By Samantha Gleisten

Elizabeth Taylor achieved superstardom as an actress and legendary beauty; however, it is her work as a humanitarian that has made the most resounding impact over the past 15 years. Taylor has been a dedicated advocate for AIDS patients since the early days of the epidemic, but it was the steady decline and eventual death of her good friend and former co-star Rock Hudson that galvanized her fight against the disease. The emerging prevalence of the virus and the public's reaction to the illness prompted Taylor to become a outspoken supporter of the rights of AIDS victims in the court of public opinion, research centers, and the U.S. legislature.

She is the Founding National Chairman of the American Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR), which has raised about $160 million dollars, with her help, to combat the global epidemic. Today, her advocacy and fundraising efforts continue through amfAR as well as The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

Deborah Hernan, Vice President of Communications for amfAR.

Deborah Hernan, vice president of Communications for amfAR, discusses the organization, and the role Elizabeth Taylor has played and continues to play in the ongoing battle against the deadly disease.

GP: What kind of work does amfAR do?

DH: We were primarily founded as a research organization, and part and parcel with that is also treatment, prevention, and then advocacy for people infected with HIV and AIDS. So, we have a number of programs here under research: we have both basic biomedical and clinical; and then we have treatment, prevention, and professional education; and then we have public advocacy. We also have a global initiative, because, obviously, the epidemic is global. More involvement has to be there as well.

GP: What has Elizabeth Taylor's role been in the advocacy arena?

DH: Elizabeth Taylor was very instrumental because, in fact, there was a time when people weren't paying attention [to the epidemic]. And what Elizabeth Taylor did was, she went before [the U.S.] Congress, and she spoke about why ... [the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency Act] is so important, and why this law needs to be passed, and how people with AIDS are being discriminated against. When Elizabeth Taylor stood up for this cause, no one else was standing up for this cause. People didn't know how you caught it [HIV]; didn't know what to do about it. Some people thought it was what some people deserved, and there was no one who was willing to be its [the cause's] champion except Elizabeth Taylor.

GP: How was amfAR created?

DH: AmfAR is based on a merger of the National AIDS Research Foundation and the AIDS Medical Foundation [AMF]. There were two groups -- one [National AIDS Research Foundation] was primarily West coast; one [AMF] was more East coast -- and what their goal was, was to form a truly national foundation to address the epidemic. They did this back in the fall, August/September, of 1985, and they came together to form amfAR. In the beginning, there were a lot of physicians and attorneys and researchers involved on both [coasts]. And with the West coast contingent, there was a connection with Rock Hudson. And of course, Rock Hudson was someone that Elizabeth cared for very dearly.

Dr. Mathilde Krim, Founding Chairman and Chairman of the Board of amfAR.

GP: Did Elizabeth Taylor's involvement with the organization begin in 1985?

DH: She actually announced the formation of amfAR [in 1985].

GP: How has her Hollywood status affected the organization?

DH: I think it has been enormously positive. The fact that such a beloved star, an internationally acclaimed actress, would stand up for this cause and be associated with it, did enormous things in terms of recognition, in terms of its importance in terms of fundraising.

Elizabeth is an incredible fundraiser. People have an enormous respect for her. She's lived an incredible life; aside from being very talented and accomplished, her human side, I think, really comes through. The fact that she has all these humanitarian qualities, people really relate to that. And she's always been very, very honest about the best years of her life and about the worst years of her life. So when Elizabeth stands up and says, "This is a cause you should support, you can't not do this," people believe her. She's a very powerful force.

GP: What do you think drives her passion for the cause?

DH: Elizabeth is a very passionate woman, and if you know her at all, she has an incredible human quality -- she cares about people who suffer. And she saw all of these people around her, people she loved, she cared about, who were talented and suffering. And she kept saying, "Why doesn't somebody do something for these people; why doesn't somebody do something about this?" And she came to realize that she wasn't doing anything more than anybody else, and that's when she decided that "Well, somebody has to do something, and well, I'll do it." ... I think a lot of us look at [an] issue like this or causes and say, "Why doesn't somebody do something," and the exceptional people are the people who then say: I'll be the one to do it, I'll be the one to start it."

And again, going back to that time and place, Elizabeth took a huge risk because she could have become ostracized, cut off from the film community, never work [ed] again, because she associated with these people who had a disease, and nobody really knew yet how they caught it. She took a huge risk -- it doesn't seem that way now, but it was back then. Remember, you had policemen wearing gloves to touch people who were participating in AIDS demonstrations, because you didn't know if you got it by touching people's skin. A beautiful, accomplished woman, not knowing, having no scientific proof at that point, taking that risk, it's amazing. People don't realize that; they forget.

GP: What is her role currently?

DH: She still participates with us; she doesn't travel as much as she used to, but if we need her, she comes. She has been our event chairperson, our honorary chairman, and participates in our Cannes event, which we do every year over at the Cannes Film Festival [in France]. Every year, she takes that long trip over and gets there and talks to the world, because it's such an international platform. [She] talks to the world about the epidemic, and why she's still here doing this. It's an enormous fundraiser for amfAR.

Last year, she also traveled for us; we do an event called Honoring with Pride, which last year took place on Ellis Island and honor[ed] the gay community for what they did in dealing with the epidemic. And the gay community was also a group -- yes, it was affecting them, but they banded together when no one else would come to their aid. And so she came out for that as well. She remains a vocal spokesperson about the epidemic; any opportunity she has in interviews -- this year she did LARRY KING LIVE -- anyplace that she can, she will always talk about the epidemic, because there is that feeling of complacency, especially in this country, and she works very hard to let people know that it's not over.

GP: What is next for the organization?

DH: We'll continue to do more of what we do. We consistently raise funds to support AIDS research. We'll just continue to do more of the same until we don't have to anymore.