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Flowers are placed on actress Elizabeth Taylor's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame March 23, 2011 in Hollywood

The death of Elizabeth Taylor on Wednesday at age 79 was met with sadness and tributes from those in the San Francisco gay and AIDS activist communities, who said her greatest role in later years was her advocacy for AIDS research.

“Today, our community has lost an important ally and possibly one of the most inspirational figures in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said James Loduca, vice president of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. “She was one of the first celebrities to lend her celebrity status to the cause. During a time when advocates were scarce, she fought tirelessly for AIDS policy guided by science, not fear.”

Loduca cited Taylor’s frequent testimony in Congress on behalf of legislation that became the Ryan White Act, a 1990 law that established funding to treat people with HIV/AIDS who don't have health insurance or money for care. “Few stars shone as bright as early on this issue as she did,” he said.

Taylor’s celebrity began almost from her first Hollywood role as a child actor at age 9, but perhaps her greatest role was simply being Liz Taylor, said Heklina, founder of the drag show Trannyshack, and that included her total acceptance of gays before it was acceptable.

“She was probably one of the world’s most glamorous fag hags. She just loved gay people,” Heklina said. “In one of her interviews in the 80s, she said, ‘Look, if it wasn’t for gay men, there would be no Hollywood.’”

Taylor’s AIDS activism didn’t emerge in a vacuum, but grew from her close friendships and professional relationships with gay men, said Marc Huestis, a filmmaker and impresario. “People forget what those times were like. She was definitely the first to jump on the AIDS bandwagon, and that came out of her love for the people she worked with — Rock Hudson, Monty Clift, James Dean,” Huestis said. “I remember those days, those deeply dark days when it was so frustrating for many of us. When President Reagan wouldn’t utter the word AIDS, when we were seeing people dropping dead, and the Castro was vacant apartments and walking skeletons. And here was somebody who had courage to speak out."