(New York City) Gays and lesbians hoping to confront William F. Weld for his newfound opposition to same-sex marriage were disappointed when he failed to attend an LGBT youth event on the weekend.

The fundraiser for Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth was hosted by Weld's neighbor and Weld had agreed a year ago to attend.

A former Massachusetts governor, Weld now makes his home on Long Island and last week announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination for New York governor.

But, in the days ahead of that announcement Weld dropped his support for gay marriage- a flip flop that many attributed to his need for support from the Conservative Party. (story)

Weld now says he would support civil unions but not marriage.

In 2004, after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court struck down the ban on same-sex marriage, Weld urged Massachusetts lawmakers to accept gay marriage, rather than civil unions, as the only way to legally comply with the court ruling.

In June he officiated at the gay marriage in Boston of his old college roommate. (story)  

Last August at the GOP National Convention Weld was still promoting same-sex marriage. (story) "The recognition of gay marriage, as the Massachusetts Supreme Court has done, is the conservative point of view," Weld told Log Cabin Republicans.

The shift in position angered many gays in the state.  Some were hoping to confront him at the Sunday event.

Shortly before it got underway, Weld dropped off a donation for the gay youth group and left for what he said was a meeting in Manhattan. His wife, Leslie Marshall, did attend however.

Some of those who were at the affair accused Weld of opting out because of the marriage issue, others because the event also honored State Assemblyman Thomas P. DiNapoli, a Democrat.

But, David Kilmnick, the president of  Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth told 365Gay.com that he accepted Weld's explanation.

Kilmnick said that while he is disappointed in Weld's new position on marriage he "is still supportive of gay issues - far more than anyone else in the state GOP."

Kilmnick said that as governor of Massachusetts Weld created the nation's first Governor's Commission on gay and lesbian youth, a move that led to the creation of gay and straight groups across the country.

Others were not as complimentary.

"Obviously, Governor Weld felt the extreme heat from his party and decided not to come," Teresa Hyndman,  who helped plan the event told the New York Times. "I'm very disappointed."

If Weld gets the Republican nomination he would likely be up against Democrat Eliot Spitzer.  Spitzer, the current Attorney General is already on record as supporting same-sex marriage.