Elizabeth Taylor was the ultimate Hollywood It girl, starring in 56 movies and 10 made-for-TV movies in the span of 60 years. But compared to letting her fame be defined by her movies and her seven marriages, the Oscar winner decided to use her celebrity status for a good cause. Back when there were few celebrity activists, we have to give Taylor her props for her unapologetic fight against the AIDS epidemic in the ‘80s.
When AIDS made its way to previously healthy men in the ‘80s, there was another epidemic that followed. According to the biography, Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon (via Vanity Fair), humans were afraid to touch each other for fear of contracting the disease. Those with AIDS were denied jobs and life insurance, with their health battle called “the gay plague.”
Taylor couldn’t bear to be helpless as she watched her friends die. The talented actress may have played royalty on screen, but she ruled during the AIDS epidemic through her courage to fight.
I Always Admired How Elizabeth Taylor Triumphantly Used Her Fame To Shine A Light On Stigmatized Issues
Winning an Oscar and dating her co-star, Richard Burton, certainly made headlines for Taylor. But, the National Velvet star decided to use her fame to bring awareness to the stigma of AIDS, and we gotta love her all the more for that.
In 1985, Bill Misenhimer, the director of AIDS Project Los Angeles, felt that the violet-eyed actress was the perfect person to help promote his cause, knowing that she had close gay friends like Montgomery Clift and Rock Hudson. Despite people who turned down the need to help her, Taylor knew how important this movement was and said she didn’t care if it sacrificed her career:
Who gives a goddamn about careers when the people, without whom we wouldn’t have a career, are dying?
The legend agreed to chair the first major global celebrity fundraiser for AIDS called Commitment to Life. With her high-profile self hosting the dinner, more than 2,500 people showed up, including A-list celebrities and AIDS patients.
Talk About Generating Millions Of Dollars In AIDS Research
After the Commitment to Life dinner, the night ended with $1.3 million raised for APLA. Since there were no effective treatments back in the early/mid ‘80s, money went to patient care.
Seeing what a success the dinner became, Taylor decided to take it a step further. By collaborating with physician Michael Gottlieb and medical researcher Mathilde Kim, she co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR).
AmFAR’s debut as the first major nonprofit organization dedicated to AIDS research was a prosperous one, with Taylor’s friend, Rock Hudson, donating $250,000 before he succumbed to the disease. In 1986, AmFAR was awarded $1.5 million in research grants, which were used towards nationwide clinical trials and supporting a range of cure-focused techniques.
While AmFAR is dedicated to research, the Ivanhoe actress continued to take it up a notch by creating the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) to provide direct assistance and education to those with AIDS/HIV. Before Taylor died in 2011, she made sure her estate covered ETAF’s operation expenses and that 25% of her royalties from the estate would go to the foundation. According to ProPublica, the foundation has made $4.35 million in revenue as of 2024.
Elizabeth Taylor Brought Into Light Misinformation Involving AIDS And Emphasized Support
While the actress knew that the AIDS crisis was urgent, she still felt it was important to understand the virus from those affected. This led to Taylor making it her mission to visit hospices privately with no photo ops.
However, there was one photo op exception made to show the world that contact with people who have AIDS should not be feared. In 1989, after discovering the lack of AIDS awareness in Thailand, the former child star visited Chulaolongkorn University and shook hands with an AIDS patient who contracted it from a blood transfusion. After that photo was taken and shown to the whole world, the Thai Red Cross National Blood Center was inspired to screen every unit of blood.
But before that, in 1987, Taylor wrote a letter to President Ronald Reagan to deliver a major speech about AIDS at AmFAR’s fundraising dinner. Although the American politician briefly mentioned the epidemic during his time in office, he acted on the screen legend’s request seven weeks after receiving her letter.
We also can’t forget that Taylor testified before Congress in 1986 to demand more research funding, testing initiatives, and public education awareness. She clearly made sure to pull out all the stops.
Her AIDS Foundations And Collaborations With Other Celebrities Are Incredibly Inspiring
Before Elizabeth Taylor made headlines spreading awareness of AIDS, many celebrities were afraid to talk about it. The London native sought out celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Michael Jackson to help her, but they initially turned her down. With each organization like AmFAR and ETAF, though, it was incredibly inspiring how she broke through the silence and used her fame to make a difference in the lives of AIDS patients.
Despite celebrities being scared at first to get involved, the Father of the Bride actress got plenty on the bandwagon. Taylor teamed up with Sir Elton John at a 1992 benefit concert at Madison Square Garden along with Whoopi Goldberg, George Michael, and Lionel Richie. Magic Johnson, Cindy Crawford, Will Smith, and more joined Taylor for the 1996 Macy’s Passport fashion show that made a record-breaking $1.5 million. This proves how there’s strength in numbers.
Elizabeth Taylor Publicly Discussing AIDS Made Me Rethink Celebrity Activism
There are plenty of celebrity activists today who promote good causes. Examples include Lady Gaga, who lived with depression, creating the Born This Way foundation, and Michael J. Fox, who created the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research to find a cure for the disease he’s living with. What makes Taylor’s activism so unique, however, is that she stood up for a cause many celebrities were afraid to stand up for. When she jumped up, though, everyone jumped up.
The Golden Globe winner could have spent her middle-aged years retreating into her glamorous Hollywood life. Instead, Taylor chose to be at the center of one of the most controversial and misunderstood crises of all time. Knowing her efforts would lead to the lifelong impact of saving lives, the Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? actress poured her efforts into advocacy, fundraising, and spreading awareness of AIDS.
Taylor was the true definition of celebrity activism. During a time when talk of AIDS was considered taboo, the Cleopatra actress raised her voice and got the world to care about a deadly, stigmatized plague. Through her foundations, getting the government involved, and providing comfort to AIDS patients, Taylor’s unapologetic activism is an unforgettable quality we can all aspire to.
