Log Rolling

While some Republicans were laying down their hard-earned scratch for tickets to a pricey luncheon fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum in the suburbs earlier this week, other Republicans pointedly avoided the event as they have no plans to support the re-election of the junior senator next year.

Log Cabin of Philadelphia, a gay Republican organization, convened at the Loews Hotel last Thursday to bestow their annual Abe Award to fellow Republican Malcolm Lazin. The group traditionally meets in the Lincoln Room at the Union League but opted for a more modern location this year.

Former Philadelphia Log Cabin President David Greer came up from Washington, D.C. to present Lazin with the award. Greer, a contractor for the U.S. Department of Transportation, said during the cocktail reception that he thinks Santorum's success will depend on how President George Bush is doing during election season.

"I see Santorum tied to Bush on how the Iraq war is going and on the issue of Social Security," said Greer. "And, I am offended by Santorum's statements on the Lawrence and Garner case."

Lawrence and Garner v. Texas was a case in which two gay men were arrested in 1998 for having sex at home. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 when the high court ruled six to three that sodomy laws are unconstitutional.

Commenting that April, Santorum said, "If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything."

It became clear at the event that Santorum does not get a Christmas card from any of these men. They seem to be on the same page as the gay and lesbian Democrats who are busy plotting Santorum's political demise.

"Gay trumps party," said David Traupman, who attended with his partner Jesse Walters, a former Log Cabin state chair. Walters made national news last summer when he dropped out as a Pennsylvania delegate for the Republican National Convention because of Bush's stance on gay marriage.

Dwight Bechtel, a Log Cabin member, said he's not voting for Santorum either. "Santorum is a homophobe," said Bechtel, who agreed with Traupman that gay trumps party. "And [Bob] Casey is Santorum light."

The conservative Democrat Casey plans to run against Santorum next year but, as a Republican organization, Log Cabin cannot endorse a Democrat. They can, however, choose not to endorse any candidate at all, as was the case last year when they did not support Bush because he doesn't support gay marriage.

Philadelphia Log Cabin President John Partain said he doubted Log Cabin would endorse Santorum and state Log Cabin Chair Michael Stara agreed, saying, "Santorum has extremist views."

The general consensus was that it will be a tight race.

In his opening remarks, Greer said that gay Republicans have not had an easy time when they are outnumbered by gay Democrats. "It was a tough year last year to advance the gay Republican agenda and to let the party know that I am a Republican but I am also a gay man," said Greer.

Lazin, a longtime Log Cabin member and former assistant U.S. attorney, is now the executive director of Equality Forum. Founded in 1993 as PrideFest, Equality Forum is a nonprofit that presents substantive programs one weekend a year and celebrates and promotes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality.

"I am very honored to receive the Abe Award because there is not a shadow of a doubt that Abe Lincoln was a gay man. And it is totally clear that James Buchanan was also a gay president," said Lazin.

Later, Lazin said he thinks Santorum is vulnerable and that Casey will beat him with the help of the governor.

"Ed Rendell will help Casey," said Lazin, referring to Rendell's re-election campaign next year.

Queen for a Day

City Commissioner Margaret Tartaglione rode on the float with the drag queen Miss Philly Pride at last Sunday's PrideDay parade.

"She had a wonderful time," reported Rick Lombardo, a Democratic committeeman in Tartaglione's ward who escorted her around and was instrumental in her involvement with the LGBT Pride Parade and Festival. "She met all the movers and shakers in the community. Marge also supports the William Way Community Center and the AIDS walk."

In other gay news, rumors are circulating that Cher will be an additional act at the Sunoco Philadelphia Freedom Concert on July 4, along with Elton John, Bryan Adams, Patti LaBelle and Rufus Wainwright, and that she will be attending the Philadelphia Freedom Ball -- the HIV/AIDS fundraiser prior to the concert.

Philadelphia Gay News Publisher Mark Segal, a main organizer of both events, had no comment.