Giuliani's Queer
Record Revisited by Gay Organization in New York

Will the real Rudy Giuliani please stand up? That's the question the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York's LGBT civil rights organization, was asking Wednesday when it released "The Giuliani Files," a survey of his fairly progressive record on LGBT issues while serving as mayor of New York City. Giuliani has been distancing himself from gays as he seeks the GOP nomination for president.

The files created quite a splash, receiving coverage in The Washington Post and New York magazine, among others.

According to the Pride Agenda, not only did Giuliani show a willingness to engage in a dialogue with the LGBT population, he:

* took part in the annual NYC Pride March and held annual pride celebrations at Gracie Mansion, where he lived as mayor

* established and funded a Hate Crimes Task Force in 2000 so the city could fully investigate and prosecute bias cases

* was one of the first Republicans in New York to publicly support statewide and federal hate-crimes bills that covered violence motivated by antigay hatred

* supported the passage of a statewide sexual orientation nondiscrimination bill

* maintained $1.5 million in funding in the city's budget for the LGBT community center's capital campaign

* made high-level appointments of openly LGBT people to his administration

* signed domestic-partner legislation in 1998 that at the time was the strongest such law of its kind in the nation. (The Advocate)