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Mark Ferrandino

Posted by administrator | December 5, 2008

Colorado State Representative Ferrandino explains how Milk has inspired him.

Mark Ferrandino

Mark Ferrandino
Colorado State Representative
Democrat

Was Harvey Milk an inspiration to you when you ran for public office? What is it that inspired you about him?

Harvey Milk has been a major inspiration to me when running for public office. As the first openly gay man elected to substantial political office, Harvey Milk broke down barriers for all LGBT candidates. He showed all of us that you could be elected to public office while also being honest about who you are. The story of his life inspired me to run for office as an openly gay man instead of trying to hide my life with my partner.

What has changed the most for a lesbian/gay politician since the days of Harvey Milk?

Thanks to Harvey Milk's leadership we have seen major increases in the number of elected LGBT officials at all levels of government. This increase in elected officials has helped to foster acceptance of the LGBT community, and the advancement of equal rights. In addition, since 1977 the LGBT community has become a visible community that has built organizations that help support LGBT candidates and fight for equal rights. Today it is much easier to be an openly LGBT candidate than it was in 1977; however, we still have a long way to go until the day that a candidates sexual orientation has no impact on their election.

Mark Ferrandino was first elected to the Colorado House of Representatives through a vacancy committee in September 2007 to complete the term of Representative Mike Cerbo. Mark has a long history of working in Democratic politics and on important issues facing our State and Nation. In 2007 Mark was awarded the Colorado Young Democrat of the Year Award for his work on behalf of the Democratic Party and candidates across Colorado. Mark we re-elected in 2008 with roughly 80 percent of the vote in both the primary and general election.