Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette
says that although “heartbroken” by the loss of her sister Alexis
Arquette, she must speak out because President Donald Trump is
mounting an assault against the LGBT community.
Alexis, the sibling of David and
Patricia Arquette, starred in more than 40 films, including The
Wedding Singer, I Think I Do and Killer Drag Queens on
Dope. Alexis' transition from male to female was documented in
the film Alexis Arquette: She's My Brother. She died on
September 11 from complications related to AIDS and was 47 years old.
On Saturday, GLAAD presented Patricia
Arquette with its Vanguard Award.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter
at a GLAAD event in her honor, Patricia Arquette said that her sister
“taught us all about acceptance and love.”
“To me, Alexis was really my
vanguard,” Arquette said. “I think truthfully, every single
trans person in the United States is a vanguard because it's a very
difficult life to live.”
“We are all really heartbroken about
it. It has taken me a long time [to talk about it]. I'm still not
quite there. It's very raw and will probably always be hard, but
right now, there's a mounting assault against the LGBTQ community, so
ready or not, you have to talk about it.”
“Donald Trump said he would be an
ally to the LGBTQ community and he really has not. That's dishonest
and upsetting,” she added.