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The Star Who Loved Us the Late Elizabeth Taylor Worked Tirelessly for People with HIV and AIDS, Even When It Was Unfashionable

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The Star Who Loved Us the Late Elizabeth Taylor Worked Tirelessly for People with HIV and AIDS, Even When It Was Unfashionable ATTITUDE I FEATURE The star who loved us The late Elizabeth Taylor worked tirelessly for people with HIV and AIDS, even when it was unfashionable lizabeth Taylor wryly recognised mission that in the 1980s shook a Eher roller-coaster life had been prejudiced political establishment. played out in the glare of a million In an exclusive interview, Sir This was no rich-lady flashbulbs. She said she would like Elton John, a friend of Taylor's who to have inscribed on her tombstone, heads his own charitable AIDS charity pastime. In 'Here lies Elizabeth. She hated being foundation, told Attitude: 'Without called Liz. But she lived.' doubt, Elizabeth Taylor was probably the 1980s she shook She would not have been surprised one of the greatest film stars in the a prejudiced political that when she died of congestive world, and she attracted enormous I heart failure, aged 79 on 23 March, the media and public attention to the establishment media went doolally. Clips from her HIV and AIDS movement simply most famous films (Cleopatra, Who's because of who she was. But people Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?) played. The also responded to her as a warm controversy. Elizabeth was a pioneer, tributes dripped in delicious detail: and loving woman, mother and a path-finder, a trailblazer, and she the jewels, the eight husbands, the grandmother, and because of this will forever be our guiding star.' two marriages to Richard Burton, the association she was able to touch Taylor's advocacy came long before pictures of her fiery; intense beauty; the hearts and minds of millions AIDS was 'fashionable', long before and then older, her weight fluctuating, of people. For many people, it was red ribbons on Oscar-winners' lapels the illnesses more debilitating, the Elizabeth Taylor who first brought and the life-enhancing drug therapies public appearances in wheelchairs the issue of HIV/AIDS into the of today. Taylor was fighting bigotry more frequent. mainstream in an accessible way, and political inertia when AIDS was In the coverage of her death, Taylor's and who spoke so movingly and the 'arse-injected death sentence' in passionate advocacy around AIDS compellingly about love, acceptance, school playgrounds, when American f was relegated to a polite footnote. tolerance and compassion.' presidents could barely bring However, according to those closest Sir Elton, who accepted an award themselves to mention it by name, to her, she considered this to be her in honour of Taylor's AIDS work on when those with the disease were greatest achievement. The Elizabeth her behalf a month before she died, shunned. 'Celebrity is not something Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) when she was too ill to do so herself, that comes without responsibility,' still exists, administering grants to says of Taylor's legacy, 'There are so Taylor once said. But no celebrity organisations, and Attitude has learnt many people who ask, "Why isn't before or since has fought so that it will continue to do so, overseen someone doing something about concertedly, and against the then by family members. A sale of the this?" Elizabeth Taylor was one of current of public opinion, as Taylor actress's effects, including jewellery, those extraordinarily rare people did around AIDS. will also benefit AIDS charities. who actually stepped up and took Right Speaking at Sally Morrison, Taylor's on omfAR AIDS But this was no rich-lady charity action to do the right thing, even in benefit in Cannes spokeswoman and friend, told ~ pastime. Taylor's was an impassioned the face of massive disapproval and in 2003 Attitude that, contrary to popular 72 I ATTITUD E ATTITUDE I FEATURE Somebody should do something about it."' Like Diana, Princess of Wales, Taylor spent time with people with AIDS. She recalled, 'I went to a hospice in the Borghese Gardens in Rome, and I said to the guys, "What is it you would really like?" And one beautiful-looking young man said, "I would like someone to come in here and just put his arms around me and make me feel like a human being."' r The then two major AIDS organisations in the US - the National AIDS Research Foundation, which Taylor chaired, and the AIDS Medical Foundation - amalgamated in 1985 to became amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, with Taylor and specialist Dr Mathilde , Krim as co-founding chairwomen. Morrison (an assistant at amfAR in 1985) recalls the postman refusing to bring the organisation's mail up because of the :AIDS' in its title. To ~ AAA ,g date it has raised more than $325 million, but declined to contribute to this article beyond a bland statement praising Taylor's work. As William] Mann records in his brilliant biography, How To Be A Movie Star, Taylor knew how to parlay the f"ou were aware when she entered a room. Major wattage. mystique of stardom into box-office gold; she bought the same savvy to But she had the uncanny ability to connect with all people AIDS awareness. She said, 'I decided that with my name I could open certain doors, that I was a commodity belief, the actress's campaigning looked the other way. Taylor's interest Above By in myself- and I'm not talking as impetus was not the death of her predated Hudson's death, sparked 1993 Taylor's an actress. I could take the fame I'd campaigning friend Rock Hudson in 1985, the first because her daughter-in-law Aileen AIDS work was resented and tried to get away from major Hollywood star to die from Getty (then married to Taylor's in full flow for so many years- but you can never AIDS. (He left $250,000 in his will to son, Christopher Wilding) was get away from it - and use it to do AIDS research.) While hysteria roiled HIV-positive. 'Without the love of some good. I wanted to retire but the r around a kiss Hudson had shared Elizabeth Taylor in my life, I would tabloids wouldn't let me. So I thought, with Linda Evans in Dynasty, his probably be dead - if not physically, "If you're going to screw me over, I'll death also produced an outpouring of then most certainly emotionally,' use you."' empathy and discussion around what Getty said. Morrison recalls, 'You were aware could be done to help those with the Taylor, says Morrison, was when she entered a room. Major disease and to further understanding also 'surrounded by gay men wattage. But she had the uncanny of it. in Hollywood', from stars to ability to connect with all people.' It had taken a shamefully long time: hairdressers and set designers. 'She She was furious when Ryan White, the first AIDS cases were diagnosed saw these guys getting sick and no a 13-year-old haemophiliac, was in 1981. Gay men had been dying in one doing anything to help them, expelled from school after contracting their droves as tabloid newspapers and she had a ferocious belief in HIV, and one of her most memorable l:il ~ had scaremongered and governments equality. She said, "This is terrible. public acts was helping to introduce 74 I ATTITUDE - - -------- ATTITUDE I FEATURE the Ryan White Care Act, intended nails, Elizabeth set down her Richard denouncing the (now defunct) US to provide care for those with HIV Burton diamond, a square ice cube, immigration policy preventing HIV­ and AIDS on low incomes, to the US just inches from my face.' positive people from travelling to Congress in 1986. Morrison laughs. With Taylor running 45 minutes America. 'In her: remarks I included 'I remember senators running down late, Kirby called Morrison again. He the fact that Elizabeth carries a corridors to see her. She was able to heard Taylor call across the room, British passport, and would not be leverage her stardom in a fruitful 'Tell David that I have diarrhoea!', allowed back to America if she were way.' Morrison, with experts, wrote and that, as a movie star, her HIV-positive. She had brought her Taylor's speeches. 'Nuance was diarrhoea was more interesting passport with her and she held it very important to her,' he recalls. than other people's. Kirby says: aloft as a theatrical prop, her voice 'Sometimes she'd hand the speeches 'It was classic Elizabeth Taylor. trembling softly with rage as she back and say, "We need to make this Defuse a tense moment with salty spoke, all to tremendous effect... The more emotional. I am an actress. I hilarity, preferably involving bodily image was seen around the world.' need to be able to act.'" Addressing functions, while telling the plain, In her speech Taylor added icily, Congress, Taylor said, 'It's bad simple truth. Her diarrhoea was more 'President Bush, your policy is enough that people are dying of interesting.' Taylor arrived wrong, dead wrong, and you know AIDS, but no one should die of 75 minutes late, Kirby recalls, it.' She added ofthe then president ignorance.' 'The fact it was Elizabeth 'radiant, charming, brilliant and George Bush Sr. 'I don't think Bush Taylor saying it made the message gorgeous. By the time she .finished, no even knows how to spell AIDS.' more accessible,' says Morrison. one remembered she was late.' Inevitably, the quote went global. On his witty blog, David Kirby, Kirby recalls Taylor, in 1992, 'She just said it, it wasn't scripted,' Morrison insists. In 1991 the star set up her She held her British passport aloft, as a theatrical prop, foundation. 'I could no longer take a passive role as I watched several her voice trembling softly with rage, to tremendous effect people I knew and loved die a painful, - --- ---- -----------------------.,------- +- slow and lonely death,' Taylor said.
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