These badges are from the USA and are concerned with AIDS activism. In the 1980's, many people only saw HIV/AIDS as a gay disease, and were not willing to support those who were becoming infected or help to stop the spread. Organisations such as Act Up, who produced the 'Silence-Mort' badge in 1989, tried to encourage people to speak out, and organised demonstrations and marches. 'Silence=Mort' is the French language version of 'Silence=Death'. The other badge refers to the AIDS Quilt. This is a quilt that is made from hundreds of individual patches, sewn by the friends and families of those who have lost people to AIDS. The badge, which is estimated to have been produced in the late 1980's, is a way of encouraging people to see the quilt to understand the human cost of AIDS. ;

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