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Home *Seattle Cinemaland, Arts & Entertainment, Celebrityville, Film, Gay 101, Hollywood Gay Scene, Hollywoodland, In Memoriam, Legends, News, Queer Film, Queer News, Seattle Transgender Scene, Trans* Arts & Entertainment, Trans* NewsTrans Actor/Activist Alexis Arquette: 1969-2016

Trans Actor/Activist Alexis Arquette: 1969-2016

September 12, 2016• byMichael Strangeways
Alexis Arquette: 1969-2016

Alexis Arquette: 1969-2016

It was a sad turn of events on Sunday, September 11, 2016 when the famed Arquette family of actors announced their sister, Alexis Arquette, had died in the early morning hours surrounded by her brothers David and Richmond, and sisters Rosanna and Patricia as well as other family members.

The news came via brother Richmond’s FB page but written by Patricia:

Press release from Patricia on behalf of all of us:

Our sister, Alexis Arquette, passed away this morning, September 11th, 2016.

Alexis was a brilliant artist and painter, a singer, an entertainer and an actor. She starred in movies like Last Exit to Brooklyn, Pulp Fiction, Jumpin’ at the Boneyard, Of Mice and Men, The Wedding Singer, and The Bride of Chucky. Her career was cut short, not by her passing, but by her decision to live her truth and her life as a transgender woman. Despite the fact that there are few parts for trans actors, she refused to play roles that were demeaning or stereotypical. She was a vanguard in the fight for understanding and acceptance for all trans people.

She fiercely lived her reality in a world where it is dangerous to be a trans person — a world largely unready to accept differences among human beings, and where there is still the ugliness of violence and hostility towards people that we may not understand.

Alexis was born as Robert, our brother. We loved him the moment he arrived. But he came in as more than a sibling — he came as our great teacher. As Alexis transitioned into being a woman, she taught us tolerance and acceptance. As she moved through her process, she became our sister, teaching us what real love is.

We learned what real bravery is through watching her journey of living as a trans woman. We came to discover the one truth — that love is everything.

In the days leading to her death, she told us she was already visiting the other side, and that where she was going, there was only one gender. That on the other side, we are free from all of the things that separate us in this life, and that we are all one.

She passed away surrounded by love. We held her and sang her David Bowie’s “Starman” as she punched through the veil to the other side. We washed her body in rose petals and surrounded her with flowers.

Alexis always had to do everything first. She left before we were ready to let her go. We are all heartbroken that she is no longer with us, but we are grateful for the grace and kindness we were all shown during this difficult time. We are comforted by the fact that Alexis came into our family and was our brother and then our sister, and that she gave us so much love. We will love you always, Alexis. We know we were the lucky ones.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations please be sent to organizations that support the LGBTQ community in honor of Alexis Arquette.

Please respect our privacy during this time of grieving.

Rosanna Arquette
Richmond Arquette
Patricia Arquette
David Arquette

Yesterday at 3:24pm · Public

There has no been no official confirmation for cause of death. Naturally, the tabloids came out to peck at the story with some odd allegations that may or may not be true.

80s fame whore Robert Dupont is blabbing to the tabloids that it was AIDS related. The notorious fake Dupont Twin, who glammed onto the Warhol crowd back in the day when such a thing existed, also claims Alexis was transitioning BACK to being male.

“My twin brother Richard and I had lunch with him in Santa Monica less than a month ago,” Robert Dupont, who dated the transgender activist in the 1990s, told Radar.

“Alexis had changed over and was living as a man again and he asked me if I had any clothes I didn’t want that he could wear. I had only a few things I had with me as I was visiting from Palm Springs,” revealed Dupont.

There’s no official confirmation on that allegation either….other than a photo that Dupont claims is “the final photo” of Alexis.

Meanwhile, Richard Johnson from PageSix.com is reporting/speculating that closety Hollywood is sighing a breath of relief that Alexis didn’t live to pen a tell-all book outing closeted stars. Arquette stirred up the Hollywood Closet-ratti earlier this year with a snarky tweet alleging A-list Hollywood power couple Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith were both gay and in a lavender marriage.

Johnson claims that Alexis Arquette planned on writing a juicy memoir that would out the rich and famous. Besides the dirt on the Smiths, (which most people in the know aren’t too shocked about…) Arquette has also dished that in the past, while Arquette was living as a male, he had a sexual encounter with actor Jared Leto.

Meanwhile, stars both large and small paid tribute to the legend of Alexis Arquette.

Her friend, drag icon/comedian/writer Jackie Beat wrote via Facebook:

I posted yesterday that, because s/he lived life so freely, tears were inappropriate for the passing of Alexis Arquette. Well, please just know that since typing those words, I have cried many times.

Her former sister-in-law via marriage to brother David Arquette, Courtney Cox tweeted:

My heart goes out to anyone who was lucky enough to know Alexis.
We will love and miss you forever.

Alexis Arquette was an amazing individual and had an amazing life.

A toast to Alexis.

(Visited 8 times, 1 visits today)

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.

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