Excerpted from Log Cabin Congratulates Senator Chafee for Winning GOP Senate Primary, Sept 13, 2006, press release from the pro-homosexuality Log Cabin Republicans:

…Senator Chafee is one of Log Cabin’s strongest allies in the Senate. In addition to twice voting against the anti-family Federal Marriage Amendment, he has supported the hate crimes bill, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), and the Permanent Partners Immigration Act.

Log Cabin supported Chafee’s campaign through the LCR-PAC and through member donations from across the country. Log Cabin joined mainstream GOP groups, Republican Party leaders, and many GOP Senators in working to help Chafee win this primary. “Log Cabin will do everything possible to help Senator Chafee win his election in November,” said Sammon.

Continue reading at Log Cabin Republicans…

Excerpted from Gay Republican Tests Party Faithful in Minnesota Primary Fight, by Patrick Condon, published Sept 4, 2006, by Associated Press:

…[Minnesota Senator Paul] Koering, 41, a former dairy farmer and lifelong resident of the area, …often describing himself as a good Catholic boy. He’s an abortion opponent, a supporter of gun and property rights, and an outspoken supporter of veterans.

But in 2005, Koering was the only Republican in the Senate to join Democrats in opposing an effort to force a floor vote on a constitutional gay marriage ban.

That vote stirred up longstanding rumors at the Capitol about Koering’s own sexuality, and within a few days he revealed to the media that he was gay…“We are seeing more instances of openly gay Republicans, but there are still going to be significant parts of the country where that’s going to be difficult to pull off,” Dison said. Like Koering, most prominent gay Republicans came out only after they were in office, including U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona and former U.S. Rep. Steve Gunderson of Wisconsin.

Continue reading in Duluth News Tribune…