The Birth of the AIDS Awareness Ribbon

In the late 1980s, as AIDS became the number one killer of young men in the US, there was little public acknowledgement or reporting of the disease, due to stigma. Artists in the Manhattan art scene, including Patrick O'Connell, formed the collective visual AIDS to raise awareness about AIDS. They created the AIDS awareness ribbon, taking inspiration from yellow ribbons for servicemen during the Persian Gulf War. The red ribbon was chosen to represent blood. Initially an art project, the ribbon gained widespread attention when celebrities wore it at the 1991 Tony Awards. The ribbon quickly became a symbol of AIDS awareness and was worn by people around the world. It started discussions about AIDS and led to increased funding for AIDS research and awareness.