I just learned of the passing of the great Sal Piro, the president and founder of The Rocky Horror Picture Show fan club. Sal was at the early screenings of Rocky Horror at The Waverly theater in the West Village and was one of the first people to start shouting back at the movie. Without his drive and enthusiasm, Rocky would have faded into movie obscurity instead of becoming the longest continuously running film in the world. Sal saw something special in Rocky Horror when very few others did and created a space where people from marginalized communities could congregate and find themselves. My time involved with the Rocky Horror fandom was instrumental in my personal growth into the happy, artsy, queer man I am today. Something wonderful is that I’m not unique in that regard. Rocky Horror continues to be an important scene for people to discover who they are. We all have Sal to thank for this. I have fond memories of doing an impression of Sal’s “Gimme an R!” chant before our shadowcast shows in Vancouver. Sal was a brilliant pioneer for fandom, the way we relate to media we love, and the wonderful world of cult movies. I hope he is in some glam rock ghoulish afterlife, hosting joyous Rocky Horror midnight screenings for all eternity. Here we are at the 25th Anniversary Rocky Horror convention, Sal posing with Maryann, Jessi, @oc3lot, and little 19-year-old-just-figuring-it-all-out me. #salpiro #rhps #rockyhorrorpictureshow (at Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CoC5h_kOyTu/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
