Despite the fact that he had been criticised by gay activists for hiding his HIV status, author Paul Russell included Mercury in his book The Gay 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Gay Men and Lesbians, Past and Present.
Meskipun faktanya dia telah dikritik oleh para aktivis gay karena menyembunyikan status HIVnya, penulis bernama Paul Russell memasukkan Mercury dalam bukunya The Gay 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Gay Men and Lesbians, Past and Present.