Diane Savino and Tom Duane, two of New York’s biggest backers for marriage equality, are headed to the Golden State in order to bask in the accolades of LGBT activists at the San Diego Pride Parade:

Writes the  San Diego Gay and Lesbian News website:

Two New York senators who played key political roles in passing their state’s marriage equality law on June 24 will be participating this weekend in San Diego LGBT Pride events…

As the first and only openly gay member of the Senate, who has also disclosed that he is HIV-positive, Duane introduced New York’s marriage equality bill, which he says “eliminates one of the last remaining hurdles to full LGBT equality in New York State.” Since first elected to the Senate in 1998, Duane has been a staunch and vocal supporter for LGBT civil rights, sexual abuse survivors and the HIV/AIDS community…

Savino, a heterosexual who came to the Senate in 2004, was among the marriage equality bill’s strongest supporters. For the past two years, she has called on her fellow senators to “make history” in poignant assembly arguments favoring the bill. During the effort, she publicly stated: “We have nothing to fear from love and commitment.”

Savino, who represents Staten Island and Brooklyn, and Duane, from the west side of Manhattan, are not the only legislators who helped pass gay marriage who are receiving a measure of fame. Poughkeepsie Senator Stephen Saland was recently profiled by Time Magazine. And Savino’s 2009 speech in favor of the bill went viral and led to a degree of Internet celebrity for the lawmaker, even leading Jezebel to tout Savino for President 2016

Follow David Freedlander via RSS.