President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted AIDS survivors, advocates, and families at the White House on Sunday to commemorate World AIDS Day with a historic display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt—the first time it has been shown there. The event included remarks from the Bidens and Jeanne White-Ginder, whose son Ryan White died of AIDS in 1990.
Both Bidens grew emotional during the event, empathizing with the grief of attendees. President Biden reflected on personal losses, including his first wife and baby daughter, who died in a 1972 car crash, and his son Beau, who died of cancer in 2015. Jill Biden connected deeply with the quilt, saying, “As a mom, I think of the mothers who stitched their pain into a patchwork panel so the world would remember their child.”
President Biden praised the AIDS advocacy movement, highlighting Dr. Anthony Fauci’s contributions in fighting the disease. He honored the lives lost, stating, “This movement is woven into the fabric of America, shining a light on the memory and legacy of those we’ve lost to this terrible disease. We stand united in the fight against this epidemic.”
Following their remarks, the Bidens walked hand-in-hand past sections of the quilt, pausing to reflect. The World Health Organization estimates 42.3 million people have died since the AIDS epidemic began.
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