Michael Kearns, one of Hollywood’s first out gay actors, dies at 76
Los Angeles Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Michael Kearns, a pioneering openly gay actor and AIDS activist, has died at age 76 after multiple recent emergency room visits, confirmed by filmmaker Roland Palencia.
- Kearns was known for being the first out gay actor and for publicly disclosing his HIV-positive status on national television in 1991, breaking significant ground for LGBTQ+ visibility.
- His career spanned film, television, and theater, including acclaimed solo performances inspired by the AIDS epidemic, and he authored several Lambda Literary Award-nominated theater books.
- Kearns was also a dedicated activist and mentor, founding the QueerWise Spoken Word collective and receiving numerous awards for his contributions to LGBTQ+ theater and social justice.
- He is survived by his adopted daughter, Tia Katherine Kearns, who has followed in his footsteps with her own political activism and artistic work.
