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the gays in their fight for equal rights. And I support the women and the Ukrainians and the Armenians and every group that has been suject and is continually subject to discrimination or oppression. That's my nature. And with respect to women it takes two roles -- that is to say, two reasons. One is I believe in it; the other is it's very politically saleable. Getting less so, just as support of equal rights for blacks or bringing them to the point where they have equal rights in a whole host of areas is less saleable. But it is still right to do.

Then I would say in my district, in a very parochial way, I have the only district in the country that has less than two people per apartment. It has 1.8 persons per apartment. I saw some figures someplace -- someone did a little research on it -- I think 56% of the people in my district are single: single means separated, divorced or unmarried. And a large percentage of those -- I don't know what the breakdown is, but it's surely at least 50% -- are women. And, by the way, I do very well statistically with the young women voters. I think I get a higher percentage in that group than in any other group.

So for those reasons -- moral and politically -- I support their rights.

You've mentioned your support of the gays. Looking back, was this a factor when you were a city councilman?