Tricia Helfer is featured in the December issue of A&U magazine.

In the issue, which features stunning new photographs by photographer Brian Bowen Smith, Tricia discusses among other things The Acting Outlaws, motorcycling and the annual LifeRide for amfAR, Kiehl’s Chris Salgardo, her unique experience at the Together to End AIDS Gala earlier this summer and her thoughts on the disease itself. Check out the full article on AUMag.org.

“I grew up barefoot and running around,” asserts Tricia, crossing her legs as her arms are folded over one another on her lap. A thoughtful look comes across her face. “I didn’t have the worries that you do in the city, or even in the suburbs because there was nobody around. I literally grew up being a kid. When it started raining we’d go out barefoot and get all muddy.”

[...] “After all these years there is still that stigma out there,” she says sternly, wrinkling her brow. “I remember reading some time ago about this boy who was denied access to a Hershey school because he was HIV-positive. His parents took them to court and they won [a settlement]. But the mother decided to send her kid somewhere else,” reports Tricia. She ponders a moment, looks off while playfully biting her lower lip. “Maybe the stigma exists because people are shy when it comes to STDs. Obviously it can be transmitted other ways, but I think people don’t talk about AIDS as freely because it has that element of shame to it, as opposed to, say, breast cancer. [...] Sex is still taboo in America,” she declares with a serious nod, reasoning, “You can’t show a naked body on TV but you can show heads being blown off.”

[...] “Before the gala, we were all supposed to read names from the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Honestly, I was very ignorant. I didn’t know pretty much anything about the Quilt,” she confesses, clasping her hands together. The bikers rode over to the place where the reading was to take place. A woman from the organization debriefed them. Due to rain, they had pitched a tent and only three quilt panels were hanging, not laid out on the grass like they were supposed to be. The woman told them, “You’ll probably be surprised at how emotional it is.” Tricia didn’t take this to heart as she figured she didn’t know anybody on the list. “It… was… remarkable… ,” utters Tricia dropping her voice, staring intently at me, letting out a gigantic gasp. [...] “I was called halfway through our group to read. Chris and Robert went first and they both lost people very close to them, so they were emotional, obviously. I just thought, ‘I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine.’ And then I stood up to that mike and started reading names. A lot of names on my list were first names. I got to about the tenth name and I completely choked up. It was powerful… and intense.”

A&U is an American magazine on AIDS and HIV.

New Photo Albums:

• Magazines in 2012 > ‘A&U’ (US) – December 2012