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THE ELIZABETH TAYLOR AIDS
FOUNDATION HONORS M·A·C VIVA GLAM, TIM
ROSTA, MARC PORTER AND HEATHER BARNHART
OF CHRISTIE’S,
AND DON LEMON AT
4TH ANNUAL NEW YORK
DINNER
Event Supported by
Presenting Sponsor Gilead Sciences
Last night, The
Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) hosted
its 4th Annual New York Dinner at the
legendary Rainbow Room at Rockefeller
Center. Hosted by CNN’s Laura Coates and
generously supported by Presenting
Sponsor Gilead Sciences, Inc., the
evening honored M·A·C VIVA GLAM with The
Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award, Tim
Rosta with The Elizabeth Taylor
Commitment to End AIDS Award, Marc
Porter and Heather Barnhart of Christie’s with The
Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award, and Don
Lemon with The Elizabeth Taylor
Bold Voice Award in recognition of
their contributions to HIV/AIDS
awareness and advocacy. The evening also
featured performances by Tony and
Grammy-nominated singer Orfeh and
singer-songwriter Hamilton Leithauser.
“[The Elizabeth Taylor
AIDS Foundation’s LIFEBEAT program] is
one of the only remaining HIV prevention
education programs in the United States
– think about that. The foundation was
forged in the same spirit of activism
that I learned from Larry Kramer in
those early days. But I’ve learned so
much more from the extraordinary people
that I’ve met along the way. Anything
that I’ve really done has been their
creation,” said Rosta while accepting The
Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS
Award.
While onstage accepting The
Elizabeth Taylor Bold Voice Award,
Lemon reflected that the honor already
belongs to Elizabeth Taylor before
adding, “Elizabeth Taylor didn’t think
that she was being bold – she thought
she was being human. That’s the only way
she knew how to be. When people were
dying and the powerful were silent, and
the government couldn’t be bothered to
say one word out loud, she simply could
not accept that silence as an option.
She couldn’t live with herself if she
did. And I think most of us, if we are
honest, we know that feeling. We just
don’t always act on it – and she did.”
Onstage accepting The
Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award, Marc
Porter of Christie’s said, “It may be
difficult for many people in this room
to imagine the courage Elizabeth Taylor
displayed so publicly. She spoke out as
an ally – an advocate for people with
HIV and AIDS in Congress, in Hollywood,
and anywhere people would listen. She
fought stigma, she raised awareness and
provided compassion for our community.”
Heather Barnhart of Christie’s
continued, “It is essential that The
Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation
continues to serve the communities that
need it most. Especially in today’s
world where funding is difficult to get
and we need private organizations to
help meet the needs of underserved
communities. We are grateful that
Elizabeth Taylor gave us the opportunity
early on in her advocacy to participate
in the important work, and it is now
incumbent upon all of us to ensure that
her great work and that of The Elizabeth
Taylor AIDS Foundation continues.”
The annual New York
Dinner included an intimate reception,
seated dinner, program, and live
performance. Proceeds from the evening
will support the ongoing work toward
Elizabeth Taylor’s vision of an
AIDS-free world.
For more information
please contact info@etaf.org.
# # #
ABOUT ETAF
In the 1980s, Elizabeth
Taylor worked tirelessly on the AIDS
crisis and founded The Elizabeth Taylor
AIDS Foundation (ETAF) in 1991 to
further her vision of an AIDS-free
world. ETAF provides support for direct
care and advocates on behalf of those
affected by HIV and AIDS with a
concentration on hard-to-reach
communities. Its advocacy initiatives
include HIV Is Not A Crime, which seeks
to overturn outdated laws that
criminalize people for their HIV status.
Additionally, ETAF promotes HIV
prevention, education, and treatment
access, with its latest program,
LIFEBEAT, mobilizing the music industry
to support at-risk youth in managing
their sexual health.
ABOUT GILEAD SCIENCES
Gilead Sciences, Inc. is
a biopharmaceutical company that has
pursued and achieved breakthroughs in
medicine for more than three decades,
with the goal of creating a healthier
world for all people. The company is
committed to advancing innovative
medicines to prevent and treat
life-threatening diseases, including
HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19, cancer
and inflammation. In 2025, Gilead
announced a planned $32 billion
investment to further strengthen its
U.S. footprint to power the next era of
discovery, job creation and public
health preparedness – while continuing
to invest globally to ensure patients
everywhere benefit from its scientific
innovation. Gilead operates in more than
35 countries worldwide, with
headquarters in Foster City, California. |