Councilman Philip Kingston
Dallas City Councilman Philip Kingston collected the signatures of the mayor and the rest of the council to congratulate the Dallas Tavern Guild on the 30th anniversary of the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade, which will be held on Sept. 15.
“I worked very hard to get the right wording to get the maximum participation and am proud of the success it had,” Kingston said.
“This annual event celebrates our shared commitment to equality in Dallas and all of Texas,” the letter reads in part. “Our city is honored to have the Dallas Tavern Guild and its commitment to diversity, inclusiveness and the rights of all people.”
The lone, missing council member is Vonciel Hill, whose district now includes one of the largest LGBT neighborhoods in the city.
Hill is also the lone council member who has refused to ride in the parade, once telling us “there are some acts God doesn’t bless.” Earlier this year, Hill objected to an HIV prevention billboard featuring two gay men, prompting one of the largest LGBT rallies in the history of South Dallas.
After redistricting in 2011, Hill was moved into District 3, which includes Kiestwood and other LGBT Oak Cliff neighborhoods. She was elected in May to her final two-year term.
In addition to Kingston, who collected the signatures, other new council members who signed the letter were Jennifer Staubach Gates, Lee Kleinman, Rick Callahan and Adam Medrano.
The letter will appear in the Official Guide to Dallas Pride 2013, distributed inside copies of Dallas Voice on Aug. 30 and Sept. 13. Read the full letter below.
