Back to Home > News > Friday, Jul 07, 2006 Local Posted on Fri, Jul. 07, 2006 email this print th... Gay senator defies opponen

In 2004, the Republican Party predicted Democratic Sen. Julia Boseman's sexual orientation would lead her to promote a left-wing agenda at the General Assembly.

Instead, GOP senators have complained that a bill she filed was too much like one filed by a Republican that would require school districts to set policies for students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance daily at school.

"She's been given a lot of bills - and the important word is given - for a freshman," said Sen. Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, the Senate's deputy Republican leader.

Boseman, D-New Hanover, is the first openly homosexual member of the N.C. Legislature. But she says she's representing the citizens of New Hanover County and Wilmington and is not on a personal crusade.

Her legislative efforts to pump state funds for the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and expand tax credits for filmmaking in the state apparently helped her to a 20th place ranking in effectiveness among the chamber's 50 members, according to the N.C. Center for Public Policy Research. The ranking is the highest that a female freshman has ever received and the second highest for any freshman.

A 39-year-old real estate lawyer, Boseman says she listens to her constituents when she sponsors bills, like the drug-dealer lawsuit measure. She also introduced a successful billthat would repeal a requirement to have children take complete eye examinations before kindergarten.

"I don't think it's Julia Boseman's job to go to the state Senate and represent all gay interests just because she is a lesbian who is not hiding her sexuality," said Chris Fitzsimon, director of N.C. Policy Watch, a public policy organization in Raleigh. "There's more of a magnifying glass on her because of that."

Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said Boseman is an experienced politician: "I think she's worked hard at it because she knows she's in a tough district."

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