First lady Jill Biden kicked off the Pride Month on Monday by unveiling a postage stamp in former first lady Nancy Reagan’s honor. But the question remains, was the launch of Reagan’s stamp done at the right time.

While Jill Biden and President Joe Biden are strong supporters of LGBTQ rights but former President Ronald Reagan did not share a similar view. 

Ronald Reagan’s administration spent years ignoring that gay men were dying by the thousands from AIDS complications.

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On Monday, Jill Biden said that Nancy Reagan “made such a difference.” Jill Biden stood next to a massive image of the former first lady’s face on a stamp while talking about her.

“First lady Nancy Reagan served the American people with grace,” she continued. “She understood that the role of first lady came with inherent pitfalls and scrutiny, yet she found the humanity in it all.”

However, the decision to honor Nancy Reagan at the start of Pride Month seems quite ill-timed.

Just last week, the president issued a proclamation declaring June 2022 “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) Pride Month.”

“This month, we remind the LGBTQI+ community that they are loved and cherished,” President Biden said in his proclamation. “My Administration sees you for who you are — deserving of dignity, respect, and support.”

Ronald Reagan hasn’t been an advocate of LGBTQ. In fact, before becoming president, he referred to gay people as “sick unfortunates.” After coming to the White House in 1980, he stayed silent for years as the AIDS epidemic ravaged the LGBTQ community.

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He also recommended cutting federal AIDS spending in 1986.

Nancy Reagan herself turned down a plea for help from her friend, actor Rock Hudson, who in 1985 was desperately trying to get treatment for AIDS in France.