Clinton's Hamptons hosts.

When President Clinton spent a highly publicized weekend in the tony Hamptons in August, he raised a heap of cash for the Democrats. But somewhat lost amid the hype was the fact that gay men and lesbians contributed heavily to the cause. Of the three fund-misers that weekend, the gayest was an August 1 event attended by the Clintons at the East Hampton, N.Y., vacation home of composer-conductor Jonathan Sheffer and his partner, physician Christopher Barley.

"About three quarters of the 75 guests were gay or lesbian," said Sheffer, a musician and founder of New York's innovative Eos Orchestra. "But I wouldn't characterize it as a gay fund-miser." The fund-raiser, which required a $5,000 minimum donation for attendance, brought in $400,000. The event was partly organized by openly gay Democratic National Committee member Jeff Soref, who says the DNC called and asked that he put together a gay-focused fundraiser in East Hampton. Sheffer, whose family has helped the Democrats for years, was a logical host, Soref said.

Press coverage of the event made little mention of the gay angle. "When we notified the media," Sheffer said, "we told them the party was hosted by myself and Christopher. We said we are partners, and that's all we said.... We felt a `gay fund-raiser' might be controversial to journalists." In the end, Sheffer said, "the press figured it out."

What the mainstream press didn't report, however, was some of the gay-related banter. "Mr. President, here's your watch back," Sheffer said, introducing Clinton by way of a backhanded slap at Senate majority leader Trent Lott, who has equated homosexuality with kleptomania. "Everyone got it right away," Sheffer said. "Except the president. My sister had to explain it to him. Then he started laughing louder than anyone." Clinton made no mention of gay or lesbian issues in his remarks. And what of Clinton's legal headaches? "I told him gay people have also been vilified, stereotyped, and persecuted," Sheffer said. "I felt it was important to make that connection between us."