“From the time I was very young, I always felt lucky. I had a good family, a good education. I was financially comfortable. I just felt like it was my duty to give something back.”
2006 Kuchling Award winner Jay Oppenheimer on why he works for charitable organizations in the LGBT and AIDS communities
“With this being the 25th year of the Black Tie Dinner, we just decided to go ahead and do something different. Why keep it secret? It serves no real purpose to do that.”
Deiadra Burns, Black Tie Dinner co-chair, on why organizers decided to break tradition and announce the Kuchling Award winner early this year
“I am relieved this is over so I canget to work helping the peopleof my district.”
Patricia Todd, lesbian candidate for the Alabama Legislature, after the state party’s executive committee rejected a recommendation she be disqualified
“I picked the person I thought would be good and comfortable.”
Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez about her appointment of LGBT liaison officer
“They are very much vulnerable to harassment and physical harm, and we want them to have a direct line to the department.”
Jessie Flores, executive chief deputy for theDallas Sheriff’s Department, about his role as LGBT liaison officer for the department
“We have a crime problem, and it’s dangerous to pick up strangers.”
Pete Webb,, president of Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, about a gay North Dallas man allegedly being murdered by a day laborer he hired to pose nude
“I was told they were closeacquaintances. It just wasn’t a stranger kind of incident.”
Lt. Steve Callerman, spokesman for the Mesquite Police Department, about the relationship between a capital murder suspect and the gay victim
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, August 25, 2006.