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Patricia Arquette on What Really Ended Sister Alexis's Career

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After her sister died -- of an AIDS-related illness, according to People -- Patricia Arquette pens a heartfelt message on Facebook.

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Alexis Arquette's acting career was cut short "not by her passing, but by her decision to live her truth and her life as a transgender woman," one of her sisters, Oscar-winning actress Patricia Arquette, wrote on Facebook Sunday.

Alexis -- who appeared in films as diverse as Last Exit to Brooklyn and The Wedding Singer -- died Sunday morning at age 47, following a long battle with an HIV-related illness, according to People. Alexis was surrounded by her family, which included siblings Rosanna (pictured, left), David, Richmond, and Patricia (pictured, right, with Alexis, center).

Both Richmond and Patricia shared their feelings about their sibling on Facebook. In her message, Patricia blasted transphobia and asked for donations to LGBT organizations in lieu of flowers or other gifts. Patricia also praised her sister's refusal to take roles that demeaned transgender people. Read her message below, via Richmond's Facebook page.

It's clear that Alexis was struggling with a dearth of substantial acting work after she transitioned in the 2000s; her IMDB page lists roles like "Strange, Yet Attractive Woman" in 2003's The Movie Hero with Jeremy Sisto, and even "Tranny" in 2005's Lords of Dogtown with Heath Ledger and Emile Hirsch.

[RELATED: Trans Actress Alexis Arquette Dead at 47]

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Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.
Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.