An overview of the policy preferences of Presidential candidates listed Bill Richardson as not supporting same-sex marriage. This caught my attention, and I wanted to look into Richardson's relationship with the gay community. I was happy with what I found.

According to Citizen Crain:

In his first term as governor, he led the state from nowhere to being ranked among the best in the nation on gay rights protections:

• He signed legislation expanding New Mexico civil rights laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity. (At the time, only three other states had included transgender protections.)
• He signed a hate crimes law that included actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity.
• He signed an executive order in 2003 extending health insurance and other benefits to the same-sex domestic partners of N.M. state employees.
• He's on record backing full-fledged civil unions and (unlike John Kerry) opposes state-level constitutional amendments banning gays from marrying.
• While in Congress, Richardson backed military service for out gay men and lesbians. That means, unlike Al Gore, John Kerry, John Edwards, Hillary and the rest, he was anti-Don't Ask, Don't Tell when it was very uncool to be.

Richardson's record isn't unblemished. He voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, and I couldn't find any statement since recanting that support. Even with such an impressive record on other gay issues, Richardson will need to explain his position on DOMA to gay Democrats.

He'll have an opportunity to explain himself this Saturday (24 March), when he speaks before the Stonewall Democrats in Las Vegas (tip to The Bill Richardson Blog).