Tom Duane
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Thomas K. Duane (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician from New York, who served in the
New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...
from 1999 to 2012, and in the
New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
from 1992 to 1998. Duane was the first openly gay member of the New York State Senate, and the only such member during his tenure there. He was also the body's only openly HIV-positive member. He represented the 29th Senate district, which stretched along
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
's
West Side West Side or Westside may refer to: Places Canada * West Side, a neighbourhood of Windsor, Ontario * West Side, a neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia United Kingdom * West Side, Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland * Westside, Birmingham ...
from
85th Street 85th Street is a westbound-running street, running from East End Avenue to Riverside Drive in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. At Fifth Avenue, the street feeds into the 86th Street transverse, which runs east–west ...
to
Canal Street Canal Street may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Canal Street (Manchester), Manchester, England * Canal Street, Oxford, Jericho, Oxford, England United States * Canal Street (Buffalo), a street and district at the western terminus of the Er ...
, and includes the following neighborhoods:
Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...
,
Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, or Midtown West on real estate listings, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, ...
, Chelsea,
Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...
, and part of the East Side, including the East Village,
Stuyvesant Town Stuyvesant may refer to: People * Stuyvesant family * Peter Stuyvesant (1592–1672), the last governor of New Netherland * Peter Stuyvesant (1727–1805), New York landowner and merchant * Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (1778–1847), lawyer, landown ...
,
Peter Cooper Village Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...
and
Waterside Plaza Waterside Plaza is a residential and business complex located between the FDR Drive and the East River from 25th to 30th streets in the Kips Bay section of Manhattan, New York City. It was formerly a Mitchell-Lama Housing Program-funded rent ...
.


Early life and education

Duane holds a degree in American and Urban Studies from
Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...
. Born at the old French Hospital on West 30th Street in
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, he was raised in
Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial ...
, where he attended St. Andrew Avellino School and
Holy Cross High School (Flushing) Holy Cross High School is a Mixed-sex education, co-educational Catholic schools in the United States, Catholic High school in the United States, high school located in Flushing, Queens, Flushing, in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City ...
. After beginning a career as a Wall Street stockbroker, he moved into public service by volunteering for his community board and working for then-city comptroller Elizabeth Holtzman. In 2004, Duane completed Harvard University's
John F. Kennedy School of Government The John F. Kennedy School of Government, commonly referred to as Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), is the school of public policy of Harvard University, a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Harvard Kennedy School offers master's de ...
program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a
David Bohnett David C. Bohnett (born April 2, 1956) is an American philanthropist and technology entrepreneur. He is the founder and chairman of the David Bohnett Foundation, a non-profit, grant-making organization devoted to improving society through social ...
LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow. His brother, John F. Duane, served in the
New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...
in 1983–84 representing the 26th Assembly District in Queens. Duane's partner of 25 years is Louis Webre.


Career

Duane was first elected to the
New York City Council The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of New York City in the United States. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The council serves as a check against the mayor in a mayor-council government mod ...
in 1991 for the 3rd district. Duane 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 Christine Callaghan Quinn (born July 25, 1966) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly served as the Speaker of the New York City Council. The third person to hold this office, she was the first female and fi ...
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 The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...
against incumbent
Jerrold Nadler Jerrold Lewis Nadler (; born June 13, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician from the state of New York. A Manhattan resident and a member of the Democratic Party, he has served as the U.S. representative for since 2023. Nadler was first ...
, losing the primary election by a margin of two to one. Duane has also served as a member of his local Community Board, and four terms as Male Democratic District Leader in the
64th New York State Legislature The 64th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 5 to May 25, 1841, during the third year of William H. Seward's governorship, in Albany, New York, Albany. Backgroun ...
. First elected to the New York State Senate in 1998, Duane took office the following January and won re-election every two years thereafter until leaving office in 2012. Only the second openly
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
member of the
New York Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an offici ...
, he later became one of six, alongside Assemblymembers Micah Kellner,
Daniel O'Donnell Daniel Francis Noel O'Donnell, MBE (born 12 December 1961) is an Irish singer, television presenter and philanthropist. After rising to public attention in 1983, he has since become a household name in Ireland and Britain; he has also had co ...
, Matthew Titone,
Harry Bronson Harry B. Bronson (born May 22, 1959) is an attorney and politician from Rochester, New York who serves as a member of the New York State Assembly. A former member of the Monroe County legislature, he was elected to the Assembly in 2010. He is a ...
and Deborah Glick. Duane was the lead sponsor of
same-sex union legislation Same-sex marriage is legal in the following countries: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Liechtenstei ...
in the
New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...
. Following the failed 2009 Senate vote on the bill, New York City Council Speaker
Christine Quinn Christine Callaghan Quinn (born July 25, 1966) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she formerly served as the Speaker of the New York City Council. The third person to hold this office, she was the first female and fi ...
thanked 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." Same-sex marriage was legalized in New York in 2011, and the ''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'' described Duane as a "leader" in that legislative effort. Duane's signature legislative accomplishments in the New York State legislature included the passage of the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) (2002) and
Timothy's Law Timothy's Law is the reference used for a New York (state), New York state statute signed into law on December 22, 2006 by Governor George E. Pataki which took effect January 1, 2007. The law requires that health insurance, health plans sold in the ...
, which requires mental health parity for patients by insurance companies (2006) which were subsequently signed into law by Governor
George Pataki George Elmer Pataki (; born June 24, 1945) is an American politician who served as the 53rd governor of New York from 1995 to 2006. He previously served in the State Legislature from 1985 to 1994, and as the mayor of Peekskill from 1981 to 1984 ...
. Duane was the prime Senate sponsor of the state's
Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) is a 2019 New York law that added gender identity and gender expression to the state's human rights and hate crimes laws as protected classes; banned discrimination in employment, housing, and ...
(GENDA), which became law in 2019 after he had left office. Duane was also instrumental in the ultimate passage of the Hate Crimes Protection Act of 2000, which stipulates longer penalties for those convicted of alleged
hate crimes Hate crime (also known as bias crime) in criminal law involves a standard offence (such as an assault, murder) with an added element of bias against a victim (individual or group of individuals) because of their Physical appearance#Physiological ...
and mandates that New York State keep an
active database In computing, an active database is a database that includes an event-driven architecture (often in the form of ECA rules) that can respond to conditions both inside and outside the database. Possible uses include security monitoring, alerting, s ...
of these crimes. Duane's advocacy of this cause was personal as well as principled; in 1983, he was hospitalized after being assaulted by two men shouting anti-gay epithets, yet the perpetrators were charged only with a misdemeanor. He also took the lead on "Manny's Law", which requires hospitals to disclose to indigent patients the availability of state-sponsored funds for health care costs, and worked to enact a rental cap of 30 percent of income for people who are living with AIDS and eligible for government financial assistance. He was also a leader in bipartisan moves to require health insurers to cover
mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...
treatment, to improve health care for prisoners, and to make it harder for people to avoid paying child and spousal support. Duane has also fought overdevelopment in historic districts. In 2003, he was honored with a Village Award from the
Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation Village Preservation (formerly the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, or GVSHP) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for the architectural preservation and cultural preservation and opposes housing development in severa ...
. At one time he was Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, and he later served as that committee's Ranking Minority Member. In June 2012, Duane announced that he would be leaving the Senate, citing weariness with commuting between New York City and Albany and in general being ready for "another chapter in my life." Since retiring from the State Senate, he has continued his advocacy work on behalf of the
LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
community, disadvantaged children, people with
HIV/AIDS The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
, and others. He established Tom Duane Strategies, Inc., dedicated to working with organizations that improve the quality of life for New Yorkers. He has been an outspoken critic of Republican Party agendas, including the
first Trump Administration Donald Trump's first tenure as the president of the United States began on January 20, 2017, when Trump First inauguration of Donald Trump, was inaugurated as the List of presidents of the United States, 45th president, and ended on January ...
, and an ongoing supporter of LGBTQ rights. He has done philanthropic work with New York City's Anti-Violence Project, which coordinates the
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs The National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, or NCAVP, is a national organization dedicated to reducing violence and its impacts on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) individuals in the United States. It was founded in 1995 by G ...
, and has served on its board of directors. Duane has received a number of honors, from organizations including
Callen-Lorde Community Health Center Callen-Lorde Community Health Center is a primary care center located at 356 West 18th Street in New York City, New York, New York (state), New York, with satellite locations in Brooklyn and The Bronx. Callen-Lorde also provides comprehensive men ...
, Congregation
Beit Simchat Torah Congregation Beit Simchat Torah ("CBST") is a non-denominational Jewish, pluralistic, progressive, and LGBTQ+ synagogue located at 130 West 30th Street in Manhattan, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1973 by and for LGBTQ people, ...
(where he was the
World AIDS Day World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immu ...
speaker in December 2015), and The Alpha Workshops, which will be honoring him on May 15, 2017. In 2012 he received a Legends of the Village award from VillageCare, a nonprofit serving people with chronic, continuing, and rehabilitative care needs, which cited his championing of "civil rights, including gay rights in particular, HIV treatment and outreach needs, health care initiatives that reach out to those who are underserved or not served at all, tenant rights and much more." In 2016 he received an Impact Award from ''
Gay City News ''Gay City News'' (stylized as ''gcn'') is a free weekly LGBT newspaper based in New York City focusing on local and national issues relating to LGBT community. It was founded in 1994 as ''Lesbian Gay New York'', later ''LGNY'', and was sold ...
''. In January 2022, Tom Duane endorsed New York State Assembly candidate Tony Simone for the June 28, 2022 Democratic Party Primary.


See also

*
2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis The 2009 New York State Senate leadership crisis was a political dispute and constitutional crisis that prevented the New York State Senate from functioning for a month. In 2009, the State Senate was controlled by Democrats with a narrow 32–3 ...
*
Family Health Care Decisions Act The Family Health Care Decisions Act (the FHCDA) is a New York State statute that enables a patient's family member or close friend to make health care treatment decisions if the patient lacks capacity and did not make the decision in advance or ap ...
*
LGBT culture in New York City New York City has been described as the gay village, gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ political sociology, sociopolitical ecosystem, and is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ+ populations. Br ...
*
LGBT rights in New York The U.S. state of New York has generally been seen as socially liberal in regard to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) rights. LGBT travel guide ''Queer in the World'' states, "The fabulosity of Gay New York is unrivaled on Earth ...
*
List of LGBT people from New York City New York City has been described as the gay village, gay capital of the world and the central node of the LGBTQ+ political sociology, sociopolitical ecosystem. It is home to one of the world's largest and most prominent LGBTQ populations. LGBTQ ...
*
NYC Pride March The NYC Pride March is an annual event celebrating the LGBT culture in New York City, LGBTQ community in New York City#Sexual orientation and gender identity, New York City. The largest pride parade and the List of largest LGBT events, larges ...


References


External links


Campaign websiteNew York State Senate: Thomas K. DuaneSenator Duane’s Speech for Marriage Equality Act
Video of NYS Senate speech, June 24, 2011

Interview taped for PBS documentary.

* ttp://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=CNY88239&type=category&category=Environmental%20Issues Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratingsbr>Duane's response to the 2008 Candidate Questionnaire for State Senate from the 504 Democratic Club of New York City
News article and video of NY Senate speech July 17, 2009 * {{DEFAULTSORT:Duane, Thomas Democratic Party New York (state) state senators LGBTQ state legislators in New York (state) People with HIV/AIDS 1955 births Living people Lehigh University alumni New York City Council members American gay politicians American LGBTQ city council members LGBTQ people from New York (state) 21st-century members of the New York State Legislature 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature