--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We didn't exist. Ronald Reagan didn't say…" description: "\"We didn't exist. Ronald Reagan didn't say the word 'AIDS' until 1987. I've tried desperately to get a meeting in the White House; Gay Men's Health Cris..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/larry-kramer-13922_aids_we-didn-t-exist-ronald-reagan-didn-t-say_1748248.jpg" --- # We didn't exist. Ronald Reagan didn't say the word 'AIDS'… ![“We didn't exist. Ronald Reagan didn't say the word 'AIDS' until 1987. I've tried desperately to get a meeting in the White House; Gay Men's Health Crisis is already an established organization. I have a certain presence.” quote by Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/larry-kramer-13922_aids_we-didn-t-exist-ronald-reagan-didn-t-say_1748248.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/larry-kramer-13922_aids_we-didn-t-exist-ronald-reagan-didn-t-say_1748248.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a38/larry-kramer-13922_aids_we-didn-t-exist-ronald-reagan-didn-t-say_1748248.jpg) > “We didn't exist. Ronald Reagan didn't say the word 'AIDS' until 1987. I've tried desperately to get a meeting in the White House; Gay Men's Health Crisis is already an established organization. I have a certain presence.” [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He highlights early denial of AIDS by leaders, his struggle for recognition, and his growing influence in advocacy. **In simple terms:** Early AIDS denial delayed action; he fought for visibility and influence. Key Takeaway Advocacy requires persistence against denial. Themes activism public health LGBTQ rights policy change Mood determined urgent Type activist historical When to use this quote - community organizing - government outreach - media campaigns Key Concepts courage visibility strategic lobbying Questions to Reflect On - How can activists sustain momentum? - What strategies overcome political denial? A Different Perspective Progress can be slow; opposition may be entrenched. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crisis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crisis/) [Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gay/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Organization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/organization/) [Presence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/presence/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) ## Related quotes > [Reagan didn't want to wear his faith on his sleeve in a political way. 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Free markets meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-brat/i-like-ronald-reagan-who-didn-t-play-crass-politics-and-he-just/) [Dave Brat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-brat/) > [Explaining the $1000 in cash and two watches he was given by two Japanese journalists after he helped arrange a private interview for them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-v-allen/explaining-the-1000-in-cash-and-two-watches-he-was-given-by-two/) [Richard V. Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-v-allen/) > [Reagan didn't socialize with the press. He spent his evenings with Nancy, watching TV with dinner trays. But he knew that to transcend, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-dowd/reagan-didn-t-socialize-with-the-press-he-spent-his-evenings-with/) [Maureen Dowd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-dowd/) > [ I was a child or didn't live through those presidents prior to \[Ronald\] Reagan, and thus didn't realize how little attention they had paid… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kengor/i-was-a-child-or-didn-t-live-through-those-presidents-prior-to-ronald/) [Paul Kengor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kengor/) > [I didn't even have a birth certificate until I was 9 years old, which meant that, according to the state of Idaho and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-didn-t-even-have-a-birth-certificate-until-i-was-9-years-old-which/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [As for where I am now, well, social media didn't exist when I was a child, and I never would have guessed just how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suw-charman-anderson/as-for-where-i-am-now-well-social-media-didn-t-exist-when-i-was-a/) [Suw Charman-Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suw-charman-anderson/) > [“On some deep, unconscious level, he had always known it to be true. 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Clearly, the answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/i-suppose-i-was-dying-again-so-i-asked-the-lord-of-permanent/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) > [I got an A in philosophy because I proved my professor didn't exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-tenuta/i-got-an-a-in-philosophy-because-i-proved-my-professor-didn-t-exist/) [Judy Tenuta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-tenuta/) > [“The sonogram didn't exist at the time; the spoon was the next best thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-sonogram-didn-t-exist-at-the-time-the-spoon-was-the-next-best/) [Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/) > [“She believed in Him; she always had. To think He didn’t exist . . . she’d be a shell empty of its nut. God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-n-holmberg/she-believed-in-him-she-always-had-to-think-he-didn-t-exist-she-d-be/) [Charlie N. Holmberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-n-holmberg/) ## More by Larry Kramer > [“Holy shit," somebody muttered in the dark. "A virgin," sputtered another. "I didn't know they still made them." "He just did.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/holy-shit-somebody-muttered-in-the-dark-a-virgin-sputtered-another-i/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Gay life in 1970 was very bleak, compartmentalized. You didn't take it to work. You had to really lead a double life. There were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/gay-life-in-1970-was-very-bleak-compartmentalized-you-didn-t-take-it/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [You do not get more with honey than with vinegar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/you-do-not-get-more-with-honey-than-with-vinegar/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Activism is very seductive, and writing is painful and hard. It's very scary to have a death threat living over your head. Activism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/activism-is-very-seductive-and-writing-is-painful-and-hard-it-s-very/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Writers are given one great story to tell their story. I’m telling my story as a political document.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/writers-are-given-one-great-story-to-tell-their-story-i-m-telling-my/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [ We're all going to go crazy, living this epidemic \[AIDS\] every minute, while the rest of the world goes on out there, all around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/we-re-all-going-to-go-crazy-living-this-epidemic-aids-every-minute/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [I don't mind about the dead ones. They're dead. 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It's all there--all throughhistory we've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/the-only-way-we-ll-have-real-pride-is-when-we-demand-recognition-of-a/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [“There will always be enemies. Time to stop being your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/there-will-always-be-enemies-time-to-stop-being-your-own/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [I do not think the gay population has been all that rabid for gay marriage. 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Well,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/the-media-in-america-is-not-covering-american-aids-very-much-they-re/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) [Explore all 48 Larry Kramer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) ## 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. 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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 > [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. 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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 ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We didn't exist. Ronald Reagan didn't say the word 'AIDS' until 1987. I've tried desperately to get a meeting in the White House; Gay Men's Health Crisis is already an established organization. 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