GLID Member and New York State Senator, Thomas K. Duane represents the 27th State Senatorial District, which encompasses much of Manhattan's West Side from 77th Street to Battery Park, and sections of East Midtown, the Lower East Side, and Chinatown. Elected to the State Senate in 1998, he became the first openly gay and first openly HIV-positive member of the State Senate. Prior to his election to the New York State Senate, Duane served for seven years in the New York City Council, and was its first openly gay and openly HIV-positive member. Upon election to the New York City Council in 1991, Duane became the first openly HIV-positive person elected to public office in the country.

Deborah Glick first ran for public office in 1990, when she became not only the Assemblymember for lower Manhattan, but also New York State's first openly lesbian or gay state legislator.

Deborah's political activity began in college and her involvement in grass roots organizing continues today. She has focused on areas relating to civil rights, reproductive freedom, Lesbian and Gay rights, environmental improvement and preservation, and the arts. This involvement has shaped Deborah's view of government and her role in it. "To be effective in moving the world toward social justice for all people, government needs to be motivated by the activism of grassroots organizations and people." For that reason, Deborah sees her job as one similar to a community organizer.

A Chelsea resident and long-time progressive activist, Christine Quinn grew up in Glen Cove, Long Island and attended Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, graduating with a degree in Urban Studies and Education.

In 1989, Christine became the lead organizer for the Housing Justice Campaign, a project of the Association for Neighborhood Housing Development. By organizing a citywide coalition of neighborhood housing groups, tenant organizations, religious leaders, union leaders and community activists, Christine fought for the creation of more affordable housing and for better policies for moderate and low-income New Yorkers.

Rosie Mendez has demonstrated a life-long commitment to her community through her activism, legal advocacy, and government service. Rosie began her professional career as a tenant organizer and then became a housing specialist at the Parodneck Foundation. Her work with tenants inspired her to enter law school. Upon graduation, she received an IOLA Legal Services Fellowship and began work at Brooklyn Legal Services representing tenants in housing and welfare matters and counseling community-based organizations. She joined the Legal Services Staff Association and became a member of the United Auto Workers. Through her professional and volunteer positions at many non-profit organizations, Rosie has gained first-hand experience dealing with issues that affect all New Yorkers. She served as a board member of the Lower East Side People's Federal Credit Union for 5 years. She has held internships with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Legal Action Center, and a judicial internship with Civil Court Judge Richard Rivera. Rosie served as the Public Interest Career Counselor at Rutgers Law School-Newark, where she was responsible for assisting a record number of students in obtaining fellowships in non-profits and public interest law firms. Rosie has been elected as Democratic District Leader for four terms. She has taken a leading role in critical issues in the District, including the Williamsburg Bridge lead paint controversy, the greengrocery workers' struggle for minimum wage pay, the preservation and creation of affordable housing, and the fight against Con Edison’s East River Plant expansion and closing of the Midtown Plant. As Chief of Staff and Legislative Aide to Council Member Margarita Lopez, Rosie was known for her caring response to constituents’ concerns and her mastery of key issues before the Council. Rosie received her B.A. in Metropolitan Studies and Political Science from New York University, and received her law degree from Rutgers School of Law in Newark. She was a 2003-04 Fellow in the Charles H. Revson Program for the Future of the City of New York at Columbia University, which each year selects ten individuals who have made outstanding contributions to New York City. She also serves on the Board of the Washington, DC- based Mautner Project which provides support for lesbians with cancer and their partners and families. Rosie was born in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to Puerto Rican parents, where she lived in public housing and attended New York City public schools.