspiracy looks like jt another episo a reer spent tiltg at wdls — his unlikely iend John Ehrlichman scribed him as “a latter-day Don Quixote” — though one much ls honorable than challengg Richard Nixon for the princy. For as difficult as might be to image today, when an openly gay man n mount a ser mpaign for the princy and gay people have never been more visible Amerin public life, there was only one offense that rivaled murrg a member of the oppose sex, and that was lovg a member of the same one.

Dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill by crics, the legislatn would mandate that “classroom stctn by school personnel or third parti on sexual orientatn or genr inty may not occur krgarten through gra 3 or a manner that is not age appropriate or velopmentally appropriate for stunts acrdance wh state standards. ”By permtg parents to sue school districts that fail to enforce s vague provisns, the act would effectively bar classroom discsn and dividual exprsn on a wi range of subjects not necsarily limed to homosexualy and genr inty.

RON REAGAN: MY FATHER, RONALD REAGAN, WOULD NOT WANT REPUBLINS TO VOTE FOR ‘TRAOR’ TMP 2020‘SQUALID LITTLE MAN’EXCLIVEJAE C. HONG/APRON REAGAN DISCS WHY HIS FATHER WOULD HAVE NEVER VOTED TMP, RONALD REAGAN’S GAY RIGHTS AND AIDS RERD, FIGHTG “RELIG EEDOM,” AND HIS “BURNG HELL” ATHEISM TV AD.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERUPDATED JAN. 17, 2020 8:27AM EST / PUBLISHED JAN. 17, 2020 4:39AM EST AMID THE MBLG DRAMA OF ELIZABETH WARREN AND BERNIE SANRS’ ANTIPATHY OVER WHAT HE DID OR DIDN’T SAY ABOUT A FEMALE PRINT, PETE BUTTIGIEG’S LOW ENERGY, JOE BIN WATCHG THE CLOCK OVER HIS ALLOTTED TIME, AMY KLOBUCHAR’S LANIC W, AND TOM STEYER’S VOTN TO PLAID, THE CNN/D MO REGISTER DEMOCRATIC BATE THIS WEEK FEATURED A STRIKG SCENE-STEALER THE MERCIAL BREAKS. THERE, A 2015 AD FOR THE FREEDOM FROM RELIGN FOUNDATN AIRED ONCE AGA, FEATURG RON REAGAN, SON OF FORMER PRINT RONALD REAGAN, CLARG HIMSELF AN “UNABASHED ATHEIST,” ALARMED “AT THE TSNS OF RELIGN TO SECULAR ERNMENT.” HE SAID HE SUPPORTED THE FFRF S MISSN TO KEEP “STATE AND CHURCH SEPARATE, JT LIKE THE FOUNDG FATHERS TEND.” HE SIGNED OFF THE MERCIAL WH THE MIC DROP-WORTHY “RON REAGAN. LIFELONG ATHEIST. NOT AAID OF BURNG HELL.”THE NTRAST WH REAGAN’S FATHER ULD NOT BE STARKER. AS PRINT, RONALD REAGAN WELED THE “MORAL MAJORY” EVANGELIL VOTE. IT FLOURISHED UNR HIS PRINCY—AND PRINT TMP BENEFS OM AND URTS THAT SAME SUPPORT TODAY. UNR PRINT REAGAN, CHURCH AND STATE BEME EXTRIBLY TERTWED AND HAVE REMAED SO, WH THE TMP ADMISTRATN’S BACKG OF “RELIG EEDOM” AND “RELIG LIBERTY” AS BATTERG RAMS AGAST LGBTQ RIGHTS AND REPRODUCTIVE CHOICE.  NOW REAGAN’S SON—WHO TRAC THE START OF HIS ATHEISM TO HIS CHILDHOOD—MPAIGNS TO SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE, TWO PILLARS HIS FATHER HELPED MELD. TODAY RON REAGAN WILL TALK NDIDLY TO THE DAILY BEAST ABOUT HIS FATHER AND WHAT HE SE AS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REAGAN SR.’S OPEN-MD PRIVATE BELIEFS AND THAT ADMISTRATN’S HOMOPHOBIA AND ACTN OVER AIDS; HIS POLIL LEGACY; THEIR RELATNSHIP; THE MORS ABOUT HIS OWN SEXUALY, FIGHTG TO SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE; AND WHY THE NOW-CEASED REAGAN WOULD NOT WANT REPUBLINS TODAY TO VOTE FOR TMP 2020. RONALD REAGAN, HIS SON TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TMP “A TRAORO PRINT WHO IS BETRAYG HIS UNTRY.”“THE REPUBLIN PARTY AT THIS POT, FOR A WHOLE HOST OF REASONS TO DO WH DONALD TMP, IS AN ENTIRELY ILLEGIMATE POLIL PARTY JT MA UP OF A BUNCH OF SYPHANTIC TRAORS MOUTHG KREML PROPAGANDA TO FEND THIS SQUALID LTLE MAN WHO IS OCCUPYG THE WHE HOE,” RON REAGAN TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, SPEAKG OM ITALY, WHERE HE SPENDS HALF HIS YEAR, SPL WH HIS AMERIN HOME SEATTLE, WHERE HE HAS LIVED FOR 25 YEARS. “THIS IS SHAMEFUL STUFF ALL SORTS OF WAYS,” HE SAID. “THIS IS A DYG PARTY. THEY EHER HAVE TO REMAKE THEMSELV ENTIRELY OR THEY WILL DISAPPEAR EVENTUALLY. WH A THE REPUBLIN PARTY WILL BE A MOR GE GROUP IF NTU GOG THIS WAY.” ADVERTISEMENT “MY FATHER WOULD HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED THAT A PRINT OF THE UNED STAT WAS AS PETENT AND TRAORO AS THE MAN OCCUPYG THE WHE HOE NOW. HE’S A DISGRACE TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRINCY.” WHAT WOULD HIS FATHER HAVE MA OF DONALD TMP?RON REAGAN SAID, “MY FATHER WOULD—ALTHOUGH HE MIGHT NOT E WORDS LIKE THIS BEE HE WAS A FAIRLY GENTEEL PERSON—MY FATHER WOULD PCH TMP’S EMPTY HEAD OFF AND SH DOWN HIS FLABBY NECK.”REAGAN, 61, NTUED: “MY FATHER WOULD HAVE BEEN ASHAMED OF THIS REPUBLIN PARTY. HE WOULD HAVE BEEN EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED THAT A PRINT OF THE UNED STAT WAS AS PETENT AND TRAORO AS THE MAN OCCUPYG THE WHE HOE NOW. HE’S A DISGRACE TO THE OFFICE OF THE PRINCY.“IT IS PERHAPS THE MOST DANGERO TIME FOR OUR REPUBLIC MY LIFETIME, PERHAPS SCE THE CIVIL WAR. IF THERE IS A SEND TMP ADMISTRATN, HE’S GOG TO FEEL LIBERATED TO DO WHATEVER HE WANTS TO DO. HE’LL TRY AND GO FOR THE THIRD, FOURTH, HOWEVER LONG HE LASTS. HE WANTS TO BE PRINT FOR LIFE. IT WOULD KEEP HIM OUT OF JAIL, FOR ONE THG.”EVEN FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT REAGAN SUPPORTERS, RON REAGAN SAID, “AT LEAST MY FATHER HELD THE OFFICE WH A GREE OF DIGNY AND CLASS. THIS MAN HAS NONE OF THAT.” ADVERTISEMENT TO REPUBLIN VOTERS 2020, RON “SPECTS” RONALD REAGAN WOULD—IF HE WERE ALIVE—ADDRS THEM TH: “OUR NATN IS AT A REAL TURNG POT. OUR REPUBLIC IS DANGER. DEMOCRACY IS DANGER, AND WE NEED TO PUT SOMEBODY ELSE THE WHE HOE BEE THIS MAN IS BETRAYG THE UNTRY EVERY SGLE DAY HE OCCUPI THE OVAL OFFICE.” “YOU N FD JTIFITN FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE BIBLE, AND ’S UGLY, CEL, AND STUPID”THE FFRF AD HAS N ON CNN, MSNBC, AND COMEDY CENTRAL, BUT NOT THE MAJOR BROADST WORKS. “CBS SAID, ‘MAYBE WE’LL N , BUT YOU’VE GOT TO CUT THE ENDG,’” HE SAID. REAGAN THKS ’S MORE THAT THE MAJOR WORKS BELIEVE THE AD S ENTIRETY WOULD OFFEND THEIR VIEWERS, “WHO ARE MOSTLY RELIG OR CHRISTIAN. THEY ARE AAID OF LOSG OR ALIENATG THEIR DIENCE.”THE AD HAS BEEN FAVORABLY HAILED ON TWTER BY SARAH SILVERMAN AND SRNED BY TONY PERKS, PRINT OF THE VILENTLY ANTI-LGBTQ FAY REARCH COUNCIL.“I WOULD REMD MR. PERKS THAT HE IS NO POSN TO TALK TO ANYBODY ABOUT ANYTHG THAT REMOTELY TOUCH ON ETHICS AND MORALY SCE HE IS THE CHIEF OF A HATE GROUP,” SAID REAGAN. (THE FRC HAS BEEN SIGNATED AS A “HATE GROUP” BY THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER.) ADVERTISEMENT THE LAST WORDS WERE IMPROMPTU AND MA UP ON THE SPOT WHEN THE AD RAN SHORT, SAID REAGAN. “IT GAVE THE EXTRA UPLE OF SENDS WE NEED. FOR MOST RELIGNISTS, THAT CUTS TO THE RE. IF YOU TELL THEM YOU’RE NOT AAID OF BURNG THEIR HELL, THEY’VE GOT NOTHG ON YOU,” HE SAID.RON WAS RAISED PRBYTERIAN. HE LGHED. “I DON’T KNOW IF REALLY UNTS. I WENT TO SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR A FEW YEARS. I ACPANIED MY PARENTS TO CHURCH FOR A WHILE. BUT AROUND 10, I REALIZED, ‘THERE’S NO SANTA CLS AND NO GOD EHER. THIS DON’T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME, THIS ISN’T REAL.’ BY THE TIME I WAS 12, I HAD ANNOUNCED I WOULD NO LONGER ACPANY THEM TO CHURCH, THAT I NO LONGER BELIEVED , AND WOULD BE HYPOCRIL AND SULTG TO THEIR RELIGN TO GO THROUGH THE MOTNS PRETENDG.”REAGAN SR. WAS “NCERNED BUT KNEW BETTER THAN TO STRONG-ARM ME TO GOG TO CHURCH. OCSNALLY HE WOULD CIRCLE BACK AND TAKE ANOTHER N AT ME. I ASSURED HIM I WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY WHOUT ‘THE MAN UPSTAIRS,’ AS MY FATHER PUT .” HIS FATHER ALSO ASKED HIS THEN-PASTOR TO TRY TO NVCE RON TO E BACK TO CHRISTIANY WHEN HE WAS 16. BUT WH 15 MUT HE AND THE PASTOR WERE TALKG ABOUT THE UCLA AND USC FOOTBALL TEAMS. “I’VE SORT OF BEEN A LIFELONG ATHEIST, MORE OR LS,” RON SAID. HE FEELS ABASHED TALKG TO FFRF MEMBERS, WHO HAVE STGGLED TO LEAVE THEIR FAH BEHD. “FOR ME, WAS JT SAYG, ‘NAHHH.’ I NEVER LOOKED BACK.”REAGAN FDS “CUR” THAT THOSE WHO VOKE “EEDOM OF RELIGN REALLY MEAN EEDOM TO BE BIGOTS. ‘WHO N WE REFE SERVICE TO?’ IT STARTS WH LGBTQ PEOPLE. WHAT ABOUT UNMARRIED UPL? WHAT ABOUT DIVORCED PEOPLE? WHAT ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE? YOU N FD JTIFITN FOR ALMOST ANYTHG THE BIBLE, AND ’S UGLY, CEL, AND STUPID. WE’RE ON TO THEM. WE’LL KEEP SPEAKG UP. DO TONY PERKS HAVE SCERE RELIG BELIEFS? I ULDN’T ANSWER THIS. THE PEOPLE MAKE MONEY OFF WHAT THEY DO.”“FREEDOM OF RELIGN” SOUNDS GENTLER THAN OVERT AND VIC ANTI-LGBTQ DISGT, WHICH MIGHT IGHTEN VOTERS AND DONORS. “THERE HAS TO BE THIS VENEER OF NICENS,” HE SAID. ADVERTISEMENT “THEY’RE SPERATE BEE THEY’RE LOSG NTROL. MORE PEOPLE ARE BEG ATHEIST OR AGNOSTIC. THE MOGRAPHICS ARE NOT MOVG THEIR DIRECTN.” THE LATT MOVE BY TMP TO “PROTECT” PRAYER PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS LEFT REAGAN CRLO. “TELL ME ANYONE WHO N PREVENT ANYONE PRAYG ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. THERE IS NO RTRICTN ON DIVIDUALS PRAYG. WHAT THIS IS TEND TO DO IS TO FORCE OTHERS TO WATCH THEM WHILE THEY PRAY—AND SO THOSE WHO AREN’T PRAYG FEEL MARGALIZED AND THEN THROUGH PEER PRSURE FEEL THEY SHOULD PRAY. IT’S A CHEAP, WARDLY GAME.”FOR REAGAN, THIS LATT POLICY SHOWS THE THORARIAN BEARG OF RELIGN, SEEKG TO EXERT NTROL OVER CIZENS’ LIV AND BODI, EXERTG MORAL JUDGMENTS ALL THE TIME. “THEY’RE SPERATE BEE THEY’RE LOSG NTROL. MORE PEOPLE ARE BEG ATHEIST OR AGNOSTIC. THE MOGRAPHICS ARE NOT MOVG THEIR DIRECTN.”VICE PRINT MIKE PENCE MAY BE A GENUE EVANGELIL EMISSARY, REAGAN SAID, BUT TMP’S EMBRACE OF THE EVANGELIL MUNY IS “ENTIRELY TRANSACTNAL. THEY SUPPORT HIM, HE’LL GIVE THEM WHATEVER THEY WANT. HOW FUNNY HE LOOKS WHEN HE CLOS HIS EY TO PRAY, OR JT LOOKS SULLEN WHEN HE DON’T WANT TO SG HYMNS. IT’S ENTIRELY CYNIL. THIS IS ABOUT HIS POLIL FUTURE. LGBTQ PEOPLE SHOULD BE VERY NCERNED. WE NEED TO TAKE THIS ADMISTRATN AND WHAT IS DOG VERY SERLY.” PHOTOQUT/GETTY CHURCH AND STATE BEME FULLY TERNNECTED UNR REAGAN SR.; WHAT DID RON HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT AT THE TIME TO HIS FATHER? ADVERTISEMENT “WE DIDN’T HAVE A LOT OF NVERSATNS ABOUT HIS EMBRACE OF THE EVANGELIL MUNY. I WAS AWARE OF WHAT WAS GOG ON. MY FATHER HIMSELF—I’M NOT HERE TO FEND THE POLICI OF HIS ADMISTRATN OVERALL—HE HIMSELF WAS REALLY NOT HOMOPHOBIC. MY PARENTS HAD GAY IENDS, SOME UPL. THEY ME TO OUR HOE. THEY WERE GOOD IENDS. HE DID NOT LOATHE THEM BEE THEY WERE GAY. HE WAS A MAN OF HIS ERA, BORN 1911, A GUY’S GUY. HE WOULD EMPLOY A PHRASE LIKE ‘LIGHT HIS LOAFERS.’ WE’RE TALKG HALF A CENTURY AGO. I’M NOT FENDG , BUT THE NTEXT IS WORTH NOTG. HE HAS TAKEN A LOT OF HEAT FOR THE ADMISTRATN’S FOOT-DRAGGG RPONSE TO THE AIDS CRISIS.”IT WAS MORE THAN FOOT-DRAGGG. THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN DID NOT ENGAGE WH THE CRISIS AT ALL S EARLY YEARS. IT WAS A TIME OF RAMPANT HOMOPHOBIA TOO. REAGAN HIMSELF DIDN’T E THE WORD AIDS OUT LOUD PUBLIC FOR YEARS. “FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS THERE WAS NO WORD,” RON REAGAN SAID. “THEN, THE PERCEPTN WAS THIS WAS A DISEASE AFFLICTG IV DG ERS AND GAY MEN MOSTLY—NOT TRADNAL NSTUENCI OF THE REPUBLIN PARTY.” DO ONE HAVE TO BE A “NSTUENCY” OF A POLIL PARTY FOR THAT PARTY, PECIALLY IF IS POWER, TO RE ABOUT YOU AND BE ACTIVELY WATCHFUL FOR YOUR WELFARE, I WONR.“MY FATHER WAS SURROUND BY PEOPLE OF A MD TO IGNORE ,” SAID RON REAGAN. “AS PRINT OF THE UNED STAT YOU RELY ON PEOPLE TO FUNNEL RMATN TO YOU. AND HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SOMEONE ON HIS OWN TO READ UP ON THE DISEASE.” “HE AND HIS ADMISTRATN WERE SLOW TO GET ON BOARD. I WON’T FEND THAT, BUT WASN’T AS IF HE ME TO OFFICE WH A FULLY BLOWN AIDS CRISIS ON HAND. AT THAT POT, NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS.” ADVERTISEMENT NONE OF THIS EXC REAGAN’S NON-ENGAGEMENT WH THE AIDS EPIMIC, OF URSE. RON REAGAN SAID HE DID HIS BT TO GET HIS FATHER TO TAKE NOTICE. “I SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT , MY MOTHER DID. WHEN ROCK HUDSON DIED OF AIDS [ 1985], SUDNLY WOKE HIM UP,” SAID RON. “HE KNEW ROCK WAS GAY, OF URSE. IT DIDN’T DIMISH HIS AFFECTN FOR HIM. HE AND HIS ADMISTRATN WERE SLOW TO GET ON BOARD. I WON’T FEND THAT, BUT WASN’T AS IF HE ME TO OFFICE WH A FULLY BLOWN AIDS CRISIS ON HAND. AT THAT POT, NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS.”SURE, THIS REPORTER SAID, BUT THEN PEOPLE AND SCIENTISTS DID KNOW. THE EPIMIC GREW, AND STILL HIS FATHER AND HIS ADMISTRATN DID NOTHG. MANY LGBTQ PEOPLE OF THAT ERA REMEMBER HIM AND HIS ADMISTRATN AS HOMOPHOBIC AND PROFOUNDLY NEGLIGENT. “I TOLD HIM, ‘THIS IS REAL, THIS IS SER. IT DON’T MATTER WHO AFFECTS OR WHETHER YOU’RE GAY OR NOT. YOU NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THIS. YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHG.’” RON MT HAVE SEEN S EFFECTS, BEG A BALLET DANCER AT THE TIME AND SEEG THE IMPACT OF THE DISEASE AMONG IENDS AND LLEAGU. WHAT DID RON SAY TO HIS FATHER?“I TOLD HIM, ‘THIS IS REAL, THIS IS SER. IT DON’T MATTER WHO AFFECTS, OR WHETHER YOU’RE GAY OR NOT. YOU NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THIS. YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHG.’”  ADVERTISEMENT BUT HIS FATHER DIDN’T. WHY?“POLICS,” SAID RON STARKLY. “THE SAME REASON TMP TERS TO EVANGELILS NOW. IT’S JT POLICS. WHAT N I SAY? THAT’S WHAT WAS. I TOOK SOME HEAT MYSELF. [THE FAMED ACTIVIST AND PLAYWRIGHT] LARRY KRAMER BEGAN PUBLICLY EXRIATG ME, CLAIMG THAT I WAS GAY AND AS A GAY MAN I HAD A RPONSIBILY TO BE MORE ACTIVE, PHG MY FATHER TO DO SOMETHG ABOUT THIS. “I WROTE LARRY A LETTER EXPLAG THAT I DIDN’T RE WHAT ANYBODY THOUGHT MY SEXUALY WAS BUT I WOULD NOT HAVE HIM SULTG MY WIFE THAT WAY. IN A SENSE HE WAS LLG MY WIFE A LIAR. I SAID SHE WAS THE FT PERSON I KNEW AND THAT I WOULD NOT TOLERATE HIS SULTS OF HER.”RON SAID HE UNRSTOOD WHY KRAMER WAS SO ANGRY. HE HAD LOST IENDS TO AIDS, “BUT HE WAS ACCG ME OF NOT DOG ANYTHG WHEN I WAS PRSG MY FATHER. I DIDN’T GIVE A RAT’S ASS WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT. I WAS AMED PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS GAY BEE I WAS A BALLET DANCER. ACTUALLY, ’S KD OF HOMOPHOBIC TO ASSUME THAT A MALE DANCER HAS TO BE GAY.” “I’M NOT GAY, AND NO, I’VE NEVER HAD SEX WH A MAN... I HAVE NEVER BEEN SECURE ABOUT MY SEXUALY. WHEN PEOPLE WOULD BRG UP, I’D PLAY WH THEM. I WOULD REFE TO GIVE THEM A STRAIGHT ANSWER. TO ME WAS AN IRRELEVANT QUTN. I ENJOYED WATCHG THEM SQUIRM.” IS RON GAY? THIS REPORTER ASKED. HAS HE HAD SEXUAL EXPERIENC WH MEN?  ADVERTISEMENT “NO, I’M NOT GAY, AND NO, I’VE NEVER HAD SEX WH A MAN,” RON REPLIED. “I WAS MARRIED TO A WOMAN [DORIA PALMIERI] FOR 35 YEARS UNTIL SHE DIED [ 2014], AND NOW I’M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE MARRIED TO ANOTHER WOMAN WHO HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF HER ART IENDS [FERI BASAGNI, WHOM RON MARRIED 2018]. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SECURE ABOUT MY SEXUALY. WHEN PEOPLE WOULD BRG UP, I’D PLAY WH THEM. I WOULD REFE TO GIVE THEM A STRAIGHT ANSWER. TO ME WAS AN IRRELEVANT QUTN. I ENJOYED WATCHG THEM SQUIRM.”BUT HE STILL SAW CHURCH AND STATE ENTWE THEMSELV UNR HIS FATHER’S WATCH.“IT DID NOT FEEL GOOD,” SAID RON. “I ALSO DIDN’T FEEL PARTICULARLY GOOD ABOUT THE ADMISTRATN’S STANCE TOWARDS THE ENVIRONMENT EHER. WE DISAGREED ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF. I WAS UP ONT TELLG MY FATHER WHAT I THOUGHT, AND HE WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO LISTEN TO ME. WE REMAED IENDS, BUT HE KNEW HOW I FELT ABOUT ALL SORTS OF THGS. I PHED HIM AS OFTEN AND AS HARD AS I ULD. BUT HE WAS HIS OWN MAN. I ULDN’T NTROL HIM.”SO THE HOMOPHOBIA AND AIDS PREJUDICE WE ASSOCIATE WH THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN WAS ALL FOR VOT?“NO,” SAID RON. “IT WAS MORE IGNORANCE. IN HIS FIRST TERM HE FOCED ON THE ENOMY AND LOWERG TAX. THEN HIS SEND TERM HE WAS FOCED ON GETTG RID OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND REACHG AN AGREEMENT WH GORBACHEV. THAT OCCUPIED MOST OF HIS BRA SPACE.”IF PRIVATELY HE DIDN’T LIKE THE HATE RHETORIC AGAST GAY PEOPLE AND THE PREJUDICE TOWARD PEOPLE WH AIDS, WHY DIDN’T RONALD REAGAN SPEAK OUT AGAST PUBLIC? ADVERTISEMENT “THAT’S A VERY GOOD QUTN,” SAID RON. “I NEVER PUT TO HIM THAT WAY. I NEVER HEARD ANY OF THAT RHETORIC PRIVATE, ANY MORE THAN I HEARD ANYTHG ANTI-ABORTN TONE OM HIM. PERSONALLY HE FOUND ABORTN UNFORTABLE, BUT HE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY RELUCTANT TO SAY WOMEN SHOULDN’T HAVE THEM.” RON LGHED. “HE HAD A WIFE WHO WAS NOT ANTI-CHOICE, AND HER MOTHER, WHO WAS A PISTOL, WOULD HAVE TORN HIM A NEW ONE IF HE’D E OUT WH SOMETHG LIKE THAT.”GROWG UP, RON RELLED TWO “NTS,” NOT NTS BUT A LBIAN UPLE, WHO WERE CLOSE WH THE FAY. “THERE WAS NOT HATE TGHT OUR HOEHOLD.” “TO SGLE OUT MY FATHER AS A BêTE NOIRE, AN AVATAR OF HOMOPHOBIA, IS REALLY STRETCHG A B”THE SOLUBLE TTH REMAS: REAGAN’S WAS AN ADMISTRATN WH A STRONG ANTI-GAY ANIM. IF REAGAN REALLY WAS PRO-GAY AND PRO-PASSN AND CENT TREATMENT FOR PEOPLE WH HIV PRIVATE, WHY DIDN’T HE EXPRS ANY OF THIS PUBLICLY?“I DON’T KNOW,” SAID RON. “IT WAS NOT ONT AND CENTER FOR HIM, UNTIL ROCK HUDSON’S ATH. I APPRECIATE YOU ASKG ABOUT MY FATHER’S ADMISTRATN, BUT THAT WAS MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO.” ADVERTISEMENT NIK WHEELER/GETTY DID HIS FATHER EVER LL OUT PAT BUCHANAN, JERRY FALWELL, OR JSE HELMS, OR ANY OF THE OTHER VLENT HOMOPHOB OF THAT ERA, WHOSE SUPPORTERS BACKED REAGAN SR.?“I HAVE NO IA, PROBABLY NOT,” SAID RON. “I DON’T KNOW IF HE PAID ANY ATTENTN TO WHAT JSE HELMS SAID ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, TO BE HONT.”RON ADD THAT HIS FATHER’S PUBLIC SILENCE WAS NOT ISOLATN; THAT HE ULD NOT RELL PRINT JIMMY CARTER OR WALTER MONDALE, HIS FATHER’S 1984 PRINTIAL ELECTN RIVAL (AND CARTER‘S VICE PRINT OM 1977 TO 1981), SPEAKG UP FOR GAY PEOPLE. “THK OF THOSE TIM. TO SGLE OUT MY FATHER AS A BêTE NOIRE, AN AVATAR OF HOMOPHOBIA, IS REALLY STRETCHG A B,” SISTED RON.IN FACT, ACRDG TO A WASHGTON POST ARTICLE BY RICK VALELLY, A PROFSOR OF POLIL SCIENCE, CARTER WAS THE FIRST PRINT TO HAVE MPAIGNED FOR GAY RIGHTS. AFTER BEG CRICIZED FOR NOT BEG VOLLY SUPPORTIVE THE LATE 1970S, MONDALE ADDRSED GAY RIGHTS SUPPORTERS 1982, LLG OUT REAGAN SR.’S HOMOPHOBIA. IN THE 1984 MPAIGN, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY ACTIVELY REACHED OUT TO GAY AND LBIAN VOTERS, AND JSE JACKSON NAMED GAYS AND LBIAN AMERINS HIS FAMED “RABOW ALN” SPEECH AT THE PARTY’S NVENTN THAT YEAR (A NVENTN FIRST).THE ROOTS OF WHAT FLOURISHED UNR PRINT REAGAN—WHO DIED, AGE 93, 2004—IS WHAT RON REAGAN’S FFRF MERCIAL IS ALL ABOUT UNTERG, THIS REPORTER SAID. IT WAS SURELY RELEVANT TO TERROGATE WHAT THE REAGAN ADMISTRATN OVERSAW S URTG OF THE “MORAL MAJORY”; LGBTQ PEOPLE NTUE TO LIVE UNR S AFTER-EFFECTS TODAY, AS SUCCSIVE REPUBLIN ADMISTRATNS HAVE RELIED ON THE LOYALTY OF THAT VOTG BLOC. ADVERTISEMENT “YOU’RE NOT GOG TO GET ANYWHERE BY ATTACKG RONALD REAGAN. HE’S AD AND GONE. HIS ADMISTRATN IS LONG GONE. WE HAVE TO FOC ON THE PRENT. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? WHAT WE HAVE TO FOC ON IS GETTG THIS ASSHOLE OUT OF THE WHE HOE AND HIS HOMOPHOBIC IENDS.” IF REAGAN JR. IS KEEN TO SEPARATE CHURCH AND STATE, HE WILL BE DISMANTLG ONE OF HIS FATHER’S MOST SIGNIFINT POLIL LEGACI.“WE ARE NOW THE PRENT,” SISTED RON. “YOU’RE NOT GOG TO GET ANYWHERE BY ATTACKG RONALD REAGAN. HE’S AD AND GONE. HIS ADMISTRATN IS LONG GONE. WE HAVE TO FOC ON THE PRENT. WHAT HAPPENS NOW? WHO IS RPONSIBLE NOW GOG FORWARD? WHAT WE HAVE TO FOC ON IS GETTG THIS ASSHOLE OUT OF THE WHE HOE AND HIS HOMOPHOBIC IENDS, AND SPEAKG FORTHRIGHTLY OF THE VRL AND VENOM EMBEDD THIS EVANGELISM RIGHT NOW, TODAY.”BUT RONALD REAGAN’S LEGACY IS PRENT AND POTENT. THE REPUBLIN PARTY HAS BEEN RELIANT ON THOSE EVANGELIL VOT SCE HIS FATHER’S ERA. IF THE REPUBLIN PARTY WANTED TO, ULD SEVER THAT ALLIANCE? “NOT S CURRENT FORM,” SAID RON REAGAN, POTG OUT THAT THE “SOUTHERN STRATEGY” HAD REALLY BEEN POPULARIZED UNR RICHARD NIXON, AFTER LYNDON B. JOHNSON NOTED THAT THE DEMOCRATS HAD “LOST THE SOUTH FOR A GENERATN” BY PILOTG THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT TO UN 1964. “THIS DIDN’T JT START WHEN MY FATHER ME TO OFFICE,” SAID RON. “THAT WAS THEN. NOW IS NOW. WE’VE GOT TO FIGHT HARD AGAST THE SORTS OF PEOPLE. THEY’RE DYG OUT. THIS WILL GO AWAY. IT DO NOT MEAN STILL DON’T POSE A DANGER, AND NEEDS TO BE NONTED.” ADVERTISEMENT WHAT PRINT REAGAN OVERSAW—THE TWNG OF REPUBLIN AND EVANGELIL POWER—IS STILL PLACE.“IT’S PLACE RIGHT NOW, AND THRIVG,” SAID RON PASSNATELY, “AND TMP RIGHT NOW IS TAKG ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND THAT IS DANGER RIGHT NOW. WE SHOULDN’T GO BACK AND RE-LIGATE HISTORY 40 YEARS AGO. THIS IS THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. WH THIS PRINT. THAT’S WHAT WE SHOULD FOC ON, NOT WHAT HAPPENED WH MY DAD.”TO EXTRITE CHURCH AND STATE, RON REAGAN SAID, WE SHOULD “OBSERVE” THE CONSTUTN, WHICH WARNS AGAST THE BG OF CHURCH AND STATE. LAWS “SHOULD BE BASED ON SCIENCE, FACTS, REASON, AND MON CENCY. WE DON’T NEED RELIGN TO MAKE LAWS. IF YOU DON’T WANT AN ABORTN, DON’T HAVE ONE. DON’T PRUME TO TELL OTHERS WHAT THEY SHOULD DO WH THEIR LIV. “I WOULD SAY TO PEOPLE, ‘DON’T BE AAID TO SPEAK UP.’ BE WILLG TO SAY YOU’RE NOT AAID OF BURNG HELL. DON’T KOWTOW TO THE PEOPLE. WHEN THE TONY PERKS OF THIS WORLD RAISE THEIR POTY LTLE HEADS, BE READY TO SLAP THEM DOWN. POT OUT THEY ARE THE HEADS OF HATE GROUPS, THAT THEY’RE BIGOTS, THAT THEY’RE TOLERANT AND UGLY.” WHY, ASKED RON REAGAN, SHOULD CHURCH NOT PAY TAX? WHY DID THE SSN OF CONGRS OPEN WH ALMOST EXCLIVELY CHRISTIAN PRAYERS? WHY IS THERE A NATNAL DAY OF PRAYER? “PEOPLE N PRAY ANYTIME, ANYWHERE THEY WANT. IT DON’T NEED TO BE PUBLICLY FUND. WHAT THEY ARE LOOKG FOR IS SPECIAL RIGHTS TO BE BIGOTED AND TO HATE, TO SEPARATE ONE GROUP OM ANOTHER.”REAGAN SAID HE WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR THAT HE KNEW THAT NOT ALL CHRISTIANS VOTED FOR TMP, NOT ALL WERE BIGOTS, AND MANY WERE DISGTED BY THE PRINT. “I HAVE NO PROBLEM WH PEOPLE HAVG THEIR OWN FAH, I JT DON’T WANT THE PUBLIC SPHERE.” ADVERTISEMENT “I SAID TO HER, ‘YOU KNOW THAT I DON’T BELIEVE THE AFTERLIFE THE SENSE OF THE SUPERNATURAL. BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HIM, WHEREVER HE WENT, YOU’RE GOG THERE TOO.’” UNLIKE HIS FATHER, HIS MOTHER NANCY REAGAN, RON SAID, “WAS NEVER MUCH OF A BELIEVER.” SHE WENT TO CHURCH WH HER HBAND, AND TOWARD THE END OF HER LIFE ASKED HER SON WHETHER HE THOUGHT SHE WOULD BE RNED WH HER HBAND AGA AFTER SHE DIED.“I SAID TO HER, ‘YOU KNOW THAT I DON’T BELIEVE THE AFTERLIFE THE SENSE OF THE SUPERNATURAL. BUT I GUARANTEE YOU, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HIM, WHEREVER HE WENT, YOU’RE GOG THERE TOO.’ THAT SEEMED TO SATISFY HER.” (SHE DIED, AGE 94, 2016.)AS FOR RON HIMSELF, HE IS “FORTABLE” THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE. HE LGHED SOFTLY. “I SUPPOSE I WILL QUOTE THE GREAT PHILOSOPHER KEANU REEV, WHO TOLD STEPHEN COLBERT WHEN HE WAS ASKED THE SAME QUTN: ‘I KNOW THE ON WHO LOVE WILL MISS .’”IT’S LS VLENT AND VIVID THAN A VISN OF BURNG HELL, BUT STILL QUE THE MIC DROP. TIM TEEMAN

Gay stunts and the children of same-sex upl, for stance, would likely be hibed om talkg about their liv, and teachers uld face the wrath of angry parents simply for discsg historil events volvg gay people, such as the adly 2016 attack on a gay nightclub bill’s proponents sist that the measure has nothg to do wh harmg the digny of gay dividuals but rather is aimed at ensurg age-appropriate sexual tn.

In 1988 the Brish Parliament passed a measure preventg lol thori om “promotg homosexualy” or “the teachg any mataed school of the acceptabily of homosexualy as a pretend fay relatnship. Ten years later, the Rsian Duma unanimoly passed legislatn “for the purpose of protectg children om rmatn advotg for a nial of tradnal fay valu” prohibg the dissematn of “propaganda” of nontradnal sexual Asenc-Rhe/Tampa Bay Tim, via Associated PrsWhile brandg gay people as child molters has been a staple of right-wg rhetoric around the world, there has long existed a stra of Amerin libertarian nservatism that ems the legal enshrement of such prejudic as an vasn of privacy and a dangero enhancement of state power.

”Much like the current Florida bill, the Briggs Iniative was ambiguoly word, such that would have permted the firg of not jt gay teachers but also anyone who spoke out on their behalf. The measure was part of a natnal backlash agast the advancement of gay rights that began the prev year wh a mpaign by the Florida Cs Commissn spokwoman and gospel sger Ana Bryant to repeal an ordance Miami’s Da County that prohibed discrimatn on the basis of sexual orientatn.