WASHINGTON - The Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization, issued a statement today on the passing of Martin Delaney, a longtime activist for the HIV/AIDS community, who died today at his home in San Rafael, California. Delaney, the founder and longtime director of the HIV advocacy/education organization Project Inform, was recently presented with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director's Special Recognition Award for his many contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

"Martin Delaney was one of the pioneers of AIDS activism. While not HIV-positive himself, Delaney dedicated much of his life to shaping our nation's public policy on HIV/AIDS legislation and worked on the local level to promote education and a greater understanding of HIV/AIDS issues," said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "He worked with the drive and hope to one day find a cure for HIV/AIDS, and while it did not happen in his lifetime, we'll continue the important work of lobbying Congress for additional HIV/AIDS funding to find a cure."

In 1985, Delaney founded Project Inform, a leading national HIV treatment and public policy information and advocacy organization based in San Francisco, and served as its Director until 2008. According to the organization's online biography, Delaney was a key player in the development of today's widely used Accelerated Approval regulations and the Parallel Track system for providing experimental drugs to seriously ill people prior to formal approval by the FDA.

Upon receiving the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Director's Special Recognition Award, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., released the following statement: "Millions of people are now receiving life-saving antiretroviral medications from a treatment pipeline that Marty Delaney played a key role in opening and expanding. Without his tireless work and vision, many more people would have perished from HIV/AIDS. He is a formidable activist and a dear friend. It is without hyperbole that I call Marty Delaney a public health hero."

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against LGBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.