Zelda Rubinstein passed away. For most people she will be remembered for the movie Poltergeist. Not me.
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Partially because I didn't see the movie.
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But foremost, because Zela worked with those of us at the Revolver (the gay video bar I worked at) to teach people about AIDS and using condoms. Back when condoms still made people nervous and everyone said rubbers. It was a million years ago.
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I remember when she came to the bar - we had a meeting one afternoon before we opened. She came with the L.A. Cares organization - which later morphed into APLA (Aids Project LA), one of the biggest support organizations in the world.
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Anyway, she came in with the team to train us bar tenders on how to talk to people about HIV - this was before it was HIV and was still GRID (Gay Related Infectious Disease). But the steps to remain safe were the same. Use condoms, be careful.
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She was sweet and spoke with us very directly. It she could be comfortable talking about sex in natural terms then we could to (and did - to customers all the time).
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L A Cares provided condoms and lube, which bartenders reminded people to take with them until it became a habit.
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So my memoirs of Zelda are very warm. She did a lot of good for my friends and community.
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ps;
And, as you can see from the really hairy male model - at the time as a smooth blond guy I was not a "looker".