I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around this, but gubernatorial candidates from
both parties were present at Boston's annual Pride parade and festival over the weekend. We've become used to the Democrats shining up to us at our annual celebrations, but now it seems the Republicans, at least the more moderate ones, are shining up to the gays. What gives this an even more bizarre twist, however, is that the candidates for Massachusetts governor seem to be trying to "out gay" each other to show who's got more queer street cred.
On Top reports:
All but one of the candidates running for Massachusetts governor made an appearance Saturday during Boston's gay pride parade, the Boston Globe reported. And Governor Deval Patrick walked away with the state's largest gay advocate's endorsement.
Governor Deval Patrick, a Democrat who is campaigning to keep his job, marched in the parade with his daughter Katherine, who publicly announced last year that she's gay.
Also marching in the parade was Republican candidate Charles D. Baker. Baker was flanked by two openly gay men: his brother Alexander and his running mate, Senate Minority Leader Richard Tisei.
Independent candidate State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill was the only gubernatorial candidate that did not work the parade's estimated 35,000 crowd.
About 200 organizations marched from Tremont St. to City Hall Plaza, where revelers enjoyed the annual gay pride festival.
Gay rights group MassEquality endorsed Patrick for governor after the parade.
While both candidates support the state's gay marriage law, Baker angered gay rights activists in April when he distanced himself from a transgender protections bill cosponsored by his running mate Tisei.
The bill, which would ban discrimination against transgender people in the areas of housing, employment and public accommodations, has gained little traction since its 2007 introduction.
Opponents of the measure decried Tisei's support for the measure during the Republican convention that nominated the Baker-Tisei team. In an effort to quell the controversy, the campaign issued a statement saying that Baker would veto the bill if approved by lawmakers.
Patrick, on the other hand, has urged lawmakers to approve the transgender rights measure.
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