Oprah Winfrey Opens Up About Loss Of Her Brother To AIDS

At this year’s 35th GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles, talk show host Oprah Winfrey opened up about her late brother, Jeffrey Lee, while onstage.

Winfrey received the Vanguard Award, which honors allies of the LGBTQ who have advocated for people and issues regarding the community. Lee, who died at age 29 due to AIDS, was Winfrey’s inspiration for her work.

“Growing up at the time we did, in the community we did, we didn’t have the language to understand or speak about sexuality and gender in the way we do now,” she revealed. “And at the time, I didn’t know how deeply my brother internalized the shame that he felt about being gay. I wish he could have lived to witness these liberated times and to be here with me tonight.”

Winfrey went on to explain how her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired from 1986 to 2011 for 29 years, was an outlet to share “stories that actually helped people be more of their authentic selves.” 

Winfrey recalled an episode in particular where a small town in West Virginia had shut down their community pool due to an AIDS patient going swimming there. She brought a medical expert to explain the truth about how AIDS is transmitted.

The show has also celebrated National Coming Out Day and featured many LGBTQ figures.

“I know that that is the truest form of what it means to be free,” she said. “To have personal freedom. To be able to fully be who you are. To have the truest expression of yourself as a human being.” 

Winfrey is also engaged in other LGBTQ projects through her production company. “I am proud to support and produce projects centering on the LGBTQ storylines through Harpo through OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) and I will continue to hire queer and trans filmmakers to bring authentic characters to the screen,” she said.

Recently, Winfrey decided to step down from the Weight Watchers board after admitting that she was using weight loss drugs.