Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 15:14:15 -0500 Reply-To: case_doug@MAILGW.SDSU.EDU [ Send all responses to case_doug@MAILGW.SDSU.EDU only. Any responses to the list or list-owners will be returned to you. ] Permission granted reprint with attribution. Doug Case Pedro's Legacy: Showing America the Real World by Douglas Case Editor GLAAD Tidings GLAAD/San Diego I never met Pedro Zamora; I had not even seen him on television, yet I w as touched by the news of his death. Many thousands were similarly moved. Even President Clinton had issued a statement in memory of Pedro, who died November 11 at the age of 22. "In his short life, Pedro educated and enlightened our nation," Clinton said. "He taught us all that AIDS is a disease with a human face . . . and he taught people living with AIDS how to fight for their rights and live with dignity." Pedro was a character on the MTV program "The Real World," a show which brings seven twenty-something strangers to live together under one roof (in San Francisco this past season) for several months while the camera chronicles their every move. Pedro was chosen from thousands of applicants to be part of the cast because the producers thought a gay Cuban immigrant living with AIDS would add a new dimension to the show. Pedro also was an AIDS activist who gave lectures to audiences of young people across the country. He was scheduled to speak at San Diego State University, where I work, last month. When I read in the campus newspaper that the auditorium in the student union was expected to be filled to capacity for his speech, I considered buying a ticket just to see first-hand what it was that attracted so many students to actually pay money to listen to a lecture on AIDS. Unfortunately, Pedro's illness prevented him from coming to SDSU, although another "Real World" cast member, Judd Winick, appeared on his behalf. The weekend after Pedro's death, as I was switching channels on my telev ision, I caught the beginning of a rerun the season's first episode of "The Real World." Since I very seldom watch MTV, I had never seen the show, so I decided to tune in for a few minutes just to catch a glimpse of the young man who had attracted so much national attention. Those few minutes turned in several hours, as I put aside my plans for the day and ended up watching all of "The Real World" shows of the entire season, which MTV was broadcasting, one after the other. Like his loyal fans, I was swept in by Pedro's charm. I watched as Pedro told his story to his housemates, as he developed a special friendship with the cast, as he got sick from his disease, as he dated and fell in love, and as he and his partner exchanged rings and kissed during their commitment ceremony. By the end of the day, I felt as if I had known Pedro and had just lost a dear friend. Pedro affected the lives of thousands. The "Wall Street Journal" ran a front page article October 21 about Pedro's life. The story, written by Eric Morgenthaler, included comments about Pedro from diverse people that he had touched, including this quote from a young South Carolina woman who wrote to him, "I never thought anyone could change my opinion on homosexuals and AIDS. Because of you, I've seen the human side of something that once seemed so unreal to me." There's a powerful lesson in Pedro's life experience for those of us in GLAAD who are striving "to promote accurate, balanced, and inclusive images of gays, lesbians, and bisexuals." While no one can deny the significance of having Tom Hanks play the role a gay person living with AIDS in "Philadelphia" or having the characters Eric and Ron get married on "Northern Exposure," what really opens people's minds and hearts is seeing the true, human side of real people. I watched another real world story on television last night, not on MTV, but on ABC's "20/20." The segment was about another gay man with AIDS, Jim Butcher, who had decided to "come out" to his fundamentalist parents. I'm convinced that millions of viewers were moved by the unconditional love the parents showed toward their son. Surely quite a few parents watching re-examined their own attitudes regard-ing acceptance of gays and lesbians. Our goal in GLAAD must be to find the real world stories of gays, lesbia ns and bisexuals in our communities and shine a bright light on them. The light of truth will extinguish the darkness of ignorance and hatred. Notes: o MTV is scheduled to air a tribute to Pedro Zamora on World AIDS Day, December 1, at 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. o To write MTV: Judy McGrath, President, MTV, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036. o To write "20/20": Victor Neufeld, Executive Producer, ABC - 20/20, 147 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023.