(AgapePress) - A Virginia-based pro-family activist is skeptical about Senator George Allen's recent announcement that he no longer supports hate crimes legislation that includes "sexual orientation" as a protected status category.

In 2004 Allen voted in favor of a bill that added sexual orientation to the federal Hate Crimes Act, but recently he said he is reversing his previous position and will not support the measure this time. Joe Glover, president of the Family Policy Network, says he welcomes the senator's announcement but has doubts as to whether the Republican lawmaker is sincere in stating his new position on the inclusion of "sexual orientation" in hate crimes legislation -- a position stating opposition to what he once openly favored.

FPN President Joe Glover

"Now, he's changed his mind about that," Glover says, "but, of course he's doing it amid speculation that he's running for president and at a time when he needs pro-family support to regain the Senate seat that he's got now."

There is no question that "George Allen is not the pro-family, not the pro-life senator people would like to make him out to be," the Family Policy Network spokesman contends. Much to the contrary, he points out that Allen's office has been characterized as being "gay friendly," according to some sources.

"The homosexual activists in Washington, DC, have outed several members of George Allen's staff as being homosexuals," Glover asserts. "In fact, they call George Allen's office the gayest place on Capitol Hill. Now we didn't say that; the homosexual activists in Washington, DC, did."

George Allen has apparently decided to change his opinion on the issue of giving homosexuals protected status in hate crimes legislation now that he is possibly running for reelection and "perhaps has his eye on New Hampshire and Iowa," Glover says.

"But the question remains," he adds, "whether or not that's a sincere change of heart -- whether it will remain or whether or not George Allen will have other ways of helping the homosexual activists in Washington." In the meantime, the head of the Family Policy Network says, hopefully a presidential candidate will emerge who truly represents conservative, pro-family values.