M+E Connections

Entertainment AIDS Alliance to Honor Activist Thais-Williams at Wine, Wisdom & Vision Event

The Entertainment AIDS Alliance (EAA), the industry’s nonprofit group dedicated to funding HIV and AIDS research, treatment and prevention services, will host its annual Wine, Wisdom & Vision fundraiser June 22 in Hollywood, Calif., with more than 500 industry professionals expected to attend.

This year’s event will see EAA present its highest honor, the Legacy Award, to longtime AIDS activist Jewel Thais-Williams, founder of

EAA’s highest honor, the Legacy Award, will be presented to Jewel Thais-Williams, longtime AIDS activist, founder of the Los Angeles-based Village Health Foundation, and subject of the 2016 documentary “Jewel’s Catch One,” which centers around both her ownership of one of L.A.’s top LGBT clubs, and her involvement in the community.

Additionally, EAA will present Vanguard Awards to the seven male dancers (Luis Camacho, Oliver Crumes, Salim Gauwloos, Jose Gutierez, Kevin Alexander Stea, Carlton Wilborn, and posthumously to Gabriel Trupin) who worked with Madonna in her 1990 “Blonde Ambition” tour. Their unexpected appeal to the gay community is documented in the 2017 documentary “Strike A Pose.”

Lastly, EAA will make sure its own are recognized, honoring EAA members John Bailey, Heather Hinkel, Silvia Leyva, Jeffery Rykhus and Eileen Salmas with Visionary Awards, a nod to their service in helping fight HIV and AIDS.

Since its founding in 1989, EAA has distributed more than $5.5 million to 155-plus unique organizations. Proceeds from this year’s EAA’s Wine, Wisdom & Vision event will go toward the Village Health Foundation (VHF) and UCLA CARE Center. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.