GOP gay advocacy group may not endorse Healey

The Log Cabin Republicans of Massachusetts , which endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2002 governor's race, may refrain from endorsing Republican gubernatorial nominee Kerry Healey this year.

With 50 active members, the conservative, gay organization does not pack much electoral punch.

But, in the past, the group has been willing to accept candidates who did not support same-sex marriage.

At a meeting last month with several of the group's board members, Healey stuck to her position on gay marriage -- she is against it, but she supports civil unions.

Michael Motzkin , the group's president, said yesterday that that position is making it hard for the board to vote in favor of Healey, the lieutenant governor, at its endorsement meeting tonight.

``We feel like we don't want to take steps backwards," he said.

In 2002, Motzkin said, Romney received the Log Cabin Republicans' endorsement because he agreed not to use the corner office to campaign against same-sex marriage.

``Clearly, he let the organization down an awful lot," Motzkin said.

Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney spokesman, said in an e-mail yesterday that the governor declared publicly in 2002 that he was opposed to gay marriage and to civil unions and vowed to veto a gay-marriage bill if it reached his desk.

``I don't think he could have been any clearer on the subject," he said.

Motzkin said Healey would be a vast improvement over Romney -- ``I don't think the lieutenant governor wants to be an enemy" to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. But that may no longer be enough to satisfy the group, he said.

``I think people just felt like, as much as we want to support her and as much as we agree with her on so many things, it's difficult in Massachusetts to support someone that doesn't side with full marriage equality," he said.

Tim O'Brien, Healey's campaign manager, said Healey's position has not wavered.

``They'll have their endorsement vote tomorrow, and they can decide what they want to do," he said.

Motzkin said that because the group is Republican, it would not endorse candidates from other parties.

The other three candidates for governor -- Democrat Deval L. Patrick, independent Christy Mihos and the Green Rainbow Party's Grace Ross -- support gay marriage.