NEWS US: Staten Island elects 1st openly gay official March 30, 2007 Matthew Titone NEW YORK, NY — The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund has congratulated its endorsee, Matthew Titone, who won a special election on Tuesday to represent the 61st District in the New York State Assembly. Assemblyman-elect Titone, a Democrat, becomes the first openly gay elected official from the New York City borough of Staten Island, and joins three other openly gay New York state legislators. "The people of Staten Island have chosen an able and talented representative, and our community has gained a courageous leader," Chuck Wolfe, president and CEO of the Victory Fund, said in a release. "Matt's presence in the Assembly will strengthen the influence of the LGBT community at an important moment." More than 370 openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) elected public officials serve in the U.S. at all levels of government, up from just 49 when the Victory Fund was founded in 1991. Victory, the nation's largest LGBT political action committee, is the only national organization dedicated to increasing the number of out elected officials. Source: www.victoryfund.org. – – Issued by Gay Link Content Related stories Closeted gay men lead US radical right?