Proudly political.

As the midterm election looms, GenQ recognizes the young gays and lesbians working their butts off behind the political scenes. They're interns knocking on doors, political staffers paying their dues, and recent grads carving a place for themselves in the Beltway and beyond. These young politicos are operating in a world that, for the moment, means catching sleep when you can, and living on Doritos and espresso when you can't.

Kristin Ann Fine

Age: 20

Hometown: Dallas; now resides in Washington, D.C.

Profession: student

Schools: Tulane University, American University

Before lesbian politico Kristin Fine could focus on helping the Democrats take back the House, she needed to ensure that the people of New Orleans had homes. Fine was attending Tulane when Katrina forced her to evacuate to New Jersey. While temporarily at Rutgers, Fine continued in her role as the president of Tulane's College Democrats and helped organized the "New Year for New Orleans" project, which brought busloads of College Democrats together to help repair damaged homes.

The hurricane, and all the governmental dysfunction that surrounded it, left Fine with a "sense of urgency to get good people elected." She went on to become the national chair for the College Democrats of America's GLBT Caucus and currently serves as the CDA's national political affairs director. In this role, she helped mobilize the "College Democrats Equality Invasion" to canvass against Wisconsin's anti-gay marriage amendment. For Fine, the eagerness of the CDA to launch a pro-LGBT initiative indicates "the youngest generation of Democrats is passionately committed to LGBT rights."

Fine is currently interning with the Democratic National Committee's Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council and will return to New Orleans in the spring to complete her junior year at Tulane, where she is studying political science and women's studies.

John Byrne

Age: 25

Hometown: Norfolk, N.Y.; now resides in Buffalo, N,Y.

Profession: campaign operative, PAC chair, law student

Schools: St. Lawrence University, Clarkson University, University at Buffalo Law School 

At the age of 13, John Byrne found political inspiration from an unlikely source: Rush Limbaugh. It was the conservative radio commentator's ranting that first stoked Byrne's political fires, but, Byrne says, "when Jerry Falwell blamed the gays for 9/11, the gloves came off." In response, Byrne started a political action committee and decided to go to law school to fight against those "working to marginalize our community." His PAC organizes young Democrats across 41 counties.

"If we take the [New York] state senate, we'll have gay marriage," says Byrne. Nationally, Byrne believes LGBT activists need to move away from a combative message toward Middle America if they hope to achieve hill marriage rights.

Byrne has worked on numerous campaigns including an unsuccessful run by openly gay New York State attorney general candidate Sean Maloney. He's currently working on his new organization, WinUpstate.com, focused on supporting progressive state senate candidates, and he continues his law studies at University at Buffalo.

Wayne Ting

Age: 22

Hometown: Lincoln, Neb.; now resides in New York City 

Profession: recent grad, working for management consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

School: Columbia University, BA in political science

During the 2004 Democratic primary season, Wayne Ting was one of just half a dozen full-timers on John Kerry's New York staff. Ting went on to chair the GLBT Caucus of the College Democrats of America, where he organized celebrities and MTV cast members to rally LGBT college students.

Growing up gay and Taiwanese in Lincoln, Ting identifies with outcasts: "I was the ultimate outsider. The experience gave me common ground with those also locked out of the mainstream."

Though he works on many LGBT issues, Ting doesn't focus on just one cause. He served as class president at Columbia University, founded a chapter of a national fraternity, and now works at McKinsey & Co., garnering a business perspective that he plans to apply to his politics. "Being gay will always be a part of me, but never a limiting part of me," says Ting.

For more GenQ politico profiles go to Advocate.com.