Vito Russo

Vito Russo
Headshot of Vito Russo
Russo in 1989
Born(1946-07-11)July 11, 1946
DiedNovember 7, 1990(1990-11-07) (aged 44)
New York City, U.S.
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Activist
  • film historian
  • author
Notable workThe Celluloid Closet
PartnerJeffrey Sevcik

Vito Russo (/ˈrs/; July 11, 1946 – November 7, 1990) was an American LGBT activist, film historian, and author. He is best remembered as the author of the book The Celluloid Closet (1981, revised edition 1987), described in The New York Times as "an essential reference book" on homosexuality in the US film industry.[1] In 1985, he co-founded the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a media watchdog organization that strives to end anti-LGBT rhetoric, and advocates for LGBT inclusion in popular media.

  1. ^ Holden, Stephen (November 9, 1990), "Vito Russo, 44; A Historian of Film and a Gay Advocate", The New York Times, retrieved October 30, 2007