he was our hero. >> he falls in love. and he and his partner, sean, have a ceremony. you know, and this is long before same-sex marriage was legal. the tv shows weren't doing this. movies weren't doing this. >> i have to believe that all the pain that i'm going through, that all the anger, all the frustration, that there's something bigger than -- than -- than that. >> aids has claimed a young man who made an enormous impact on a generation of young americans. pedro zamora died in miami today at the age of 22. >> i'm really glad i got to know pedro. i am glad his work is still remembered today and i hope you enjoy and learn from pedro's life of compassion and fearlessness. >> you have to really credit the real world with sort of helping the acceptance of the lgbt community because there weren't many portrayals of gay people period on television at that point. >> her name is marla. i am seeing a woman. >> in the '90s, gay characters