27 Facts About Mark Leno

Mark Leno was born on September 24,1951 and is an American politician who served consecutively in both houses of the California State Legislature from 2002 to 2016.

Mark Leno was previously one of the first two openly gay men to serve in the California State Assembly.

Mark Leno was valedictorian of his graduating class at the American College in Jerusalem, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree.

Mark Leno spent two years in rabbinical studies at Hebrew Union College in New York.

Mark Leno lived his first four years in the Tenderloin before moving to the Noe Valley neighborhood.

In 1978, Mark Leno started Budget Signs as owner and operator.

Mark Leno was appointed to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors by Willie Brown in April 1998.

Mark Leno was elected citywide to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in November 1998 and re-elected in the reinstated district races of 2000.

Mark Leno's district included The Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, Diamond Heights, Twin Peaks, Duboce Triangle, and the westernmost part of the Mission District.

Mark Leno authored legislation to ban mercury thermometers, one of the first such proposals in the country.

Mark Leno was a statewide spokesman for the No on Proposition 22 campaign.

In 2001, Mark Leno successfully introduced an ordinance providing equal access to the city's health plan for transgender employees of San Francisco.

Mark Leno was elected to the California State Assembly in 2002 and was re-elected in 2004 and 2006.

In 2005, Mark Leno authored AB 849, a bill legalizing same-sex marriages that became the first bill of its kind to pass a legislative body in the United States.

In 2007, Mark Leno introduced AB 43, the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, that would have allowed for same-sex marriage.

Mark Leno authored AB 706 to prohibit the use of fire retardants in upholstered furniture.

Mark Leno authored AB 2573 to allow San Francisco public utilities to install solar panels on public infrastructure.

Mark Leno authored Assembly Bill 1358, the California Complete Streets Act, to require cities and counties to consider including walking and bicycling in their general plans.

Mark Leno coauthored the AB 583, California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, to bring public financing to political campaigns.

Mark Leno was a principal co-author of SB 840, the Single-Payer Universal Health Care Act, which would have provided health care coverage for all Californians and would have replaced hundreds of health insurance companies with state-provided coverage.

Mark Leno has been recognized by LGBT organizations, civil rights advocacy groups, and non-profits throughout his tenure for his commitment to public service and for authoring legislation to combat discrimination, protect the rights of all Californians, and lift millions out of poverty.

In 2003, Mark Leno earned recognition from the American Heart Association, the California Association of Food Banks and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

In 2004, Mark Leno received the Award of Courage from American Foundation for AIDS Research and was honored by the Lesbian and Gay Lawyers Association of Los Angeles at their 25th Anniversary.

Also in 2004, Mark Leno received a President's Award as part of the Pantheon of Leather Awards.

Mark Leno was the first out leatherman to be a state legislator in the United States.

Mark Leno served as Chair of the California Legislative LGBT Caucus.

Mark Leno received the California Community Choice Aggregation Champion award in 2014 for his dedication to green energy by Marin Clean Energy.