GOP Is Not Law-and-Order Party On Immigration, Democrats Say

Gay Community Faults Dean

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean didn't make any new friends in the gay community last week when he appeared on Pat Robertson's "700 Club" show on the Christian Broadcasting Network and misstated his party's position on same-sex marriage.

Dean said "the Democratic Party platform from 2004 says marriage is between a man and a woman." In fact, the platform said: "We support full inclusion of gay and lesbian families . . . [M]arriage has been defined at the state level for 200 years, and we believe it should continue to be defined there."

Dean later retracted his comment, but it was one of several episodes that have led some in the gay community to question his commitment to their issues.

"This is not the first time he has misrepresented this important and affirming plank," said Matt Foreman, executive director of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, in a statement. He pledged to return a $5,000 contribution from the DNC. "Governor Dean's record on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues since becoming DNC chair has been sorely and sadly lacking."

Earlier this month, Dean fired the DNC's gay outreach adviser, Donald Hitchcock, less than a week after his domestic partner, Paul Yandura, had criticized Dean's efforts to protect gay rights. He was immediately replaced by another activist, but over the past year, other concerns have been raised about Dean's bridge-building to gays.

Jo Wyrick of the National Stonewall Democrats, which represents many gay Democrats, said the DNC is going through a process of internal reorganizing, adding: "This presents an opportunity for the DNC to reveal their plan for GLBT outreach."

Dean said in a statement that the party is committed to equal rights and will oppose constitutional marriage amendments.

Staff researcher Zachary A. Goldfarb contributed to this report.