Patricia Arquette is speaking out after her sister Alexis, a transgender actress, was left out of the Oscars “In Memoriam” tribute video that aired during the awards ceremony, saying the academy lost an opportunity to connect with the queer community. “I was really pissed off the academy left out my sister Alexis in the memoriam, because Alexis had a great body of work, but Alexis was one of very few trans artists that worked in the business,” she told ABC News. Arquette was happy to see “Moonlight”—a story about a black, gay kid growing up in a America that doesn’t accept him — win best picture, and immediately related it to the current political climate. But she was “bummed” to see Alexis excluded in the video tribute to actors who died in the last year. “We’re living in a time right now where trans kids can’t even go to the bathroom in schools and they’re diminished in society. It’s really unfortunate that the Oscars decided they couldn’t show a trans person who was such an important person in this community. Because ― trans kids ― it could have meant a lot to them,” Arquette told Vanity Fair. The queer community also expressed fury on Twitter Monday.
Outrage as Alexis Arquette left out of ‘In Memoriam’ Oscars montage https://t.co/BX3zjqrUU9 pic.twitter.com/8fzGk8KoGv
— Gay Leaders (@gayleaders_uk) February 27, 2017
Alexis Arquette was snubbed during Oscars In Memoriam segment https://t.co/jcgYjYSV43 @TransMediaWatch @TransgenderNews @glaad #Oscars2017 pic.twitter.com/5iMf9ifXVa
— GSN (@gaystarnews) February 27, 2017
Alexis died on Sept. 11, 2016 after complications from AIDS. She was 47. Throughout her career she earned 70 acting credits including “The Wedding Singer,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Of Mice and Men,” and”Last Exit to Brooklyn.” In a 2007 film she chronicled her gender transition in the documentary”Alexis Arquette: She’s My Brother.”
Also noticeably left out of the tribute were Garry Shandling, Robert Vaughn and Florence Henderson.Bill Paxton, who died the day before the Oscars at age 61 was mentioned by Jennifer Anniston who segued into the tribute video, but he was not included on screen. In an Oscars night seemingly filled with flubs, a photo of producer Jan Chapman, who is very much alive, ran beside the name and dates of deceasedAustralian film producer Janet Patterson.
RELATED:‘Dead’ woman in Osacrs In Memoriam segment is still alive Shortly after the tribute aired, the academy posted a photo gallery of more than 200 recently deceased Hollywood professionals on Oscars.com, ABC reported.
Last night’s #Oscars “In Memoriam” tribute featured a photo of a living woman https://t.co/musbK3vWwW by #WLTX via @c0nvey pic.twitter.com/FRsVPUIyDR
— Angela Langlois (@alanglois1) February 27, 2017
