Photo: Pax Ahimsa Gethen / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Jones is one of those figures whose single great idea reshaped how we grieve. The AIDS Memorial Quilt took a faceless death toll and stitched it back into names, fabric and human warmth, eventually becoming the largest piece of community folk art on earth. I find that move quietly genius: he answered statistics with intimacy. Born in Indiana, schooled in San Francisco, he turned personal loss into collective memory and never stopped advocating. The 2017 Trailblazer honor feels almost understated for that legacy. Activism this sustained is exhausting work, and I hold deep respect for anyone who moves the world so gently yet so permanently.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Cleve Jones
- Name (Japanese)
- クリーヴ・ジョーンズ
- Reading
- くりーゔ・じょーんず
- Born
- October 11, 1954 (age 71)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Horse
- Origin
- West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- businessperson / LGBTQ rights activist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- San Francisco State University
Awards & achievements
- 2017 VH1 Trailblazer Honors
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Cleve Jones born?
Born October 11, 1954 (age 71).
Where is Cleve Jones from?
Cleve Jones is from West Lafayette, Indiana, United States.
What does Cleve Jones do?
Cleve Jones works as businessperson, LGBTQ rights activist.
Businessperson — see all → · LGBTQ rights activist — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.