World AIDS Day

I was a teenager in the 1990s, so being involved in AIDS advocacy was one of the first social justice/political activities I was ever involved in. I went to my first AIDS Walk Washington in 1996 with a group from my high school. It was one of the first times I ever publicly did anything that felt remotely like being part of an activist community. It felt like we were doing something, even if it was very small. I was also heavily influenced by RENT and Pedro Zamora from The Real World San Francisco. Those early events definitely shaped the way I think about advocacy and protest and impacting social change.   

Today is World AIDS Day. It's an opportunity for us to unite as a global community in the continued fight against HIV/AIDS, to support those living with the virus, and to commemorate those we've lost. It's been 40 years since the first cases of AIDS were reported, and we've lost 35 million people globally. This year's theme is "End Inequalities. End AIDS. End Pandemics." Health inequality isn't new, but it continues to hinder progress on so many fronts. One of the easiest ways to show your support is to wear red or a red ribbon. Today's piece is my embroidered tribute to World AIDS Day.

Details:
Stitches: back stitch, long and short stitches
Thread palette: DMC 817 (3)