00:00Everyone, please welcome to the stage, actress in 2026 Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation,
00:07HIV is not a crime champion, Laverne Cox.
00:13Good evening, everyone. Look at you. You look so amazing. You look so incredible.
00:19And it is such a beautiful, radiant energy that you are illuminating, that you are giving us today.
00:26And what a profound joy and honor it is for me to be back here in Los Angeles,
00:33surrounded by so many brilliant change makers, creatives, activists, and beautiful souls at the 2026 Social Impact Summit.
00:50Now, when we talk about social impact, we are talking about the grueling, beautiful work,
00:59moving the needle from stigma to science and from exclusion to equity.
01:06As an activist, as an artist, and a public figure, my own journey has always been about elevating the voices
01:14of those
01:15who have been pushed to the absolute margins of society, particularly my black, trans, and gender non-conforming siblings.
01:24Now, in the fight for health equity and bodily autonomy, there are few battles more urgent and more historically fraught
01:35than the fight to end HIV stigma, discrimination, and criminalization.
01:42Earlier this year, I was profoundly honored to officially join the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation
01:50as the 2026 ETAF Champion for the HIV is not a crime campaign.
01:59The iconic, amazing, incredible Elizabeth Taylor was a woman of immense courage
02:06who used her massive platform when others were, unfortunately, silent.
02:14And carrying that torch, Ms. Taylor's torch, today is a responsibility each of us should not take lightly.
02:24Together with ETAF and I, we have been working tirelessly on the HIV is not a crime campaign.
02:33We have been pushing nationwide to modernize outdated, scientifically inaccurate 1980s-era laws
02:42that still cruelly and terribly target persons' health status as a criminal offense.
02:51It's disgusting. It's horrible. We've got to get rid of it.
02:55These laws don't protect anyone.
02:57Instead, they defy modern medicine, discourage testing, and disproportionately destroy black, brown, and trans lives.
03:10An organization like ETAF cannot fight this battle on its own.
03:16They can't do it alone.
03:18It takes powerful, deeply committed allies who are willing to stand up to go where they need to go.
03:27And that is exactly what Gilead Sciences does.
03:33Make some noise for Gilead Sciences.
03:39Through their corporate responsibility efforts, Gilead has been an essential lifeline partner,
03:47not only to ETAF, but to thousands of community partners worldwide.
03:52They have supported critical, critical domestic initiatives, ranging from comprehensive youth HIV education
04:01to specialized mental health and wellness support for women living with HIV.
04:09Gilead understands what so many still fail to grasp, that ending an epidemic means treating the whole person.
04:20It means breaking down the systemic socioeconomic barriers that fuel the HIV epidemic daily.
04:30When a global corporation uses its footprint not just to create life-saving medicines,
04:39but to actively champion human rights, support grassroots organizations,
04:44and advocate for the communities most vulnerable to systemic neglect,
04:51that isn't just standard corporate social responsibility.
04:57That, that is a masterclass in true philanthropic excellence.
05:03Make some noise for that.
05:09And, girl, girl, their commitment isn't just happening somewhere far away.
05:17It's happening right here, right now, in this very room.
05:22Meaningful systemic changes require infrastructure.
05:27It requires belief and, above all, it requires sustained, unwavering dedication.
05:37For the past three years, since the very inception of this summit,
05:43Gilead has stepped up as the Social Impact Fund's partner.
05:49They gave us a home to collaborate, heal, and to build.
05:56So, to everyone at Gilead, thank you so very much for anchoring this vital space for all of us.
06:05Now, to give you a closer, more intimate look at the profound depth, heart, and global reach of their work,
06:17please turn your attention to the screens for about a minute and a half or so
06:25to highlight Gilead's extraordinary philanthropic impact.
06:30Innovation isn't just about the medicine.
06:35It's about making sure those medicines reach the people who need them most
06:40in ways they can actually use it.
06:44We start with community.
06:46We made a decision early on.
06:49We weren't going to fund from a distance.
06:51We were going to show up in communities with communities and follow their lead.
06:57When we were at Gilead's support, everything changed.
07:01Gilead really helped us create that infrastructure and that sustainability.
07:05Gilead goes where the need is greatest.
07:08They're not telling us what to do.
07:10They're allowing us to tell them what's best for our community.
07:15Gilead gives you a framework, but they allow you to dream.
07:19It's not just about the numbers.
07:21It's about making sure that these numbers have faces.
07:27People are not just their diagnosis.
07:30We are all part of communities.
07:34That's why I'm so rooted into the work, because that girl you're trying to say, I was once her.
07:44I want our partner to say that our voices were captured, that Gilead listens to the community, and that we
07:50are true partners within Gilead's philanthropic efforts.
07:55We're seeing long-term survivors.
07:57We're seeing them thrive.
07:59We're seeing them have a positive quality of care.
08:02That gives me hope.
08:04What can the future hold?
08:06What if we all work together?
08:08What are the possibilities?
08:10What innovations will you create?
08:13What future are you willing to fight for?
08:17Please welcome back Erin Dawkins, SIFS board chair, and to accept, on behalf of Gilead Sciences, please welcome a phenomenal,
08:30a phenomenal woman, leader, who embodies this mission, this rigor, and this heart every single day.
08:40She serves as Gilead's general counsel and executive vice president of legal, compliance, and corporate responsibility, and she is the
08:52passion, the passionate driving force behind the Gilead Foundation's serving as the chair and secretary of the board.
09:03Ladies, gentlemen, and my non-binary siblings, please give a massive Social Impact Summit welcome to the wonderful Keeley Cain
09:15Wheaton.
09:20Hi.
09:21Thank you so much to the Hollywood Reporter and the Social Impact Fund for this extraordinary honor.
09:28And thank you, Laverne, for your warm introduction and kind words and for all the work that you do to
09:34help HIV stigma.
09:37So thank you.
09:38It's a privilege to accept this recognition on behalf of Gilead and its 17,000 employees who are working every
09:44day to expand what's possible for patients and communities around the world.
09:52I know this room understands the power of stories to change what people believe.
09:58A film, a song, an athletic achievement, these moments help shape our culture.
10:03They open minds.
10:05They help people see themselves in new ways.
10:07And in health, that kind of visibility can unlock the decision to seek care, ask questions, and believe a better
10:14outcome is within reach.
10:16At Gilead, we are driven by the simple idea that serious diseases require serious science, and that science should be
10:23within reach of the people who need it.
10:25We are proud of the innovations that Gilead has made.
10:29We've helped turn HIV from a fatal disease into one that people can live with and manage.
10:34We also have made possible a cure for hepatitis C.
10:37But science alone is not enough.
10:40I am proud to say that Gilead is the largest philanthropic funder of HIV programs globally.
10:46We put that commitment into action through our programs like the Compass Initiative, which has reached more than 23 million
10:53people, and the U.S. South.
10:55Through Compass, we work alongside community organizations to reduce HIV-related stigma and help connect more people to prevention and
11:03care.
11:04And the impact is real.
11:06We see how more people are getting tested, having access to care, and visualizing a future that once felt out
11:12of reach.
11:13Whether in HIV, cancer, hepatitis, or other serious diseases, progress happens when we come together, and when communities, creators, advocates,
11:22and companies work toward the same goal of expanding what is possible for people.
11:26This is why this recognition is so meaningful to Gilead and to me personally.
11:32It reflects a shared belief that health is not only about scientific breakthroughs, but about creating the conditions for those
11:38breakthroughs to reach people in meaningful ways.
11:40To everyone in this room who uses your platform to inform, connect, and inspire, thank you.
11:47You are opening doors, encouraging conversations, reducing barriers, and creating ways for people to find support.
11:54At Gilead, we are proud of our science and driven to extend its impact to more people and more places,
12:00because that can mean more lives saved.
12:03We accept this honor with gratitude and continue to focus on what's possible for patients and communities we serve.
12:12Thank you for recognizing this work, for elevating social impact, and for being part of the momentum.
12:18Together, we can end the HIV epidemic for everyone, everywhere.
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