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Gilles Marini Gets Passionate About HIV Prevention At Jeffrey Fashion Cares

"It is freakin’ time to accelerate toward a cure and a vaccine."

More than 40 male models steamed up the runway at last week's 14th annual Jeffrey Fashion Cares event, which raised more than $800,000 for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Lambda Legal, and Hetrick-Martin Institute, the New York Times reports.

Representing NewNowNext on the red carpet at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, HIVHero.org’s Michael Cavnaugh chatted up handsome actor Gilles Marini, who first came to our attention in a big, big way in the Sex and the City movie.

Marini explained that his HIV/AIDS activism stems from his upbringing in a neighborhood plagued by drug use. “The youth in my neighborhood, they all were affected by AIDS, sharing the needles and whatnot," he said. "It was devastating."

Marini, who stressed the importance of getting tested regularly, went on to lament the fact that many people no longer talk about the disease because of the HIV medications now available. “It is freakin’ time to accelerate toward a cure and a vaccine, and that’s why we’re here tonight."

Teasing secret scientific breakthroughs, Marini also addressed the Trump administration’s recent decision to decrease funding for HIV research. “This man unfortunately embodies everything America is not about," he said. "What an idiot."

Jeffrey Fashion Cares has raised $15 million to date for LGBT rights awareness and to benefit those living with HIV/AIDS. Oh, and did we mention those hot models?

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