World AIDS Day | The Red Ribbon Donate The red ribbon NAT have produced a range of special red ribbon brooches. To purchase one of your own please visit our shop . The red ribbon is the universal symbol of awareness and support for those living with HIV. The red ribbon has inspired other charities to utilise the symbol, for example breast cancer awareness has adopted a pink version. Where can I get a red ribbon? You can buy an individual red ribbon from the NAT shop . Red Ribbons are also available from our partners: They will be in MAC stores across the country for a suggested donation of £1 Around World AIDS Day look out for supporters selling red ribbons at tube and train stations across the country You can also buy packs of the traditional fabric red ribbons from the NAT shop . If you are planning to fundraise for NAT, you can order Red Ribbons in packs of 100 free of charge. Simply fill out this order form . Where did the idea come from? In 1991 – a decade after the emergence of HIV – a group of 12 artists gathered to discuss a new project for Visual Aids; a New York arts organisation that raises awareness of HIV.

They were photographers, painters, film makers and costume designers, and they sat around in the shared gallery space in New York's East Village. After a short brainstorm they had come up with a simple idea that later became one of the most recognised symbols of the decade – the red ribbon, worn to signify awareness and support for people living with HIV. Photos courtesy of The Elizabeth Taylor Archive Why did we need a symbol? When the artists sat down to work on this project, their aim was to get people talking about HIV. This was during a time where HIV was highly stigmatised and people living with the virus were suffering behind closed doors, some too scared to even tell their loved ones. The artists wanted to create a visual expression of compassion for people living with, and affected by, HIV. The artists were inspired by the yellow ribbons tied on trees to show support for the US military fighting in the Gulf War. Pink and rainbow stripes were rejected because they were too closely associated with the gay community, and they wanted to convey that HIV went beyond the gay community and was relevant to everyone. Red was chosen as it is bold and visible – symbolising passion, a heart and love.

The shape was chosen simply because it was easy to make and replicate – anyone can make one by just cutting out a piece of ribbon, looping it around your finger and pinning it on themselves. How did the red ribbon become so well known? In the early days, the artists made the ribbons themselves and distributed them around the New York art scene and dropped them off at theatres. Initially there was text that went with it, to explain why they were being worn, but eventually this was dropped as its symbolism no longer needed an explanation. Within weeks of the red ribbon idea being born, world-famous actors starting wearing it to high-profile award ceremonies such as the Oscars and talking about why it was important. The media also took notice, and within a short space of time the red ribbon symbol became universally recognised. At the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, held at London's Wembley Stadium on Easter Sunday, 1992, more than 100,000 red ribbons were distributed among the audience, with performers such as George Michael wearing one. The red ribbon continues to be a powerful force in the efforts to increase public awareness of HIV.

Connect with us How a red ribbon conquered the world - BBC News BBC News How a red ribbon conquered the world By Tom Geoghegan BBC News, Washington DC 2 June 2011 Close share panel Image caption The red ribbon has become a global symbol Thirty years after the HIV virus was first documented, the red ribbon is the ubiquitous symbol of support for those living with the illness. Who thought of it and how did it get so big? In the sparse surroundings of a former classroom on a spring day in 1991 - a decade after the rise of Aids - a group of 12 artists gathered to discuss a new project. They were photographers, painters, film makers and costume designers, and they sat around in the shared gallery space known as PS122 in New York's East Village.

30 years of HIV 5 June 1981: Center for Disease Control mentions a new virus in its weekly mortality report 1982: The term Aids (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) first used 1984: Virus identified and named HIV 1985: Rock Hudson dies of Aids, teenage haemophiliac Ryan White expelled from school because infected through treatment 1987: First showing of Aids Memorial Quilt on National Mall in Washington DC 1991: Jeremy Irons wears red ribbon and basketball's Magic Johnson has the virus 1993: Philadelphia film wins two Oscars 2000: Infection rates in US among African Americans overtakes gay men 2011: Global death toll 22m, infections 60m 'More money needed' for HIV cure Within an hour or so of brainstorming, they had come up with a simple idea that later became one of the most recognised symbols of the decade - the red ribbon, worn to signify support for people with HIV/Aids. "We wanted to make something that was self-replicating," says Patrick O'Connell, who chaired the meeting.

"It's extremely simple, like Bauhaus but half a century later. You cut the ribbon 6-7 inches, loop it around your finger and pin it on. You can do it yourself." The ribbon was the latest project by Visual Aids, a New York arts organisation that raises awareness of HIV/Aids. When they sat down in the shared gallery space of PS122 in May 1991, they wanted to get people talking about the illness that was decimating their professional and social network, in the face of public indifference and private shame. People were dying without even telling their friends why they were sick, and the artists wanted a visual expression of compassion for people living with Aids and their carers. Image caption At the start, Visual Aids volunteers made the ribbons themselves "Even in New York, we were very aware of how many people couldn't talk about it, or were oblivious, or were going through it themselves but ashamed to talk about it," says photographer Allen Frame, who was also one of the 12. "We wanted to make people feeling isolated more supported and understood." Their inspiration came from the yellow ribbons tied on trees to denote support for the US military fighting in the Gulf War, he says.

Pink and the rainbow colours were rejected because they were too closely associated with the gay community, and this was an illness that went well beyond. "Red was something bold and visible. It symbolised passion, a heart and love." The shape had no significance but was easy to make. Life in 80s New York By Patrick O'ConnellVisual Aids founder You would be trying to work, but inevitably you would have to go to St Vincent's to see someone who was dying, because everyone was dying. From there you would go to the funeral home on West 14th St to either help make arrangements for a funeral or to attend a wake. Then you finally get home and on your answering machine there would be a message from a friend flipping out, saying 'I'm sick. What am I going to do?' So we were living this 24 hours a day and trying to move forward with our pre-Aids lives. How we as individuals responded to this extreme trauma I think defined many of us and redefined us as a group. It took two more meetings to refine the design and then they set to work on making the ribbons themselves, distributing them around the New York art scene and dropping them off at theatres.

Initially there was a text that went with it, to explain why they were being worn, although this was later dropped because it became superfluous. A few weeks after that first meeting, the group sent a box of 3,000 ribbons to the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway, ahead of the Tony Awards for the theatre industry. Some of them were making ribbons and watching the televised event as actor Jeremy Irons, one of the presenters, came on to the stage wearing one. "Within three days, the media finally figured it out and it snowballed. I started being contacted by people in Hollywood," says O'Connell. Demand increased to such a degree that supply needed to be outsourced, and Visual Aids used a charity working with homeless women to make the ribbons. They sent out 10,000 ribbons for one Oscars ceremony, and over the coming years they made about 1.5m. Image caption Liz Taylor frequently wore one, having lost friends to Aids Stars like Bette Midler and Richard Gere were not only wearing them, but openly discussing why it was important. A ribbon-sporting culture developed within the acting profession.

"It became trendy and sometimes I think celebrities felt blackmailed and thought they had to show up wearing a ribbon, which wasn't the case," says O'Connell. "We weren't keeping count that way." The ribbons first crossed the Atlantic in large numbers on Easter Monday in 1992, when more than 100,000 ribbons were distributed at an Aids benefit concert in London's Wembley Stadium for Freddie Mercury. They also began to proliferate in mainstream American life. Schools and churches across the US touched by the illness started to contact Visual Aids for advice on how they could explain it to children and parishioners - the answer was to hold a ribbon-making event. "This was a way to educate people in a non-combative way," says O'Connell, who has a ribbon on every item of clothing. Direct action was still important, he says - campaigners occupied the Stock Exchange and tried to re-enact a funeral on the White House lawn - but the ribbon was a way to broaden the conversation. Who are you supporting?

Blue: Colon cancer awareness, human trafficking Purple: Lupus, Alzheimer's, domestic violence Red: Substance abuse, Aids Red and blue: Haiti recovery One unforeseen consequence has been the number of awareness ribbons that have been adopted since - pink for breast cancer being the most well known. The artists purposefully never trademarked it - the point of the project was to invite more people in, says O'Connell - which meant it could appear anywhere without Visual Aids' permission or any payments. It even turned up on a US Post Office stamp. But he and some of the other artists behind the concept believe the proliferation and merchandising of the ribbon - ornamental ribbons selling for $19.95 in department stores and red ribbon mugs - has commercialised and trivialised their idea. In a spirit more in tune with the one envisaged by Visual Aids, the ribbon is replicated in many different forms for memorials on World Aids Day, and its symbolism no longer needs any explanation. In the poorest parts of the world, ribbon production has been central to efforts to raise funds and change attitudes, says Sir Nick Partridge, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust in the UK.

A branding expert's view The simplicity of a ribbon is compelling. Think of medals of honour. Consider the race where the victor defies odds and, defeating doubts, breaks through the ribbon. The HIV awareness red ribbon has become the ubiquitous symbol which combines unity, courage, strength and confidence. From a practical aspect, its weight allows for easy distribution, and it is easily worn. The red draws attention to a global blood-tie between all people. The loop joins the arteries of concordance together as one. (HIV has no regard for age, class, race or belief). It ties together the community of mankind as one brand representing simple hope, empathy and courage. Like the dynamic Nike or Coke swoosh, it is instantly recognisable and, for the majority, universally endorsed. Jonathan Gabay, Brand Forensics Women's collectives make ribbons and adorn them before selling them in their community. "A number of people living with HIV really appreciate seeing other people wearing the red ribbon. They realise they're not alone and recognise that the majority of people wearing them probably don't have HIV themselves, and that sense of support and solidarity is very, very important. "There has been some criticism, that it is only a symbol.

But symbols are important, and the way in which the red ribbon was embraced by community activists, doctors and researchers is a unifying emblem in what is a very disparate epidemic. "The brilliance of the artists was not copyrighting it. Making it freely available was a gift to the Aids community worldwide." Those 12 artists never worked together again as a group, but with the battle against the illness ongoing, their activism continues. History of HIV and AIDS overview | AVERT History of HIV and AIDS overview History overview The history of the HIV and AIDS epidemic began in illness, fear and death. However, the development of highly effective antiretroviral drugs represented a major turning point by allowing people living with HIV to live long and healthy lives. Here, we go through the key historical moments that have defined the HIV epidemic over the past 30 years. Pre-1980 It is widely believed that HIV originated in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo around 1920 when HIV crossed species from chimpanzees to humans . Up until the 1980s, we do not know how many people developed HIV or AIDS. HIV was unknown and transmission was not accompanied by noticeable signs or symptoms.

While sporadic cases of AIDS were documented prior to 1970, available data suggests that the current epidemic started in the mid- to late 1970s. By 1980, HIV may have already spread to five continents (North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Australia). In this period, between 100,000 and 300,000 people could have already been infected. 1 1980s 1981 In 1981, cases of a rare lung infection called Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) were found in five young, previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles. 2 At the same time, there were reports of a group of men in New York and California with an unusually aggressive cancer named Kaposi’s Sarcoma. 3 In December 1981, the first cases of PCP were reported in people who inject drugs . 4 By the end of the year, there were 270 reported cases of severe immune deficiency among gay men - 121 of them had died.

5 1982 In June 1982, a group of cases among gay men in Southern California suggested that the cause of the immune deficiency was sexual and the syndrome was initially called gay-related immune deficiency (or GRID). 6 Later that month, the disease was reported in haemophiliacs and Haitians leading many to believe it had originated in Haiti. 7 8 In September, the CDC used the term “AIDS” (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) for the first time, describing it as... "a disease at least moderately predictive of a defect in cell mediated immunity, occurring in a person with no known case for diminished resistance to that disease." 9 AIDS cases were also being reported in a number of European countries. 10 11 12 In Uganda , doctors reported cases of a new, fatal wasting disease locally known as 'slim'. 13 By this point, a number of AIDS-specific organisations had been set up including the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) in the USA and The Terry Higgins Trust (later known as the Terrence Higgins Trust) in the UK , to provide safer sex advice to gay men.

14 1983 In January 1983, AIDS was reported among the female partners of males who had the disease suggesting it could be passed on via heterosexual sex. 15 In May, doctors at the Pasteur Institute in France reported the discovery of a new retrovirus called Lymphadenopathy-Associated Virus (or LAV) that could be the cause of AIDS. 16 In June, the first reports of AIDS in children hinted that it could be passed via casual contact but this was later ruled out and it was concluded that they had probably directly acquired AIDS from their mothers before, during or shortly after birth. 17 By September, the CDC identified all major routes of transmission and ruled out transmission by casual contact, food, water, air or surfaces. 18 The CDC also published their first set of recommended precautions for healthcare workers and allied health professionals to prevent "AIDS transmission". 19 In November, the World Health Organisation (WHO) held its first meeting to assess the global AIDS situation and began international surveillance. 20 By the end of the year the number of AIDS cases in the USA had risen to 3,064 - of this number, 1,292 had died.

21 1984 In April 1984, the National Cancer Institute announced they had found the cause of AIDS, the retrovirus HTLV-III. In a joint conference with the Pasteur Institute they announced that LAV and HTLV-III are identical and the likely cause of AIDS. 22 A blood test was ready to screen for the virus with the hope that a vaccine would be developed in 2 years. 23 In July, the CDC state that avoiding injecting drug use and sharing needles "should also be effective in preventing transmission of the virus." 24 In October, bath houses and private sex clubs in San Francisco were closed due to high-risk sexual activity. New York and Los Angeles followed suit within a year. 25 By the end of 1984, there had been 7,699 AIDS cases and 3,665 AIDS deaths in the USA with 762 cases reported in Europe. 26 1985 In March 1985, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) licenses the first commercial blood test, ELISA, to detect antibodies to the virus. Blood banks began to screen the USA blood supply.

27 In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) hosted the first International AIDS Conference in Atlanta Georgia. 28 Ryan White, a teenager from Indiana, USA who acquired AIDS through contaminated blood products used to treat his haemophilia was banned from school. 29 On 2 October, the actor Rock Hudson dies from AIDS - the first high profile fatality. He left $250,000 to set up the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR). 30 In December, the U.S. Public Health Service issued the first recommendations for preventing mother to child transmission of the virus. 31 By the end of 1985, every region in the world had reported at least one case of AIDS, with 20,303 cases in total. 32 In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the first needle and syringe programme was set up with growing concerns about HTLV-III/LAV.

33 1986 In May 1986, the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses said that the virus that causes AIDS will officially be called HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) instead of HTLV-III/LAV. 34 By the end of the 1986, 85 countries had reported 38,401 cases of AIDS to the World Health Organisation. By region these were; Africa 2,323, Americas 31,741, Asia 84, Europe 3,858, and Oceania 395. 35 1987 In February 1987, the WHO launched The Global Program on AIDS to raise awareness; generate evidence-based policies; provide technical and financial support to countries; conduct research; promote participation by NGOs; and promote the rights of people living with HIV. 36 In March, the FDA approved the first antiretroviral drug, zidovudine (AZT), as treatment for HIV. 37 In April, the FDA approved the western blot blood test kit, a more specific HIV antibody test.

38 In July, the WHO confirmed that HIV could be passed from mother to child during breastfeeding. 39 In October, AIDS became the first illness debated in the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. 40 By December, 71,751 cases of AIDS had been reported to the World Health Organisation, with 47,022 of these in the USA. The WHO also reported that an estimated 5-10 million people were living with HIV worldwide. 41 1988 In 1988, the WHO declared 1st December as the first World AIDS Day. 42 The groundwork was laid for a nationwide HIV/AIDS care system in the USA that was later funded by the Ryan White CARE Act. 43 1989 In March 1989, 145 countries had reported 142,000 AIDS cases. However, the WHO estimated there were up to 400,000 cases worldwide. 44 In June, the CDC released the first guidelines to prevent PCP - an opportunistic infection that was a major cause of death among people with AIDS.

45 The number of reported AIDS cases in the USA reached 100,000. 1990s 1990 On 8 April 1990, Ryan White died of an AIDS-related illness aged 18. 46 In June, the 6th International AIDS Conference in San Francisco protested against the USA's immigration policy which stopped people with HIV from entering the country. NGOs boycott the conference. 47 In July, the USA enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities including people living with HIV. 48 In October, the FDA approved the use of zidovudine (AZT) to treat children with AIDS. 49 By the end of 1990, over 307,000 AIDS cases had been officially reported with the actual number estimated to be closer to a million. 8-10 million people were thought to be living with HIV worldwide. 50 1991 In 1991, the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus launched the Red Ribbon Project to create a symbol of compassion for people living with HIV and their carers. The red ribbon became an international symbol of AIDS awareness.

51 On 7 November, professional basketball player Earvin (Magic) Johnson announced he had HIV and retired from the sport, planning to educate young people about the virus. 52 A couple of weeks later, Freddie Mercury, lead singer of rock group Queen, announced he had AIDS and died a day later. 53 1992 The 1992 International AIDS Conference scheduled to be held in Boston, USA was moved to Amsterdam due to USA immigration rules on people living with HIV. 54 Tennis star Arthur Ashe revealed he became infected with HIV as the result of a blood transfusion in 1983. 55 In May, the FDA licensed a 10 minute testing kit which could be used by healthcare professionals to detect HIV-1. 56 1993 In March 1993, the USA voted overwhelmingly to retain the ban on entry into the country for people living with HIV. 57 The CDC added pulmonary tuberculosis, recurrent pneumonia and invasive cervical cancer to the list of AIDS indicators. 58 Over 700,000 people were thought to have the virus in Asia and the Pacific .

59 By the end of 1993, there were an estimated 2.5 million AIDS cases globally. 60 1994 In August 1994, the U.S. Public Health Service recommended the use of AZT to prevent the mother to child transmission of HIV. 61 In December, the FDA approved an oral HIV test - the first non-blood HIV test. 1995 In June 1995, the FDA approved the first protease inhibitor beginning a new era of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). 62 By the end of the year, there were an estimated 4.7 million new HIV infections - 2.5 million in southeast Asia and 1.9 million in sub-Saharan Africa . 63 1996 In 1996, the Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS) was established to advocate for global action on the epidemic and coordinate HIV/AIDS efforts across the UN. 64 The 11th International AIDS Conference in Vancouver highlighted the effectiveness of HAART leading to a period of optimism.

65 The FDA approved the first home testing kit; a viral load test to measure the level of HIV in the blood; the first non-nucleoside transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) drug (nevirapine); and the first HIV urine test. 66 New HIV outbreaks were detected in Eastern Europe , the former Soviet Union, India , Vietnam, Cambodia and China among others. By the end of 1996, the estimated number of people living with HIV was 23 million. 67 1997 In September 1997, the FDA approved Combivir, a combination of two antiretroviral drugs making it easier to people living with HIV to take their medication. 68 UNAIDS estimated that 30 million people had HIV worldwide equating to 16,000 new infections a day. 69 1999 In 1999, the WHO announced that HIV/AIDS was the fourth biggest cause of death worldwide and number one killer in Africa. An estimated 33 million people were living with HIV and 14 million people had died from AIDS since the start of the epidemic.

70 2000s 2000 In July, UNAIDS negotiated with five pharmaceutical companies to reduce antiretroviral drug prices for developing countries. 71 In September, the United Nations adopted the Millennium Development Goals which included a specific goal to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. 72 2001 In June 2001, United Nations (UN) General Assembly called for the creation of a "global fund" to support efforts by countries and organisations to combat the spread of HIV through prevention, treatment and care including buying medication. 73 After generic drug manufacturers offered to produce discounted, generic forms of HIV/AIDS drugs for developing countries, several major pharmaceutical manufacturers agreed to further reduce drug prices. In November, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) announced the Doha Declaration which allowed developing countries to manufacture generic medications to combat public health crises like HIV/AIDS. 74 2002 In April 2002, the Global Fund approved its first round of grants totalling $600 million. 75 In July, UNAIDS reported that HIV/AIDS was now by far the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa.

76 In November, the FDA approved the first rapid HIV test with 99.6% accuracy and a result in 20 minutes. 77 2003 In January 2003, President George W. Bush announced the creation of the United States President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a $15 billion, 5-year plan to combat AIDS, primarily in countries with a high number of HIV infections. 78 In December, the WHO announced the “3 by 5” initiative to bring HIV treatment to 3 million people by 2005. 79 2006 In 2006, male circumcision was found to reduce the risk of female-to-male HIV transmission by 60%. 80 Since then, the WHO and UNAIDS have emphasised that male circumcision should be considered in areas with high HIV and low male circumcision prevalence. 81 2007 In May 2007, the WHO and UNAIDS issued new guidance recommending “provider-initiated” HIV testing in healthcare settings to widen knowledge of HIV status and greatly increase access to HIV treatment and prevention.

82 2010s 2010 In January 2010, the travel ban preventing HIV-positive people from entering the USA was lifted. 83 In July, the CAPRISA 004 microbicide trial was hailed a success after results showed the gel reduces the risk of HIV infection in women by 40%. 84 Results from the iPrEx trial showed a reduction in HIV acquisition of 44% among men who have sex with men who took pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). 85 2011 In 2011, results from the HPTN 052 trial showed that early initiation of antiretroviral treatment reduced the risk of HIV transmission by 96% among serodiscordant couples. 86 In August, the FDA approved Complera, the second all-in-one fixed dose combination tablet, expanding the treatment options available for people living with HIV. 87 2012 In July 2012, the FDA approves PrEP for HIV-negative people to prevent the sexual transmission of HIV. 88 For the first time, the majority of people eligible for treatment were receiving it (54%).

89 2013 In 2013, UNAIDS reported that AIDS-related deaths had fallen 30% since their peak in 2005. 90 An estimated 35 million people are living with HIV. 91 2014 In September 2014, new UNAIDS “Fast Track” targets called for the dramatic scaling-up of HIV prevention and treatment programmes to avert 28 million new infections and end the epidemic as a public health issue by 2030. 92 UNAIDS also launched the ambitious 90-90-90 targets which aim for 90% of people living with HIV to be diagnosed, 90% to be accessing antiretroviral treatment and 90% to achieve viral suppression by 2020. 93 2015 In July 2015, UNAIDS announced that the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) relating to HIV and AIDS had been reached six months ahead of schedule. The target of MDG 6 – halting and reversing the spread of HIV – saw 15 million people receive treatment.

94 In September, the WHO launched new treatment guidelines recommending that all people living with HIV should receive antiretroviral treatment, regardless of their CD4 count, and as soon as possible after their diagnosis. 95 In October, UNAIDS released their 2016-2021 strategy in line with the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), that called for an acceleration in the global HIV response to reach critical HIV prevention and treatment targets and achieve zero discrimination. 96 Photo by Cocoabiscuit/ CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 1. Mann, J.M. (1989) 'AIDS: A worldwide pandemic' in Current Topics in AIDS Volume 2, edited by Gottlieb, M.S. et al. John Wiley & Sons Gay Lesbian Rainbow Pride Symbols Gay Lesbian Rainbow Pride Symbols What do they mean? The rainbow flag has become the easily-recognized colors of pride for the gay community. The multicultural symbolism of the rainbow is nothing new -- Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition also embraces the rainbow as a symbol of that political movement. The rainbow also plays a part in many myths and stories related to gender and sexuality issues in Greek, Native American, African, and other cultures.

Use of the rainbow flag by the gay community began in 1978 when it first appeared in the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade. Borrowing symbolism from the hippie movement and black civil rights groups, San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker designed the rainbow flag in response to a need for a symbol that could be used year after year. Baker and thirty volunteers hand-stitched and hand-dyed two huge prototype flags for the parade. The flags had eight stripes, each color representing a component of the community: hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony, and violet for spirit. The next year Baker approached San Francisco Paramount Flag Company to mass-produce rainbow flags for the 1979 parade. Due to production constraints -- such as the fact that hot pink was not a commercially-available color -- pink and turquoise were removed from the design, and royal blue replaced indigo. This six-color version spread from San Francisco to other cities, and soon became the widely-known symbol of gay pride and diversity it is today. It is even officially recognized by the International Congress of Flag Makers.

In 1994, a huge 30-foot-wide by one-mile-long rainbow flag was carried by 10,000 people in New York's Stonewall 25 Parade. The rainbow flag has inspired a wide variety of related symbols, such as freedom rings and other accessories. There are plenty of variations of the flag, including versions with a blue field of stars reminiscent of the American Stars and Stripes and versions with superimposed lambdas, pink triangles, or other symbols. The Bisexual Pride Flag The pink color represents sexual attraction to the same sex only (gay and lesbian), the blue represents sexual attraction to the opposite sex only (straight) and the resultant overlap color purple represents sexual attraction to both sexes (bi). The key to understanding the symbolism in the Bi Pride Flag is to know that the purple pixels of color blend unnoticeable into both the pink and blue, just as in the 'real world' where most bi people blend unnoticeable into both the gay/lesbian and straight communities. The pink triangle is easily one of the more popular and widely-recognized symbols for the gay community. The pink triangle is rooted in World War II times, and reminds us of the tragedies of that era.

Although homosexuals were only one of the many groups targeted for extermination by the Nazi regime, it is unfortunately the group that history often excludes. The pink triangle challenges that notion, and defies anyone to deny history. The history of the pink triangle begins before WWII, during Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Paragraph 175, a clause in German law prohibiting homosexual relations, was revised by Hitler in 1935 to include kissing, embracing, and gay fantasies as well as sexual acts. Convicted offenders -- an estimated 25,000 just from 1937 to 1939 -- were sent to prison and then later to concentration camps. Their sentence was to be sterilized, and this was most often accomplished by castration. In 1942 Hitler's punishment for homosexuality was extended to death. Each prisoner in the concentration camps wore a colored inverted triangle to designate their reason for incarceration, and hence the designation also served to form a sort of social hierarchy among the prisoners. A green triangle marked its wearer as a regular criminal; a red triangle denoted a political prisoner. Two yellow triangles overlapping to form a Star of David designated a Jewish prisoner. The pink triangle was for homosexuals.

A yellow Star of David under a superimposed pink triangle marked the lowest of all prisoners -- a gay Jew. Stories of the camps depict homosexual prisoners being given the worst tasks and labors. Pink triangle prisoners were also a proportionally large focus of attacks from the guards and even other inmates. Although the total number of the homosexual prisoners is not known, official Nazi estimates were an underwhelming 10,000. Although homosexual prisoners reportedly were not shipped en masse to the death camps at Auschwitz, a great number of gay men were among the non-Jews who were killed there. Estimates of the number of gay men killed during the Nazi regime range from 50,000 to twice that figure. When the war was finally over, countless many homosexuals remained prisoners in the camps, because Paragraph 175 remained law in West Germany until its repeal in 1969. In the 1970s, gay liberation groups resurrected the pink triangle as a popular symbol for the gay rights movement. Not only is the symbol easily recognized, but it draws attention to oppresion and persecution -- then and now.

In the 1980s, ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) began using the pink triangle for their cause. They inverted the symbol, making it point up, to signify an active fight back rather than a passive resignation to fate. Today, for many the pink triangle represents pride, solidarity, and a promise to never allow another Holocaust to happen again. Like the pink triangle, the black triangle is also rooted in Nazi Germany. Although lesbians were not included in the Paragraph 175 prohibition of homosexuality, there is evidence to indicate that the black triangle was used to designate prisoners with anti-social behavior. Considering that the Nazi idea of womanhood focused on children, kitchen, and church, black triangle prisoners may have included lesbians, prostitutes, women who refused to bear children, and women with other "anti-social" traits. As the pink triangle is historically a male symbol, the black triangle has similarly been reclaimed by lesbians and feminists as a symbol of pride and solidarity. The Leather Pride Flag is a symbol for the leather community, which encompasses those who are into leather, Levi's, sado-masochism, bondage and domination, uniform, cowboys, rubber, and other fetishes.

The flag was created by artist Tony DeBlase and first displayed on May 28, 1989, at the Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. Although the flag is often common in the gay community, it is not a "gay-only" symbol. Reportedly, gay leather aficionados might also modify a rainbow flag to have a black stripe instead of a violet one. (However, this version might be confused with the "Victory Over AIDS" version of the rainbow flag, as they are identical.) The Bear Pride Flag is a symbol used by some "bears," gay men marked by an abundance of hair on their face, chest, and body. Bears also tend to be older, and perhaps larger or chubby. There does not seem to be one single symbol that represents bears in general. Rather, there are many symbols that have been adopted by local clubs, bars, and other bear groups. The colors of the flag represent the various types of bears in the culture. The Transgender Pride flag was created by Monica Helms in 1999 and was first shown at a pride parade in Phoenix AZ, US in 2000.

The flag represents the transgendered community and consists of five horizontal stripes: two light blue, two pink, and one white in the center. Ms. Helms describes the meaning of the transgender flag as follows: "The stripes at the top and bottom are light blue, the traditional color for baby boys.The stripes next to them are pink, the traditional color for baby girls The stripe in the middle is white, for those who are intersex, transitioning or consider themselves having a neutral or undefined gender. The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it is always correct, signifying us finding correctness in our lives." The AIDS Awareness Ribbon, or red ribbon , is commonly seen adorning jacket lapels and other articles of clothing as a symbol of solidarity and a commitment to the fight against AIDS. The Ribbon Project was conceived in 1991 by Visual AIDS, a New York-based charity group of art professionals that aims to recognize and honor friends and colleagues who have died or are dying of AIDS.

Visual AIDS encourages arts organizations, museums, commercial galleries, and AIDS support groups to commemorate those lost to AIDS, to create greater awareness of AIDS/HIV transmission, to publicize the needs of Persons With AIDS, and to call for greater funding of services and research. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers of the Persian Gulf War, the color red was chosen for its "connection to blood and the idea of of passion -- not only anger, but love, like a valentine," as stated by Frank Moore of Visual AIDS. Worn by host Jeremy Irons, the ribbon made its public debut at the 1991 Tony Awards, and soon became a popular and politically correct fashion statement for celebrities and other awards ceremonies. Because of this popularity, some activists worry that the ribbon has become simple lip service to AIDS causes; in one particular incident the First Lady Barbara Bush wore a red ribbon while sitting in the audience with her husband, but when she stood at the President's side during his speech, her ribbon was conspicuously missing. However, the Ribbon Project remains a powerful force in spreading awareness of AIDS and stressing the need for further action and research of the disease.

The sincerest hope for the Ribbon Project is that it will one day no longer be needed. Inspired by the red ribbon, the pink ribbon became the symbol for breast cancer awareness. Although, like AIDS, breast cancer is certainly not an issue limited to the gay community, the statistics of breast cancer are historically higher in women who do not bear children. Consequently, for some lesbians breast cancer awareness and prevention is a particularly important issue. Gender Symbols are common astrological signs handed down from ancient Roman times. The pointed Mars symbol represents the male and the Venus symbol with the cross represents the female. Double interlocking male symbols have been used by gay men since the 1970s. Double interlocking female symbols have often been used to denote lesbianism, but some feminists have instead used the double female symbols to represent the sisterhood of women. These same feminists would use three interlocking female symbols to denote lesbianism. Also, some lesbian feminists of the 1970's used three interlocking female symbols to represent their rejection of male standards of monogamy. Also in the 1970s, gay liberation movements used the male and female symbols superimposed to represent the common goals of lesbians and gay men.

These days, the superimposed symbols might also denote a heterosexual aware of the differences and diversity between men and women. A transgendered person might superimpose the male and female symbols in such a way that the arrow and cross join on the same single ring. The astrological sign of Mercury is traditionally the symbol of transgendered peoples. In Greek mythology, Hermes (the Greek version of the Roman god Mercury) and Aphrodite (the goddess of love) had a child named Hermaphroditus. That child possessed both male and female sexual organs, hence the term hermaphrodite. Also, rituals associated with the worship of Aphrodite are believed to have been highly sexual, involving castration, transvestism, and homosexual relations. In the symbol itself, the crescent moon at the top is supposed to represent the masculine, and the cross at the bottom represents the feminine. The ring represents the individual, with the male and the female balanced at either side. The lambda symbol seems to be one of the most controversial of symbols in regards to its meaning. There are several differing opinions as to why the lambda was chosen as a gay symbol and what it really means.

However, most sources agree on a few things: The lambda was first chosen as a gay symbol when it was adopted in 1970 by the New York Gay Activists Alliance. It became the symbol of their growing movement of gay liberation. In 1974, the lambda was subsequently adopted by the International Gay Rights Congress held in Edinburgh, Scotland. As their symbol for lesbian and gay rights, the lambda became internationally popular. But where history ends, speculation begins. No one seems to have a definitive answer why the lambda was originally chosen as a gay symbol. Some suggest that it is simply the Greek lower-case letter l for liberation. Others disagree, citing the use of lambda in physics to denote energy (the energy we have when we work in concert) or wavelength (are gays and lesbians on a different wavelength?). Lambda may also denote the synergy of the gay movement, the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The lambda also may represent scales and balance, and the constant force that keeps opposing sides from overcoming each other -- the hook at the bottom of the right leg signifies the action needed to reach and maintain balance.

The ancient Greek Spartans regarded the lambda to mean unity, while the Romans considered it "the light of knowledge shed into the darkness of ignorance." Reportedly, Ancient Greeks may have also placed the lambda on shields of gay men and their lovers who were among the fighting elite of the Greek Army. Whatever the exact meaning and origin, the lambda originally embodied a fairly militant connotation. Today, the symbol generally denotes lesbian's and gay men's concerns together. Although the lambda was never intended to be linked to any specific gender or orientation such as other symbols may be, historically this is not so: In the early 1970's the Los Angeles gay community created a flag with a lavender lambda on a simple white background. They hoped the flag would catch on to other cities, but their hopes were not realized because some saw the lambda as a male symbol only. The labrys is a double-sided hatchet or axe commonly used in ancient European, African, and Asian matriarchical societies as both a weapon and a harvesting tool. Greek artwork depicts the amazon armies of Europe wielding labrys weapons. Amazons ruled with a dual-queen system in which one queen was in charge of the army and battle, and the other queen stayed behind to administer the conquered cities.

Amazons were known to be ferocious and merciless in battle, but once victorious they ruled with justice. Today, the labrys is a lesbian and feminist symbol of strength and self-sufficiency. In addition, the labrys also played a part in ancient mythology. Demeter, the goddess of the earth, used a labrys as her sceptor. Rites associated with the worship of the Demeter, as well as Hecate (the goddess of the underworld), are believed to have involved lesbian sex. What does

Question: What emblem was adopted in 1991 as a symbol of AIDS awareness? (2 word answer)
Answer: Red Ribbon