As part of World AIDS Day, UW-Madison's Sex Out Loud organization will host a display of the AIDS Memorial Quilt from Friday until Dec. 14 at the Red Gym.
Paula Tran, event coordinator for Sex Out Loud, said one block of the quilt would be on display, which measures 12 feet by 12 feet. The block is made up of eight squares that represent the different stories of eight people who have died of AIDS.
The mission of the quilt, which was created by the NAMES Project Foundation, is to not forget people's individual stories and their struggles and that we still have a long way to go,"" she said.
The quilt was founded in 1987 and is the largest ongoing community arts project in the world, according to its website.
""People can make a square to put into the quilt that commemorates someone that they knew or we're close to that died of AIDS,"" said Erica Andrist, a Sex Out Loud facilitator. ""Now there are thousands and thousands of panels that this quilt is made of.""
Andrist said that one of the most important aspects of the quilt is that it helps personalize the fight against AIDS and ""puts a face on the problem.""
""You've got each panel representing someone's parent or brother or lover or friend and it allows people to see the more personal stories behind the epidemic,"" Andrist said. ""The quilt allows people to see it's not just statistics or safe sex messages.""
Tran said the United Nations made a goal in 2000 to stop HIV transmission by 2015.
Members of Sex Out Loud encouraged students to not only attend events this weekend, but also to seriously consider what they can do to help the cause.
""The biggest thing that students can do is be aware of themselves because the first step in preventing HIV/AIDS is knowing your status and being tested and making sure that you're protecting yourself and engaging in safe behaviors,"" Andrist said.
The quilt will be unveiled Friday at 4 p.m. with a special performance by Redefined. Saturday events include World AIDS Day presentations at 5 p.m. at Memorial Union.
