Not politics as usual for Sen. Tom Duane who makes impassioned speech for HIV-AIDS funding

I think this dramatic speech made Friday by New York State Sen. Tom Duane is getting even more attention because it is just unheard of for us to hear any politician speak their truth.

Duane, who is openly gay and HIV-positive, gave an impassioned 20-minute speech in support of a measure that would cap “shelter costs” (rent and utilities) costs for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Although the bill passed nearly unanimously, Duane was clearly worked up over some of the political games that seemed to be going on: “You think it’s funny? ‘We’ll kill Duane’s bill.’ No, you’re not killing my bill — you’re killing people,”

Duane, also the prime backer of the gay marriage legislation in New York, reminded lawmakers of the early 80s when the AIDS epidemic began klilling so many and government did nothing: “You think if you got sick and your friends were dying that I would sit there and do nothing? No. But that’s what happened. That’s what happened. Every cold. Every virus. Every temperature. I thought I’d be dead, and so did so many people that I knew. Dead! You think you scare me? You think you can make be back off? Nothing scares me.”

Powerful stuff.