He might just be the gayest candidate yet in a circus of “gay friendly” president hopefuls working to steel the GLBT community’s vote in ‘08.  Rudy Giuliani is definitely giving gay Republicans something to sing about and right wingers a good cry.

Rudolph William Louis Giuliani III grew up in Brooklyn, New York.  From very humble roots, his parents were immigrants that came to America in search of a better life.  Giuliani went to Manhattan College for his undergraduate career and New York University School of Law, where he graduate cum laude.  He has had a successful career as a lawyer, prosecutor, business man, mayor, lecturer and now president hopeful. 

Giuliani is most noted for his role in the recovery effort post 911, when he was serving as Mayor of New York and was later pegged America’s Mayor.”  At that time, Rudy was praised by the media for his leadership and helped move the country forward after such a horrific event.  But it wouldn’t be long before the media took a deeper look at Giuliani and a new side would be revealed.      

Giuliani’s personal life has more colors than that of a pride flag sitting directly atop the White House.  Giuliani has been married not one, not two, but three times.  He married his current wife, Judith Nathan on May 24, 2003, adding that third notch to his belt.  Rudy faced harsh criticism when the relationship between him and his son went sour because of a bitter divorce.  Furthermore, Giuliani was heavily criticized when the Washington Post broke a story that “supposedly” he had moved in with a gay couple after a messy breakup with his wife and while Giuliani was dating another woman.

So how gay is he really?  In 1998, he signed off on a local law that granted all New York City employees equal benefits for their domestic partners. Giuliani also allowed gays and lesbians to serve openly in his administration. 

And there is Giuliani’s funny side.  As the election has gotten closer, footage has reappeared of Giuliani dressed in drag doing a sort of Marilyn Monroe impression for a 2000 City Hall event in New York.  In the video, Giuliani is fondled by Donald Trump, among other things.  You-tubers have thrown the footage out on the Internet as the primaries are getting closer.  As it stands, the next good “ole” Republican candidate for president could very well be a former “drag queen.” 

With such an eventful past sometimes it is hard to focus on the real issues as opposed to Giuliani’s personal life.  But none-the-less, here is a summary of where he falls on all the big issues:

1. Gay Marriage- Like Hillary and Obama, he does not support gay marriage, but he does favor domestic partnerships.  Furthermore, he did not support Bush’s bill that would have ban gay marriage.  His website states, “Rudy Giuliani believes marriage is between a man and a woman. He does not - and has never - supported gay marriage. But he believes in equal rights under law for all Americans. That's why he supports domestic partnerships that provide stability for committed partners in important legal and personal matters, while preserving the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman.” 
2. The War in Iraq- Like other Republicans, he doesn’t believe in timetables.  His campaign websites states that, “Like all Americans, Rudy Giuliani prays for the success of our troops in Iraq and their safe return home. But he believes setting an artificial timetable for withdrawal from Iraq now would be a terrible mistake, because it would only embolden our enemies.”
3. Abortion- For Rudy this is a decision between a woman and her doctor.  But he does advocate parental notification with a judicial bypass and a ban on partial birth abortion – except when the life of the mother is at stake.
4. Guns in America- In 2000 he stated that, “My position for many years has been that just as a motorist must have a license, a gun owner should be required to have one as well. Anyone wanting to own a gun should have to pass a written exam that shows that they know how to use a gun, that they’re intelligent enough and responsible enough to handle a gun.”
5. Education- Rudy supports school vouchers.  In his book titled Leadership he argues, “Those who oppose vouchers tend not to understand them. For those of us who believe in the concept, it's our job to defang the word, to counter the irrational reaction to it. The more supporters say the word, the less opponents can milk it for propaganda reasons.”

Although, he is trying his hardest to slide back into a more conservative footing, his actions speak louder than his words.  For now, Rudy is the Republican presidential front runner.  And if you had to vote Republican, Giuliani wouldn’t be such a drag.

For more information about Rudy Giuliani and a more complete view of where he stands on the issues, you can visit his campaign website at:  http://www.joinrudy2008.com/.