Pedro Zamora

Pedro Zamora
Zamora in 1993
Born
Pedro Pablo Zamora y Díaz

(1972-02-29)February 29, 1972
Diezmero, San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, Cuba[1]
DiedNovember 11, 1994(1994-11-11) (aged 22)
Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida, U.S.[1]
Cause of deathAIDS-related progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Occupation(s)Reality television personality, AIDS educator
PartnerSean Sasser (1994)

Pedro Pablo Zamora (born Pedro Pablo Zamora y Díaz, February 29, 1972 – November 11, 1994) was a Cuban-American AIDS educator and television personality.[1][2] As one of the first openly gay men with AIDS to be portrayed in popular media,[3] Zamora brought international attention to HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ issues and prejudices through his appearance on MTV's reality television series, The Real World: San Francisco.[1][2]

Zamora's romantic relationship with Sean Sasser was also documented on the show; their relationship was later nominated by MTV viewers for "Favorite Love Story" award,[4] and the broadcast of their commitment ceremony in 1994, in which they exchanged vows, was the first such same-sex ceremony in television history, and is considered a landmark in the history of the medium.[5][6]

U.S. President Bill Clinton credited Zamora with personalizing and humanizing those living with HIV—especially to Latino communities—with his activism, including his testimony before Congress.[7][8] Zamora's personal struggle with AIDS, and his conflict with housemate David "Puck" Rainey is credited with helping to make The Real World a hit show, for which Time ranked it #7 on its list of "32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History".[9]

  1. ^ a b c d The Wall Street Journal, September 4, 1994, Page A-1.
  2. ^ a b Pedro Zamora, WPBT Channel 2-New Florida, November 11–17, 2004, Oscar Lopez Producer
  3. ^ Heigl, Alex. "Twelve Crucial Moments in the Evolution of MTV". Nerve. August 2011.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference RWAwardsBash was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Duke, Alan; Carter, Chelsea, J. (August 8, 2013). "Sean Sasser, whose ceremony with partner on 'Real World' was TV first, dies". CNN.
  6. ^ Oldenburg, Ann (August 8, 2013). "'Real World' star Sean Sasser dies at 44". USA Today.
  7. ^ A Tribute to Pedro Zamora MTV. November 1994.
  8. ^ Winick, Judd (2000). Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned. Henry Holt & Co. pp. 103-109.
  9. ^ Webley, Kayla. "32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History: 7. The Real World: Puck vs. Pedro", Time magazine. Retrieved April 9, 2011.