At the 2010 Indiana Jefferson Jackson Day Dinner in Indianapolis May 14, U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., shocked attendees when he made a joke about AIDS during his speech, according to Advocate.com.
Bayh subsequently apologized for the joke, saying that he was misunderstood and stating that he has continuously voted in favor of AIDS funding. Members of the Indiana Stonewall Democrats reportedly left the venue because they were offended.
According to a transcript posted on Bilerico.com, the punchline of Bayh’s joke involved him confusing someone asking “Do you have aides?” with “Do you have AIDS?”
The Huffington Post reported that Indiana’s State Central Committee has selected Brad Ellsworth—a conservative with an anti-gay voting record—to replace Bayh, who is retiring, at the end of his term.
Jefferson-Jackson Day is the name given to several annual fundraisers held by Democratic Party organizations throughout the United States.