Margarita López is an openly lesbian former New York City Council Member who represented the Lower East Side and the East Village, Manhattan from 1998 to 2005. López was elected to the Council in 1997. Born in Puerto Rico, her family relocated to New York City when she was a young child. A Democrat representing District 2 in the city council, she was the only openly gay Puerto Rican American politician in that organization for some time. During her years of political service, she has particularly emphasized increasing city services, renovating neighborhood libraries, and championing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.