Republican congresswoman Mary Bono will not attend national convention

California Republican congresswoman Mary Bono, stepmother to out author and activist Chastity Bono, will skip the Republican national convention next week in New York City, partly because she disagrees with President Bush's stance on marriage equality for same-sex couples, The [Palm Springs] Desert Sun reported Thursday. She told the newspaper that a large number of her constituents are gay and lesbian and that Bush's support of the antigay Federal Marriage Amendment is not popular among them. She also won't be attending because the party already has a nominee and that the logistics of traveling to New York will be chaotic. "I've been to the last three conventions," Bono told the newspaper. "I felt, in all honesty, that I don't know how it benefits the district, how it benefits me, and how it benefits the party. The outcome has already been decided." Bono does not support same-sex marriage but was only one of 17 Republicans to vote against the "marriage protection" bill that came before the U.S. House of Representatives last month. The newspaper reported that she supports the provision to the Republican platform offered by gay political group Log Cabin Republicans, which would have acknowledged that the party has different viewpoints. That provision was rejected on Wednesday.