Governor’s record on gays examined

BOSTON – Gov. Mitt Romney’s beliefs on gay issues are under scrutiny after the re-emergence of a letter he wrote during his 1994 run for U.S. Senate in which he promised a gay Republicans group he would be a stronger advocate for gays than Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Romney’s views in the letter contrast with recent statements by the Massachusetts governor, who has emphasized his opposition to gay marriage as he positions himself as a committed conservative in preparation for an expected 2008 run for the Republican presidential nomination.

The 1994 letter was written to the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts, a gay Republican group, when Romney was courting gay voters during his unsuccessful campaign against Kennedy.

Citing Kennedy’s record of advocacy for gays and lesbians, Romney wrote, “For some voters, it might be enough to simply match my opponent’s record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will.”

A gay-oriented Massachusetts newspaper, Bay Windows, has also released a transcript of a 1994 interview with Romney during the Senate race in which he pledged strong advocacy for the gay community.

Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, said Romney’s comments were “quite disturbing.”

“This is going to create a lot of problems for Governor Romney,” he told the New York Times in Saturday’s editions. “He is going to have a hard time overcoming this.”

Romney was wrapping up a weeklong trip to Asia on Saturday and could not be reached for comment.