Those affected, infected and at risk for HIV/AIDS in Boston, in Massachusetts, and across the nation are mourning the loss of an inspirational and impactful political leader and pioneer, Mayor Tom Menino. He stood by us during the times when we experienced death and dying on a daily basis. Today we share the sense of sadness and loss with his family, friends and colleagues and send our love and support to them in their time of need.

From the very beginning of his political career, Mayor Menino pushed for services for people living with HIV and AIDS and was an outspoken advocate on their behalf. During his first term in office as a district city councilor from Hyde Park, he approached the issue of how to deal with AIDS with an open mind and caring heart, unlike so many other politicians from that time.

In the mid-1980s, during the darkest days of the AIDS epidemic, City Councilor Menino advocated employing 24 full-time outreach workers in the city of Boston to educate intravenous drug users about the risk of AIDS. This was cutting edge public policy at the time. He also insisted on two community health vans to be deployed to at-risk neighborhoods to provide general health education as well as AIDS prevention information and on increasing the availability of drug treatment programs. He pushed to implement a needle exchange program in the city.

When he became mayor in 1993, the city finally implemented many of the elements of the plan Menino had so boldly proposed nearly a decade earlier: a needle exchange program, outreach workers, and public education around HIV/AIDS. He also hired John Auerbach, another hero in the fight against AIDS, to direct the city’s response to AIDS as head of the Boston Public Health Commission. These strategies have saved thousands of lives over the years and helped many families avoid the pain and stigma of AIDS as well as the financial and emotional costs.

In 2001, Mayor Menino raised money to help pay for a liver transplant for Belynda Dunn, a longtime employee of AIDS Action Committee who was a leading HIV educator in the city’s African American community. Dunn had been denied payment for a transplant by her health insurer because of she was HIV positive. But as usual, the Mayor went above and beyond and was an outspoken critic of the policy by the insurer and worked diligently to ensure that such stigma and discrimination did not affect others in a similar situation.

Over the years, even as public attention to AIDS waned, Mayor Menino continued to speak out about the ongoing need to provide services for the growing numbers of those who are living with HIV in Massachusetts. He attended every Boston AIDS Walk except one (it conflicted with an important family event) during his years as Mayor. His message was loud and clear, year after year: “I stand with you; I care about you; I serve as mayor to all the people.” He never failed to rally the crowd that loved and adored him.

There can be no doubt that the political leadership on HIV/AIDS shown by Mayor Menino throughout the entirety of the epidemic, and his insistence on implementing public education, prevention, and outreach about HIV, has contributed significantly to the commonwealth’s status as a leader in the country in lowering rates of HIV transmission and improving the health of those living with HIV. But perhaps of greater importance were his compassion and his ability to reach out to those living on the fringe of our society. He knew that most of them felt betrayed and forgotten by the political establishment. But in Mayor Menino, they had a friend they could trust, an advocate who spoke out for them, and a political leader not afraid to use his power on their behalf.

He transformed our city and made a difference in the lives of so many. His legacy will endure and he will remain in our hearts forever.

Rebecca Haag is the former CEO of the AIDS Action Committee of MA.