Daniel O’Donnell, New York State Assembly Member The fact that New York passed same-sex marriage is partially because of the tireless efforts of key politicians. The first openly gay man in the New York State Assembly, O’Donnell has represented various neighborhoods of Manhattan known for their liberal views (and happens to be Rosie O’Donnell’s brother), but his years of diligence finally paid off in the landmark legislation for equal rights.
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Thomas Duane, New York State Senator The Senator represents a hefty portion of Manhattan (including gay-centric Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen) and became the Senate’s first openly gay and openly HIV-positive member when elected in 1998. Duane has advocated for health care and housing protections and reform, and he was instrumental in the push to legalize same-sex marriage in New York. “The challenge remains to come out all the time,” he says. “It’s something we all must do in our personal and professional lives — come out every day and not shy away from it.”
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Ken Mehlman, Politician Call Ken Mehlman the stealth activist. In 2004, onThe Daily Show, Mehlman won laughter by inviting Jon Stewart to donate to the Bush-Cheney re-election bid, for which he was campaign manager. Six years later, he became the most influential Republican in history to identify as gay and went on to play a quietly instrumental role in winning support for marriage equality in New York State, lobbying politicians in Albany and raising money for New Yorkers for Marriage Equality. “As someone who came out late in life, I can attest to the fact that it gets better,” he says. “For a state as big and iconic as New York to be able to have accomplished marriage equality with a bipartisan approach was a momentous event, and one I was honored to play a small part in.” Next, he’s determined to help other states follow New York’s example, starting with California, where he’s been instrumental in his role as board member on the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which is fighting to have Proposition 8 repealed.
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J. Paul Oetken, Federal Judge On July 18, with a vote of 80-13, J. Paul Oetken became a district judge for the southern district of New York state and the first openly gay federal judge. In his speech following Oetken’s confirmation, Senator Charles Schumer — a champion of his nomination — said, “He will give hope to many talented young lawyers who, until now, thought their paths might be limited because of their sexual orientation. When Paul becomes Judge Oetken, he will be living proof to all those young lawyers that it really does get better.”
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