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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

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

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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

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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. 'This allows me to give money From the top amfAR's former public information Taylor wi th Rock where it's truly needed, to those director, recalls Taylor being Hudson in the organisations serving people with 1956 film Giant late for a press conference in and leaving the HIV/AIDS or preventive education. Switzerland in 1991. 'We all knew that Savoy hotel with I won't stop until that hideous disease Elizabeth (never call her "Liz", I was him in London is conquered.' At the time, Kirby admonished on my first day) was not says, Taylor had just married her exactly an on-time sort of gal. She final husband, Larry Fortensky, and knew we would wait, and we always was feuding with amfAR over its did - happily.' international programme. (Taylor Twenty minutes after Taylor was once said, 'We have a map at amfAR due to appear, Morrison told Kirby, that blackens out areas of the world 'I'm afraid Elizabeth's just now gotten where AIDS has killed. If you could out of the bath.' Kirby's heart 'sank see how completely out of control into my stomach. I had witnessed it is in Africa, Asia and India. It is Elizabeth's extraordinary bath-to­ spreading so rapidly. It's frightening.') motorcade process the day before. I Taylor told Kirby, 'We sold the had watched in awe as Elizabeth sat photos [of the wedding] to People wrapped in a towel at a small vanity magazine for a few million dollars. brought into her Presidential Suite When the cheque arrived, I decided overlooking the roaring Rhine river. that I wanted to go down to the bank One person handled her magnificent and personally open the foundation's chestnut mane, another applied account myself.' make-up around those extraordinary Kirby says, 'She got dressed, eyes, which up close seemed to be summoned her driver and left her ...._~ more pale lilac than deep violet. As modest Bel Air home to visit the ~ a third assistant began painting her bank. She told him, 'So I got out ofthe

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programmes, for example. Morrison when celebrities tell us to?' Strub recalls Taylor saying, 'Sure I'll go to emphasises he is not disparaging of that benefit if a, b or c is going to pay Taylor's work but 'the society, culture half a million dollars to sit next to and, especially,. political leadership me.' After Hurricane Katrina in 2006, that wasn't listening to those of us she donated money to fund a mobile who had the disease, to the doctors support centre, the Care Van for the treating us or other experts who were NO/AIDS Task Force in New Orleans, on the front lines. But a film star, who which today still offers HIV testing could command so much attention and counselling. In 2006, Taylor said from the public, they would listen of AIDS, 'It is still a pandemic. It to. Combating disease by leveraging has not slowed down. I know people celebrity is a desperation strategy; have forgotten. They take things we had no other choice. But it is a sad for granted - especially the young comment on our society.' people, between 15 and 24.' However, Strub notes that A month before her death Taylor Taylor 'didn't need to do this. I am was due to receive a special amfAR cynical enough to realise that some award for her tireless campaigning, significant measure of celebrity but was too ill to attend the activism is driven by fading careers, a organisation's 2$th anniversary desperation for the spotlight or some celebration in New York. Morrison specific economic opportunity. When says this 'desperately upset' her. I look at a celebrity's involvement in 'It was a big milestone, and to something, I ask myself what kind of risk has this person taken? What is the downside to them? What do Most celebrities never achieve the depth ofunderstanding they get out of it? How calculated is their participation? I don't think she did. She held up condoms in ads and said, 'Use these' her entry into the epidemic was calculated in the least. She was driven by desperation, as we all were, and car, and I had this check firmly in my see someone too fragile to do the wasn't thinking about consequences, hand, and I walked into the bank. I things she wanted to do was awful.' only what she could do to help. She's looked around and I was stunned to Morrison says Taylor's effects will be earned the respect and appreciation realise I had never been in a bank in auctioned by Christie's. The hope is of people with HIV all over the world, my life! Can you imagine that?' that an as yet unspecified proportion and deservedly so.' David Chalfant, director of of the money raised will go to AIDS Taylor herself said, 'I hope with development at the Whitman-Walker charities. Taylor's family sees the all of my heart that in some way I Clinic in Washington DC, whose continued work of ETAF as 'essential have made a difference in the lives medical centre Taylor leant her name to her legacy'. of people with AIDS. I want that to to when it opened in 1993, said, 'We Sean Strub, former editor of the be my legacy. Better that than for had pursued her for months, then HIV-focused Poz magazine, says the mole on my cheek.' Morrison got this message: "If my name can do Taylor's campaigning 'can only says her former boss 'told me that if any good in the nation's capital, use be considered of tremendous she could effect social change using it.'' Most celebrities never achieve the importance to raising awareness, her fame it would make it tolerable. depth of understanding she did about stirring public sympathy for people More than her Oscars, acting, the the issues. She held up condoms in with AIDS and convincing political jewels and ex-husbands, she was ads and said, "Use these". She was and other leaders to do more to fight proudest of her AIDS work and her politically astute and we needed her. the epidemic. But it also set the stage humanitarian Oscar [awarded in She was also a solid, gentle, humble for a style of response that in some 1993].' Taylor's work will continue, soul. But when she looked at you, you ways was very contemporary, in that but without its leading lady: a tough, felt as if you were being looked at by it was celebrity-driven, but perhaps streetwise campaigner in jewels and Elizabeth Taylor.' not the best long-term strategy. Are furs who charmed- and shamed Taylor's interests expanded: we to pay attention to the needs of - the political establishment into ETAF backed needle-exchange the dying and disenfranchised only confronting AIDS.

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