Legislative caucus on gay issues eyed

Following the same-sex marriage debates on Beacon Hill, a small group of lawmakers is considering whether to start a legislative caucus to advocate for gay and lesbian issues in the Legislature.

A memo circulated in the State House yesterday invited lawmakers and staff members to a brown bag lunch tomorrow to discuss whether to create a gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender group or caucus.

Representative Carl M. Sciortino Jr., Democrat of Somerville, a gay lawmaker elected in 2004, said he was surprised when he arrived at the State House to discover that there was no such group.

There are many other legislative caucuses on Beacon Hill, including black, women's, and children's caucuses.

There are only a handful of openly gay or lesbian lawmakers on Beacon Hill. The group, if it formed, could either be a formal caucus or a more informal group, Sciortino said.

''It's just a preliminary discussion. Whether the group is more political or more networking, we just don't know yet," he said.