During the 1979-1981 spate of child murders in Atlanta , green lapel ribbons began to be worn to show solidarity . They were of a different form than later awareness ribbons , being typically bow-shaped . In May 1986 , the AIDS Faith Alliance , later to be known as Christian Action on AIDS , held an open conference on AIDS at Notting Hill Gate in London , supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other United Kingdom Christian church leaders . '' ' Rainbow Ribbons ' '' were given to everybody attending . The purpose of Christian Action on AIDS , an official Church of England charity whose founder/chairman was Barnaby Miln , was to get the worldwide Christian churches involved in the crisis that was AIDS . The Christian Action on AIDS to fold in 1991
child murders in Atlanta
Atlanta murders of 1979–81
Awareness ribbon