May 04, 2007  |  By: JOSHUA LYNSEN  | COMMENTS     

Some 2008 presidential contenders are shifting their stances on gay issues after lawmakers in Iowa and New Hampshire, two key primary states, passed measures granting new rights.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, the Republican frontrunner and a longtime gay rights supporter, last week spoke out against New Hampshire’s plans to enact civil unions.

“In this specific case, the law states same-sex civil unions are the equivalent of marriage and recognizes same-sex unions from outside states,” his campaign told the New York Sun. “This goes too far and Mayor Giuliani does not support it.”

Meanwhile, Jessica Brackett of One Iowa, pro-gay group, said Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) carefully formulated a response when asked last week about rights associated with marriage.

“I asked him what his feelings were for marriage equality and civil unions,” she said, “and his response was that his heart was with us, but he cannot support full marriage equality, although he supports the same rights.”

Brackett said Obama’s response to the question she posed following a campaign event left her with the impression that the White House hopeful doesn’t necessarily oppose full marriage equality.

“My interpretation is that at this point he is not going to win an election by saying he supports marriage equality, but he believes we deserve the same rights,” she said.

Observers said the developments illustrate how some of the campaign’s leading candidates — now nine months away from primary season — are still refining their messages on gay issues.

Clyde Wilcox, a Georgetown University government professor, said Democrats like Obama are struggling to send inclusive messages while avoiding divisive debates.

 “The trick is that most Democrats don’t want this election to be about marriage,” he said. “They want it to be about Iraq.”

Wilcox said Giuliani, meanwhile, is attempting to recast himself as a social conservative to secure broader support among Republican primary voters.

“But if he backpedals on all he believes in, he just looks like everyone else,” Wilcox said. “It seems to me in his case that’s a mistake.”

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese agreed. He said Giuliani’s increasingly conservative stances could backfire.

 “In stepping back from some of his previously held positions to appease a conservative Republican electorate, I suspect he has not learned the lessons of his predecessors,” he said, “which is: you trade that in for being seen as a flip-flopper and not really holding true to any conviction.”

Wilcox noted that Giuliani’s latest shift could lead to some awkward questions on the campaign trail.

“You used to say civil unions — now you say domestic partnerships,” Wilcox said. “Tell me, which rights should they not have?”

Giuliani’s campaign offices did not respond to inquiries from the Blade.

Activists in Iowa, where the nation’s first presidential caucus is scheduled for Jan. 14, said they’re ready to question Giuliani and all other contenders.

“Questions from the LGBT community are going to come up everywhere and anywhere in the state of Iowa,” said Sandy Vopalka of Equality Iowa.

She said Equality Iowa and One Iowa are planning to work together to query candidates at every turn.

“We track whether somebody is wavering on issues,” Vopalka said. “If they’re saying something one day and the next they’re sitting with another group of individuals and say something completely different, we’re aware of that.”

Brackett said Iowa — which last month passed a bill outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, public accommodations, housing, education and credit practices — is primed to hear what each candidate has to say about gay issues.

“What I’ve seen is the candidates are a lot less nervous when they say the words gay and lesbian and bisexual and transgender,” she said. “And the fact that they’re even saying the word transgender is amazing to me.”

Solmonese said questions posed to most primary candidates are unlikely to provide significant revelations.

“In Iowa, are we clear that the entire Democratic field supports this non-discrimination bill? Sure,” he said. “The same thing is true in New Hampshire. We know the entire Democratic field supports civil unions.”

The New Hampshire legislature approved a civil unions bill last week and Gov. John Lynch (D) has said he will sign it.

Solmonese said questions directed toward Giuliani could yield some much-needed clarification.

“I think it also presents an opportunity for voters to get a look at the degree to which these candidates are true to their convictions,” Solmonese said, “and the degree to which they’ve been consistent in their convictions.”