I recently met a woman in Madison, Wisconsin who told me a story about her campaign to get the AIDS ribbon on a US postage stamp, and the resistance and obstacles that she encountered along the way. (I don't think she designed the ribbon, but that is of interest to me.)
Today is World AIDS day so I did a quick google search to see if I could find her story and stories on the origin of the ribbon itself. A quick look has retrieved nothing.
So my question is - can you dig up any history on the design and designer of the AIDS ribbon and its journey to US postage stamphood? I am hoping this woman gets some mention in the annals of history. All I know is her first name: JaneAnne (spelling uncertain).
Thank you!
"In early 1991 Paul Jabara in New York created the idea for a global symbol in the fight against AIDS. Jabara co-founded the Red Ribbon Foundation in 1991, and is credited with conceiving and distributing the first AIDS Red Ribbon" (History of Red Ribbon Foundation).
Jean Anne Hlavacek began lobbying for the AIDS Awareness stamp 6 years before it was issued when her best friend's father-in-law died of AIDS. She wrote letters to every member of Congress and got endorsements from many people, including Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, movie star Jimmy Stewart, George Bush, 30 U.S. senators and representatives, and AIDS activists. Then Postmaster General Anthony Frank said the stamp "just wouldn't work." He said "It would be like having a stamp for the homeless--people may be reluctant to purchase and use it" (McMillan, Dennis. "Postmaster General Nixes AIDS Awareness Stamp." Bay Area Reporter vol. 18, no. 47 (11/24/88), p. 4.).
Postmaster General Marvin T. Runyon, who strongly supported the fight against AIDS, finally approved the stamp. On November 24, 1993, USPS issued the AIDS stamp on the day which the American Association for World Health had designated World AIDS Day. 350 million were printed, a number that was much larger than many of the other commemorative stamps issued at that time.
For more information:
glbtq: Symbols
Healey, Barth. "STAMPS; The Red Ribbon Of AIDS Awareness." New York Times (11/28/93), section 9; page 17; column 3.
History of Red Ribbon Foundation
McDade, Phil. "Madisonian Pushes AIDS Stamp." Wisconsin State Journal (9/02/93), Local/Wisconsin p. 1B.
McMillan, Dennis. "Postmaster General Nixes AIDS Awareness Stamp." Bay Area Reporter vol. 18, no. 47 (11/24/88), p. 4.
Schneider, Kim. "AIDS Stamp Reportedly Confirmed." Wisconsin State Journal (12/24/92), Front p. 1A.