Jenna Ortega was the cover story for the latest issue of The Cut. In her interview, Ortega reflected on her childhood, growing up in the Coachella valley and the bond she feels with her deceased maternal grandfather.
Oregta’s maternal grandfather was born in Puerto Rico, immigrated to The Bronx before settling out west. He came out later in life and would perform at the now defunct Palm Springs drag club called Daddy Warbucks, using the competition prizes to help provide for his family.
Child star Ortega was born after her grandfather passed away from AIDS-related complications, but she shares a kinship with him regardless and the actress attributes her love of performing to him. She tells The Cut, “I kind of have the same instincts that he does.”
Ortega has served as an HIV/AIDS activist from a young age. In 2017, she was on the cover of Art and Understanding, a magazine dedicated to covering the cultural response to the AIDS epidemic in the United States.
In a quote from the magazine that was also posted to her facebook page in April of 2017, Ortega said of her grandfather, “My mom has always told us how amazing you were. I’m sad we never got to you. You were very expressive, and loved to entertain, so I feel like I have a bit of you in me.”
Jenna Ortega has been outspoken about her AIDS activism for years. In 2017, she spoke at a UNAIDS event, saying “I want to help eliminate the stigma of AIDS and get people talking about it. Make it normal. Bring it up. It’s a disease that affects all of us.” UNAIDS is a leader in the global effort to end AIDS as a public health threat and places people living with HIV and people affected by the virus at the decision-making table and at the centre of designing, delivering and monitoring the AIDS response.
In 2018, The Latino Commission on AIDS inducted Ortega as the organization’s Youth Ambassador when she was just 16 years old. She has also partnered with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation as well as the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which are global nonprofit organizations aiming to treat and prevent AIDS for all generations. Over the years, Ortega has consistently used her social media platforms to reach out to young people globally and to encourage them to contribute to ending AIDS.
Jenna Ortega has dedicated herself to using her platform to raise awareness on AIDS and there is no doubt that this talented young Latina actress turned activist is making her beloved abuelo proud by continuing to honor and fight for not just him, but for an entirely overlooked and marginalized community.
