Oprah Winfrey Shares Moving Pride Month Tribute to Brother Who Died of AIDS: 'The World Was Extremely Cruel'
Winfrey's brother, Jeffrey Lee, died in 1989 at age 29
Oprah Winfrey is remembering her late brother, Jeffrey Lee.
On Tuesday, June 4, the talk show host veteran, 70, shared a message on Oprah Daily in honor of Pride Month and spoke about her sibling who died of AIDS at age 29 during the height of the HIV epidemic in the United States.
"It was 35 years ago that my younger brother Jeffrey Lee died from AIDS,â Winfrey said. âHe was 29 years old. The year was 1989 and the world was an extremely cruel place, not just for people suffering from AIDS, but also for LGBTQ people in general.â
Never miss a story â sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Related: Oprah Winfrey Says Participating in âDiet Cultureâ Is âOne of My Biggest Regretsâ
She added, âI often think if heâd lived heâd be so amazed at how much the world has changed, that there actually is gay marriage and a Pride Month.â
âHow different his life might have been had be lived in these times,â Winfrey continued. âIn a world that saw and appreciated him for who he was rather than attempting to shame him for his sexuality.â
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
The media mogul went on to say that she believes everyone âhas the right to love,â adding that she hopes people are âliving a life that feels authentic to youâ and that she hopes one has the âsupport around to do so.â
On the Oprah Daily Instagram account, Winfrey wrote, âI wish for you the continued freedom to rise to your truest highest expression of yourself as a human being.â
Related: Happy Pride Month! Celebrate with PEOPLE's Picks for LGBTQ-Themed Movies, Shows, Music and Books
Winfreyâs message comes after she honored her late brother at the 35th GLAAD Media Awards in March. There she received the Vanguard Award thanks to her support in âpromoting acceptance of LGBTQ people and issues,â GLAAD announced ahead of the ceremony.
"At the time, I didn't know how deeply my brother internalized the shame he felt about being gay,â she said while accepting the honor. âI wish he could have lived to witness these liberated times and be here with me tonight.â
During her speech, she also revealed that Jeffrey inspired The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran from September 1986 to May 2011.
"All the years of the Oprah show for me were about sharing stories that actually helped people be more of their authentic selves and I know that that is the truest form of what it means to be free," Winfrey recalled. "To have personal freedom. To be able to fully be who you are. To have the truest expression of yourself as a human being."
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.