WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. – Elliott Simmons, a judge for the GAYVN Awards for more than a decade, died May 1 after a brief battle with Leukemia.
“One of the things that we looked forward to every year was coming in and discussing and arguing over the nominations for the gay awards,” Arrigo said.
Simmons and his partner Michael Arrigo hosted and produced a cable access show that promoted the gay porn industry and included reviews as well as interviews with the stars. They continued the series on Public Access Channel 36 in West Hollywood, Calif., even after Arrigo was declared legally blind.
About that, Arrigo always joked, “I can still see enough to know what’s good.”
The couple was recruited into the GAYVN Awards judging pool by Mickey Skee. They served on the panel every year, beginning in 1995. Nothing stopped the pair from performing admirably, including the 2009 death of their beloved pet dog, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver during a walk with Simmons.
On their television show, Simmons and Arrigo tackled not only porn, but also difficult issues within the gay community. Both men were HIV-positive, and a recent episode, “Living Well With HIV,” showed how they coped with the disease and how they got around Los Angeles without a car while remaining active in the world.
“It wasn’t AIDS that killed Elliott,”Arrigo said in a recent interview. “It was that damned cancer that had nothing to do with AIDS. He was feeling tired, and the doctor was giving him antibiotics but it wasn’t working. He was very brave through it all.”
In addition to his other work, Simmons helped produce actress Sally Kirkland’s show. Kirkland led a memorial service after his death. Simmons also worked on “The Skippy Lowe Show” and “TimeOut” with Jimmy Palmieri and Sue Sexton. He also volunteered at the West Hollywood Library and the Annual West Hollywood Book Fair and served on many committees and organizations serving people with disabilities.
The West Hollywood City Council adjourned in Simmons’ memory at a recent meeting and acknowledged his contributions to then community.
Simmons is survived by his partner, their dog Jasper and his mother Sally Parker.
