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Why was the AIDS Memorial Quilt created?

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AIDS Scanning electron micrograph of HIV-1 virions (green) budding from a cultured lymphocyte. Multiple round bumps on the cell surface represent sites of virion assembly and budding.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt was created by activist Cleve Jones to honor, remember, and celebrate the lives of those lost to HIV and AIDS-related diseases.12

Following the death of his close friend, Jones sought to humanize the victims of the epidemic, which was often reduced to mere statistics in the media. During the 1980s, the crisis was exacerbated by rampant homophobia, and Jones wanted to demonstrate that those who died were cherished friends, family members, and neighbors.2

Inspired by a 1985 candlelight march where participants taped names of the deceased to a wall—resembling a patchwork quilt—Jones began sewing a panel for his companion, Marvin Feldman, in 1986. He cofounded the NAMES Project Foundation to encourage others to contribute, resulting in the largest community arts project in history. Each panel was designed to be the size of a grave, serving as a powerful, tangible memorial to the human cost of the AIDS crisis.21