Party calls reparative therapy ‘quackery’ and calls for ENDA, marriage equality and facilitating trans gender markers
Wendy Davis
The platform that emerged from the Democratic Convention held in Dallas on June 26–28 stands in stark contrast to that of the Texas Republican platform, which encouraged reparative therapy to “cure” gays.
So does the reception Stonewall Democrats received at the convention compared to the Republican rebuffing of Log Cabin Republicans and Metroplex Republicans at their Fort Worth convention earlier in June.
Log Cabin was refused a table at the GOP Convention, as were Metroplex Republicans, who were originally given a table until party officials learned they were also an LGBT group. But at the Democratic Convention in Dallas, Stonewall Democrats were warmly welcomed. While other caucuses were assigned meeting rooms, Stonewall’s caucus was so large, the group was given the main convention hall in which to meet.
Gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, lieutenant governor nominee Leticia van de Putte and most other statewide office candidates, as well as a number of elected officials, addressed the LGBT caucus. Houston Mayor Annise Parker introduced some of the 11 LGBT candidates running for local office in Harris County that includes her city.
The Democratic platform clearly distinguishes its party’s position on LGBT issues in Texas from the Republicans’ platform, which calls for “reparative therapy” for LGBT people.
“For decades it has been beyond dispute by health professionals that homosexuality is a normal, natural and positive variation of human sexual orientation,” the Democratic platform says. “Similarly, it is clear that a person’s gender identity — one’s inner sense of being male or female — is deep-seated and cannot be changed.”
Jeff Strater, a gay delegate, was elected to serve on the state Democratic Executive Committee from Senate District 23. He said he was overwhelmed by Democrats’ response to the Republican platform.
“LGBTQ mentions are peppered throughout the [Democratic] platform,” Strater said, adding that each plank in the platform was passed by the entire convention. “There were no holdouts, no cranky ‘no’s’ from East Texas.”
Gay former state Rep. Glen Maxey said he was impressed by the planks submitted by the trans community that passed just as easily as the others. Those planks call for making it easier for a person to change gender information on their state identification.
While LGBT issues are mentioned elsewhere in the Democratiuc platform, there is one whole section devoted to “personal security and equal protection for LGBTQ Texans.”
Had Texas Republicans not made so-called “reparative therapy” an issue by calling for it in their state party platform, Strater said, most Democrats would likely not have given the concept a second thought. But with the GOP platform making headlines on the subject, reparative therapy ended up being included in the first section in the Dems’ platform relating to the LGBT community. Democrats want to ban the practice — referred to as “quackery” in their platform.
Jay Narey, president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas, said, “Democrats stand in stark contrast to Republicans — like day and night.” He said the reparative therapy issue was just the obvious contrast, but positive platform planks on issues affecting everyday life in the LGBT community were also passed overwhelmingly.
Other planks Democrats adopted dealt with marriage equality, trans-inclusive employment nondiscrimination and personal security that call on “social, health care and public service professionals to seek out and adopt best practices in the delivery of services to all Texans.”
Narey estimated at least 300 LGBT delegates participated, but hundreds more allies also attended Stonewall events.
“There’s been a dramatic shift on our issues over the last four election cycles,” Narey said. “State Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa is extremely supportive of the LGBT community. He’s largely responsible” for that shift.
Strater said he was energized and motivated as a result of the convention and made quite a few new contacts that he’ll call on through the campaign. His only negative comment about the weekend concerned the Ladybird Johnson breakfast: “When [anti-gay Dallas City Councilwoman] Vonceil Jones Hill was introduced to give the prayer, there were gasps from the audience,” he said.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition July 4, 2014.