VivirLatino

It was a lapse in judgment by Richardson. He apologized now and last year after it occurred. I think he was set up by Imus but he shouldn't gone down that path.

In the end, I judge candidates on their records. In Congress, Richardson voted against the Pentagon's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, and will reverse it when President. In New Mexico, a state evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, Richardson

* expanded anti-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
* provided state health insurance for domestic partnerships,
* signed into law the state's first hate crimes legislation for crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity,
* transformed health services in the state for AIDS patients.

And if the few state senators hadn't block it, the state would have now a Domestic Partner Rights Act. Richardson fought hard for the legislation. Have any of the other Presidential candidates called on their state legislatures and governors to enact Domestic Partners statutes?

Recently, the Bay Area Reporter, the leading LGBT paper for the San Francisco Bay Area, profiled Richardson:

B.A.R. publisher Thomas E. Horn, who was born and raised in New Mexico and whose family has been involved in the state's politics – an uncle served as a state legislator and then the state's Democratic Party chair in the 1950s and 1960s – first met Richardson when he served as a congressman.

"I really think he is the most qualified Democrat in the race for president," Horn wrote in an e-mail. "His track record is exceptional. He's done a fine job as governor ... and was re-elected with around 70 percent of the vote."

Horn, who said he expects to make an endorsement in the primary but has yet to back a candidate, said winning the southwest will be key to the Democrats taking back the White House. Not only does he see Richardson having an advantage in the West, but Horn also praised his gay rights track record.

"If a Democrat carries New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada, we don't need Ohio or Florida to win. Richardson is very popular throughout the southwest and stands the best chance of being able to do that," wrote Horn. "His record of LGBT issues has always been stellar."

Richardson has also been the only candidate that I'm aware of who has criticized Bush on his threat to veto Washington, DC appropriations bill because of the domestic partner registry. Richardson stated:

"I was disappointed to hear about the President's threat to veto the Washington, DC appropriations bill because of the Domestic Partner Registry. Let's be clear: this threatened veto is a veto of human rights and basic civil protections.

"The President says that he is the "decider." With this veto threat, he has once again decided to support the forces of intolerance. This bill is not radical and should not be controversial. It simply extends basic rights that most Americans already enjoy -- like hospital visitation, medical decision, and inheritance rights -- to committed domestic partnerships.

"It is particularly sad that the President would choose to issue this threat during Pride Month, which should be a celebration of GLBT Americans' contributions to our nation, as well as a celebration of the strides our nation has made towards full equality.

Finally, let me tell you one story I know from a friend who dealt directly with Richardson's campaign. Richardson likes staying at the homes of supporters on his trips - it helps him gain a much better understanding of the views of people across the nation than he would obtain if he checked into hotels. Plus, I think Richardson is a very social person and enjoys meeting new people.

In a visit either to San Francisco earlier this year, the supporter (my friend) who Richardson was going to stay with is gay, and lives in the Castro District of SF with his partner and children. Richardson didn't know in advance the supporter was gay. My friend didn't want to surprise Richardson and checked with the campaign as to whether Richardson would have any problem spending the night as his house. Richardson's response was absolutely not.

As it turned out Richardson's plans got shifted, he came into San Francisco the morning of the fundraiser - not the night before so he didn't need lodging. But the point is Richardson in his personal life is comfortable and welcoming of gays and does not practice discrimination.

"So while I may have declared Richardson "gay friendly" before, now I wonder if he's friendly to gays, Latinos, and obviously gay Latinos. "

How, in your mind, does all of his work for the LGBT community in NM get erased so simply by a minor political blunder on a shock radio program? Are your perceptions of candidates molded and altered so easily? because THAT would be pretty unimpressive.

I've written about many of the positive steps that Richardson has done for the GLBT community but I don't consider what happened minor. As I wrote I think had Richardson used F---t or even the N word people wouldn't be so quick to defend him. So I think the perception of race/ethnicity and homophobia in the Latino community have alot to do with the how what happened is being analyzed.

It most surely does matter that Richardson used a homophobic slur, on the Imus show no less. I mean, does he think there are no LBGT folk in the Chicano/Latino community?

And his defense of his remarks was weak---I knew what the m-word meant when I was a fourteen, long before I knew any Spanish. Misogynist and homophobic Spanish slurs are staples in many of the gangsta films that US kids grow up watching. And hell---even if it DID merely mean "gay," does it make it okay somehow? What is he saying?

Hey, this was a slip of the tongue, and possibly a famous, Don Imus setup for Bill. We who live under Bill's watch as governor have seen this state progress more than in most all of the other previous administrations this state has had. Certainly the governor before Bill did little, if anything, to forward the social progress for the people of this state. Bill has made this state a place to be glad you live here. While not perfect,
and knowing that a lot more has to be done, we have seen a tremendous growth in this state's economy, we are cleaning up our part of the environment, as best as we can, and in spite of being in the desert, we are becoming one of the greenest states in the country. I know Bill is gay friendly, he has to be, he lives in Santa Fe! He is truly the governor of ALL of the citizens of New Mexico, gay, straight, transgender, celibate
and anyone else that is in the gene pool in New
Mexico.