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Ya know, Ivan, reading about all the different colored and different styles of pins that assorted national PD support groups have used to represent the disease and to call public attention to it and the suffering of all who live with Parkinson's, I think the sheer variety reflects the confusion and lack of inspiring leadership amongst the national level Parkinson's associations. Can you imagine how powerful we'd become if we'd just get it all together?!? Why LOOK at what was accomplished by just a few hundred (if that many!) worked together with one common goal to get the Udall Bill passed!! THAT was an astounding example of the power of the PD Community. I don't think that it was a lavender pin ALONE that has brought gay men cohesion as a group, but as a STARTING POINT to indicate they ARE working together to gain equality in citizenship and recognition as fellow humans with the same needs and rights as any other human, it works! That lavender pin indicates a UNIFIED group.... just as our VARIETY of PD-support pins indicates a LACK of unification. Barb Mallut [log in to unmask] ---------- From: Parkinson's Information Exchange on behalf of Ivan M Suzman Sent: Saturday, February 28, 1998 9:53 PM To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN Subject: Re: Parkinson Ribbon? ^^^^^^WARM GREETINGS FROM^^^^^^^^^^ Ivan Suzman 48/10 [log in to unmask] Portland, Maine land of lighthouses deg. F *********************************************************** On Sat, 28 Feb 1998 15:36:48 -0800 [log in to unmask] writes: >Recently at a local meeting I received a pin. It is a lavendar colored >ribbon. Does this represent Parkinson's Disease? > Dear dk, People with Parkinson's have not yet unified behind a color or a symbol that represents our struggle. Personally, I have been leaning towards the hand lighting the Olympic torch (Muhammad Ali's). The Canadians traditionally use , I think, a red tulip. I heard that Atlanta madea beautiful pin with a rising sun. The lavendar ribbon represents gay men, bisexuals and lesbians, and their loved ones,to fight prejudices against all of them. Gay men in particular have suffered ENORMOUS discrimination because they are "blamed" for the AIDS epidemic. The RED ribbon is worn to remember the suffering of those who have died from AIDS, and to unite to fight for the cure. The Lavendar ribbon evolved from this red ribbon! Hopefully we PWP's and CG's will find a color and a symbol at some point. . Ivan Suzman 48/10