WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), dogged by press reports that he may be gay, is disputing a St. Petersburg Times report saying he told an audience of Republican Party activists in a conservative county that he opposes allowing gays to adopt children.

Foley has a mostly pro-gay voting record in the House of Representatives but emphasizes his conservative positions on other issues while campaigning for the Republican nomination for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat.

According to the Times, when asked at an Aug. 4 meeting of Republican Party activists whether his pro-gay positions are out of step with his party, Foley boasted about his support for the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 and reportedly said he opposes gay adoptions. The newspaper said Foley made his remarks before the Spirit of ‘76 Republican Club of Pasco County, which is located north of Tampa.

Kirk Fordham, chief of staff at Foley’s congressional office in Washington, said Foley disputes the accuracy of the newspaper’s report on his statement about adoption.

“He never said he opposes gay adoption,” Fordham said. “He said he supports DOMA, and that’s the best way to go on the gay marriage issue.”

Fordham said Foley pointed out at the Aug. 4 event that he voted against two proposed House amendments in past years seeking to restrict domestic partner benefits in San Francisco and calling for banning gay adoptions in D.C.

“We stand by our story,” said Mike Moscardini, city editor at the St. Petersburg Times’ Pasco County bureau.

Questions about Foley’s sexual orientation surfaced earlier this year when the New Times, a weekly newspaper in West Palm Beach, which is part of Foley’s district, published a front-page story saying Foley is gay. Foley refused to confirm or deny the paper’s report, saying his private life should not be part of the public discourse surrounding his candidacy for public office.

Foley said at the time that his political enemies, including Democratic Party activists, were attempting to spread rumors about his personal life by “dragging him through the gutter.” It was later reported that a Republican official spread the story via email.

Fred Ulmer, president of the Tampa Log Cabin Republicans, said Foley’s views on gay rights surfaced at another Republican Party event in Ocala, Fla., a short time after the Pasco County event.

In response to a question, Foley told the Ocala event he supports legislation giving the federal government authority to prosecute anti-gay hate crimes, Ulmer said.

Andy Eddy, an official with Log Cabin Republicans in Ft. Lauderdale, said Foley enjoys strong support among gay Republicans in Florida.

“I may not agree with him on all issues,” Eddy said. “But he is running in areas of the state where people are not similar to Ft. Lauderdale,” which is known as one of the state’s most gay-supportive areas.

“We have to ask ourselves, who else do we want in that office,” said Eddy, who noted that Foley’s GOP rivals in the primary are less supportive than Foley on gay issues.

Eddy said the state’s three Log Cabin clubs — his own in the Ft. Lauderdale area and clubs in Tampa and Orlando — are officially recognized affiliates of the Florida Republican Party and must remain neutral in the GOP primary.

Last year, Foley received a rating of 83 out of a possible 100 on gay issues from the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest gay political group. But since that time, Foley has withdrawn his position as a “lead” sponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a bill that would ban employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

Foley said he would remain a co-sponsor of the bill, but his withdrawal as one of three chief sponsors highlights his dilemma as a gay-supportive politician campaigning in a primary dominated by mostly conservative GOP voters.

MORE INFO
U.S. Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.)
104 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-5792
www.house.gov/foley

© Copyright 2006 Window Media LLC | User Agreement and Privacy Policy

Southern Voice | Express Gay News | David Atlanta | The 411 Mag | Genre Magazine