“Ryan White, HIV/AIDS, and the Politics of Innocence” – Paul Renfro

In the 1980s, Ryan White, a straight white teenager diagnosed with hemophilia, became the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic after contracting HIV from contaminated blood products. His fight to attend school in Indiana brought widespread attention to the crisis. Renfro explores how Ryan's story shifted public perceptions of HIV while reinforcing stigma, particularly around marginalized communities, with lasting impacts on HIV/AIDS policy and cultural views.