Trans actress and activist Cecilia Gentili, known for her work as Miss Orlando in the series Pose, died on Tuesday, February 6. “Our beloved Cecilia Gentili passed away this morning to continue caring for us in spirit. Please be kind to each other and love each other fiercely,” she informed herself from her Instagram account, which she asked for “privacy, time and space to grieve.”
Gentili, 52 years old at the time of his death, was born in Argentina, where he came out in 1984, according to The New York Post. She received asylum in the United States in 2012 after living undocumented for more than a decade, which is why she wanted to use her experiences and energies to help other people in the same situation.
The causes for which he fought were multiple. She was director of GMHC between 2016 and 2019, which worked for the prevention of the HIV virus and against stigma. She founded Trans Equity Consulting, which aimed to “build leadership among trans women of color,” including supporting sex workers, immigrants, and prisoners to “create a more just world.” And, for example, in 2022 she made Transmissions Fest, a trans music festival in New York, possible.
For Pose viewers, however, Cecilia Gentili will always be Miss Orlando in Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Steven Canals' creation focused on non-white LGBTQ lives in 1980s New York. The character only appeared in four episodes but It was memorable: Miss Orlando injected silicone (and substitutes) into disadvantaged trans women with few resources, and for a modest fee she even helped make a corpse disappear.
The cast of Pose has used the networks to express their grief. Dominique Jackson, who was Elektra in the series, expressed that “even in death you are a force to be reckoned with, and your legacy is one of movement, love and true, remorseless compassion.” She thanked him for the work he had done in life and the sacrifice for “bravely telling the truth and living it,” changing and influencing the world of so many people.
Angelica Ross, known as Candy in fiction, was grateful for having seen her in a “recent birthday video” because she saw that “she was surrounded by so much love and community,” in addition to highlighting that she was a “fierce” activist. And, in addition to M.J.'s expressions of condolences, Rodríguez or Hailie Sahar, also colleagues in Pose, the Democratic politician Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mourned her death.
“Totally devastated. Our community will never be the same without you, Cecilia. Thank you for giving us so much, without ceasing, every day. You transformed many lives and your light shone throughout Jackson Heights, Corona and beyond. May he rest in peace,” the Democratic congresswoman dedicated to him.
