--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When the AIDS epidemic first started…" description: "\"When the AIDS epidemic first started there were people who said, \"Well, if there weren't gays, then we wouldn't have this problem. It's got to be becau..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/josh-brolin-11868_aids_when-the-aids-epidemic-first-started-the_2062338.jpg" --- # When the AIDS epidemic first started there were people who… ![“When the AIDS epidemic first started there were people who said, "Well, if there weren't gays, then we wouldn't have this problem. It's got to be because of them - let it be them instead of us." But when you educate yourself about it, you can't help but realize that we're all affected by it. I…” quote by Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/josh-brolin-11868_aids_when-the-aids-epidemic-first-started-the_2062338.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/josh-brolin-11868_aids_when-the-aids-epidemic-first-started-the_2062338.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8a9/josh-brolin-11868_aids_when-the-aids-epidemic-first-started-the_2062338.jpg) > “When the AIDS epidemic first started there were people who said, "Well, if there weren't gays, then we wouldn't have this problem. It's got to be because of them - let it be them instead of us." But when you educate yourself about it, you can't help but realize that we're all affected by it. I think that things like that just become too daunting for people.” [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Ignorance fuels scapegoating; education reveals universal vulnerability. **In simple terms:** Learning shows we’re all affected. Key Takeaway Educate yourself to combat prejudice. Themes health prejudice education solidarity Mood concerned hopeful Type motivational inspirational When to use this quote - healthcare policy - community outreach - personal health decisions - media literacy Key Concepts Stigma public health social responsibility Questions to Reflect On - Why do people blame minorities for crises? - How can we foster empathy? A Different Perspective People may resist uncomfortable truths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aids/) [Aids epidemic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aids-epidemic/) [Educate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educate/) [Educate Yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educate-yourself/) [Epidemic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemic/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Gays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gays/) [Gays Wouldn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gays-wouldn-3940766/) [Helping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/helping/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Weren Gays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weren-gays-3940767/) ## Related quotes > [I have no prejudice against the gays, but I wouldn't train with someone who's gay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-rodrigo-nogueira/i-have-no-prejudice-against-the-gays-but-i-wouldn-t-train-with/) [Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-rodrigo-nogueira/) > [I started to write about science and medicine at the 'Washington Post,' in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/i-started-to-write-about-science-and-medicine-at-the-washington-post/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [The reality is that the AIDS epidemic continues to outstrip the global and national efforts to contain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-piot/the-reality-is-that-the-aids-epidemic-continues-to-outstrip-the/) [Peter Piot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-piot/) > [How we deal with the AIDS epidemic should be one of the greatest ways that the world gets measured. The report card for this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/how-we-deal-with-the-aids-epidemic-should-be-one-of-the-greatest-ways/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [The global HIV/AIDS epidemic is an unprecedented crisis that requires an unprecedented response. In particular it requires solidarity - between the healthy and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/the-global-hiv-aids-epidemic-is-an-unprecedented-crisis-that-requires/) [Kofi Annan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kofi-annan/) > [When the AIDS epidemic broke, because I happened to be a science nerd and knew a lot about viruses and a lot about that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-fairchild/when-the-aids-epidemic-broke-because-i-happened-to-be-a-science-nerd/) [Morgan Fairchild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-fairchild/) > [The AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not. The AIDS epidemic is fueled by stigma, by hate, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elton-john/the-aids-disease-is-caused-by-a-virus-but-the-aids-epidemic-is-not/) [Elton John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elton-john/) > [On the The AIDS Epidemic: This is a war. It has killed more people than has been the case in all previous wars and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/on-the-the-aids-epidemic-this-is-a-war-it-has-killed-more-people-than/) [Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/) > [When the HIV/AIDS epidemic first appeared, a lot of the reaction was that it's not happening here. It doesn't exist. It's not on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uzodinma-iweala/when-the-hiv-aids-epidemic-first-appeared-a-lot-of-the-reaction-was/) [Uzodinma Iweala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/uzodinma-iweala/) > [The AIDS epidemic began before I was born - I've never known a world without it. And yet, despite its omnipresence in our lives,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jurnee-smollett-bell/the-aids-epidemic-began-before-i-was-born-i-ve-never-known-a-world/) [Jurnee Smollett-Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jurnee-smollett-bell/) > [The AIDS epidemic, rather than being a scourge, is a welcome development in the inevitable reduction of human population... If it didn't exist, radical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foreman/the-aids-epidemic-rather-than-being-a-scourge-is-a-welcome/) [David Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foreman/) > [The AIDS epidemic has rolled back a big rotting log and revealed all the squirming life underneath it, since it involves, all at once,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-aids-epidemic-has-rolled-back-a-big-rotting-log-and-revealed-all/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [I have covered wars, before the epidemic began and since. They are all ugly and painful and unjust, but for me, nothing has matched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/i-have-covered-wars-before-the-epidemic-began-and-since-they-are-all/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [“What happened to all those leading men of the great bacchanalia? They either died of AIDS or accepted roles as supporting actors in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabih-alameddine/what-happened-to-all-those-leading-men-of-the-great-bacchanalia-they/) [Rabih Alameddine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabih-alameddine/) > [ Larry \[Kramer\] had already experienced so much loss by then from the AIDS epidemic. But I don't think it changed anything between us. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-sessums/larry-kramer-had-already-experienced-so-much-loss-by-then-from-the/) [Kevin Sessums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-sessums/) ## More by Josh Brolin > [Suddenly, I'm in movies that people are excited about, and that is a nice change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/suddenly-i-m-in-movies-that-people-are-excited-about-and-that-is-a/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [Nothing misleads people like the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/nothing-misleads-people-like-the-truth/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [I love the competitive part of stocks. A lot of fear and greed, that's all it is. All I see is green and red.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/i-love-the-competitive-part-of-stocks-a-lot-of-fear-and-greed-that-s/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [I got picked on a lot. I was a complete geek in school. I had braces. I didn't have the hot girlfriend. I wasn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/i-got-picked-on-a-lot-i-was-a-complete-geek-in-school-i-had-braces-i/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [Rebellion, just to be clear, can mean holding onto some of your own integrity, of not playing into the idea of sensationalism. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/rebellion-just-to-be-clear-can-mean-holding-onto-some-of-your-own/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [Look, I'm going to take full advantage of this situation just because I love working with great filmmakers. But I've been around for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/look-i-m-going-to-take-full-advantage-of-this-situation-just-because/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [Regardless of whether there was ballot manipulation or not, you still have 50 million people who voted for George W. Bush in the 2000…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/regardless-of-whether-there-was-ballot-manipulation-or-not-you-still/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [I love the whole of California, I have places... my whole thing is with all the money I make, I just want to buy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/i-love-the-whole-of-california-i-have-places-my-whole-thing-is-with/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [When accepting or preparing for a role, fear is the motivating factor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/when-accepting-or-preparing-for-a-role-fear-is-the-motivating-factor/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [It takes me 10 minutes to get ready to go out, and that includes the shower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/it-takes-me-10-minutes-to-get-ready-to-go-out-and-that-includes-the/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [I covered my face because they had taken my wisdom teeth out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/i-covered-my-face-because-they-had-taken-my-wisdom-teeth-out/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [I do think, from the other side, that George W. ush was somewhat of an innocent in his thinking about what Ronald Reagan did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/i-do-think-from-the-other-side-that-george-w-ush-was-somewhat-of-an/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [As an actor, doing it for 30 years, with every movie, you're trying to figure out a way to make it more naturalistic and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/as-an-actor-doing-it-for-30-years-with-every-movie-you-re-trying-to/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [Back then they had Elvis and they thought Elvis was so risqué. So everyone has their perception to what innocence is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/back-then-they-had-elvis-and-they-thought-elvis-was-so-risqu-so/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) > [When I was in jail I could only think about what the average person has to go through - the person who has no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-brolin/when-i-was-in-jail-i-could-only-think-about-what-the-average-person/) [Josh Brolin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) [Explore all 57 Josh Brolin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-brolin/) ## More Aids quotes > [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [I'm part of a team that raises millions of dollars and raises awareness of HIV and AIDS all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-evangelista/i-m-part-of-a-team-that-raises-millions-of-dollars-and-raises/) [Linda Evangelista](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-evangelista/) > [If you take all the food aid, America is by far the most generous country. If you take the direct aid, we're very generous.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/if-you-take-all-the-food-aid-america-is-by-far-the-most-generous/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [My God, whose son, as on this night, took on Him the form of man, and for man vouchsafed to suffer and bleed, controls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-bronte/my-god-whose-son-as-on-this-night-took-on-him-the-form-of-man-and-for/) [Charlotte Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-bronte/) > [I donated blood today. That's what I call getting an AIDS test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-schumer/i-donated-blood-today-that-s-what-i-call-getting-an-aids-test/) [Amy Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-schumer/) > [Slavery, if it can be legalized at all, can be legalized only by positive legislation. Natural law gives it no aid. Custom imparts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysander-spooner/slavery-if-it-can-be-legalized-at-all-can-be-legalized-only-by/) [Lysander Spooner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysander-spooner/) > [Since I came to the White House, I got two hearing aids, a colon operation, skin cancer, a prostate operation, and I was shot.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/since-i-came-to-the-white-house-i-got-two-hearing-aids-a-colon/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The European talks of progress because by the aid of a few scientific discoveries he has established a society which has mistaken comfort for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-disraeli/the-european-talks-of-progress-because-by-the-aid-of-a-few-scientific/) [Benjamin Disraeli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-disraeli/) > [Women's Aid is a fantastic charity which has my full support. I am proud to call myself a Real Man, a man who will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-fox/women-s-aid-is-a-fantastic-charity-which-has-my-full-support-i-am/) [Neil Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-fox/) > [It has been hard to muster the resources to support fledgling democracies and to intervene on behalf of the most desperate. The AIDS orphans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/it-has-been-hard-to-muster-the-resources-to-support-fledgling/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [At the time when this famous historical battle was fought in Kosovo, the people were looking at the stars, expecting aid from them. Now,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/at-the-time-when-this-famous-historical-battle-was-fought-in-kosovo/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [Charles Darwin viewed the fossil record more as an embarrassment than as an aid to his theory ...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/charles-darwin-viewed-the-fossil-record-more-as-an-embarrassment-than/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [I don't think I could compare myself to Macaulay Culkin, because we're pretty much two different kinds of actors. He's done a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-bonsall/i-don-t-think-i-could-compare-myself-to-macaulay-culkin-because-we-re/) [Brian Bonsall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-bonsall/) > [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) [Browse all 1,983 Aids quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aids/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When the AIDS epidemic first started there were people who said, \"Well, if there weren't gays, then we wouldn't have this problem. It's got to be because of them - let it be them instead of us.\" But when you educate yourself about it, you can't help but realize that we're all affected by it. 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