Referring to the notion that the 2008 Democrats are more supportive of gay rights than the Republicans, influential consultant and gay rights activist Ethan Geto offered me the following caveat:

"They are going to be so much more supportive than the Republican candidates, unless we have an anomaly -- and it's Rudy Giuliani. Because I must say, Rudy Giuliani is pretty damned gay friendly. I was a lobbyist during his administration on gay rights issues, and Giuliani -- I couldn't get Vallone (then City Council Speaker Peter Vallone) to sign off on the Domestic Partnership Bill, because he was afraid Giuliani was going to oppose him and leave him hanging out there and make him look bad - and Giuliani went and took the leadership."

UPDATE: Ben has a fascinating memo from the Empire State Pride Agenda detailing Giuliani's pragmatic "accommodation" with gay New York.

-- Jason Horowitz