New York City Council candidate Corey Johnson has disclosed he is HIV positive, The New York Times reports. He was diagnosed with the virus nine years ago. As the captain of his Massachusetts high school football team, he came out as gay at the age of 18 and quickly became a prominent LGBT activist. Now 31, he has been active in New York City community advocacy for many years. Former State Senator Tom Duane is one of his mentors. Johnson is running for Duane’s former City Council seat, which is being vacated by mayoral candidate Christine Quinn. In 1991, Duane was one of the first openly HIV-positive political candidates. Duane has endorsed Johnson in the race.

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