Cecilia Gentili, ‘Pose’ Star and LGBTQ+ Advocate, Dies at 52
Cecilia Gentili, a longtime LGBTQ+ activist who was known for playing Ms. Orlando on the FX drama series Pose, has died. She was 52.
A post on Gentili’s Instagram Stories on February 6 confirmed her passing, stating, “Our beloved Cecilia Gentili passed away this morning to continue watching over us in spirit. Please be gentle with each other and love one another with ferocity.” As of writing, a cause of death has not been disclosed.
Tributes immediately flooded in for the beloved star, with Gentili’s Pose co-star, Dominique Jackson, writing, “I am deeply saddened by your departure dear sister! Even in death you are force to be reckoned with, your legacy one of movement, love and compassion unapologetic and true. I thank you dearly for ALL the work you have done.”
Jackson added, “You sacrificed you boldly telling your truth and living it and for that you have changed and influenced many lives and the world. I LOVE YOU FOREVER BEAUTIFUL STRONG SISTER! REST WELL! @ceciliagentili72 YOU WILL BE TRULY MISSED!”
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GLAAD also shared a statement, writing, “We are devastated to hear about the death of Cecilia Gentili. Cecilia was a pillar in the trans community, a dedicated advocate, a striking actress on the hit TV program Pose, an incredible journalist, and a sex worker.”
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Born in January 1972 in Gálvez, Santa Fe, Argentina, Gentili moved to the United States at 26 years old in search of a better life. She lived in Miami for five years but struggled to find work and battled drug addiction and jail time for prostitution.
She later moved to New York, where her troubles continued until she was granted asylum in 2011. Gentili entered an addiction recovery program and began focusing on activism work. In 2010, she began an internship at The LGBT Center, and from 2012 to 2016, she served as the trans health program coordinator at the Apicha Community Health Center in NYC.
Gentili was also the Director of Policy at the GMHC, an AIDS service organization in NYC and the world’s first organization dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention. During her time in the role, she championed the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), a state legislation that was eventually signed into law in 2019.
In 2019, she founded Trans Equity Consulting, a development consulting firm that offered support for trans women of color, immigrants, sex workers, and incarcerated people.
Outside of her activism, Gentili followed various creative pursuits, including a comedic one-woman show titled The Knife Cuts Both Ways, which opened in 2017. She joined Ryan Murphy‘s NYC ball culture drama Pose in 2018, playing Ms. Orlando, a shady woman who offers discounted plastic surgery.
In 2022, she released her debut book, Faltas: Letters to Everyone in My Hometown Who Isn’t My Rapist, and launched her autobiographical off-Broadway show, Red Ink, based on the book. Gentili intended to reprise the show in April 2024 and had been promoting it on social media before her passing.
Check out more tributes below.
Rest in Peace, Power, and Paradise to a LEGEND, ICON, PIONEER throughout our communities, Cecilia Gentili! Y’all may remember her from her role as Miss Orlando on FX’s Pose. To me, Cecilia will be remembered as an Author, Humanitarian, Mother to many, Sister to many more. pic.twitter.com/qU3jHBRsfb
— Raffy Regulus #NYCGaymers (@raffyregulus) February 6, 2024
Our dear @CeciliaGentili was larger than life itself. Words cannot even encapsulate what Cecilia meant to us all. She transcended what it meant to be a community leader and a friend. pic.twitter.com/UXwoQ1Hygj
— Jason Rosenberg (@mynameisjro) February 7, 2024
Cecilia Gentili was a living legend. A titan, an unapologetic example of trans joy and power. Her spirit lives on in all whom she touched and all she built for us. Rest powerfully and peacefully, Mami. And go kiki with the ancestors. You deserve eternal pleasure. pic.twitter.com/ECLxZOpWNu
— Raquel Willis (she/her) (@RaquelWillis_) February 7, 2024
(1/8) As many of you have heard by now, @CeciliaGentili passed away yesterday. There simply are not enough words to express how profoundly special Cecilia was, how much she meant to our communities, and how much she put her entire soul into this movement and the people in it. pic.twitter.com/jh0mBLarYY
— Decrim NY #decrimNY (@DecrimNY) February 7, 2024
Today we lost an important Trans advocate and a member of our @PoseOnFX family. @CeciliaGentili your light, your words, your passion, your spirit, is something I will always be grateful for. Thank you for all you gave, and for shining brightly on me. ❤️#poseFX pic.twitter.com/zBQgHVz4ki
— Steven Canals (@StevenCanals) February 6, 2024
We are totally devastated by the death of Cecilia Gentili, whose brilliant memoir “Faltas” we were lucky enough to publish. Cecilia was a genius, but more importantly she was the absolute best. Here she is at her book launch, looking thrilled. She will be so deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/Ca82hU6WO2
— LittlePuss Press (@LittlePussPress) February 6, 2024
Words can not express the impact @CeciliaGentili had on this world. Her humor, her wit, her ability to light up a room and to speak truth to power. She embodied grace & beauty. She was a mother to so many. Her friendship & support over the years meant more than I can ever say. pic.twitter.com/a9qmS2ME2L
— Marti (@MartiGCummings) February 6, 2024
