43. David Kilmnick

As one of Long Island’s most prominent activists, David Kilmnick has tirelessly fought for the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community for more than 22 years. Kilmnick’s career began with the founding of Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) in 1993, and in 2005 he established Services and Advocacy for LGBT Elders-Long Island (SAGE-LI) and the Long Island LGBT Community Center in Bay Shore, which has grown into a network of four such centers, even expanding into Queens. These all fall under the umbrella of the LGBT Network, which provides myriad services for LGBT youth and seniors. Kilmnick has proved adept at generating support from the local community and elected officials, and despite historic LGBT victories, including last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling making gay marriage the law of the land, he hasn’t taken a break from furthering the cause, recently spearheading a plan for a LGBT senior living facility in Bay Shore, believed to be the first such housing unit in the tri-state area.