Lester Kinsolving
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Charles Lester Kinsolving (December 18, 1927 – December 4, 2018) was an American political
Baltimore, Maryland. He is known for being the first White House correspondent to ask questions about the HIV/AIDS epidemic during the Reagan administration; he continued to ask questions about the disease even though press secretary Larry Speakes and some other correspondents made light of it; Speakes joked that Kinsolving had an "abiding interest in the disease" because he was "a fairy".[1][2][3] Kinsolving first asked questions about AIDS in 1982; President Reagan would not acknowledge the epidemic until 1985, by which time more than five thousand people had died from the disease.[4]
Kinsolving was an outspoken opponent of
gay rights organizations – "the sodomy lobby," as he referred to them – mainly because of his religious beliefs.[5]
Kinsolving had a minor role as Confederate General William Barksdale in a couple of films: Gettysburg and Gods and Generals.
Kinsolving died on December 4, 2018.[6]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Gettysburg | Brig. Gen. William Barksdale | |
| 2003 | Gods and Generals | (final film role) |
Further reading
- Kinsolving, Kathleen (daughter of Lester Kinsolving) (May 3, 2010). Gadfly, The Life and Times of Les Kinsolving – White House Watchdog. ISBN 978-1935071808.
References
- ^ Amira, Dan (December 2, 2013). "AIDS Was Hilarious to the Reagan White House, Press Corps". New York. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ Leon, Harmon (December 1, 2015). "Listen to the Reagan Administration Laughing at the AIDS Epidemic". Vice. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ Geidner, Chris (December 2, 2013). "13 Times The Reagan White House Press Briefing Erupted With Laughter Over AIDS". BuzzFeed. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ Lawson, Richard (December 1, 2015). "The Reagan Administration's Unearthed Response to the AIDS Crisis Is Chilling". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ Dechter, Gadi (January 19, 2009). "Les Is More". Baltimore City Paper. Archived from the original on January 19, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
- ^ Schudel, Matt (December 10, 2018). "Lester Kinsolving, pesky White House questioner, dies at 90". Boston Globe. Retrieved November 11, 2019.
External links
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