Failed mayoral candidate vows to continue crusade against Oakley and his “‘gay agenda’ and save LGBT community from itself
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| Rich Sheridan |
It took less than three minutes for the city of Dallas Ethics Advisory Commission to dismiss a complaint about openly gay mayoral candidate Ed Oakley’s sexual orientation on Thursday, June 7.
“It appears to me that the complaint alleges that Councilman Oakley lives a gay lifestyle and that he intends to promote it in conjunction with the Trinity River Project,” Commission Chair Sid Stanz said. “In my judgment neither one of these requires action. And neither one of these are serious enough for discussion by this committee.”
The 57-page complaint, filed by local activist Rich Sheridan, focused on article two of the city code of ethics. The article says that a city official cannot show preference to a special interest group. Sheridan says that because Oakley is gay and backs the Trinity River Project, a city renovation effort that could help to bring in more LGBT tourists, the councilman violated the code.
The commission didn’t agree.
“I expected this decision,” Sheridan said. “Over the years, I’ve had a lot of conversations with people about the city’s ethics review process, and not to use the word joke, but they all say you have to go to the state level to get anything done.”
Sheridan says that although his complaint was dismissed, he feels it still served its purpose.
“A statement was made here,” he said. “Ed Oakley is putting the gay agenda above the public good, and by doing so, has contributed to sexually transmitted disease, and an increase of sexual perversion in our city. He must be stopped. If not by the commission then by voters.”
The complaint says further that, “I pray that your decision leads to a modern NATIONAL “‘Scoops’ trial, where it is ultimately decided that the Gay Lifestyle is sinful, and that it is a condition requiring treatment.”
But Sheridan says he complaint wasn’t motivated by homophobia, but rather a “genuine concern for the community.”
“I have two family members who are gay, and I love them to this day,” he said. “I apologize if I come across as a homophobe, but I’m not. I love all of you, and I’m here to save your lives, because that lifestyle can lead to disease and death.”
Sheridan has also recently distributed a flier through e-mail to members of the African-American community, urging them to stop backing liberal candidates who support LGBT rights.
“There’s a gay rabidness, a gay feeding frenzy nationally over gay activist Ed Oakley’s run for the mayor of Dallas,” the flier says. “Satan is showing his face all over the Gay Agenda, in the price of energy, in the Iraq War pornography, etc. We are being challenged as never before.”
Sheridan plans to continue his campaign to stop Oakley despite the commission’s decisions and widespread negative reaction to the flier.
“Some people call me an agitator, well agitation can be good,” he said. “It can stir people up and get them thinking about what is going on, so that being said, I’m going to keep going on with this. There’s a problem and it needs to be solved before our children are destroyed and Armageddon comes.”
E-mail Briscoe@dallasvoice.com
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, June 8, 2007.