Elizabeth Taylor, a tireless activist in the fight against AIDS

Written by Sandeep Nehra

Queen of Hollywood, she was adored by millions of fans, but one of the enduring legacies of Elizabeth Taylor will undoubtedly its relentless fight against AIDS.

Died on Wednesday at 79, the actress began the battle against AIDS at a time “when only a few people cared,” told AFP longtime Kevin Frost.

“She was startled to see that nobody did anything against this terrible disease, so she threw herself into the battle,” said Kevin Frost, director of the Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), co-founded by Elizabeth Taylor in 1985.

She opened and walking, then followed by other celebrities like Princess Diana, Bono and others.

Great friend of the actor Rock Hudson, one of the first stars to have reported having AIDS, she was deeply affected by his death in 1985. Shortly before her death, she had already launched his campaign, signing checks, testifying before Congress, calling for more research in this area.

“It has improved the lives of millions of people, and his voice will continue to be heard by future generations,” said Kevin Frost.

From the beginning of the epidemic, the frontline was established “researchers, activists and Elizabeth Taylor,” said Kate Krauss, director of program against AIDS.

Elizabeth Taylor was quickly realized she could use his immense celebrity to put a face on the disease. “I wanted to retire, but the tabloids and the paparazzi were chasing me, so I said, since you will not leave me alone, I’ll use” to lead the fight against AIDS.

The success was huge. Elizabeth Taylor Foundation has gathered $ 270 million, prompting the rich and less rich to donate.

Mr. Frost said that she phoned one day personally to President Ronald Reagan, asking him to personally attend a conference organized by his foundation. Ronald Reagan agreed, ending the silence about AIDS that was observed during the first years of its mandate.

Elizabeth Taylor, who has long argued that AIDS was not curable, did everything to convince lawmakers to fund care for the sick and has not hesitated to criticize Reagan’s successor, George Bush, for his little efforts in this area. “Your policy is wrong, terribly wrong, and you know,” she said.

In 1989, she went in Thailand, where AIDS is spreading rapidly, to visit a hospital. A photo showing her shaking hands with a patient went around the world.

“The failure to treat sick or infected as outcasts, to touch them, kiss them, to be photographed with them, had a phenomenal impact,” says Krauss.

The commitment of the actress was “extraordinary,” says Jeffrey Laurence, an adviser to amfAR. “She was so passionate, she came to all meetings of the board of directors,” and did not hesitate to address topics down-to-earth as the means to bring men to use condoms.

“Long before it was fashionable, she was on our side,” said Michael Weinstein, president of a foundation to help AIDS patients. “We will miss her.”

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