Editing Pedro Zamora

{{short description|Cuban-American AIDS activist and television personality (1972-1994)}}
{{For|the trade unionist|Pedro Zamora Álvarez}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|Zamora|Díaz|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Pedro Zamora
| image              = Pedro Zamora.png
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Pedro Pablo Zamora y Díaz
| birth_date         = {{birth date|1972|2|29}}
| birth_place        = [[Diezmero]], San Miguel del Padrón, Havana, Cuba<ref name=WallStreetJournal>''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', September 4, 1994, Page A-1.</ref>
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1994|11|11|1972|2|29}}
| death_place        = [[Coconut Grove]], Miami, Florida, U.S.<ref name=WallStreetJournal/>
| death_cause        = [[AIDS]]-related [[progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy]]
| occupation         = [[Reality television|Reality television personality]], [[AIDS]] educator
| partner            = [[Sean 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.<ref name=WallStreetJournal/><ref name="wpbt">''Pedro Zamora'', WPBT Channel 2-New Florida, November 11–17, 2004, Oscar Lopez Producer</ref> As one of the first openly gay men with AIDS to be portrayed in popular media,<ref>Heigl, Alex. [http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/evolved-mtv "Twelve Crucial Moments in the Evolution of MTV"]. Nerve. August 2011.</ref> 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]]''.<ref name=WallStreetJournal/><ref name="wpbt"/>

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,<ref name="RWAwardsBash" /> 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.<ref name=CNN>Duke, Alan; Carter, Chelsea, J. (August 8, 2013). [http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/showbiz/sean-sasser-death/index.html "Sean Sasser, whose ceremony with partner on 'Real World' was TV first, dies"]. [[CNN]].</ref><ref name=USAToday>Oldenburg, Ann (August 8, 2013). [https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2013/08/08/real-world-star-sean-sasser-dies-at-44/2632631/ "'Real World' star Sean Sasser dies at 44"]. ''[[USA Today]]''.</ref>
 
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.<ref name=Tribute>''A Tribute to Pedro Zamora'' MTV. November 1994.</ref><ref name=PedroAndMe103-109>[[Winick, Judd]] (2000). ''[[Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned]]''. Henry Holt & Co. pp. 103-109.</ref> Zamora's personal struggle with AIDS, and his conflict with housemate [[David Rainey|David "Puck" Rainey]] is credited with helping to make ''The Real World'' a hit show, for which ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' ranked it #7 on its list of "32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History".<ref name="Time">Webley, Kayla. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110411215143/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2063886_2063809_2063821,00.html "32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History: 7. The Real World: Puck vs. Pedro"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine. Retrieved April 9, 2011.</ref>

==Biography==
===1972–1988: Early life===
Pedro Zamora was born in [[Diezmero]],<ref name=WallStreetJournal/> [[San Miguel del Padrón]], on the outskirts of [[Havana]], [[Cuba]],<ref name="wpbt"/> to Héctor Zamora, a food-warehouse worker,<ref name=People11.28.94>{{cite news |last=Israel |first=Betsy |date=November 28, 1994 |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20104536,00.html |title=HIV, And Positive, Pedro Zamora of MTV's ''Real World'' Lived His Too-Brief Life To Its Limit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303215927/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20104536,00.html |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |volume=42 |issue=22 }}</ref> and Zoraida Díaz,<ref name="wpbt"/> a housewife.<ref name=People11.28.94/> Zamora was their eighth and youngest child. Díaz had been told she could not have any more children, thus Zamora's birth on a [[leap day]] was seen as charmed. Héctor had fought in the [[Cuban Revolution]] for [[Fidel Castro]], but became disillusioned with changes after Castro came to power. This earned him an unfavorable reputation with local [[informant]]s. As a result, life became increasingly difficult for the Zamoras, who lived in a small house with a dirt floor. Zoraida traded on the [[black market]] for food.<ref>[[Winick, Judd]] (2000). ''[[Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned]]''. Henry Holt & Co. pp. 33-36.</ref>

In 1980, when Zamora was eight, his family left Cuba for the United States during the [[Mariel boatlift]]. After five days of processing in Cuba, the entire family was to board when, hours before boarding, Cuban officials ruled that his four older brothers were too close to draft age and had to remain.<ref name=PedroAndMe37-40>Winick (2000). pp. 37-40.</ref> His oldest sister, a communist official, chose to stay.<ref name=People11.28.94/> The older siblings insisted, over their parents' objections, to leave without them to give their younger siblings a better life. Zamora and his parents, his sister Mily, and his brother Jesús left in a boat filled with 250 people that had been built for half that number. The Zamoras settled in [[Hialeah, Florida]], a suburb of [[Miami]].<ref name=PedroAndMe37-40/>

Zamora's mother died of [[skin cancer]] when he was 13.<ref name=People11.28.94/><ref name=PedroAndMe41-44>Winick (2000). pp. 41-44.</ref> His older sister Mily helped raise him.<ref name=MiamiHerald>{{Cite news |last=Rothaus |first=Steve |date=March 22, 2009 |url=http://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/03/years-after-his-death-aids-activist-pedro-zamora-is-celebrated-on-film.html |title=Years After his Death, A Young AIDS Activist's Life is Celebrated on Film: Remembering Pedro |work=[[The Miami Herald]] |page=1E |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221013191859/https://miamiherald.typepad.com/gaysouthflorida/2009/03/years-after-his-death-aids-activist-pedro-zamora-is-celebrated-on-film.html |archive-date=October 13, 2022 |url-status=live }}</ref> Zamora focused on his schoolwork as a means of coping with his mother's death. He was an [[honors student|honor student]], president of the Science Club, and captain of the [[cross-country running|Cross-Country]] team. He excelled socially as well; his [[Hialeah High School]] classmates elected him as Most Intellectual and Best All-Around.<ref name=PedroAndMe41-44/> He initially planned to become a doctor, as his mother's death had inspired him to study medicine.

At 14, Zamora's father discovered that he had a boyfriend. His father was accepting of Zamora's homosexuality, but concerned about [[homophobia]] and its potential dangers.<ref name=PedroAndMe41-44/><ref name=CBR>{{cite news |last=Manning |first=Shaun |date=April 1, 2000 |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=20641 |title=Judd Winick on MTV's ''Pedro'' Movie |work=[[Comic Book Resources]] }}</ref> Although [[AIDS]] awareness was rising in America, Zamora was not educated about safe sex and AIDS prevention, as such things were not mentioned in school, with the exception of one guest lecture by a doctor who visited Zamora's class when he was in the seventh grade. According to [[Judd Winick]]'s ''[[Pedro and Me]]'', AIDS and its victims were characterized by the doctor as "deviants, drug addicts, prostitutes".<ref name=PedroAndMe45-46>Winick. 2000 (2000). pp. 45-46.</ref>

===1989–93: HIV-positive diagnosis and activism===
[[Image:Pedrozamora1993.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Pedro Zamora (left) with Alonso R. del Portillo in 1993]]
In late 1989, in his junior year of high school, 17-year-old Zamora donated blood during a [[Red Cross]] [[blood donation|blood drive]]. A month later, he received a letter from the Red Cross informing him that his blood tested "reactive", though it did not specify for what. Zamora decided to be tested for [[HIV]], and on November 9, 1989, the results confirmed he was HIV-positive.<ref name=People11.28.94/><ref name=PedroAndMe45-46/><ref name=SunSentinel>Greenbaum, Kurt (February 5, 1992). [http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-02-05/news/9201060923_1_aids-virus-zamora-school-students "One Of Their Own, Teen-ager with AIDS Virus Cautions Students"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113031836/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-02-05/news/9201060923_1_aids-virus-zamora-school-students |date=January 13, 2015 }}. ''[[Sun-Sentinel]]''. p. 1B</ref>
[[Image:PedroZamora1993.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Zamora in 1993]]
His family was devastated but remained supportive. Zamora's goal was to graduate from high school before he died, and he did so in 1990.<ref name=Winick49-56>Winick (2000). pp. 49-56.</ref><ref name=Episode8>{{cite episode |title=Together and Apart |series=The Real World: San Francisco |season=3 |number=8 |network=MTV |airdate=August 18, 1994}}</ref> Five months later, he suffered a severe case of [[shingles]]. Upon recovery, Zamora joined a Miami-based HIV/AIDS resource center called Body Positive. There he met others with HIV and AIDS, learned more about the disease and how he could still have a fulfilling life. Soon thereafter, he began to talk about his condition to others, wanting to raise awareness in his community.<ref name=People11.28.94/><ref name=SunSentinel/><ref name=Winick49-56/>

Zamora soon became a full-time AIDS educator.<ref name=MiamiHerald/><ref name=PedroAndMe57-58>Winick (2000). pp. 57-58.</ref> He lectured at schools for all ages, at [[Parent-Teacher Association|PTA]] meetings, and in churches. In five years, he spoke nationwide hundreds of times, attended an international AIDS conference, and even served on the board of a charitable trust endowed by insurance companies—despite being denied insurance for himself.<ref name="People11.28.94" /> The constant travel exhausted Zamora, sometimes forcing him to cancel speaking engagements.<ref name="PedroAndMe58-59">Winick (2000). pp. 58-59.</ref> In 1991, his work came to national attention when Eric Morganthaler wrote a front-page article about him for the ''[[Wall Street Journal]].'' The publicity resulted in invitations to [[talk show]] interviews by [[Geraldo Rivera]], [[Phil Donahue]] and [[Oprah Winfrey]].<ref name="PedroAndMe57-58" /><ref name="peak">{{cite web |author=Vaillancourt, Daniel |url=http://www.peak.sfu.ca/gopher/94-2/issue11/zamora.ans |title=Pedro Zamora Tells All |publisher=The Peak. |volume=87 |issue=11 |date=July 11, 1994 |access-date=January 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514145901/http://www.peak.sfu.ca/gopher/94-2/issue11/zamora.ans |archive-date=May 14, 2011}}</ref> On July 12, 1993, he testified before the [[United States Congress]], arguing for more explicit HIV/AIDS educational programs, saying, "If you want to reach me as a young man, especially a young gay man of color, then you need to give me information in a language and vocabulary I can understand and relate to."<ref name="People11.28.94" /><ref name="aidsaction">{{cite web |url=http://www.aidsaction.org/pedro.htm |title=Pedro Zamora |publisher=Aidsaction.org |access-date=January 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080504072238/http://www.aidsaction.org/pedro.htm |archive-date=May 4, 2008}}</ref>

Zamora attended the 1993 Lesbian and Gay March on [[Washington D.C.|Washington]], where he met [[Sean Sasser]], also an AIDS educator, who would eventually become his partner. Sasser was moved by Zamora's presence and conviction, recalling, "I was kind of like, 'Wow.' I had never run across someone who was as good at it as he was." Sasser lived in San Francisco,<ref name="POZ">Jones, Anderson (June 1997). [http://www.poz.com/articles/241_1725.shtml "Nowhere Else to Go"]. ''[[POZ (magazine)|POZ]]''.</ref><ref name="PedroAndMe103-109"/><ref name="WashingtonPost">McGonough, Megan (August 13, 2013). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/sean-sasser-part-of-one-of-tvs-first-gay-romances-dies-at-44/2013/08/13/d6cc1a4c-035e-11e3-9259-e2aafe5a5f84_story.html "Sean Sasser, part of one of TV's first gay romances, dies at 44"]. ''[[The Washington Post]]''.</ref> and shortly after he'd met Zamora, he'd learned that producers of the [[MTV]] [[reality television|reality TV show]] ''[[The Real World: San Francisco|The Real World]]'' were looking for an HIV positive person to cast in the 1994 season in San Francisco.<ref name="POZ" />

===1993–94: ''The Real World''===
Zamora sent an audition tape for the show, thinking that he could reach more people simply by the national exposure than by constant travel.<ref name=peak/> Six months later, Zamora was cast on the show, beating out 25,000 applicants.<ref name=PedroAndMe58-59/>

Zamora and his castmates ([[The Real World: San Francisco#Cast|Mohammed Bilal]], [[Rachel Campos]], [[Pam Ling]], [[The Real World: San Francisco#Cast|Cory Murphy]], [[David "Puck" Rainey]], and [[Judd Winick]]) moved into the house at 953 [[Lombard Street, San Francisco|Lombard Street]] on [[Russian Hill]] on February 12, 1994. The producers had informed the other six castmates that one person was HIV-positive, but did not specify whom. Once all of the castmates were in the house, Zamora informed them that it was he who was HIV-positive, showing them a [[scrapbooking|scrapbook]] of his career as an [[AIDS]] educator.<ref>Winick (2000). pp. 61-67.</ref> At the time, Ling was the only castmate with background on how HIV was transmitted, being a [[medical school]] student.

All of the castmates were receptive to Zamora, but [[Rachel Campos]] privately expressed (during the show's routine 'confessionals') her discomfort with Zamora's being HIV-positive. She was concerned how HIV would possibly affect her and the others in the house. She was afraid to bring up her concerns during the initial meeting, for fear of seeming intolerant. Thus, Campos initially distanced herself from Zamora, which Zamora interpreted as rejection.<ref name=ep1>{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/357648/questions.jhtml#id=1607521 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331113552/http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/357648/questions.jhtml#id=1607521 |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 31, 2009 |title=Video of Episode 1 of ''The Real World: San Francisco'' ("Planes, Trains and Paddywagons") |publisher=MTV |date=March 28, 2009 |access-date=January 18, 2011}}</ref>

Later, Zamora educated Campos about HIV and AIDS, which eased her apprehension. Despite very differing political views, they formed a rapport as the show progressed. On one episode, Campos brought Zamora to meet her Spanish-Mexican family in Arizona. By the season's end, however, Zamora expressed his disappointment to Campos that they did not become the close friends that they could have been.

Winick stated that Zamora had an almost "[[clairvoyant]]" ability to broach sensitive subjects. Despite Winick's never voicing it, Zamora sensed that Winick had lingering worries about sharing a room with him. Zamora educated Winick subtly through casual conversation, so much so that Winick did not even realize it.<ref>Winick (2000). pp. 68-71.</ref> In later episodes, Winick, Ling, and Murphy often attended Zamora's lectures at schools in the [[San Francisco Bay Area|Bay Area]], wanting to learn more about HIV and AIDS.<ref>Winick (2000). pp. 96-102.</ref><ref>Winick (2000). p. 111.</ref>

During filming of the show, Zamora and Sean Sasser began dating, and quickly became a couple. Sasser eventually proposed to Zamora, and the two exchanged vows in a [[commitment ceremony]] held in the Real World house. In so doing, they made history as the first same-sex commitment ceremony on TV.<ref name=PedroAndMe103-109/><ref name="CNN"/> Their relationship was nominated for "Favorite Love Story" at the 2008 ''Real Worlds Awards Bash''.<ref name="RWAwardsBash">{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/ontv/specials/real_world_awards/category.jhtml?catId=favorite_love_story&cpid=8 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080215105643/http://www.mtv.com/ontv/specials/real_world_awards/category.jhtml?catId=favorite_love_story&cpid=8 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 15, 2008 |title=Real World Awards Bash nominees for 'Favorite Love Story' |publisher=MTV |access-date=January 18, 2011}}</ref>

Midway through filming, Zamora's health suddenly declined. He was suffering [[night sweats]], bouts of [[Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia|pneumonia]], fatigue, and weight loss. Producer Jon Murray stated, "He got sick much faster than he expected. That's when he made us promise to tell his story till the end."<ref name=MiamiHerald/> The stress of the perpetual conflict between Zamora and castmate Rainey was contributing to his decline. Rainey's antagonism towards Zamora included mocking his Cuban accent, dismissing Zamora's and Sasser's relationship, and multiple homophobic comments. Zamora announced he was moving out, as Rainey's antics had become intolerable. The other castmates unanimously agreed that they wanted Zamora to stay, and evicted Rainey. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' ranked this episode #7 on its list of "32 Epic Moments in Reality-TV History".<ref name="Time"/>

Zamora was able to participate in activities like parasailing during the cast's trip to [[Hawaii]], giving viewers the impression that he was healthier than he actually was. The castmates knew he was unwell and often covered for him during their weekly confessional interviews, saying Zamora was doing fine when they knew otherwise.<ref>Winick (2000). pp. 114-115.</ref>

===1994: After ''The Real World'' and death===
[[Image:1994 Nov Pedro Zamora and family.jpg|thumb|right|Pedro Zamora a few days before his death with his father and most of his siblings.]]
The cast vacated the Real World house on June 19, 1994, and the first episodes of ''[[The Real World: San Francisco]]'' began airing a week later. Zamora visited his family in [[Miami]] before returning to San Francisco to live with Sasser.<ref name=PedroAndMe119-137>Winick (2000). pp. 119-137.</ref>

When Winick, Zamora, Murphy, and Ling met in August for a reunion party, Zamora was visibly ill. Once talkative, he was often silent, having difficulty following conversations, and forgetting familiar places. He went to the MTV offices in New York, and could not recognize where he was.<ref name=People11.28.94/><ref name=PedroAndMe119-137/> On August 17, Zamora checked into [[St. Vincent's Hospital, Manhattan|St. Vincent's Hospital]] and was diagnosed with [[toxoplasmosis]], a condition that causes [[brain]] [[lesions]], fatigue, [[headaches]] and [[mental confusion|confusion]]. Further tests revealed he had [[progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy]] (PML),<ref name=PedroAndMe119-137/><ref name=POZ/> a very rare and usually fatal viral inflammation of the brain that disrupts the electrical impulses of the [[nervous system]]. PML can dissipate on its own in patients with [[T-cell]] counts higher than 300–400. At the time, Zamora's T-cell count was 32. The inflammation was attacking the [[frontal lobes|frontal lobe]] of his brain, causing his short-term memory loss. Zamora was given three to four months to live.<ref name=PedroAndMe119-137/>

On September 3, about three weeks after checking into St. Vincent's, Zamora was flown to Mercy Hospital in Miami, and his family gathered around him.<ref name="Tribute"/><ref name=People11.28.94/> Then-President [[Bill Clinton]] called Zamora to thank him for his work.<ref name="Tribute" /> Zamora is said to have expressed elation and was able to respond,<ref name="PedroAndMe141-146">Winick (2000). pp. 141-146.</ref> though Mily Zamora stated that whether he understood who was calling is unclear, given the severity of his PML.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |url=http://www.qrd.org/qrd/media/television/1994/real.world.star.new.death-10.10.94 |title=AIDS activist, near death, to see family from Cuba |agency=Reuters |date=October 7, 1994 |access-date=January 18, 2011}}</ref><ref name="People11.28.94" />

As a gesture of gratitude for his work, Clinton asked if there was anything he could do for the Zamora family. They replied that they wanted Zamora's remaining siblings in Cuba to be with him in his final days. This resulted in Alonso R. del Portillo, [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]] [[Janet Reno]], [[United States Secretary of Health and Human Services|Secretary of Health and Human Services]] [[Donna Shalala]], and Florida [[United States House of Representatives|Congresswoman]] [[Ileana Ros-Lehtinen]] forming an agreement with Cuba that would admit 20,000 Cubans per year to the United States. Zamora's three brothers and their families arrived in the next couple of weeks, reuniting the family for the first time in 14 years.<ref name="People11.28.94" /><ref name="PedroAndMe141-146"/><ref name="Reuters"/>

On October 21, Winick announced that MTV had set up a trust fund in order to pay for Zamora's medical costs, as Zamora had no [[medical insurance]].<ref name="Tribute"/><ref name="People11.28.94"/><ref>[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,303927,00.html "'Real' Life Support"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203004435/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,303927,00.html |date=December 3, 2013 }}. ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. September 30, 1994.</ref> He had received [[Medicaid]], but was rejected for any private company coverage due his [[pre-existing condition]] of HIV.<ref name="People11.28.94"/>

Before his hospitalization, Zamora told his family to not keep him alive by artificial means—his mother had a prolonged death, and he wanted to spare his family that pain. Zamora developed a high fever.<ref name="wpbt"/> Once he became unresponsive, his family honored his wishes and withdrew [[life support]]. Surrounded by his family, longtime friend Alex Escarano, Sasser, Winick, and Ling, Zamora died at 4:40&nbsp;a.m. [[North American Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]] on November 11, 1994, at the age of 22, hours after the final episode of ''The Real World: San Francisco'' aired.<ref name="People11.28.94"/><ref name="MiamiHerald"/><ref name="PedroAndMe146-161">Winick (2000). pp. 146-161.</ref> He was buried on November 13.<ref name="PedroAndMe146-161"/>

==Legacy and tribute==
After his death, Zamora was publicly praised by President Clinton and Donna Shalala for his leadership and work in educating high school students, saying that through his appearance on ''The Real World'', Pedro had become a part of viewers' families, and that all people who watched the show could now say that they knew someone who had lived with AIDS.<ref name="Tribute"/><ref name=DailyNews>Salvatore, Rosanne. [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/real-world-cast-members-gallery-1.92861 "'The Real World' cast members: Where are they now?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029135726/http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/television/real-world-cast-members-gallery-1.92861 |date=October 29, 2011 }}. ''[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]''. April 1, 2011. Page 8 of 44</ref><ref>Winick, Judd. 2000. Page 160.</ref>

MTV broadcast ''A Tribute to Pedro Zamora'', a special memorial program, in Zamora's honor.

[[Image:1995 March 1 - dedication of Pedro ZamoraWay.jpg|thumb|right|Zamora's family at the dedication of Pedro Zamora Way and the Pedro Zamora Garden on March 1, 1995]]
On February 28, 1995, the portion of the street in front of [[Miami-Dade County Public Schools|McMillan Middle School]] in Miami was renamed Pedro Zamora Way in a ceremony attended by Zamora's father and sister Mily.<ref>[http://bigstory.ap.org/content/zamora "Zamora"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113042121/http://bigstory.ap.org/content/zamora |date=January 13, 2015 }}. "The Big Story". [[Associated Press]]. Retrieved July 25, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19950301&id=4LMeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RM8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4857,9669 "Street named for Zamora"]. ''[[Spartanburg Herald-Journal]]''. March 1, 1995. p. A2. Archived at [[Google News]]. Retrieved July 25, 2013.</ref>

A number of organizations were created in Pedro's name, including:

* National Pedro Zamora Foundation, which was founded by Winick, Ling, Mily Zamora, and Sasser (All four founders later distanced themselves from the foundation due to conflicts with its president, Brian Quintana).<ref>Condon, Lee (July 7, 1998). [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Using+Pedro-a020908546 "Using Pedro"] The Free Library. Originally published in ''[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]''.</ref>
* The Pedro Zamora Memorial Fund, created by the AIDS Action Foundation
* The Pedro Zamora Youth HIV Clinic<ref>Boxall, Bettina (July 21, 1995). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-07-21-me-26279-story.html "AIDS Clinic Seeks to Serve Unique Needs of Youths : Health: New center is intended for those in their teens and 20s who often fail to get tested or do not pick up results."] ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.</ref> 
* The Pedro Zamora Public Policy Fellowship<ref name="fellowship">{{cite web |url=http://www.aidsaction.org/fellowship_new.htm |title=The Pedro Zamora Public Policy Fellowship |publisher=Aidsaction.org |access-date=January 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080403231432/http://www.aidsaction.org/fellowship_new.htm |archive-date=April 3, 2008}}</ref>

Mily Zamora became a public speaker about AIDS.<ref name="MiamiHerald" /> Winick continued lecturing on behalf of Zamora<ref>Winick (2000). pp. 162-173.</ref> for three years. His [[autobiographical]] [[graphic novel]], ''[[Pedro and Me: Friendship, Loss, and What I Learned]]'', was published in September 2000. It was nominated for the 2001 [[Eisner Award]] for Best Graphic Album: New,<ref>[http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/eisner01.php "2001 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award Nominees Winners"]. Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Retrieved July 25, 2013.</ref> won a 2001 [[American Library Association]] Stonewall Book Award for Non-Fiction Honor Books,<ref>[http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=bookmediaawards&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=93109 "Stonewall Book Awards"]. [[American Library Association]]. Retrieved July 25, 2013.</ref> and the [[GLAAD Media Award]] for Outstanding Comic.<ref>Weiland, Jonah (June 13, 2003). [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=2238 "Green Lantern honored by GLAAD"]. [[Comic Book Resources]].</ref> It has been incorporated into school [[curriculum|curricula]] across the country, such as [[UCLA]], which made it its common book in 2013.<ref>[http://guides.library.ucla.edu/pedro "UCLA Common Book 2013-2014: Pedro & Me by Judd Winick"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927155420/http://guides.library.ucla.edu/pedro |date=September 27, 2013 }}. [[UCLA]] Library. Retrieved July 25, 2013.</ref> Winick's experiences with Zamora would also help shape his work in mainstream [[superhero]] comics, which would receive considerable media attention for storylines in ''[[Green Lantern]]'' and ''[[Green Arrow]]'', which explored gay or AIDS-related themes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/23/cst.04.html |title=Bold New Comic Deals With Issue Of AIDS |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=October 23, 2004 |access-date=January 18, 2011}}</ref>

Ling went on to devote her medical research to HIV and AIDS.<ref name=DailyNews/>

Pedro's partner, Sean Sasser, continued his activism for LGBT issues, and his work as an HIV educator. In 1995, he spoke at the inaugural White House AIDS conference, and was appointed by President Clinton to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS.<ref name=WashingtonPost/> He became a pastry chef in Atlanta, Portland, and finally Washington, DC., at RIS restaurant.<ref name="WashingtonPost" /> In June 2013 Sasser married Michael Kaplan,<ref name="USAToday"/><ref name=CBSNews>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sean-sasser-real-world-star-dies-at-44/ "Sean Sasser, 'Real World' star, dies at 44"]. [[CBS News]]. August 8, 2013.</ref><ref name=People8.8.13>Gosgrove Baylis, Sheila (August 8, 2013). [https://web.archive.org/web/20130808181105/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20724140,00.html "Sean Sasser, of ''The Real World'', Dies at 44"]. ''[[People (magazine)|People]]''.</ref> whom he had dated off and on after Zamora's death, and with whom he had moved in six months prior.<ref name=CNN/> While in Washington, Sasser served as a board member of the AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families. He was active in youth and mentoring organizations, and he and Kaplan served as foster parents to a four-year-old girl.<ref name=WashingtonPost/> In July 2013, Sasser, who had also been HIV positive for 25 years, was diagnosed with [[mesothelioma]], a rare cancer of the lungs.<ref name=CNN/> He died at his home on August 7, 2013, at the age of 44.<ref name=CNN/><ref name=USAToday/><ref name=WashingtonPost/><ref name=CBSNews/><ref name=People8.8.13/>

[[Queer theory|Queer theorist]] [[José Esteban Muñoz]] dedicated a chapter to Zamora in his 1999 book ''Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics''<ref>{{Cite book |title=Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics |last=Muñoz |first=José Esteban |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |year=1999}}</ref> In the chapter titled, "Pedro Zamora's Real World of Counterpublicity: Performing Ethics of Self," Muñoz describes the ways in which Zamora used the shows' confessional booth to perform an ethics of self, and in doing so disidentified with the mainstream.

In 2008, [[Bunim-Murray Productions]] produced a film, ''[[Pedro (2008 film)|Pedro]]'', directed by Nick Oceano, dramatizing Zamora's life. The film was an Official Selection at the 2008 [[Toronto International Film Festival]], and was Bunim-Murray's first scripted project. Zamora was portrayed by [[Pedro (2008 film)|Alex Loynaz]].<ref name="pedromovie">{{cite web |url=http://www.pedrothemovie.com/cast_crew.html |title=Cast and Crew |publisher=[[Pedro (2008 film)|Pedro, a real world story about Pedro Zamora]] |access-date=January 18, 2011 |archive-date=December 29, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229004512/http://www.pedrothemovie.com/cast_crew.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2009, the National AIDS Memorial Grove in San Francisco began the Youth Essay Scholarship Program, renamed the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship in 2014. Every August, the scholarship program gives awards ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 to high school seniors and college students who are actively fighting HIV/AIDS through public service and leadership.<ref>Brito, Stephanie; Rothaus, Steve (April 14, 2016). [http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/gay-south-florida/article71903017.html "Pedro Zamora scholarship honors Miami AIDS activist who died at 22"]. ''Miami Herald''.</ref>

In June 2019, Zamora was one of the inaugural fifty American "pioneers, trailblazers, and heroes" inducted on the [[National LGBTQ Wall of Honor]] within the [[Stonewall National Monument]] (SNM) in [[New York City]]'s [[Stonewall Inn]].<ref name=":23">{{Cite web |url=https://www.metro.us/news/local-news/new-york/stonewall-inn-lgbtq-wall-honor |title=National LGBTQ Wall of Honor unveiled at Stonewall Inn |last=Glasses-Baker |first=Becca |date=June 27, 2019 |website=metro.us |access-date=June 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="SDGLN">{{Cite web |url=https://sdgln.com/news/2019/06/19/national-lgbtq-wall-honor-be-unveiled-historic-stonewall-inn |title=National LGBTQ Wall of Honor to be unveiled at historic Stonewall Inn |last=Rawles |first=Timothy |date=June 19, 2019 |website=San Diego Gay and Lesbian News |language=en |access-date=June 21, 2019 |archive-date=June 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621091646/https://sdgln.com/news/2019/06/19/national-lgbtq-wall-honor-be-unveiled-historic-stonewall-inn}}</ref> The SNM is the first [[National monument (United States)|U.S. national monument]] dedicated to [[LGBT rights in the United States|LGBTQ rights]] and [[History of LGBT people|history]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Laird|first=Cynthia|url=https://www.ebar.com/news/news//272833 |title=Groups seek names for Stonewall 50 honor wall |website=The Bay Area Reporter / B.A.R. Inc. |language=en |access-date=May 24, 2019}}</ref> while The Wall's unveiling was timed to take place during the [[Stonewall 50 – WorldPride NYC 2019|50th anniversary]] of the [[Stonewall riots]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sachet |first=Donna |url=http://sfbaytimes.com/stonewall-50/ |title=Stonewall 50 |date=April 3, 2019 |website=San Francisco Bay Times |access-date=May 25, 2019}}</ref>

A 2021 documentary by William T. Horner, ''Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way'' chronicles Zamora's journey with AIDS and reality television.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grady |first1=Pam |title=Real World: San Francisco' star Pedro Zamora gets the spotlight in new film at DocFest |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/real-world-san-francisco-star-pedro-zamora-gets-the-spotlight-in-new-film-at-docfest |website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=May 30, 2022}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
{{Portal|Cuba}}
* ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', October 21, 1994. p. A-1
* ''The Real World Diaries'' (1996). Pocket Books. MTV Books
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060711170314/http://www.frumpy.com/judd/index.html "Biography"]. The Worlds of Judd Winick. Retrieved April 9, 2011.
* "'Real World' Shooting was Difficult, But Pedro's Message was Tantamount". ''[[The Weekly News]]''. November 2, 1994, p.&nbsp;28
* "MTV's All-Too-True-Grit 'Real World' Has a New Roommate: AIDS". ''[[The Washington Post]]''. June 23, 1994
* "Hispano Integra Un Panel Estatal". ''[[El Nuevo Herald]]''. November 30, 1992
* "Students get a Dose of Reality about AIDS". ''[[The Des Moines Register]]''. May 12, 1992. p.&nbsp;2A
* Morgenthaler, Eric (October 21, 1994). "The Last Chapter of "Pedro's Story" Is Drawing to a Close". ''The Wall Street Journal''. p.&nbsp;1
* Rubenstein, Hal (August–September 1994). "Pedro Zamora's Real World" ''[[POZ (magazine)|POZ]]'' magazine.
* Diaz, Johnny (March 4, 1995). "Pedro Zamora's Influence Lives On". ''[[The Miami Herald]]''. p.&nbsp;25A
* Robles, Frances (November 21, 1994). "Cientos de Personas Recuerdan an Activista de SIDA". ''El Nuevo Herald''. p.&nbsp;1B
* Grant, Chaisse (November 29, 1994). "AIDS Awareness Gets Personal At Schools". ''The Miami Herald''. p.&nbsp;3B
* Cagle, Jess (November 25, 1994). "MTV's Real Tragedy". ''Entertainment Weekly''.
* O'Neill, Jon (October 17, 1991). "Frank Talk of AIDS Gets Kids Attention". ''The Miami Herald''.
* Soehnlein, Karl (January 14, 1992). "Pedro Zamora - AIDS Educator". ''[[The Advocate (LGBT magazine)|The Advocate]]''. p.&nbsp;62
* Rivas-Vazquez, Gloria. "Silent No More, A Young Man with AIDS Joins The Front Line". ''South Florida'' magazine. p.&nbsp;28{{Volume needed|c=y|date=August 2013}}
* Cortina, Armando (July 9, 1994). "Joven Lleva A Television Mensaje De Alerta Contra El SIDA". ''El Nuevo Herald''.
* O'Neill, Jon (August 29, 1994). "AIDS Educator Zamora Critically Ill". ''The Miami Herald''. p.&nbsp;2B
* O'Neill, Jon (September 4, 1994). "Students Gather Up Help, Hope - They Raise Money for AIDS Educator". ''The Miami Herald''. 
* Cortina, Armando (October 6, 1994). "Dying of AIDS, Zamora to be Reunited With Kin". ''The Miami Herald''. 
* Mailander, Jodi (November 17, 1994). "AIDS Week Named For Zamora". ''The Miami Herald''. p.&nbsp;1B
* ''[[USA Today]]''. "Lifeline: Zamora Memorial". November 21, 1994
* Robles, Frances (November 21, 1994). "Through Laughter and Tears, Pedro Zamora's Life Celebrated". ''The Miami Herald''. p.&nbsp;1B
* Solis, Claudia P. (March 1, 1995)."It's Now Pedro Zamora Way, AIDS Activist Honored With Renamed Street". ''The Miami Herald''. p.&nbsp;2B

==External links==
{{Commons category|Pedro Zamora}}
* {{IMDb name|0952705}}
* {{Find a Grave|19594}}

{{RealWorld}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zamora, Pedro}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:1994 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Cuban LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:AIDS-related deaths in Florida]]
[[Category:Cuban emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Cuban gay men]]
[[Category:Cuban refugees]]
[[Category:GLAAD Media Awards winners]]
[[Category:Hialeah Senior High School alumni]]
[[Category:American HIV/AIDS activists]]
[[Category:LGBTQ educators]]
[[Category:LGBTQ Hispanic and Latino American people]]
[[Category:People from Havana]]
[[Category:The Real World (TV series) cast members]]