Here in the UK we have just observed Remembrance Day (11 November), also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day or Veterans Day – a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and civilians in times of war. Travelling around London, I’ve seen many people wearing their poppies and it has made me think of the symbol we have to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS – the Red Ribbon.
The Red Ribbon is an international symbol for HIV/AIDS awareness. It was created by a group of artists in New York City called Visual AIDS. They sought to create an image that would be simple, yet bold – able to make an impact wherever it was seen.
In the years since it made its début (at the 1991 Tony Awards in New York City), the Red Ribbon has become synonymous with the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Many people to choose to wear a Red Ribbon on World AIDS Day (1 December each year), but I like to wear mine all year around, as for me HIV is not just about one day each year but every day.
I do remember one occasion in a school, where I was asked by another guest what topic I had been speaking on. When I explained that I talked about living with HIV, the response was, “Oh, I see. So does that mean everyone who wears the Red Ribbon has AIDS?!”
Thankfully, I was able to give a very quick lesson in HIV awareness to the particular speaker!
On other occasions I know that the mere presence of the Red Ribbon on my jacket has given people the opportunity to share their experiences of HIV/AIDS with me. I remember being in a large department store in Oxford Street in central London looking at laptop computers and the sales assistant commented on the Red Ribbon I was wearing. I explained that I work in schools providing HIV education and also disclosed I’d been positive for many years. He then shared with me that he had a close friend who had been diagnosed for over a decade and because of that he had chosen to volunteer with an AIDS charity. Then we carried on discussing computers!
This week I participated in a training course for faith leaders in London and one of the questions posed was, “What can be done by faith leaders to support those living with HIV/AIDS in their congregations?” I suggested that one simple gesture might be that they all wear a Red Ribbon at their service closest to World AIDS Day to at least acknowledge the issue and perhaps provide the opportunity to educate others.
I know if I see someone else wearing a Red Ribbon my first thought is “thank you”, as it makes me think that the person wearing it has some level of awareness and understanding of HIV and is doing their bit to support people like me who live with the virus daily.