Giuliani and Gay Rights: 1997-98, 2002, 2007

In his current campaign Giuliani has re-stated his position on gay rights to make himself as pleasing to Christian conservatives as possible. The Boston Globe reports:

He began distancing himself from civil unions in late April, when his campaign told The New York Sun that New Hampshire's new law goes too far because it is "the equivalent of marriage," which he has always opposed for gays.

Giuliani's aides offered little explanation of what specific rights he would support for same-sex couples.
In an interview and follow-up e-mails, Maria Comella, the campaign's deputy communications director, told the Globe that Giuliani supports domestic partnership laws similar to the one he initiated in New York in 1998. The New York law primarily ensures benefits to partners of municipal employees.

The 1998 New York City domestic partnership law was the result of a political promise in an election campaign. Ten years later, another campaign is dictating his position.

In October 1997 Giuliani was running for re-election. His opponent was Ruth Messinger, Manhattan Borough President.

Giuliani was considered the easy victor, with even big-time Democrats such as Senator Pat Moynihan calling Messinger a lousy candidate. On October 21, 1997, The New York Times reported the most recent poll showing New Yorkers favoring Giuliani by 49% to 36% for Messinger.

That same October, Giuliani sent a letter to a New York State gay rights group, the Empire State Pride Agenda, making a pledge. According to The New York Times:

Mr. Giuliani sent a letter to Empire State Pride Agenda, promising ''in the near future to propose and lobby for passage of antidiscrimination legislation.'' The group, which had been expected to endorse Mr. Giuliani's opponent, Ruth W. Messinger, remained silent.

Giuliani won the election by a wide margin.

The following May, Giuliani introduced a bill to the New York City Council ensuring certain rights for 'domestic partners,' defined as unmarried couples both heterosexual and homosexual. Giuliani's bill codified and further specified executive orders signed by previous mayors.

Reaction to the bill was mixed among the gay community. Some said it was a great step forward. Others said it was mostly symbolic and would not add anything of substance to what mayors Koch and Dinkins had already ordered. The reality was that the bill was quite limited in scope (as were the original executive orders), basically affecting only city employees and the policies of city agencies.

Reaction by conservatives was not mixed. Local and national conservative and religious figures excoriated Giuliani. The Times said:

Mr. Giuliani seemed to be inviting trouble with a group he has become ever more conscious of: Republicans beyond New York. Many conservatives have criticized him over his support for gun control and abortion rights. Now, they have a new reason to reject the Mayor.

''By doing this, Giuliani has sealed his fate to remain, at best, a regional political figure,'' said Robert H. Knight, the director of cultural studies for the Family Research Council.

The Christian Coalition had a similarly scathing reaction. ''These sorts of measures undermine the messages of traditional morality that parents throughout the nation are attempting to instill in their children,'' said Arne W. Owens, the group's director of communications.

Today, Giuliani isn't looking for gay votes, much less need them. And the fuzzy definitions of how 'civil unions' differ from 'domestic partnerships' and how both differ from 'gay marriage' can work either for or against him, depending on the eye of the beholder.

The truth is, the '98 domestic partnership law did not do much to advance gay rights for New Yorkers. And it was not even close to current notions of civil unions, much less gay marriage.

It was the perception, not the reality, that most people remembered. The same is true today.

Giuliani would like voters to think he never really cared about gay rights. And maybe he didn't. Perhaps it was a political sham. Just another example of the 'gay friendly' pantomime that every modern mayor of New York must go through to get elected.

But...

Rudy did not need to make his pledge to the Empire State Pride Agenda to win the election.

And he did not need to keep his promise to the gay lobby in order to succeed in his second and final term as mayor.

And he didn't need to send the following letter to the Stonewall Veterans Association in June of 2002 commemorating the Stonewall riots of 1969. He wrote:

June 25, 2002

Stonewall Veterans' Association
70-A Greenwich Ave.
New York, NY 10011

Dear Friends:

I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to you on the occasion of the 33rd anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Rebellion. The work of the Stonewall Veterans' Association keeps the spirit of the rebellion alive. The Rebellion was a triumph at a time when the struggle for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Civil Rights was just beginning.

Over the past several decades, S.V.A. has preserved the spirit of the original rebellion and continues to work tirelessly for the cause of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender and Human Rights in general. Your educational program is exceptional in helping others to learn about the cause, the history and to fight prejudice.

Again, I would like to extend my congratulations and commend you on a job well done.

Sincerely,

Rudolph W. Giuliani

Giuliani chose to recognize the gay community in those, and many other ways, when he was mayor.

And now he chooses to forget it.

Comments

[THS]

Terrific! It's very entertaining to see Rudy contradict his earlier positions so that he can win the votes of people who hold antiquated, intolerant views of gay rights and women's rights.

Would love to see this letter find its way into the hands of all Christian conservatives, especially those who are impressed with his "strength" because he stood behind a podium and uttered a couple of graceful sentences on 9/11.

It's hard to imagine anyone worse than Bush, but Giuliani might just fit the bill.

[THS]

Terrific! It's very entertaining to see Rudy contradict his earlier positions so that he can win the votes of people who hold antiquated, intolerant views of gay rights and women's rights.

Would love to see this letter find its way into the hands of all Christian conservatives, especially those who are impressed with his "strength" because he stood behind a podium and uttered a couple of graceful sentences on 9/11.

It's hard to imagine anyone worse than Bush, but Giuliani might just fit the bill.

[dmeyers]

hey, did you see the new Giuliani ad that says makes the 'connection' between Larry Craig and Fred Thompson? http://bigheaddc.com/2007/09/04/abrad2345-was-molested-by-larry-craig-too/
LMAO.