‘Real World’ star Pedro Zamora’s legacy & advocacy for HIV education still resonates today
Pedro Zamora, the handsome, charismatic, out and proud Cuban-American who brought national attention to HIV/AIDS as a cast member on MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco.Pedro Zamora was a Cuban-American activist and one of the first openly gay men living with AIDS to appear on television when he starred in MTV’s The Real World: San Francisco in 1993.
Helping humanize what living with the disease was like. pic.twitter.com/EMRqOH7y3HZamora, who exchanged vows with his partner Sean Sasser in a landmark commitment ceremony on the reality series, passed away from AIDS-related complications at 22 years old on November 11,1994, one day after The Real World: San Francisco finale aired.In an era when HIV infection was the leading cause of death for men between the ages of 25 and 44, Zamora helped humanize the disease in the eyes of Americans –– and for the government.
President Clinton called his passing a reminder to “intensify our efforts to reduce the rate of HIV infection, provide treatment … and ultimately find a cure for AIDS,” in a statement after his death.This year, National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (which took place earlier this week on October 15) served as a reminder that his impact is still felt and appreciated throughout the LGBTQ+ community.In honor of Pride, I want to commemorate trailblazers and activists Sean Sasser & Pedro Zamora.
Both broke barriers with their relationship on MTV's 'The Real World: San Francisco'. Zamora passed in '94, Sasser in 2013, from HIV/AIDS related causes.
