These LA Landmarks Will Glow Red for World AIDS Day

Union Station, City Hall and other buildings will light up in red in remembrance of those who have died since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began.

A view of Union Station in Los Angeles.
Getty

Some well-known Los Angeles landmarks will glow red Thursday night to mark World AIDS Day.

Architectural lighting will switch to red Thursday evening in remembrance of the more than 40 million people worldwide who have died since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began. That figure include more than 27,000 Los Angeles County residents, according to the health department.

These landmarks will be part of the display.

  • Union Station
  • City Hall/Grand Park Fountain
  • Dignity Health Sports Park
  • LAX Pylons
  • Six Street Viaduct

This year's World AIDS Day theme is "Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV." The theme was selected to highlight the disproportionate impact of HIV across sub-populations, including race, gender, sexual orientation and geographic lines, the health department said.

In LA County, an estimated 59,400 people are living with HIV. In 2021, 1,479 new HIV diagnoses were reported, most among gay men, African-Americans, Latinos, and transgender persons, according to the health department.

The color red, in particular thee red ribbon, has come to symbolize support for people living with HIV. The concept was developed in 1991, about a decade after the emergence of HIV, when artists at a gallery in New York City came up with a symbolic way to express compassion and awareness. The inspiration came from yellow ribbons tied on tree as a show of support for servicemembers fight in the Gulf War.

The creators avoided symbolic colors traditionally associated with the gay community in an effort to convey HIV's relevance to everyone.

Those ribbons were initially distributed at galleries and theaters, but expanded to universal recognition. In 1992, more than 100,000 red ribbons were distributed to the audience at a tribute concert for legendary Queen singer Freddie Mercury.

Click here for county health HIV information and resources.

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