On Thursday, December December 28, Dr. Jesse Peel — the namesake of the LGBTQ center at East Carolina University (ECU) — passed away in his Atlanta home. He was 83 years old.
The North Carolina native dedicated his life to helping those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, as well as advocating for safe spaces for queer folks in his own home state.
“To me and many others, Jesse is a hero. He completely changed the face of Eastern Carolina University and, in my opinion, all of Eastern North Carolina,” ECU LGBTQ+ Center Program Coordinator Rose Bogue said. “When I was a student and first started here back in 2017, there was very little LGBTQ visibility.”
Peel he received his medical degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, before attending the University of Pennsylvania to get his license in psychiatry. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Peel opened a psychiatric practice in Atlanta for gay men. He saw firsthand how the virus was impacting his patients, so Peel went to the front lines, helping to found AID Atlanta and Positive Impact, two organizations still in operation, working to address and eradicate HIV/AIDS.
In addition, Peel was instrumental in the creation of ECU’s LGBTQ+ Center, the largest resource of its kind in the entire North Carolina Public University system. Center Director Mark Rasdorf told WITN the Dr. Jesse R. Peel LGBTQ center has served as a point of visibility for queer students and faculty on campus.
“I’ve talked to many parents who say the presence of this center at such a prominent location and so large and with active programming and a lot of support helps to put their minds to ease that hopefully their student will both be safe and happy and successful here as a student at ECU,” said Rasdorf.
Peel also served on several boards and committees back in Atlanta, including the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus, Lost ‘n Found Youth and Actor’s Express. Several of these organizations took to social media to share how much Peel’s dedication and efforts meant to the community.
“Jesse was a part of Out Front’s family since day one,” Out Front Theatre Company wrote on Facebook. “We were honored to have Jesse in our audience more times than we can count and to also have him serve on our Board of Directors. He always entered the theater with a smile and left telling the staff that he would see us again soon… The world is a better place because Jesse was a part of it, and we are a better company because he was kind enough to share his gifts with us. He will be missed but he will not be forgotten.”
One of Peel’s friends, Mark King, also took to Facebook to share his condolences.
“Jesse Peel became my friend, confidant, and co-conspirator exactly 30 years ago when I moved to Atlanta,” Mark King wrote on Facebook. “He founded every major HIV/AIDS group in town, mentored countless young activists, and was once my phone call from jail. His loss cannot be measured. The lives he nurtured – and those he saved outright – are his legacy. I love you, Jesse. But you knew that. Rest in heavenly peace.”
ECU will host a celebration of life for Peel and his funeral will take place in Atlanta.