Transgender personality/activist Alexis Arquette died Sept. 11 at age 47.
Brother Richmond Arquette initially noted on Facebook, "Our brother Robert, who became our brother Alexis, who became our sister Alexis, who became our brother Alexis, passed this morning September 11, at 12:32 am. ... We were playing music for him and he passed during David Bowie's Starman. As per his wishes, we cheered at the moment that he transitioned to another dimension."
Alexis' transition was documented in the film Alexis Arquette: She's My Brother.
Later on Sept. 11, the family (including the other siblingsRosanna, Patricia and David) issued a statement. It reads, in part:
"Our sister, Alexis Arquette, passed away this morning, September 11th, 2016.
"Alexis was a brilliant artist and painter, a singer, an entertainer and an actor. She starred in movies like 'Last Exit to Brooklyn', 'Pulp Fiction', 'Jumpin' at the Boneyard', 'Of Mice and Men', 'The Wedding Singer', and 'The Bride of Chucky'. Her career was cut short, not by her passing, but by her decision to live her truth and her life as a transgender woman. Despite the fact that there are few parts for trans actors, she refused to play roles that were demeaning or stereotypical. She was a vanguard in the fight for understanding and acceptance for all trans people.
"She fiercely lived her reality in a world where it is dangerous to be a trans persona world largely unready to accept differences among human beings, and where there is still the ugliness of violence and hostility towards people that we may not understand.
"Alexis was born as Robert, our brother. We loved him the moment he arrived. But he came in as more than a siblinghe came as our great teacher. As Alexis transitioned into being a woman, she taught us tolerance and acceptance. As she moved through her process, she became our sister, teaching us what real love is.
"We learned what real bravery is through watching her journey of living as a trans woman. We came to discover the one truththat love is everything."