Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2024 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.
Fans do not often witness Cassandra Peterson's alter ego, Halloween scream queen Elvira, show real emotion. The raven-clad horror maven usually relies on sex appeal and a barrage of wisecracks as her calling cards. But thoughts of friends lost to AIDS and those still living with HIV bring the Mistress of the Dark to tears. 'So many of my friends have passed from AIDS,' laments Peterson. 'At one point I couldn't even open my address book. So many people were marked out.' But rather than wallow in her grief, Peterson instead committed herself to fighting the disease. She's used her Elvira persona to represent the the AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Out of the Closet fund-raising thrift stores at numerous events in California, including at June's gay pride parade in San Francisco. She's also headlined fund-raisers for the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team in Los Angeles, Hawaii's Gregory House Programs, Chicago's Children's Place Association, AIDS Services of Dallas, San Francisco's Stop AIDS Project, and numerous local AIDS walks. Screenings of her film Elvira's Haunted Hills also served as fund-raisers for AIDS groups around the country. 'I knew I had to do something,' Peterson says of her outreach and fund-raising work. 'There are so many young people out there who need to know this disease still exists. It's out there, you can catch it, and there is still no cure.' The ties between Peterson's Elvira character and the AIDS epidemic--which emerged about the same time Elvira was 'born' 25 years ago--run deep. Peterson says her best friend, Robert (the man responsible for helping perfect the Elvira look), lost his own battle against the illness about a year after the character was created. Three stylists who worked with her then, all close friends, also died of AIDS-related complications. Peterson also saw several friends succumb to the disease while she was performing in the early 1980s with the musical comedy group Mama's Boys. As Mama, Peterson and her seven 'boys' ended their national tour with an extended run in the Massachusetts resort locale of Provincetown. While there, the men in her acting troupe began to get sick one by one. 'Five died of AIDS,' Peterson recalls, barely able to maintain her composure. 'That was hard. It's still hard.'
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Before AIDS, gay artist Rex drew hot men on the prowl — then he disappeared
April 11 2024 3:15 PM
The science behind U=U has been liberating people with HIV for years
June 04 2024 3:31 PM
On Anal Sex Day, crack up with The Bottom's Digest
April 18 2024 10:22 AM
As Pride party season begins, the CDC urges mpox vaccinations
May 16 2024 6:52 PM
Todrick Hall has long supported the communities he comes from
April 17 2024 12:02 PM
The freedom of disclosure: David Anzuelo's journey through HIV, art, and advocacy
August 02 2024 12:21 PM
Exclusive: We kiki with Q from 'RuPaul's Drag Race'
June 24 2024 11:37 AM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
How fitness coach Tyriek Taylor reclaims his power from HIV with self-commitment
September 19 2024 12:00 PM
Out100 Honoree Tony Valenzuela thanks queer and trans communities for support in his HIV journey
September 18 2024 12:00 PM
Kentucky bans conversion therapy for youth as Gov. Andy Beshear signs 'monumental' order
September 18 2024 11:13 AM
Why activist Raif Derrazi thinks his HIV diagnosis is a gift
September 17 2024 12:00 PM
Creator and host Karl Schmid fights HIV stigma with knowledge
September 12 2024 12:03 PM
Study finds use of puberty blockers safe and reversible, countering anti-trans accusations
September 11 2024 1:11 PM
Latinx health tips / Consejos de salud para latinos (in English & en espanol)
September 10 2024 4:29 PM
The Trevor Project receives $5M grant to support LGBTQ+ youth mental health in rural Midwest (exclusive)
September 03 2024 9:30 AM
Introducing 'Health PLUS Wellness': The Latinx Issue!
August 30 2024 3:06 PM
La ciencia detrás de U=U ha estado liberando a las personas con VIH durante años
August 23 2024 2:48 PM
Tratamiento y prevención del VIH por inyección: Todo lo que necesita saber
August 23 2024 2:41 PM
Sr. Gay World quiere asegurarse de que estés bien
August 23 2024 2:30 PM
Eureka is taking a break from competing on 'Drag Race' following 'CVTW' elimination
August 20 2024 12:21 PM
With a new case in Sweden, what is the new mpox outbreak and should you be concerned?
August 15 2024 4:48 PM
From ‘The Real World’ to real life: How Danny Roberts thrives with HIV
July 31 2024 5:23 PM
The July/Aug 'Treatment Guide' issue of Plus is here!
June 26 2024 3:49 PM
Activist and philanthropist Bruce Bastian dies at 76
June 26 2024 1:28 PM