Deborah Glick

Deborah J. Glick (born December 24 1950) is an American politician from New York and a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly representing the 66th Assembly District in lower Manhattan.

She first ran for the legislature in 1990, being sworn in to office the following January when she became the state of New York's first openly gay state legislator. She has been re-elected every two years ever since. The 2007-8 term is her ninth in the Assembly.

Glick's political activity began in college and her involvement in grass roots organizing continues today. She has focused on areas relating to civil rights, reproductive freedom, Lesbian and Gay rights, environmental improvement and preservation, and the arts.

Glick is a lifelong resident of New York City. She received her B.A. from Queens College and her M.B.A. from Fordham University. She has followed an unconventional career path: seven years as a production supervisor for Steinway Pianos through a two-year stint as Deputy Director for the New York City Housing, Preservation and Development Agency.

In the Assembly, Glick has a generally left wing or "progressive" voting record. She has proposed bills that would prevent evictions based on a tenant's ownership of a pet, protect seniors from unwarranted evictions and provide domestic partnership for life partners. She is Chair of the Assembly committee on higher education, as well as a member of the influential Ways and Means and Rules committees.

The first openly LGBT member of the New York Legislature, she is today one of five, alongside Assemblymembers Micah Kellner, Daniel O'Donnell and Matthew Titone, and Senator Thomas Duane.