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Monday, October 25, 2004
Barbara Lifton fundraiser featuring Daniel O'Donnell For such short notice, Barbara Lifton's re-election fundraiser Saturday night was both well attended and well executed. The food was as fantastic as the guest list, and the home the event was held in was beautiful. I admit I didn't get to try much of the food (including the brie, sorry Lauren) mostly because there were so many great conversations to be had in a relatively short time. Barbara is a great ally of the LGBT and progressive communities. With her re-election to the state assembly assured (she's running uncontested), most of the casual conversation focused on the national race. Ithaca is not George's bumper stickers were being passed out (not to me, and I am dying to find one), a witty send-up of the Ithaca is Gorges bumper stickers and t-shirts that are so common to anyone who's been in Ithaca. "Why are people already voting in Florida?" (we never did get a real answer to that one despite asking a number of people)... and of course, there was much discussion of the election night party at which the county Democrats will revel in their victories (or begin mourning a very big loss if the rest of the country proves not to be as enlightened as we are). Besides our assemblywoman, the featured guest for the fundraiser was Barbara's colleague and friend, Daniel O'Donnell. Daniel, Danny for the purposes of the fundraiser and this blog post, represents a chunk of New York City in the assembly. He has a sister, Rosie, who has become an LGBT rights activist in her own right, following a stint as host of a national talk show. (Was that the understatement of the century?) Danny is openly gay, in fact the first openly gay man elected to the state assembly. He and his partner are also plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging New York State's marriage laws. For all the above reasons, Danny has become a sought-after speaker at national LGBT fundraisers and events, and on the campaign trail. It was not hard to see why. Danny was extremely engaging and witty. He shared campaign anecdotes, assembly rivalries, run-ins with the New York Post gossip column, and some of the pros and cons of having a famous sister. Besides standing up for progressive causes in the assembly, he's also doing some good work off the floor, acting as a sort of one-man 'Queer Eye' crew. He and Barbara shop together often, and he advises other male members of the assembly with higher ambitions on their wardrobe choices. Unfortunately, I didn't get to talk to Danny much. I was introduced to him when I first arrived, and we had a brief exchange as he was leaving. He shook my hand and said, "You should be a politician." On what information he based this statement (besides my sniffy new outfit), I have no idea... ... but it definitely got me thinking about ways I could participate in the political system. | private feedback | |
Hey! I'm Shane... a proud gay progressive Democrat who has recently relocated to New York City from Ithaca, NY. As I am no longer in Ithaca, I haven't quite decided the fate of this blog. Drop me a line!
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