The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) has announced that Philip Anschutz, Chairman of AEG, has donated $1 million dollars to support EJAF’s LGBT Fund.
The Fund, a $10m public-private partnership with the U.S. Government’s President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) initiative, tackles the stigma, discrimination and violence that prevents LGBT people in Sub-Saharan Africa from accessing the health and HIV services they need.
The LGBT Fund supports both deep engagement in select countries as well as rapid response grants, which are distributed to grassroots organizations to respond to emergencies facing LGBT people across the continent. To date, the Fund has already helped nearly 23,000 people in 20 countries, most of which criminalize same-sex relations. Through these grants, 6,500 LGBT people have received an HIV test, and 100 grassroots organizations have been able to continue providing HIV treatment, human rights protection, emergency shelter, and legal services to LGBT people facing barriers to treatment and care.
“The donation by Phil to EJAF is in keeping with the special connection and consistently supportive, collaborative relationship I have developed with AEG for more than a decade. We will put his donation to work to ensure that vulnerable groups are not left behind in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said Elton John. “This funding will help our programs provide life-saving work for LGBT communities around the world, starting with the LGBT Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
“We are all proud to support the essential work of Sir Elton’s Foundation in the LBGT community,” stated Mr. Anschutz. “Sir Elton’s artistry is unparalleled, he is a leader and a statesman in the artistic community and on the world stage, and his advocacy for the LGBT community and those living with from AIDS and HIV has had a profound influence on all of us at AEG, and countless more around the globe. We are honored to play a small part in Sir Elton’s important humanitarian work and to deepen our long, meaningful collaborative relationship with him and his team.”
Mr. Anschutz’s donation celebrates Sir Elton John’s legacy and the impact he has had bringing people together, as well as over 25 years of work by the Elton John AIDS Foundation to create a global, AIDS-free generation.
