Danny O'donnell

I was born in Flushing, Queens and raised with my four siblings in Commack, Long Island. My parents were both first generation Irish immigrants, whose parents had to leave Ireland because of their religion. My Dad was the first in his family to go to college, and my Mom was a progressive homemaker. Unfortunately, when I was 12 my Mom died quickly o... f pancreatic cancer. My Dad was never the same, and my siblings and I largely raised ourselves. I put myself through college, and earned a B.A. in Public Affairs from George Washington University. In undergraduate school, I fell in love with someone who happened to be a man -my now husband John. After college, John and I moved to New York City together because it was one of the few places in the country where we knew we could live safely as a gay couple. In 1983, the City University of New York opened a public interest law school which I could afford. When I graduated, I didnt take my degree and go make money, instead I worked as a Public Defender in the criminal defense division of Brooklyns Legal Aid Society. For seven years, I represented New Yorkers who the system had failed, and defended those without financial means. After that, I used my experience to open a public interest law firm on the Upper West Side, where I helped clients with tenant representation and civil rights litigation, ranging from employee discrimination to First Amendment rights. In 2002 I proudly became the first openly gay man elected to the NY State Assembly. Since then, I have never stopped being a progressive voice for civil rights reforms. Ive been the prime sponsor of trailblazing bills, most notably the Marriage Equality Act, a bill I led to passage in the Assembly five times before it was taken up and passed by the Senate, and eventually signed into law in 2011. I have taken on issues big and small, and I am proud of the victories weve won. I was the sponsor of NYs anti-bullying law, the Dignity for All Students Act, successfully lowered NYC speed limits to 25mph, expanded sexual ...Read More