Antonio Villaraigosa talks to "The Advocate"

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is profiled in the November 7 issue of The Advocate by John Caldwell. Here a few highlights:

On same-gender marriage:
"When the [anti-same-sex marriage] Knight bill came along in 2000, I put $10,000 of my own money in [to try to defeat it]."

On the roaring ovation he got in summer 2005 when he became the first L.A. mayor to show up and open Outfest, the LA gay and lesbian film festival. The men in the audience were all but whistling at him.
"Oh, I know they're joking," the mayor says. "I've attended almost every Christopher Street West [pride] parade [in West Hollywood]. Sometimes, especially when I was younger, they'd have these big sings saying, 'He's a 10.' I always liked that."

On gay friends and family members:
"I have two openly gay nephews out of three; I have gay cousins. In the 1950s, my mother had gay couples over for dinner."
On what he would say to one of his children if they came out:
"I'd love them. I'd embrace them. I've always said that. The two nephews I mentined, I love them like they're my own sons. I love them dearly."

Has he experienced a backlash from other Latino leaders over his support of same-gender marriage?
"I have from time to time, but you're always going to have people who are upset with a position you take. I don;t preoccupy myself with those who take umbrage with my views on issues. I respect other views, and I've always been very respectful that the views I come with are just those: my views."

Longtime gay rights leader Torie Osborn, who serves as a special advisor to Villaraigosa, says in the article: "Antonio is a rock star. When you're a rock star, you carry a lot of influence. That goes a long way on the controversial issues and he's taking us with him."