Edmund White Quotes

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.

That's why I wanted to be part of this AIDS Project Los Angeles party. We help raise funds for those who are having a tough time with some very basic necessities, like shelter, food, and medical care.

In the sick room, ten cents' worth of human understanding equals ten dollars' worth of medical science.

I was a gay man living in the epicenter of 20th-century America's worst health epidemic.

If someone lives in New York, he's a New Yorker - they are entitled to the best medical system in the world.

I would rather be kept alive in the efficient if cold altruism of a large hospital than expire in a gush of warm sympathy in a small one.

Cure sometimes, treat often, comfort always.

The best doctor is the one you run to and can't find.

I lost a very dear friend who lived with AIDS for about 17 years. Rejecting early treatments that were iffy, he thought he saved himself. I really miss him a lot.

Quite frankly, Barack Obama knows what it's like to pay a mortgage and student loans. He knows what it's like to watch a beloved family member in a medical crisis and worry that treatment is out of reach. Barack Obama knows our struggles. And, my friends, he shares our values.

The good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease.

I believe that you can love anyone. I've had relationships with women, I've had relationships with men. I don't think you should be judged based on who you find attractive. Especially guys - gay men, they really have it hard sometimes.

We must make it clear that a platform of 'I hate gay men and women' is not a way to become president of the United States.

I condemn the national gay press for its emphasis on consumerism.

But it's amazing how many people think that gay men should slink off into the shadows when it comes to having friendships with children.

A person once asked me, in a provocative manner, if I approved of homosexuality. I replied with another question: 'Tell me: when God looks at a gay person, does he endorse the existence of this person with love, or reject and condemn this person?' We must always consider the person.

Americans of all ages deserve quality end-of-life medical care.

AIDS is a horrible disease, and the people who catch it deserve compassion.

Disability is often framed, in medical terms, as the ultimate disaster and certainly as a deficit.

If you look at the human condition today, not everyone is well fed, has access to good medical care, or the physical basics that provide for a healthy and a happy life.

Canadians have been very generous toward Haiti after the earthquake and, thanks to you, our most vulnerable people have received food, drinkable water, shelter, medical care and education. For that, we are extremely grateful.

What was interesting was talking to older gay men about what it was like being gay in the Eighties.

Nurses serve their patients in the most important capacities. We know that they serve as our first lines of communication when something goes wrong or when we are concerned about health.

Civil and political rights are critical, but not often the real problem for the destitute sick. My patients in Haiti can now vote but they can't get medical care or clean water.

Once I started working with older people, I realized how much I enjoyed the intellectual challenge of taking care of patients who have multiple, complex medical problems.