For The Love Of Pedro
He Stopped Being Polite + Started Getting (Mighty) Real
PEDRO ZAMORA
(February 29, 1972 – November 11, 1994)
Pedro Zamora was more than just a figure on reality TV.
He was a game-changer in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
His appearance on MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco in 1994 was evolutionary and revolutionary. He wasn’t just a cast member; he was a living testament to the struggles, stigma, and strength that came with living with HIV/AIDS in the 1990s.
Pedro became a beacon of hope, teaching viewers about the human side of the AIDS crisis and helping transform the way a generation understood the disease.
Pedro's courage in sharing his diagnosis and his life with the world continues to inspire me. Coming out in the 1990s, his courage helped give me the courage to come out and stand up for those fighting the disease…and the discrimination.
Pedro stopped being polite, stopped hiding behind the walls of stigma, and got (mighty) real—not just with his fellow housemates, but with the entire world.
By sharing his story, Pedro made HIV/AIDS personal for millions of viewers, reminding us that the virus wasn’t just a political issue but a very human one.
Matt Baume released a brilliant video essay about Pedro Zamora’s legacy last month. It’s a must-see in my book, reminding me of the pivotal role Zamora played in shifting the conversation around HIV/AIDS during a time when hate, fear, and ignorance ruled the day.
Pedro Zamora’s impact cannot be overstated. His authenticity, his activism, and his heartbreaking passing at the age of 22 left a void in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
But his story—his bravery in the face of a disease that was too often shrouded in shame—remains an inspiration, and his legacy lives on in the work of countless activists, educators, and researchers he and his life helped inspire.
Stop being polite…start getting (mighty) real…and never forget Pedro Zamora!
Clint 🌈✌️
ON THIS DAY = FEBRUARY 28
BIRTHDAYS
1533 = Michel De Montaigne = French philosopher and writer 🌈
1894 = Ben Hecht = American filmmaker
1903 = Vincente Minnelli = American theatre and film director 🌈
1906 = Bugsy Siegel = American gangster
1909 = Stephen Spender = English writer 🌈
1923 = Charles Durning = American actor
1929 = Frank Gehry = Canadian-American architect and designer
1931 = Gavin MacLeod = American actor and author
1937 = Jeff Farrell = American swimmer
1939 = Tommy Tune = American actor, dancer, singer, theatre director, producer, and choreographer 🌈
1940 = Mario Andretti = Italian-American racing driver
1942 = Frank Bonner = American actor and television director
1942 = Brian Jones = English guitarist, songwriter, and producer
1942 = Oliviero Toscani = Italian photographer
1944 = Kelly Bishop = American actor and dancer
1948 = Mike Figgis = English filmmaker and composer
1948 = Bernadette Peters = American actor, singer, and author
1948 = Mercedes Ruehl = American actor
1955 – Gilbert Gottfried = American comedian, actor, and singer
1957 = John Turturro = American actor and director
1957 = Cindy Wilson = American singer-songwriter
1961 = Rae Dawn Chong = Canadian-American actor
1969 – Robert Sean Leonard = American actor
1969 = Pat Monahan = American singer-songwriter and actor
1972 = Rory Cochrane = American actor
EVENTS
1983 = The final episode of M*A*S*H airs, with almost 110 million viewers.
1986 = Pretty In Pink is released in theaters.
1993 = Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents raid the Branch Davidian church in Waco, Texas with a warrant to arrest the group's leader David Koresh, starting a 51-day standoff.
ON THIS DAY = FEBRUARY 29
BIRTHDAYS
1892 = Augusta Savage = American sculptor
1904 = Jimmy Dorsey = American saxophonist, composer and bandleader
1908 = Balthus = French-Swiss painter and illustrator
1916 = Dinah Shore = American singer, actor, and talk show host
1916 = Leonard Shoen = American founder of U-Haul
1928 = Tempest Storm = American burlesque performer and actor
1936 = Henri Richard = Canadian ice hockey player
1944 = Dennis Farina = American police officer and actor
1972 = Antonio Sabàto Jr. = Italian-American model and actor
1972 = Pedro Zamora = Cuban-American AIDS educator and tv personality 🌈
1980 = Peter Scanavino = American actor
1984 = Mark Foster = American singer-songwriter
EVENTS
1692 = First people are accused of witchcraft, and arrested in Salem, MA - Sarah Good, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, a West Indian slave.
1892 = St. Petersburg, Florida is incorporated.
1940 = For her performance as Mammy in Gone with the Wind, Hattie McDaniel becomes the first African American to win an Academy Award.
1988 = Svend Robinson becomes the first member of the House of Commons of Canada to come out as gay.
PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“As gay young people, we are marginalized. As young people who are HIV-positive and have AIDS, we are totally written off.”
Pedro Zamora
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Oh Clint how I can remember when HIV/AIDS first descended upon humanity. The struggle to understand and cope with it was so horrendous back then (like COVID today). One of the worst reactions to HIV was from within the 🌈 community, let's be honest, a lot of head hanging shame from some 🌈 quarters believe me. Thank goodness attitudes and medical progress have brought the stigma(?) to a normal rationalisation. Like Cancers it can be overcome and lived with. Sadly this can also bring it's own spectres of unsafe sex as the fear of it has diminished, even if it's not 'cured'. Anyone who acknowledges adult material (both gay and hetro) can testify. I could go on and on about the impact it's made in our worlds but I won't as you either got the message or you didn't, of it in general. So Cheers DougT 🇫🇴
I just finished watching the entire video you linked us to. I vaguely remember Pedro's appearance on The Real World. I was married at the time, so had to sneak in opportunities to watch the show. Now this video has blown my mind about how much more there was to Pedro and his life. Not to even mention how much his friends also were touched by him. What a story! What a man this too-young-to-die person was. I can not thank you enough for sharing this with us. Bravo!