Black Gay writer, publisher and activist Assoto Saint (ne Yves Lubin) died at 7pm Wednesday evening June 29, after a long battle with AIDS. Haitian-born Saint was a pioneering writer, dealing with explicit Black Gay themes long before many others. He was part of New York's Blackheart Collective, a group of artists and writers formed in 1981; author of the theater piece "Risin' to the Love We Need" and two collections of poetry, "Tongues Untied" (a 1987 British collection with four other authors) and the self-published "Stations" (1989). He established Galiens Press which made a commitment to publishing not only his own work but the work of others, producing "The Road Before Us: 100 Black Gay Poets" and "Here to Dare" which included ten writers. "The Road Before Us" won a Lambda literary award last year. He also edited poetry for Other Countries and served as editor for other writers' publications. Outspoken in his writing and personal appearances about coming out about HIV status, Saint appears in Marlon Riggs's film "Non, je ne regrette rien." He served as literary executor for the work of several writers' who died of HIV. Funeral arrangements include a viewing on Monday July 4 at Redden's Funeral Home, 325 West 14th St (west of 8th Avenue) in Manhattan. A percussive funeral procession leaves the funeral home at 9:30 am Tuesday July 5 and proceeds to the Metropolitan Duane Church at 13th St. and 7th Ave. for 10 am services. A community memorial will follow in October. Memorial donations can be sent to Other Countries, PO Box 2474, NY NY 10008 and God's Love We Deliver, 895 Amsterdam Ave. in Manhattan.