Diana's Impact on Stigma's and the LGBTQ+ Commuity 

The illness of AIDS was the scourge of the 1980s. It left people terrified, unaware of how it could spread, and oftentimes resulted in homophobia as the illness spread mostly among gay men. However, Diana broke this stigma, shocking many when she shook the hand of an AIDS patient in 1987. She broke down homophobic barriers, disproving the myth that AIDS could spread through touch. Diana herself even said, “HIV does not make people dangerous to know. You can shake their hands and give them a hug. Heaven knows they need it. What's more, you can share their homes, their workplaces, and their playgrounds and toys” (Green). She would frequent the London Middlesex Hospital, visiting ill patients even while the media wasn’t around. 

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Not only did she break the stigma around the illness but through her actions, but also she showed her support for the LGBTQ+ community. Ian Green, the chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, an HIV charity, spoke highly of Diana after her passing. Green stated that “Princess Diana was a true champion of HIV awareness. She brought passion to the cause and did things which were truly remarkable. She was the first person of her profile who was prepared to shake hands and touch people with HIV, which at the time was seen as a risk. This statement publicly challenged the notion that HIV was passed from person to person by touch” (Cope). On top of her time spent with AIDS patients, she also became a spokesperson and representative for the National AIDs Trust, truly leaving an impact for many generations to see.