Celluloid Activist: The Life and Times of Vito Russo, a lecture by Michael Schiavi

East Harlem native Vito Russo (1946-1990) was a gay and AIDS activist best known as the author of The Celluloid Closet (1981), a book that established the discipline of gay and lesbian media studies. Russo was also the co-founder of GLAAD and ACT UP. In this presentation, Michael Schiavi discusses Russo’s biography and his accomplishments, using readings and multimedia to give a vivid portrait of Russo, whose legacy endures over 20 years after his death.