We Love Soaps had the profound privilege of attending the Broadway Cares Equity Fight AIDS benefit concert in New York back on March 21, 2010, and speaking to many ABC stars about their reasons for participating in this event. Please enjoy this series of interviews spotlighting the commitment and devotion of these talented stars. We Love Soaps: I am here with the one, the only, the beautiful, the sensational, the gorgeous, Ilene Kristen! I wasn’t sure we would get to see you tonight.
Ilene Kristen: I came to see everybody perform, that was wonderful. And to support the cause which is so important.
We Love Soaps: And that is one thing I admire about you is how much you support this cause, often in ways that we don’t see publicly. How have HIV/AIDS causes become so important to you?
Ilene Kristen: Fortunately, people are now living with AIDS and not dying of AIDS. I lost so many people. Forty or fifty people, and really close friends. I have friends that are living it now and doing really well. So obviously the money must mean something. I know we don’t hear about a lot of other cases. But all the news, from what I’ve been seeing and feeling, is pretty good. But we have got to keep on raising money.
We Love Soaps: For someone who has been so active for so many years with this cause, it’s optimistic for me to hear you say you have seen some changes.
Ilene Kristen: I have. When people were given AZT something told me it was not going to work, that AZT was not going to work. It was very discouraging. Because I knew that anyone who had been on AZT was not going to have long. People I knew who weren’t on medication were doing much better. They did these health purges and all sorts of stuff. Then when the cocktail [protease inhibitors] came along, I’ve been seeing extraordinary stuff. Like non-detectable loads. So far the news is good. I hope.
We Love Soaps: I hope so too. I’m actually working now for an agency that is conducting HIV Vaccine trials here and across the Unites States. We are very hopeful, cautiously optimistic. On a lighter note, we are so excited that you have agreed to appear at our We Love Soaps Weekend coming up [May 21-23].
Ilene Kristen: Absolutely.
We Love Soaps: What are you most excited about for that weekend?
Ilene Kristen: That people show up [laughs], and that we have a great audience. And that it doesn’t rain.
We Love Soaps: That part I can’t control. But I know our readers are the coolest people anywhere!
Ilene Kristen: I’m so excited that you guys are doing all of this. To see you in the rooms like this as part of all the other press excites me more than I can tell you.
We Love Soaps: I’m gonna cry to hear you say that...
Ilene Kristen: Because you’re living out a dream here, obviously. And that’s the most amazing thing. To be able to set a goal, say, “This is what I want to do,” and do it. [To Roger] I’m thinking about when we worked on MANHATTANITES and you weren’t doing any of this and then all of a sudden. I think you guys are going to become important—you already are becoming important. All too often people get scared. I sometimes get scared of doing certain things I’ve been meaning to do. But this is a very positive thing, it’s really wonderful.
EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to learn more ways to take action against the spread of HIV/AIDS, and want to learn more about the current HIV Vaccine Clinical Trials, please visit Hope Takes Action, or contact Damon at Jacobs@welovesoaps.net.
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