He saw no problem with his decision. AIDS, like hemophilia, could not be transmitted by casual contact between people. Thus Ryan saw no difficulty in his resolve to go to school like a normal adolescent.
However, Ryan's high school was not as understanding. Like many communities, the town he lived in was motivated by fear and even by hate towards AIDS sufferers. This fear inhibited their generosity and willingness to open their minds and hearts to Ryan. In addition to the tremendous suffering Ryan experienced because of his medical battles, Ryan was also forced to suffer the prejudices of the people around him, who he wished would befriend him. His worst blow came when he was barred from attending his high school. He had to battle in the courts of the United States to win what for most teens is an ordinary act, the daily right to go to school in his town district. What for some teens is a chore was for Ryan a privilege.
People from all over the country rallied to Ryan's defense in support of his civil rights. The book ends with loving tributes from celebrities and activists who supported Ryan and his cause. Ryan met with Elton John and other notable people over the course of his physical, personal and legal battles with prejudice and with the illnesses that afflicted his body but not his soul. Ryan's strength of spirit was not stymied by the prejudices he experienced...
He became a spokesperson for the civil rights of AIDS sufferers across the nation and across the world. He put a face on the illness, and was willing to sacrifice his own privacy to do so. His struggle cumulated in his testimony before the President Commission on AIDS.
Of course, Ryan's story does not really have a happy ending. The book ends with this young, courageous man's death. It is difficult for a reader not to feel angry, not only reading about the prejudice Ryan experiences, but also the fact that Ryan had so much to give to the world, and was taken away too soon. The book says it tells Ryan's story, but the reader is forced to ask, how can anyone really tell the story of a young man, except the person who 'lived the life?' Ryan did not get the chance to narrate his own tale in his own, adult voice. Ryan is not a historical figure like George Washington, but he becomes, in his biography, a symbol of a cause, whose voice was adopted by others to advance an agenda, however worthy, and to teach about a subject matter rather than to teach about Ryan's uniqueness. But despite the fact that the reader hears about Ryan second-hand, however, Ryan's strength and special qualities still shine through and inspires the reader not to be daunted by his or her own, hopefully smaller struggles and battles.
