6-06-07, 9:38 am

Democratic presidential candidate Governor Bill Richardson is breaking his silence on gay rights, reports IN magazine.

In fact, New Mexico Governor Richardson came out for PrideFest 2007 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa last weekend.

According to IN Magazine, Richardson has a record of dodging LGBT issues, and as recently as late May refused to answer questions put to him about gay marriage.

But Richardson's record is more complicated then the surface appears. One gay labor activist with UFCW was quoted by IN Magazine as saying, 'I think he really has been one of the most progressive governors in a not very progressive state, with respect to a whole host of issues in the LGBT community.'

New Mexico isn't New York or California, but under Richardson's tenure, the state has taken big strides towards equality for LGBT people. After taking office in 2003, Richardson signed both hate crimes and anti-discrimination laws that address sexual orientation and gender identity.

In 2004, the record gets bumpy. That year, gay couples took advantage of New Mexico law which commonsensically specified marriage as a contract between consenting parties without designating heterosexuality as the basic definition.

(The right wing argues that without a clear definition of marriage, heterosexual couples just won't know which end is up and marriage as an institution will fall apart. One wonders how marriage survived at all in New Mexico all these years without a clear heterosexual definition of marriage.)

After exchanging vows, a few dozen gay couples sought marriage licenses from their local governments. State Attorney General Patricia Madrid (D) arbitrarily ruled that the licenses were void and local police forcibly blocked gay couples from applying for them.

According to a CNN story from 2004, Richardson's spokesperson declared the governor's opposition: 'The governor has always been a champion for human rights. He supports equal rights and opposes all forms of discrimination. However, he is opposed to same sex marriage.'

All forms, except marriage inequality, I guess.

That same year, New Mexico's Department of Health's HIV/AIDS program came up short of cash, and Richardson's office swung into action with an influx of dollars to keep the program going. The governor is now pledging to elevate the fight against AIDS, nationally and internationally, to a cabinet level office and to make it a central effort of his administration. Serious relief after 8 years of promises and abstinence-only and anti-gay policies from the current White House.

But if you are looking for his 'gay agenda' your aren't likely to find much, except the broad brush strokes. He was quoted by IN magazine as saying, 'I believe that gay people are part of the American mainstream. I would not treat gay people as a minority. I would treat them as individuals that should have full rights.'

He still opposes gay marriage and cites his religious background for doing so. But he says, 'I would support civil unions for gay people. I would support a national effort to eliminate discrimination of gay people – a federal domestic partners law. I would be an advocate for these issues, not somebody who talks about them and then does nothing.' Richardson further stated that the gay marriage issue is so divisive that the federal government should allow the states to handle it.

While in Congress, Richardson voted against President Clinton's 'don't ask, don't tell policy,' widely regarded as patently unfair towards gays and lesbians who seek to serve in the military with honor and equality. He reiterates his views on this point: 'I would also get rid of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ because we’ve got men and women who serve this country who should be honored for their service – not quizzed about their sexual predilections.'

Ok, gay rights and equality issues may not by the most pressing of the day for most people. But democracy is a basic American value and human right, and is not divisible. Either we all have it or none of us do. Straight couples don't need a law to tell them who they can love. But fairness tells us that the legal status and social benefits that accompany marriage should not be exclusive to a certain group of people.

On the burning issues of the day, Richardson brings much thoughtfulness and reason. On the Iraq war, he has pledged to end it. On international tensions and US isolation, Richardson plans to wield his immense diplomatic experience and skill to bringing all parties to the table. He has pledged to halt the sliding standard of living for working families with fair trade and workers' rights protections. Do you think health care needs to be expanded to cover everyone? Richardosn wants to do it. You want a new direction on environmental issues to halt global warming? Richardson has a plan. Take some time to read his positions at .

Sens. Clinton, Obama, and Edwards get a lot of media attention with flashy, well-financed campaigns, but Governor Bill Richardson with his solid record, his understanding of the needs of ordinary folk, and straight talk may just win him the ear of the voters.

--Reach Joel Wendland at