October 19, 2007
JULIAN BAIN (1944-2007)
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Julian Bain, AIDS activist |
This week the AIDS community mourns the passing of Albany, New York-based activist Julian Bain, who died of a heart attack on October 10 at the age of 63. Diagnosed with HIV in the 90s, Bain fought passionately to bring resources and respect to people living with HIV/AIDS, whether they lived in the South End of Albany or the townships of South Africa, which he visited on numerous occasions.
Bain served on the boards of a number of Albany-area HIV/AIDS service organizations while maintaining an extraordinary number of person-to-person connections with individuals and families struggling with HIV/AIDS. He was recognized as an "Unsung Hero" by the National Minority AIDS Council.
Frequently dressed in sharp-looking suits, Bain gave dozens of talks at Albany-area schools, churches and service agencies, and was particularly dedicated to making links between domestic and global AIDS advocacy and activism, starting the non-profit group AIDS Global Advocacy and traveling regularly to South Africa as an activist and AIDS ambassador.
In the words of Bain's colleague and friend Jill Farnham of the New York State HIV CARE Network, Bain "died with his boots on." He was scheduled to speak to prisoners about HIV the day he had his heart attack.
To Housing Works, Bain was an ally and friend. For the last ten years, he walked the halls of the State Capitol and Legislative Office Building with Housing Works' advocacy team, attending hundreds of legislative meetings and contributing immensely to a successful effort to win new state resources to fight HIV/AIDS in communities of color. Bain stopped Gov. Eliot Spitzer to talk about Medicaid in the Capitol just this March.
"Every time I saw Julian, he had at least a half a dozen advocacy irons in the fire, and he kept them all hot. He held my feet to the fire on more than one occasion when he felt Housing Works wasn't stepping up to the plate in support of PWAs as much as he thought we should. Julian was always sweet, always firm in his convictions," said Charles King, Housing Works president and CEO.
Farnham echoes King's sentiments. "Julian was a person of passion. Passion for helping people all over the world," she said. "But he was also full of compassion. He was always interested in everybody. He was a remarkable person to be around."
Bain was born and raised in the Bronx borough of New York City, studied journalism in college and spent several years working at NBC. In 2000, he moved to Albany where he became a well-known figure, even hosting a monthly public access about building community.
Bain is survived by a large extended family and a stepson and daughter, with whom he was close. Farnham says Bain will be missed but his memory will inspire those who knew him: "Julian had a great smile and a wonderful laugh, and even though he had numerous physical problems, he never complained. He just projected an air of peace."