News of a 'gay cancer' emerging in the United States reached Australian shores in 1981. The first case of AIDS was identified in Australia the following year. Before Australia's first death as a result of AIDS in July 1983, a group of more than 300 people gathered in Melbourne in response to the impending crisis. This meeting led to the formation of what was to become the Victorian AIDS Council.
Providing a united voice for the gay community on issues relating to HIV/AIDS, the Victorian AIDS Council immediately began lobbying governments and advocating for the rights of people with HIV/AIDS. As the relentless ferocity of the epidemic gathered force, the first education campaign was launched, support teams were organised to provide vital care and the Gay Men’s Health Centre was formed.
Despite the fear and heartbreak endured in the darkest days of the epidemic, the Victorian AIDS Council / Gay Men’s Health Centre remains a community with an unfailing commitment to the hope of the eradication of HIV. Under the Red Ribbon is the story of thirty years of a courageous and determined community united by a common cause. The story was also told on the comprehensive website, where the voices of those who were there are brought to life through audiovisual documentaries and digital stories.
Victorian AIDS Council / Gay Men’s Health Centre, 2013
ISBN 978-0-646-90503-7
128 pages
