CHEYENNE - Dan Zwonitzer is both Republican and straight, but the 27-year-old state representative suddenly has found himself praised by gay rights activists nationwide.

Zwonitzer, R-Cheyenne, spoke out in a legislative committee against a measure that would have allowed Wyoming to deny recognition of gay marriages granted by other states or countries.

The committee killed the bill.

"I mistakenly thought many people in Dick Cheney's home state didn't support equality for me as a gay man," said Michael Petrelis, a gay blogger, Green Party member and AIDS activist from San Francisco.

"That was the thing that surprised many of us in the San Francisco gay community, that this pro-gay development happened in Dick Cheney's home state."

Articles in two San Francisco gay publications, the San Francisco Bay Times and the Bay Area Reporter, also have lauded Zwonitzer.

Zwonitzer told the House Rules Committee on Feb. 22 that he needed to publicly oppose the measure - even if it cost him his seat - because he believed that was the right thing to do. He told the committee that gay rights were the civil rights struggle of his generation.

"I will tell my children that when this debate went on, I stood up for basic rights for people," he said.

Committee member Rep. Tom Lubnau, R-Gillette, sided with Zwonitzer, acknowledging the young legislator's speech before voting against the measure.

"Maybe the right thing to do is stand up for tolerance," Lubnau said.

The committee voted 7-6 to kill the bill, with House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, casting the tie-breaking vote.

But Zwonitzer, who couldn't vote against the bill because he's not on the committee, is the one who has been receiving the bulk of the attention.

"The reaction was rather surprising," he said. "I'm up to 165 e-mails from people around the country and several internationals, all thanking me for making my stand."

Zwonitzer discussed his speech on a radio show hosted by Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, a Washington, D.C.-based gay advocacy organization.

"He took a stand that really opened people's eyes and hopefully made us all think more about this issue," Solmonese said. "To our way of thinking here in Washington, he's one of those trailblazers out there in America trying to move this country in the direction of equality."

Gay Republicans have taken notice, too. The Log Cabin Republicans featured Zwonitzer on their Web site under the heading: "Republican Wyoming State Rep. Takes Courageous Stand for Basic Fairness."

The group's president, Patrick Sammon, said Zwonitzer "stood up for basic fairness."

"Doing what's right is not always easy, but history will remember those leaders who put principle over politics and inclusion over fear," he said.

The Log Cabin Republicans have invited Zwonitzer to accompany former Republican Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson to their national convention this year.

Zwonitzer said he never sought to be a "Republican hero" for gay rights.

"But maybe for human rights," he said.

Zwonitzer also is getting praise from Democrats. The treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, Andy Tobias, posted the transcript of Zwonitzer's speech on his site.

"The main thing is, it was a wonderful speech," Tobias said. "I wish all Republicans shared his outlook. Posting his speech on the Internet is a nice way for people to see that progress is being made, not just in California and Massachusetts, but in fine places like Wyoming, too, and it's not just Democrats working on these issues, but a few Republicans too."

Zwonitzer said in the Human Rights Campaign radio interview that he's had several gay people from outside the state tell him they associate Wyoming with the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay, 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who was fatally beaten near Laramie in 1998.

But Zwonitzer told the show's host that Wyoming isn't an intolerant place.

"With our low population, it doesn't leave a lot of room to be intolerant or bigoted," he said.