The gay community as a whole reacted to the problem while the US government was still quibbling over condoms, abstinence or silence.

Amazing how in one breath you can say "you practically had to catch it on purpose" and the next acknowledging that 40 million people carry the virus. Yes Dorothy, that IS an epidemic.

Like all other aspects of anything you don't like, you pick out extremists and claim they are running the show.

"Damn right it's political. If it weren't for radical gay politics, there might not have been an AIDS epidemic in the U.S. at all. We should learn from our mistakes. "
If it were not for the "gay community" there would have been no public awareness of AIDS whatsoever. It would have continued to be brushed under the carpet - people would still be dying of "influenza", or "pneumonia".

Cheers,
Tony