The pink triangle, originally used by the Nazis to identify gay prisoners in concentration camps, has been reclaimed in this poster as a weapon of resistance. Produced by a political collective of six gay men, who established the Silence=Death Project, it was intended to be wheatpasted across the city. Its visual minimalism was not just an aesthetic strategy, however, but also a political one. The bold contrast of pink and white on a black ground and the spare geometry of this composition make its message legible from a distance, commanding attention in crowded urban spaces and serving as a call to arms. Designed in December 1986 before ACT UP was founded, SILENCE=DEATH first circulated anonymously on the streets of New York in February 1987. The fine print called out the CDC, the FDA, the Vatican, and the Reagan-era White House, demanding direct political action. Early public reactions to the poster ranged from shock to awe, sparking discussion in the local press and gay media. Despite this, it was largely ignored by mainstream outlets. Its wide-scale visibility, especially in downtown Manhattan, nonetheless forced conversations among those previously untouched by AIDS activism. Within weeks of this poster’s first appearance, ACT UP was founded by writer and activist Larry Kramer and others during a community meeting at the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in March 1987. From that point forward, posters like this one were at the frontline of resistance. Over the following years, this image was reprinted multiple times and continued to appear in protests and public spaces well into the 1990s—not just in New York but also in other U.S. cities and abroad. Its longevity and adaptability helped solidify it as the most iconic visual symbol of AIDS-era activism.