Dennis deLeon's hopes, fears, disease

Former New York City human rights commissioner and AIDS activist Dennis deLeon died of heart failure Monday in Manhattan. He was 61 years old. Dennis deLeon was one of the first city officials to publicly announce that he had AIDS and went on to found one of the most influential advocacy groups for Latinos with AIDS, the Latino Commission on AIDS.

Dennis deLeon disclosed his HIV-positive status in a 1993 New York Times op-ed piece, "My Hopes, My Fears, My Disease" at a time when persons with AIDS were heavily stigmatized.

"I have been concerned about what the words 'person with H.I.V.' would do to my self-image. But I now know that I will not let a phrase control my potential," deLeon wrote. More after the jump.