Oscars memorial leaves out Arquette’s transgender sister

LOS ANGELES – Actress Patricia Arquette says she was upset the Oscars left her transgender sister out of the “In Memoriam” tribute.

Arquette told ABC News she thought the Academy Awards “would have a little bit more respect” for the transgender community. Arquette says her sister Alexis Arquette should have been honoured because she had a great body of work and was one of few transgender artists in the business.

Alexis Arquette died Sept. 11 from a heart attack and battled HIV for 29 years.

She memorably played a trans sex worker in “Last Exit to Brooklyn” and a Boy George impersonator in “The Wedding Singer.”

The “In Memoriam” portion of the show remembers major Hollywood film figures who died last year. This year’s segment included Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher and Gene Wilder.

Others left out included Florence Henderson and Garry Shandling. And the “In Memoriam” segment included a notable gaffe when Jan Chapman’s photo was shown with the name of Janet Patterson, an Australian costume designer who died in 2015. The Academy didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Last year, Abe Vigoda’s family said they felt “cheated and disappointed” when he was omitted from the “In Memoriam” tribute. Vigoda portrayed Salvatore “Sal” Tessio, the doomed Mafia soldier in “The Godfather.”