Billy Porter Honored at Elizabeth Taylor Night of Compassion Gala

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Porter was presented with The Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award in recognition of his ongoing support for people living with HIV.

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The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation (ETAF) hosted The Elizabeth Taylor Night of Compassion fundraising gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel honoring actor, activist and fashion icon Billy Porter . Porter was presented with The Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award in recognition of his ongoing support for people living with HIV and being an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. Vanity Fair accepted the The Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award for being a longstanding voice for the LGBTQ+ community and people affected by HIV and AIDS.

The evening was hosted by CNN's Laura Coates and featured a performance by Grammy and Tony-nominated singer and actress Deborah Cox . Guests also enjoyed a reception and culinary experience, along with an exclusive look at items from The Elizabeth Taylor Archive.

On-stage while accepting The Elizabeth Taylor Legacy Award, Billy Porter said, “I know that everybody knows the impact of Liz's commitment and advocacy. That's why we still gather in her name, all these decades later, and are committed to finding a cure and eradicating this disease from the Earth forever. She had the courage to use her platform to show and teach the world what unconditional love looks like.”

On behalf of Vanity Fair, Global Editorial Director Mark Guiducci accepted The Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award via a video message, saying, “ Elizabeth Taylor was a perfect Vanity Fair subject. She very candidly parlayed the press's interest in her own life into an opportunity for the disenfranchised by speaking candidly about HIV and AIDS. That quality really epitomized who she was – it was both selfless and incredibly bold and very smart.

Barbara Berkowitz, Officer, The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, shared, “Elizabeth's enduring value of compassion has never been more important, and ETAF remains steadfast in advancing provision while supporting those who are too often pushed to the margin.”

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/BILLY-PORTER-AND-VANITY-FAIR-HONORED-AT-THE-ELIZABETH-TAYLOR-NIGHT-OF-COMPASSION-20260918)._