Mitt Gets Worse: Danny O'Donnell

NY Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell was the prime sponsor of New York's Marriage Equality Act, a bill he led to passage in the Assembly five times since 2007. The bill was signed into law in June 2011. O'Donnell also sponsored the Dignity for All Students Act, New York's comprehensive anti-bullying law, which requires public schools in New York to combat bias-based bullying and harassment.

In this video, O'Donnell speaks about his experience fighting for equality in New York and Mitt Romney's disappointing record.




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For the last ten years, I had the vote of my
life. To fight for equality.

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To fight for children.

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To make our country a better, fairer more
equal place.

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There's one thing I know for sure.

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That if we elect Mitt Romney,

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my life will get much worse.

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My name is Danny O'Donnell and I'm the
first openly gay man ever to be elected

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to the New York State Assembly.

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As an assembly member here in New York,
I led the fight for marriage equality,

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getting my chamber to pass the marriage
bill five times before it was signed into law.

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I also wrote the most comprehensive
anti-bullying bill in the nation, which

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went into effect July 1st of this year.

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And it made me very sad to know that a
colleague from Long Island, whose own

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cousin was bullied as a child,

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changed his vote from a "yes" to a "no"

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because conservative leaders in the
state of New York told them he needed to

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do so to have their support.

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As a state legislator, I often look to
other states to see how they're

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addressing the problems in our society.

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So I looked to Massachusetts, wondering
how they were dealing with bullying.

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And I was very distressed to learn that
Governor Romney refused to send out a

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booklet to schools because included
protections for transgender children.

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When it comes to leadership,

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you need to look at someone's record.

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Not just what they say,

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but also what they've done.

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And when you look at Governor Romney's
record, well,

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it's abysmal.

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He has moved further and further away
from things he used to say he believes

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in.

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A few months ago, the president travelled to
Albany, where I work as a state

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legislator,

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and I got to meet him.

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For the first time in my life,

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I shook the hand of the sitting president of the
United States.

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And not wanting to miss an opportunity, I
went right up to him and said, "Mr.

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President,

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I'm the man who pass marriage equality
here in New York."

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He looked a little nervous.

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Afraid of what I might say next.

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And then I told him that my husband and
I got married on January 29th,

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and in our wedding, not one single
heterosexual was harmed.

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He burst out laughing, and then I told them
that since January, not one

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straight person the entire country

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has had anything bad happened to them

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because I had a marriage license.

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The next day he went on nationwide
TV

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and told the country that he supports my
right to be a full American.

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If you're a member of the LGBT
community,

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or if you're a supporter

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of the LGBT community,

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or just somebody who believes that America
means equality,

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I want to tell you that the difference
in this election is very clear.

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We have a choice. We can move forward, and
we can let life get better,

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or we can move backwards.

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One thing is very clear.

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With Mitt Romney as president,

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it would get worse.

• Category

  People & Blogs

[Shadowsden89]

Actually, if you know anything about American History, you'll know that its the smaller, less powerful people that bring the most progress. The original Republican party was quite small and powerless at the beginning. Their whole foundation was brought into being because they believed that slavery should be abolished, while the major political parties of that time did not. And lets not forget the Women's Rights movement by a whole gender that was greatly oppressed, but ultimately won in the end.

[Shadowsden89]

The president has to represent ALL of the people within the nation, and Romney can't do that. For the simple fact that he is so closed minded to people that are different than him. He thinks of America as a business, not as a country FILLED with diverse people. Which is why I'm voting Stein/Honkala. They are the only ones who have any dignity, has not sold out to large corporations, and who I can trust to fight for the equal rights of ALL people.

[Shadowsden89]

I cannot trust someone who thinks that a large percent of the population are second class citizens, that same sex couples and their children are not families, that gay/transgender teens and children should not have some sort of protection in school, and who thinks that people in each state should be able to vote on what rights the LGBT community are "allowed" to have. That is not only wrong, it goes against the whole idea behind America.

[Shadowsden89]

Oh, and had you bothered to ask, you would know that I'm not voting for Obama. But not because I don't believe him, but because I've not seen much improvement during his current term. But I'd rather vote for him than for a man I have zero respect for, and not just at a political level, but at a basic human level.

[Shadowsden89]

How is the oppression of a large percent of our population not a major concern? People are being denied basic human rights because they have accepted who they are. How is that right? How is a nation that claims all of its people are equal, but then only provide that equality for a certain type of person, just? Its hypocrisy at its finest.

[Turdman12]

Cool. And the heavily religious people, left and right, have a fair share of people who dislike homosexuality and wish they would cure this disease." Me? Not religious - don't care. But the economy and nuclear proliferation are far more pressing issues than the left trying to tear Romney down to reelect a guy who actually doesn't support gay marriage either, but told people he did to score their vote. Which apparently worked with you at least. Shocked that gays being married ranks so high.

[Turdman12]

So in other words - homosexuals having the right to marry > fixing the economy?

Are you THAT concerned with "being trendy and hip" that you put something far less significant than the current economy, as more important? It amazes me that people like yourself ACTUALLY BELIEVE that Obama was telling the truth claiming he...right before an election...flipped on gay marriage. Rofl @ you if you actually believe him. That's really sad.

[Turdman12]

Uh, yeah I have done my research. My research also tells me that those four guys have no chance of getting elected. If you want to pretend they do - be my guest. But methinks you actually do know they have no chance, but will opt to play semantics games instead.

[Shadowsden89]

And clearly you have not done your research if you think Romney and Obama are the only candidates in this race. There are four other candidates in the running... Jill Stein, Rocky Anderson, Gary Johnson, and Virgil Goode. You can find information about ALL the candidates and their stances at isidewithDOTcom

[Shadowsden89]

He not only hates gay marriage, he hates homosexuality period. He tried to overturn marriage equality in Massachusetts, and denied protection and suicide prevention programs for LGBT YOUTH. What kind of PERSON not only oppresses, but refuses to provide protection and help for CHILDREN who face prejudism every day of their lives? He doesn't even consider same sex couples (and their children) a family.