Kicking-off the Emmy Awards weekend, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation honored Billy Porter, Dr. Anthony Fauci, amfAR and Sandra Thurman at The Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS fundraising gala in West Hollywood on Sept. 17. Rising singer-songwriter, Jake Wesley Rogers performed at the event. Rogers was joined on stage by Porter for the final song of the night–Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”
The evening was supported by presenting sponsor, Gilead Sciences, Inc. with additional support from BVLGARI and American Airlines.
During his speech, Billy Porter shared, “I came out in 1985. It was at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. We’ve been fighting for our lives ever since and I am proud to stand here, and I promise to be a warrior in the fight to end AIDS for as long as I have breath in my body.”
Additional VIP attending the seated dinner and live auction with live auction with Christie’s included Jacqueline Bisset, Christine Chiu, Paris Jackson, Rita Ora, Rodney Peete, Darren Star, Quinn Tivey, Justin Tranter, Taika Waititi, Laela Wilding, Naomi Wilding, and Tarquin Wilding.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. The Host Committee included Dr. Gabriel and Christine Chiu, Colin Farrell, Aileen Getty, Sir Elton John and David Furnish, Whoopi Goldberg, Kathy Ireland, Earvin “Magic” and Cookie Johnson, Daniel O’Day, Elizabeth Segerstrom and Barbra Streisand.
The Benefit Committee included Wallis Annenberg, Angela Bassett, Carole Bayer Sager, Kate Burton, Alexandra Daddario, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Danai Gurira, Paris Jackson, Christian Lacroix, Judith Light, Catherine Opie and Julie Burleigh, Zac Posen, Zachary Quinto, Lorraine Schwartz, Omar Sharif Jr., Kerry Brown and Stacey Sher, Darren Star, Kimberly Steward, Lauren and Benedikt Taschen and Vanessa Williams.
