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Matches in DBpedia 2014 for { ?s ?p Thomas K. Duane (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician from New York, who served in the New York State Senate from 1999 to 2012. Duane was the only openly gay member of the New York State Senate. He represents the 29th Senate District, which stretches along Manhattan's West Side from 85th Street to Canal Street, and includes the following neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, and part of the East Side, including the East Village, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village and Waterside Plaza. First elected to the Senate in 1998, he took office the following January and has won re-election every two years. He is the past Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, and he is currently that committee’s Ranking Minority Member.His signature legislative accomplishments in the New York State legislature to date has been the passage of the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) (2002) and Timothy's Law, which requires mental health parity for patients by insurance companies (2006) which were subsequently signed into law by Governor George Pataki. He was also instrumental in the ultimate passage of the Hate Crimes Protection Act, which stipulates longer penalties for those convicted of alleged hate crimes, and mandates that New York State keep an active database of these crimes and "Manny's Law," which requires hospitals to disclose to indigent patients the availability of state-sponsored funds for health care costs. Prior to his election to the New York State Senate in 1998, Duane served on New York City Council, to which he was first elected in 1991. He and Antonio Pagán, first elected in the same year, were the first two openly gay city council members in New York. For part of that time, Christine Quinn worked as his chief-of-staff. When he resigned his council seat on being sworn into the Senate, she successfully ran to succeed him.In 1994, Duane ran for the U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent Jerrold Nadler, losing the primary election by a margin of two-to-one.Duane also served four terms as Male Democratic District Leader in the 64th Assembly District beginning in 1982. He has also served as a member of his local community board in the past. Only the second openly LGBT member of the New York Legislature, he is today one of six, alongside Assemblymembers Micah Kellner, Daniel O'Donnell, Matthew Titone, Harry Bronson and Deborah Glick. Duane has been the lead sponsor of same-sex marriage legislation in the New York State Senate. Following the Senate vote, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn issued a statement thanking Duane and the State Senate leadership for bringing the bill to a vote and saying "I applaud them for their dogged leadership on this issue."Duane holds a degree in American and Urban Studies from Lehigh University. Born at the old French Hospital on West 30th Street in Manhattan, he was raised in Flushing, Queens, where he attended St. Andrew Avellino School and Holy Cross High School (Flushing). His brother, John F. Duane, served in the New York State Assembly in 1983-84 representing the 26th Assembly District in Queens. Duane's partner of 21 years is Louis Webre.. }

• Thomas_Duane abstract "Thomas K. Duane (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician from New York, who served in the New York State Senate from 1999 to 2012. Duane was the only openly gay member of the New York State Senate. He represents the 29th Senate District, which stretches along Manhattan's West Side from 85th Street to Canal Street, and includes the following neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Hell's Kitchen, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, and part of the East Side, including the East Village, Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village and Waterside Plaza. First elected to the Senate in 1998, he took office the following January and has won re-election every two years. He is the past Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, and he is currently that committee’s Ranking Minority Member.His signature legislative accomplishments in the New York State legislature to date has been the passage of the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) (2002) and Timothy's Law, which requires mental health parity for patients by insurance companies (2006) which were subsequently signed into law by Governor George Pataki. He was also instrumental in the ultimate passage of the Hate Crimes Protection Act, which stipulates longer penalties for those convicted of alleged hate crimes, and mandates that New York State keep an active database of these crimes and "Manny's Law," which requires hospitals to disclose to indigent patients the availability of state-sponsored funds for health care costs. Prior to his election to the New York State Senate in 1998, Duane served on New York City Council, to which he was first elected in 1991. He and Antonio Pagán, first elected in the same year, were the first two openly gay city council members in New York. For part of that time, Christine Quinn worked as his chief-of-staff. When he resigned his council seat on being sworn into the Senate, she successfully ran to succeed him.In 1994, Duane ran for the U.S. House of Representatives against incumbent Jerrold Nadler, losing the primary election by a margin of two-to-one.Duane also served four terms as Male Democratic District Leader in the 64th Assembly District beginning in 1982. He has also served as a member of his local community board in the past. Only the second openly LGBT member of the New York Legislature, he is today one of six, alongside Assemblymembers Micah Kellner, Daniel O'Donnell, Matthew Titone, Harry Bronson and Deborah Glick. Duane has been the lead sponsor of same-sex marriage legislation in the New York State Senate. Following the Senate vote, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn issued a statement thanking Duane and the State Senate leadership for bringing the bill to a vote and saying "I applaud them for their dogged leadership on this issue."Duane holds a degree in American and Urban Studies from Lehigh University. Born at the old French Hospital on West 30th Street in Manhattan, he was raised in Flushing, Queens, where he attended St. Andrew Avellino School and Holy Cross High School (Flushing). His brother, John F. Duane, served in the New York State Assembly in 1983-84 representing the 26th Assembly District in Queens. Duane's partner of 21 years is Louis Webre.".