Friend of the Brides
After the Weddings, San Francisco's Mayor Is Reveling in the Reception
By William Booth
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, March 15, 2004; Page C01
SAN FRANCISCO
Before Gavin Newsom opened the doors of City Hall to same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses, the young mayor with the movie star smile made a few discreet cell phone calls to his elders. Almost to a person, Newsom says, his kitchen cabinet of old-line liberal Bay Area Democrats like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned the new mayor that he was committing political hara-kiri.
"Few folks said this is great politics," Newsom recalls. "Quite the contrary. Everyone was warning me: It's the right thing to do, but you don't need to do it. Why do you want to do it? Why? It was surprising how many people said that."