Rainbow Honor Walk Honoree Vito Russo
Today on the anniversary of his birth, we celebrate the life and legacy of Rainbow Honor Walk honoree Vito Russo (July 11, 1946 – November 7, 1990).
A pioneering gay rights and AIDS activist, film historian, author and lecturer, Russo transformed how generations understood LGBTQ representation in popular culture. His groundbreaking book, The Celluloid Closet, exposed Hollywood’s long history of stereotyping, censoring and erasing LGBTQ lives from the screen.
Russo was also a co-founder of GLAAD and ACT UP, using his scholarship, visibility and powerful voice to demand truthful media representation, government action and dignity for people living with HIV/AIDS. He died of AIDS-related complications in 1990 at the age of 44, but his influence continues through the activists, artists and storytellers who insist that LGBTQ lives be portrayed honestly and fully.
VitoRusso #RainbowHonorWalk #LGBTQHistory #TheCelluloidCloset #GLAAD #ACTUP