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UK Aids Quilt Honors Lives Lost
13 Feb
Summary
- Six panels from the UK Aids memorial quilt are on display.
- The quilt commemorates 384 lives lost to Aids-related illnesses.
- The display marks 40 years of support for people with HIV.
Six panels from the UK Aids memorial quilt are on display at the University of Reading Students' Union, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of Thames Valley Positive Support (TVPS). This exhibition honors the memory of 384 individuals who succumbed to Aids-related illnesses. The massive quilt, first unveiled in London's Hyde Park in 1994, is a vital piece of social history, recently drawing 70,000 visitors at a Tate Modern exhibition.
The quilt features handmade tributes to those lost after the HIV virus emerged in the early 1980s, a time marked by significant stigma, homophobia, and ignorance. Celebrities like Freddie Mercury and Anthony Perkins are among those commemorated on the panels. Despite scientific advancements in medication since the 1990s, allowing patients to live long lives, the stigma surrounding HIV has not kept pace.
TVPS highlights the ongoing need for education and understanding about HIV, emphasizing that while treatment has advanced, societal attitudes require further progress. The current display in Reading also aligns with National HIV Testing Week, promoting awareness and encouraging people to get tested and educated about the virus and the advancements made.
