The Celluloid Activist

The Celluloid Activist is the biography of gay rights activist and film historian, Vito Russo. He wrote The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies. The first edition (of Celluloid Closet) was published in 1981 with revised edition published in 1987. Russo also conducted seminars showing clips from iconic Hollywood films (and other more obscure films as well) that detailed Hollywood's treatment of gay and lesbian characters. A documentary based on the book was released in 1995. The film was written, produced and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. It had a limited release and then was shown on HBO. By the time the film was released Russo had died (he passed in November of 1990). The book details Russo's life growing up in New York City and his move into gay rights activism and his deep love of movies. Russo had a deep love of and extensive knowledge of Hollywood movies, but as important as his role as a film historian, Russo was a founding member of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and cofounder of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). The author details Russo's life through many interviews from a large group of peers, friends, colleagues and family. It's a very good book (IMHO) and worth the digging it might take to find a copy. I read it in New York City via an Inter-Library Loan.