Giving Compass' Take:

• Olivia B. Waxman reflects on the legacy of Freddie Mercury and other celebrities who raised AIDS and HIV awareness in an era when much of the discussion was taboo.

• Celebrity became a vehicle of information and acceptance for HIV/AIDS, what other causes could benefit from the same type of exposure? 

• Learn why the world is currently at risk of losing control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

In the biopic about Freddie Mercury — "Bohemian Rhapsody," — the Queen lead singer (played by Rami Malek) has one request when he tells his bandmates about his HIV diagnosis: that they keep the news private, because he doesn’t want to be a “poster boy” for AIDS or a “cautionary tale.”

While Mercury is remembered more for his music than for anything, his health status did in fact become public just days before he died of complications of AIDS-related pneumonia on Nov. 24, 1991, at the age of 45. And in fact, even if the timeline of his diagnosis in real life doesn’t quite match up with its film version, that real-life announcement was one of several that raised awareness of the epidemic.

About 72,000 attended a benefit tribute concert held at London’s Wembley Stadium, almost five months after his death, raising millions for AIDS research. And since those who worked with Mercury established The Mercury Phoenix Trust 21 years ago, the organization says it has donated over $15 million to the cause.

Mercury’s reticence was understandable. He was reportedly diagnosed in 1987, a time when some countries, like the U.S., wouldn’t let HIV-positive people immigrate. Nevertheless, he became just one of several high-profile figures who, in life and death, raised awareness about the disease — though experts are careful to point out that the celebrities were generally following in the footsteps of a movement that already existed.

Read the full article about how celebrities paid a role in AIDS awareness by Olivia B. Waxman at TIME Magazine.