#aidsquilt

On the 9th day of Pride, I say to each and every one of y'all, Remember. This is the hardest post I have written so far and I anticipate that it will be the hardest one I ever write. Every time I see even just a vague image of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt, I cry. I don't think, no, I hope that that never changes. If I stop crying, I will have forgotten. The Quilt was the brainchild of Cleve Jones, a gay activist in San Francisco in 1987. He wanted to commemorate people, friends that had died in the AIDS epidemic so began making quilt panels, memorializing each person. Each panel was 3' by 6', approximately the size of a grave. The first 5 panels went on display, hanging from the San Francisco mayor's balcony, on June 28, 1987 for Gay Freedom Day. About 200,000 people saw those panels and many asked how they could be involved or help. On October 11, 1987, the Quilt was unfolded on D.C.'s National Mall with 1,920 panels, a fraction of over 20,000 people who had died of AIDS. After this showing, the Quilt become a national and international sensation, drawing requests to display from around the world. It would be displayed in 20 cities around the US between October 1987 and October 1988. It also grew from just short of 2,000 panels to more than 8,000 in that single year. It continues to grow today. Today it is considered the single largest piece of community folk art. It currently has over 48,000 panels commemorating over 94,000 people. It weighs approximately 54 tons. It is currently housed in Atlanta, GA and is maintained by the NAMES Project. If you would like to donate to its care and preservation, please see aidsquilt.org. #pride2019 #aids #aidsquilt #namesproject https://www.instagram.com/p/Byg53uAFgno/?igshid=1ggfd94y757vd

My name is Cleve Jones and I live in San Francisco, California. We are recording this the day before Pride 2018. I joined the gay liberation movement when I was 17. I fought as hard as I could for LGBT rights. I spent a good decade and a half fighting the AIDS pandemic. Today I fight mostly for the rights of immigrant people, gay and straight, black and brown and white. All of the people who try to come to this country for a better life and are meeting this horribly racist policy of our new President. I think all LGBTQ people need to be part of this fight, that’s what I’m doing today. Happy Pride” - Cleve Jones

This is our kind of account!

Wonderful quilt exhibit at Boston Museum of Fine Arts : #fabricsofanation : American Quilt Stories. I’m a big quilt fan - especially Amish and 19th Century American. Amazingly this show had NO sample piece from #AIDSQuilt- one of the most socially significant examples of American Quiltmaking as a statement in the 20th Century #mfa #boston #art #holidayseason (at Museum of Fine Arts, Boston) https://www.instagram.com/p/CXrWZN_pq3a/?utm_medium=tumblr

Today was the #aidswalk in nyc, a great example of activism and community. Pictured is the #aidsquilt a powerful piece connecting people, art, and activism.

i mean, i’m not sure that “enjoy” is the word one uses for a viewing of #angelsinamerica, but i’m grateful for the experience. 🏳️‍🌈#aidsquilt #thenamesproject #aidsmemorialquilt (at Berkeley Repertory Theatre)