I'm walking in memory of Pedro Zamora, a Cuban-American AIDS educator and activist who died at the age of 22 due to AIDS complications. As an 11 year old in 1994 with no factual knowledge of HIV/AIDS, I consumed episodes of The Real World: San Francisco, in which Pedro was a castmate, and learned through empathy about the disease. Pedro gave AIDS a face and a personality. Pedro was a trailblazer for the LGBTQ+ community by being the first gay man to shine an international light on LGBTQ+ issues, even being the first to "marry" his partner on TV through a commitment ceremony. Same-sex couples could not legally marry at the time. Pedro was vulnerable and captivating because of it. He was genuine. He was a hero. 

My birthday is December 1 (World Aids Day).