quote

I have to show up because it galvanizes people. They know I’m not there to sell or gain anything. I’m there for the same reason they are: to get something done.”

— Elizabeth Taylor

Compelled by radical compassion and bolstered by moral courage, Elizabeth Taylor became the first globally recognized celebrity HIV and AIDS activist.

In 1991, Elizabeth established The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) to support direct-service initiatives for people living with HIV. After more than 30 years, ETAF continues this work today in Elizabeth’s legacy.

Join Elizabeth’s voice in the fight for social justice and human rights for people living with HIV and AIDS to achieve an AIDS-free world.

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After a decade of increasing AIDS-related deaths worldwide, Elizabeth Taylor expands her focus from AIDS research and establishes The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) to dedicate more resources to direct-care for people living with HIV.

Upon the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, three Officers are appointed to shepherd ETAF’s vision and mission. The Officers establish and lead ETAF’s strategic vision in alignment with Elizabeth’s mission and goals, ensuring that our work continues without interruption.

As ETAF approaches 30-years of HIV/AIDS service, the world is reshaped by the COVID-19 pandemic in unprecedented ways. In response, ETAF launches new initiatives of direct-care & advocacy to address the deep-rooted inequalities of the HIV epidemic, including promoting social justice.

Timeline

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  • In early June, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes an article detailing the emergence of a rare form of pneumonia. At the same time, young gay men in New York and California are being diagnosed with the rare cancer Kaposi’s sarcoma.
  • On July 3, The New York Times publishes an article, “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals,” making it the first mainstream news outlet to report on the mysterious disease.
  • By year’s end, 337 cases of the new disease have been reported in the U.S.
  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) first uses the name “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome” (AIDS) and offers the first case definition of the disease.
  • Doctors speculate that AIDS is transmitted via blood as well as sexual contact.
  • As this mysterious disease blossoms into an epidemic, hysteria sets in across America. Fear accompanied by prejudice and stigma turns people with AIDS into pariahs. Hospital workers leave meals outside patients’ doors. Postal workers refuse to deliver mail. Even friends and family abandon loved ones.
  • The CDC adds heterosexuals, female sex partners of men with AIDS, intravenous drug users, and people of Haitian origin to the list of groups at risk for contracting AIDS.
  • Thirty-three countries around the world confirm cases of the disease.
  • The CDC rules out transmission via casual contact, food, water, air, or environmental surfaces.
  • Four friends recognize the urgent need for client services, prevention, education, and advocacy on behalf of those with AIDS and found AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA). Although APLA quickly becomes the primary organization for AIDS awareness in Los Angeles, most media crews will not enter the APLA building. Other service organizations refuse to see or speak to APLA representatives.
  • A government worker burns her dress after touching an application from a person with AIDS – sobering evidence of society’s discriminatory and misinformed attitudes toward people with the disease.
  • Dr. Robert Gallo of the National Institutes of Health and Dr. Luc Montagnier of France’s Pasteur Institute independently identify the retrovirus that causes AIDS. In 1986, the retrovirus will be named “Human Immunodeficiency Virus” (HIV).
  • AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) publishes one of the first self-care manuals for people with AIDS.
  • Africa reports a major outbreak of the disease.
  • In 1984 alone, there are an estimated 130,400 new HIV infections globally.
  • Elizabeth organizes and hosts AIDS Project Los Angeles’“Commitment to Life” fundraiser. She raises $1.3 million by mobilizing high-profile celebrities, exceeding all financial goals and expectations.
  • After an HIV antibody test emerges, screening of the U.S. blood supply begins.
  • The inaugural International Conference on AIDS takes place in Atlanta, and the inaugural AIDS Walk raises $670,000.
  • Housing for people with AIDS opens in Los Angeles, along with the first dental clinic for AIDS patients.
  • Ryan White, a 13-year-old hemophiliac with AIDS, is barred from attending his Indiana school.
  • President Ronald Reagan mentions AIDS publicly for the first time

Elizabeth and Rock Hudson’s doctor, Michael Gottlieb, partner with Mathilde Krim, to establish The National Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) with the help of a posthumous $250,000 gift from Rock.

  • Elizabeth testifies before the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee on behalf of the Ryan White CARE (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency) Act, which aims to increase funding for AIDS emergency care in areas hardest hit by the epidemic.
  • New York City starts needle exchange programs.
  • Elizabeth embarks on extensive fundraising in New York and California, and The National Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) holds a benefit in New York City.

Elizabeth testifying on behalf of the Ryan White CARE Act.

  • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sanctions the first human testing of an HIV vaccine and approves AZT, the first anti-HIV drug. It becomes the most expensive drug in U.S. history, with a one-year supply costing $10,000.
  • The French government honors Elizabeth with the Légion d’honneur for her work to raise funds and awareness to fight AIDS.
  • Elizabeth becomes the first patron for the AIDS Crisis Trust in London.

Elizabeth Taylor and Mathilde Krim join amfAR board members at Art Against AIDS, a fundraiser that will become a nationwide effort to raise funds and awareness.

  • U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop calls for the widespread use of condoms and comprehensive sex education to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.
  • The U.S. bans HIV-positive foreigners from obtaining tourist visas or permanent residence status.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) launches The Special Programme on AIDS.
  • U.S. AIDS deaths surpass 40,000, and include entertainer Liberace and musical theatre director Michael Bennett (A Chorus Line)
  • Randy Shilts publishes “And the Band Played On,” a history of the AIDS epidemic.
  • The AIDS Foundation Trust honors Elizabeth, and AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA) recognizes her at its second “Commitment to Life” fundraiser.

Through bold and fearless shaming, Elizabeth persuades President Ronald Reagan to finally acknowledge the AIDS crisis. He delivers a major speech on AIDS at the amfAR on the Potomoc Dinner. He tells his audience, “There’s no reason for those who carry the AIDS virus to wear a scarlet ‘A.’”

  • The federal government distributes the educational pamphlet “Understanding AIDS” by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop to 107 million homes nationwide.
  • December 1 marks the first World AIDS Day
  • U.S. AIDS deaths reach 61,816.

"Understanding AIDS" by Surgeon General C. Everett Koop

  • Elizabeth speaks at Southeast Asia’s first AIDS benefit held in Thailand and visits AIDS patients at Chulalongkorn University Hospital in Bangkok.
  • Elizabeth attends the Masquerade Ball to benefit The National Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) in New York City.
  • Studio 54 owner Steve Rubell, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, and dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey all die of AIDS.
  • In the spring, Elizabeth testifies alongside Ryan White’s mother, Jeanne White, to urge passage of the Ryan White CARE (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency) Act. The legislation passes later that summer.
  • Congress enacts The Americans with Disabilities Act, which includes protections for people with HIV/AIDS.
  • Nearly 1% of the South African population is infected with HIV.
  • Artist Keith Haring and Ryan White, age 18, die of AIDS.
  • U.S. AIDS deaths reach 120,453.

Ryan White's death helped galvanize public sympathy and attention for the AIDS epidemic.

  • Elizabeth creates The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) to provide critically-needed support services for people with HIV/AIDS as well as prevention and education for populations most in need. Elizabeth arranges for her Trust to underwrite all operating costs so that 100% of every donation goes directly to the cause.
  • Attendees of the 45th Tony Awards wear red ribbons to promote HIV/AIDS awareness. From this moment forward, the red ribbon becomes the symbol of the movement.
  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness at the London Lighthouse AIDS Benefit; the Los Angeles Center for Living fundraiser; Art Against AIDS in Basel, Switzerland; and the 7th Annual International AIDS Conference in Florence, Italy.
  • Basketball star Magic Johnson announces he is HIV-positive and retires from the NBA.
  • Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, dies of AIDS.
  • U.S. AIDS Deaths reach 156,143.

Elizabeth marries Larry Fortensky at Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch and sells the wedding photos to People for $1 million. She uses the proceeds to establish The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF).

  • AIDS becomes the leading cause of death for U.S. men ages 25-44.
  • The first clinical trial of combination antiretroviral therapy begins.
  • The National Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) undertakes a comprehensive study of needle exchange programs.

Elizabeth appears on the cover of the November 1992 Vanity Fair holding a condom. ETAF Ambassador Firooz Zahedi shoots the famous photograph, which is deemed controversial at the time.

  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness for The National Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) at the Glitter and Be Giving Gala in New York.
  • Elizabeth speaks to at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in London, emphasizing the importance of protection and sharing a message of love.
  • Author Isaac Asimov, actor Tony Perkins (Psycho), and actor Robert Reed (Mike Brady from The Brady Bunch) die of AIDS.
  • Elizabeth urges lawmakers on Capitol Hill to allocate funds promised to the Ryan White CARE (Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency) Act, which Congress passed in 1990.
  • Elizabeth attends the 8th International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam where she famously claims “I don’t think President Bush is doing anything at all about AIDS. In fact, I’m not even sure that he knows how to spell AIDS.”
  • Elizabeth hosts the Cirque du Soleil Big Top for AIDS fundraiser in Santa Monica, California.

Elton John holds a benefit concert for ETAF at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Bruce Hornsby, Lionel Richie, George Michael, and Whoopi Goldberg all perform.

  • Tennis player Arthur Ashe and ballet star Rudolf Nureyev die of AIDS.
  • People with HIV/AIDS and their allies come together at the inaugural AIDSWatch to lobby federal lawmakers for increased funding for HIV/AIDS programs. Subsequently, AIDSWatch will expand its scope to include the most important issues for people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences awards Elizabeth the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 1993 Oscars ceremony. In her acceptance speech, Elizabeth delivers her famous plea to “draw from the depths of your being to prove once and for all that we are a human race.”

  • Elizabeth hosts a benefit concert featuring Elton John at Madison Square Garden in New York City, headlines the Cinema Against AIDS event at the Cannes Film Festival, and attends her first Macy’s Passport fundraiser.
  • Elizabeth attends Art Against AIDS in Venice, Italy and speaks at the 11th International Conference on AIDS in Vancouver.
  • U.S. AIDS Deaths reach 234,225.

The Elizabeth Taylor Medical Center is established at the Whitman-Walker Clinic in Washington, D.C., which provides the community with free HIV/AIDS testing and services.

  • Elizabeth speaks on HIV/AIDS at the United Nations.
  • Pedro Zamora, cast member of MTV’s reality series, The Real World, dies of AIDS.
  • Randy Shilts, author of And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic, dies of AIDS.
  • Elizabeth Glaser, AIDS activist and founder of The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), dies of AIDS.
  • The FDA approves saquinavir, the first protease inhibitor, to introduce highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) treatment.
  • President Clinton establishes The Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.
  • The first National HIV Testing Day is established on June 27.
  • The New York Times reports that AIDS is the leading cause of death among all Americans ages 25-44.
  • Gold Medal Olympic diver Greg Louganis announces his HIV-positive status, and rapper Eazy-E of the hip-hop group N.W.A. dies of AIDS.
  • Elizabeth hosts the Macy’s Passport fundraiser, an annual event she continues to headline in both San Francisco and Los Angeles in coming years.
  • The UN estimates that 22.6 million people worldwide are infected with HIV and establishes the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), which unites the efforts and resources of 11 UN system organizations against the pandemic.
  • Elizabeth appears in four primetime CBS sitcoms on one night, donating all earnings from the appearances to ETAF.
  • Elizabeth participates in the Candlelight AIDS March in Washington, D.C.
  • Elizabeth speaks on HIV/AIDS at the United Nations.

Elizabeth participates in the Candlelight AIDS March in Washington, D.C.

  • The Screen Actors Guild honors Elizabeth with its Lifetime Achievement Award for Humanitarian service.
  • ABC televises Elizabeth’s 65th birthday celebration, which raises over $1 million for ETAF.
  • Elizabeth receives a letter from the New York Academy of Medicine honoring her for “extraordinary contributions to the fight against HIV infection and AIDS.”
  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness at AIDS Project Los Angeles’ Ten-Year Commitment to Life Gala; the Dream Halloween® Benefitting Children Affected by AIDS Foundation; and the Unforgettable Fashion of the Oscars Benefit for amfAR.
  • ETAF raises funds and directs them to domestic and international AIDS service organizations, including service groups in Africa and India.
  • Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), a grassroots movement for access to treatment, forms in South Africa.
  • The Minority AIDS Initiative is created in the U.S.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services publishes the first national guidelines for antiretroviral therapy in adults.
  • U.S. AIDS Deaths reach 410,800.
  • The British Academy of Film and Television Arts honors Elizabeth with its lifetime achievement award, the BAFTA Fellowship. In her acceptance speech, she explains that “fighting AIDS has become my full time job.”
  • Experts estimate that half of all new HIV infections occur among people under age 25.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa, where 55% of all HIV-positive adults are women, is declared the epicenter of the global epidemic, and President Clinton launches LIFE Initiative to fight AIDS in Africa.
  • Studies from The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that short-course zidovudine can prevent mother-to-child transmission.

Elizabeth poses with her BAFTA Fellowship Award.

  • The U.S. and U.N. Security Council each declare HIV/AIDS to be a security threat.
  • South Africa holds the 13th International AIDS Conference, becoming the first developing nation to do so.
  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) creates Global AIDS Program to heighten awareness of the pandemic’s scope.
  • Elizabeth is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, not only for her acting work, but for her role in the fight against AIDS.
  • Elizabeth receives the Vanguard Award at the 2000 GLAAD Media Awards. In her acceptance speech, she tells the audience, “When gay people stopped being human beings and started becoming the enemy, I knew somebody had to do something.”
  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness at the Red Hot AIDS benefit in London; Honoring with Pride: An Evening on Ellis Island, and Cinema Against AIDS Gala at the Cannes Film Festival, and the 5th Annual Macy’s Passport event in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Along with Magic Johnson and Cindy Crawford, Elizabeth co-hosts the Macy’s-American Express Passport 2000 fashion show to benefit HIV/AIDS research in Santa Monica, CA.

  • During the African Summit on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Other Infectious Disease in Abuja, Nigeria, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls for a global fund to fight AIDS.
  • June 5 marks twenty years since the first AIDS case was reported.

President Clinton honors Elizabeth’s humanitarian service by awarding her the Presidential Citizens Medal.

  • UNAIDS reports that women comprise approximately half of all adults living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
  • HIV is the leading cause of death worldwide among those aged 15-59.
  • Fashion photographer Herb Ritts dies of AIDS.
  • The U.S. National Intelligence Council releases a report on the next wave of the epidemic, focusing on India, China, Russia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.
  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness at Macy’s Passport.
  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness at Art for AIDS II, Macy’s Passport, and Dream Halloween, which benefits the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation (CAAF).
  • Fifteen million children worldwide have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.
  • U.S. AIDS Deaths reach 524,060.
  • President Bush establishes the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
  • At the Cannes International Film Festival, Elizabeth attends the Warner Bros. Giant screening and the Cinema Against AIDS Gala, which both benefit The National Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR).
  • UNAIDS launches the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS to highlight the epidemic’s impact on women and girls.
  • The G8 calls for the creation of a global HIV vaccine enterprise.
  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that more than one million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS.
  • The Elizabeth Taylor Endowment Fund for the UCLA CARE (Clinical AIDS Research and Education) Clinic is established at the University of California at Los Angeles.
  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness at Macy’s Passport.
  • June 5 marks a quarter century since the first AIDS case was reported.
  • Russia hosts the G8 Summit for the first time; HIV/AIDS is on the agenda.
  • The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) responds to Hurricane Katrina by funding and dispatching a mobile medical rescue van to HIV/AIDS patients in the New Orleans area.
  • President Bush calls on Congress to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) at $30 billion over five years.
  • Elizabeth raises funds and awareness at Macy’s Passport.
  • Elizabeth publishes a New York Times op-ed piece on AIDS for World AIDS Day
  • The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) partners with the Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance (GAIA) to develop mobile medical clinics in rural Malawi.
  • December 1 marks the 20th anniversary observation of World AIDS Day.
  • Globally, over 33 million people are living with AIDS while 25 million have died of AIDS since 1981.
  • President Obama announces his administration will officially lift the HIV travel and immigration ban in January 2010.
  • President Obama launches the Global Health Initiative, with the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as a core component.
  • The White House releases the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), which is the nation’s first comprehensive, coordinated HIV/AIDS roadmap, including clear and measurable targets.
  • In the U.S. 31% of all new HIV infections occur among people aged 25-34; 26% are 13-24 years old.
  • The Obama administration announces the goal of an AIDS-free generation.
  • On June 5, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) marks the 30th anniversary of the first reported cases of HIV/AIDS.
  • 34 million people are living with HIV/AIDS globally, with 7,000 new infections a day.
  • Globally, AIDS Deaths reach 1.8 million.

Elizabeth passes away on March 23, and AIDS Healthcare Foundation commissions billboards in her honor.

  • ETAF invests nearly $800,000 toward a diverse group of organizations dedicated to serving the populations most affected by HIV/AIDS. Grant recipients include mobile medical clinics in Malawi, education and prevention programs in Lihue, HI, and meal support programs in New Orleans.
  • The U.S. hosts the International AIDS Conference (IAC) for the first time in over twenty years. The 19th IAC is the first conference to be held in the U.S. since the end of the travel ban on HIV-positive visitors.
  • Arash and Kamiar Alaei receive the Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award.
  • 57% of pregnant women living with HIV in low and middle income countries receive effective drug regimens to prevent new HIV infections among children.
  • The National Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), the International AIDS Society (IAS), and ETAF create The Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award to recognize the efforts of people who have achieved major breakthroughs or shown exceptional courage and leadership in their efforts to advocate for human rights in the field of HIV/AIDS. Arash and Kamiar Alaei, of Iran, are the first recipients of the award, earning the recognition for their efforts to advocate for Human Rights in the field of HIV.
  • UNAIDS reports AIDS-related deaths have declined by almost 30% since 2005.
  • The U.S. Congress passes the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act; the legislations aims to end the prohibition of organ donation between HIV-positive people.
  • ETAF invests in excess of $1 million and, to date, more than $17 million in 44 countries and 42 U.S. states, in the fight against AIDS
  • ETAF partners with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to co-found HIV prevention programs for African Americans in the South.
  • On what would have been Elizabeth’s 82nd birthday, ETAF raises over $300,000 at an art auction organized by Elizabeth’s granddaughter, Naomi Wilding, and the Wilding-Cran Gallery in Los Angeles.
  • ETAF Ambassador Aileen Getty receives the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award.
  • Dr. Semugoma receives the Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award.
  • ETAF sponsors AIDSWatch, an annual advocacy event in Washington D.C. Five of Elizabeth’s grandchildren present the inaugural Elizabeth Taylor Legislative Leadership Award to New York Congressman José Serrano for his work supporting needle exchange programs.
  • The U.S. Congress ends the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs.
  • ETAF partners with GLAAD and AIDS United to advocate for the inclusion of more HIV/AIDS stories in the television, news, and film. The three organizations create a guide for news reporting in a new era of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
  • Representative José Serrano receives the Elizabeth Taylor Legislative Leadership Award.
  • At the 2015 United States Conference on AIDS House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi was presented the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award by Elizabeth Taylor’s Stepdaughter, ETAF Ambassador and actor Kate Burton.
  • ETAF and PEPFAR launch a $4 Million partnership, focusing on innovative strategies to reach men aged 25-40 with HIV prevention and treatment services.
  • The Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award is co-presented by Charlize Theron, the International AIDS Society, and Elizabeth Taylor’s grandchildren, at the opening ceremony of the 2016 International AIDS Conference in Durban. The event is televised on SABC, South Africa’s largest public broadcaster, and in front of 30,000 live audience members.
  • Representative Barbara Lee and Senator Frank Lautenberg receive the Elizabeth Taylor Legislative Leadership Award.

ETAF Ambassador Whoopi Goldberg receives the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award.

  • AIDSWatch 2017 brings together more than 650 advocates from 34 states, DC, and Puerto Rico to advocate for the changes needed to end the AIDS epidemic in the United States. It is the largest AIDSWatch to date. With ETAF’s support, every single House and Senate office was contacted and in-person meetings with over 260 Congressmen and women and their staff are conducted.
  • To honor the 25th anniversary of the first time the red AIDS ribbon was worn at the Academy Awards, ETAF loans nominees Tarell Alvin McCraney and Kimberly Steward personal ribbons from Elizabeth Taylor’s collection.
  • ETAF Ambassadors Laela and Naomi Wilding, in partnership with Equality California, lobbied CA Legislators for LGBT Day Advocacy in Sacramento to support the CA Bill SB239 calling to modernize several criminal laws that specifically target people living with HIV. The bill ultimately passes.
  • Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Senator Christopher Coons receive the Elizabeth Taylor Legislative Leadership Award.
  • Macy’s, Inc. receives The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation Dr. Michael Gottlieb Award in honor of their continued partnership.

Elton John receives the Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award.

  • ETAF receives $1,000,000 through our partnership with Macy’s, Inc. in promotion of “Thanks For Sharing,” allowing the foundation to fund 79 programs around the United States.
  • Representatives Brian Sims, Carlos Guillermo Smith, and Senator Thomas Duane receive the Elizabeth Taylor Legislative Leadership Award at AIDSWatch in Washington, D.C.
  • Dr. Mathilde Krim, co-founder of amfAR, passes away. In 1985, two of the first AIDS research organizations, the New York-based AIDS Medical Foundation co-founded by Dr. Mathilde Krim and California-based National AIDS Research Foundation co-founded by Elizabeth Taylor and Dr. Michael Gottlieb, merged to create amfAR, The American Foundation for AIDS Research. Together, they put political, scientific, and anti-stigma responses at the forefront of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
  • Allan Achesa Malech receives the Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award.

Life Ball 2018 - ETAF Ambassador Paris Jackson and Country Director of Malawi, Joyce Jere, accept the Life+ Award for the life-saving work of the GAIA/Elizabeth Taylor Mobile Health Clinics, which achieved 1.5 million client visits in April of 2018.

  • ETAF is recognized as Presenting Sponsor of AIDSWatch – the largest national & grassroots-lead HIV advocacy event in the United States.
  • Representative Karen Bass is awarded the Elizabeth Taylor Legislative Leadership Award.
  • The foundation reaches 103,696 individuals nationwide – with an emphasis on HIV education, testing, and PrEP linkage for youth (tripling ETAF’s impact from 2018)!

ETAF Executive Director and Officers visit the GAIA/Elizabeth Taylor Mobile Health Clinics in Malawi.

  • ETAF launches a national initiative titled, “HIV Is Not A Crime,” to modernize the laws and criminal penalties affecting people living with HIV through a grant from Gilead Sciences, Inc.
  • Our first True (Not) Crime Story is published featuring Robert Suttle
  • On February 27th, in honor of Elizabeth Taylor’s birthday – Macy’s, Inc. awarded $1,000,000 to ETAF to support our key domestic initiatives; Youth HIV Education & Prevention and Mental Health Wellness & Support for Women Living with HIV.
  • GAIA/Elizabeth Taylor Mobile Health Clinics achieve 2 million client visits since its launch.

ETAF Ambassador Kathy Ireland accepts $1,000,000 grant award from Macy's, Inc. on behalf of ETAF.

  • ETAF’s leadership and Officers release statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
  • June 12 2019’s Annual Activities Report is published!
  • The first-ever Elizabeth Taylor Ball is hosted on December 1st, World AIDS Day!
  • Loon Gagnte receives the Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award at IAS’ AIDS2020 Conference.

June 25, 2020 - The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation brought together leading experts and activists in the modernization of laws and penalties affecting people living with HIV for a town hall about why it's time for the law to catch up with science. Moderated by Emmy Award-winning journalist and co-host, ABC's "The View", Sunny Hostin.

  • ETAF celebrates its 30th Anniversary in the fight for an AIDS-free world!
  • November 5 – Announcement of ETAF’s 2022 – 2024 Strategic Plan.
  • September 27 – The first in-person and second annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS takes place in West Hollywood, CA with a “Cleopatra” theme featuring memorabilia from The Elizabeth Taylor Archive.
  • Honorees Dr. Anthony Fauci, Billy Porter, Sandra Thurman, and amfAR – The Foundation for AIDS Research, received The Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award.

Billy Porter, actor and singer, is honored at the 2021 Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS. (L-R) Daniel O'Day, Billy Porter, and Christine Chiu.

  • February 28, 2022 marked the nationally recognized HIV is Not a Crime Awareness Day. In partnership with the Sero Project, ETAF launched this national advocacy day to recognize the harms and violence of HIV criminalization in the United States.
  • HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day was featured on ABC’s The View, with ETAF Ambassador Whoopi Goldberg and HIV Is Not A Crime Champion Sunny Hostin.
  • ETAF’s True (Not) Crime Series wins Anthem Awards at the 2022 Inaugural Anthem Awards Social Impact Celebration!
  • March 16 – ETAF presents Unjust production in Atlanta, GA.
  • A story of the impact of HIV stigma and criminalization in the modern age to show that HIV Is Not A Crime.

Moderator Robert Suttle with panelists Dr. Jasmine Clark, Charles Stephens, Sanjay Johnson, and Lee Raines at Unjust production in Atlanta, GA.

  • ETAF presents Night Over America production in Washington D.C. on May 17, 2022 and in New York City on October 24, 2022.
  • A play about real-life narratives of those who’ve been legally persecuted for their HIV status because of outdated and discriminatory laws, written by Jon Robin Baitz and directed by Robert Egan.
  • August 9 – ETAF launches its new monthly donor program, Elizabeth’s Rowdy Activists.
  • In 1993, Elizabeth proclaimed, “I will remain here as rowdy an activist as I have to be and, God willing, for as long as I have to be.” Our monthly donor group carries forward her fight for an AIDS-free world.
  • Tetiana Deshko, Andrey Klepikov, and Rosemary Namubiru (posthumously) receive the Elizabeth Taylor Human Rights Award at the IAS AIDS 2022 Conference.

(L-R) Brian Cox, L. Morgan Lee, Stephen Belber, and Isaiah Johnson in Night Over America production in New York City.

  • September 15 – The third annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS takes place in West Hollywood, CA, with a “Giant” theme featuring memorabilia from The Elizabeth Taylor Archive and behind-the-scenes photos from the movie.
  • Honorees ETAF Ambassador Colin Farrell, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Charlize Theron received The Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award. ETAF Ambassadors Lyn Rothman and Andrea Fiuczynski chaired the event, and guests were entertained by Grammy Award-winning Motown legend, Thelma Houston.

ETAF Officers Quinn Tivey, Barbara Berkowitz, and Tim Mendelson with Colin Farrell at the 2022 Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS.

  • March 30 – Change the Pattern Event in Memphis, TN, “Speak Out: Dispelling Myths & Outdated Laws on HIV.” Panel and discussion held in partnership with the National AIDS Memorial, Southern Aids Coalition, and Gilead Sciences.
  • ETAF’s Night Over America wins the Silver Anthem Award in the Event, Special Projects, and National Awareness Campaign category.

HIV Is Not A Crime Council of Justice Leaders and fellow panelist at HINAC5 Training Academy facilitated by the SERO Project, Positive Women’s Network – USA, Positively Trans, THRIVE SS, and US PLHIV Caucus.

  • April 20 – The first annual Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation New York Dinner at The Modern – MoMA.
  • Honorees Macy’s, accepted by Jeff Gennette, Chairman and CEO of Macy’s Inc., and Zac Posen, fashion designer and ETAF Ambassador, received The Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award.
  • ETAF was a proud sponsor of the 2023 HIV Is Not A Crime National Training Academy (HINAC5) presented by the SERO Project. HINAC5 included sessions and plenaries to educate and train people living with HIV (PLHIV), activists, stakeholders, and policy leaders to mobilize state-level advocacy to end HIV-related criminalization.⁠

Honorees Jeff Gennette and Zac Posen pose with L Morgan Lee at the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation New York Dinner on April 20, 2023..

  • September 21 – The fourth annual Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS was held at The Beverly Hills Hotel, CA. Earvin “Magic” and Cookie Johnson were honored with The Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award for their decades of commitment to raising awareness of HIV.
  • ETAF Ambassador Paris Jackson and Christine Chiu co-chaired the event, which was hosted by Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance. The “Empress of Soul,” Gladys Knight, gave guests an unforgettable performance.
  • Andy Cohen announced as National Champion for HIV Is Not A Crime Campaign.
  • October – ETAF announces Harm Reduction Initiative and Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network Expansion.

(L-R) Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Cookie Johnson, Gladys Knight, Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance and John Scott at 2023 The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS.

  • ETAF announces that LIFEBEAT is now a program of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation! LIFEBEAT mobilizes the music and entertainment industry to provide sexual health resources at music tours, special events, broadcasts, social media, and print campaigns.
  • February 28 – In honor of National HIV Is Not A Crime Awareness Day, ETAF proudly presented “Stuck in the 80s” Night — an evening of music, conversation, and community in Atlanta, Georgia. This impactful night brought together performers, advocates, HIV criminalization experts, press, and a fantastic audience.
  • Special guests of the evening included CNN News Anchors and Journalists Fredricka Whitfield and Victor Blackwell, Actress and Model Dominique Jackson, TV producer and activist Zachary Drucker, Haus of Maison Margiela, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and six-time Grammy award-winning artist Flavor Flav.

Moderator Fredricka Whitfield with panelists Janet Butler, Harold J. Phillips, Robert Suttle, Dr. Neblett Fanfair, and Kamaria Laffrey at The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation's “Stuck in the 80s" Night Event at Center Stage, in Atlanta, Georgia.