The Bush administration has made two controversial appointments set to raise the ire of Christian conservatives who normally support the president. According to "The New York Times," senior White House officials said yesterday that Scott Evertz, a leader among gay Republicans in Wisconsin, will be named director of the Office of National AIDS Policy.

Homosexual groups said it is the first time an openly gay man or a lesbian has been appointed to any position by a Republican administration, the "Times" reported. White House officials won't discuss Evertz's sexual orientation or its significance in politics or policy, claiming that Bush did not factor such issues when making appointments.

Evertz is Wisconsin president of the Log Cabin Republicans, the nation's largest gay and lesbian Republican organization. Evertz is a Roman Catholic who has been a fund-raiser for the Wisconsin Right to Life anti-abortion group and for a Catholic AIDS ministry, "The Washington Post" reported. Evertz told the "Post" being a gay Catholic Republican was "not as odd as you would think. There are more of us than you would think."

Meanwhile, a U.S. Senate committee last week unanimously approved Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci's nomination as ambassador to Canada, "The Washington Times" reported. Pro-family groups accused Cellucci of pushing a radical homosexual agenda as governor. Family Research Council president Kenneth Connor said Cellucci's nomination was "puzzling," considering Bush's pro-family stance.