AIDS Memorial Quilt on display at OKC Pride

In June of 1987, a small group of strangers gathered in a San Francisco storefront to document the lives they feared history would neglect. Their goal was to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS, and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease. This devoted group of friends formed the foundation of the NAMES Project for the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Today the Quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic. More than 48,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels — most commemorating the life of someone who has died of AIDS — have been sewn together by friends, partners and family members.

“It is with both humility and excitement that we, at OKC Pride, honorably present a portion of The AIDS Memorial Quilt this coming June, during Pride Week,” said Kindt Steven Myers, President of OKC Pride.

“Established in 1987, The NAMES Project Foundation is the international [non-profit organization] that is the custodian of The AIDS Memorial Quilt, an official American treasure. Weighing 54 tons and composed of more than 48,000 panels dedicated to more than 94,000 individuals, The AIDS Memorial Quilt is the premier symbol of the AIDS pandemic, our greatest HIV prevention education tool and the largest ongoing piece of community folk art in the world." -www.aidsquilt.org.

OKC Pride and our dedicated volunteers, invite you to view and experience this unbridled living relic, June 20-22, at Expressions Community Fellowship, 2245 NW 39th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73112, (405) 601-4200. For exhibit hours and more details, or to donate toward this cause, please visit www.okcpride.org.

Staff Report

The Gayly – June 13, 2014 @ 10am