Inappropriate comments
This is in reference to the letter published in the Sept. 7 issue of Dallas Voice stating that only one board member of Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus had made a comment equating criminal behavior to sexual reassignment surgery (“Stonewall backs transgender rights”).
I have been informed that there was another instance in which a Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus leader made a similar comment. This second occasion happened in a private conversation.
I apologize that these inappropriate comments were made and reiterate that the TSDC board does not believe that sexual reassignment surgery and anyone’s criminal behavior have anything in common. It is my sincere hope that TSDC can move forward and continue to learn how to support all of the LGBT community.
Lisa Thomas, vice president,
Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus
Thank you, David Webb
I just got a copy of the Sept. 14 issue of Dallas Voice, and I just can’t possibly thank David Webb enough for all that he did for me (The Rare Reporter: “Practicing what he preaches?”).
I had so wanted to make a statement about what the First Baptist Church in Wichita Falls was like during my time working there. And I am glad that Mr. Webb e-mailed Lowell Addy, the church’s business administrator, to ask for a statement from the church.
That church was not a nice place to work, and if you had a complaint against you, then you were gone. But it was like a dream for me, seeing my story, finally made public. I had done what I could not do in my youth admit that I was trans to my family or even to myself.
Taking the female hormones had made me see that I had been living a lie all of my life because I worried what other people thought of me. I am planning on getting a divorce from my wife. I know that the life that I must live she could never accept, and even though she has tried to take her own life once already I must try and make myself happy for whatever time I have left.
Thank you again to David Webb for all he has done. He will be in my thoughts and prayers.
Terribeth Richeson
Wichita Falls
Not feeling any pride
I left the Alan Ross Freedom Parade (aka the gay Pride parade) feeling less proud and more disappointed in our gay community. It seems that this “Pride” event is no more than an excuse for bar owners to make a profit and our brothers and sisters to disregard the safety and well being of others.
Many establishments on the block decided to charge full price for the day. It would have been happy hour prices any other Sunday of the year. But they “proudly” decided to gouge their patrons with higher-priced drinks in smaller plastic cups.
While there were trash cans in abundance, most people just dropped trash where they stood. To them, I say, those extra 10 steps to the receptacle might have unconvinced you, but I have all the time in the world to take your beer bottles out of the bed of my truck. Thanks.
After the event, I noticed many cars parked blocking driveways and fire hydrants and ignoring parking regulation signs. I’m sure that had the police issued tickets for these violations our community would have cried foul, discrimination and abuse.
I can’t wait for Halloween. It should prove to be more of the same.
David Huse
Dallas
Meifert deserves recognition
The article about Dawn Meifert and MergeMedia (Dallas Voice, Sept. 14) was an excellent article about a very deserving subject. MergeMedia performs a much needed service in our community and Dawn has worked very hard to earn her success.
Mark Nicks
Dallas
CW wants gay viewers without being seen
While attending the Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade on Sunday, Sept. 16, I noticed the advertising truck from the CW33 television station passing up and down with other traffic near the parade route at least a dozen times.
It was obvious to me and to everyone around me that the station’s intent was to market the network to the crowd at the parade. But I was saddened to see that the station did not want to participate in the Pride parade itself.
Why not? The message CW33 sent was that the station wanted this demographic as viewers, but clearly wanted to be “closeted” about it. That is contrary to what the parade was even about.
Shame on you, CW33. And kudos to the many, many companies who were braver than this television and actually participated in the parade.
Roger Jonas
Dallas
Shame on William Waybourn
In the story ” Kramer: Activists aren’t what they used to be” in the Sept. 14 issue of Dallas Voice, Mr. Waybourn talked about the 1980s as when “AIDS was upon us” and “when AIDS was around.” Excuse me, but I don’t remember hearing of a cure for HIV/AIDS having been found and that this cause is finally over.
Just what kind of message does Mr. Waybourn think he’s is sending to our youth and new generations of activists for persons afflicted by HIV/AIDS, even now? I counted over 50 references to HIV/AIDS in that same issue.
Shame on you, Mr. Waybourn.
John Rodriquez Corpus
Fort Worth
Questionable quote
Regarding the quote ” if you show up with some little boy toy, that could be a problem” in the story about the LGBT community’s political situation (“Hurricane of bad news,” Dallas Voice, Sept. 14):
I don’t know Dallas County Democratic Party Chair Darlene Ewing, but if we were playing the $20,000 Pyramid game, I would respond with: “Something a homophobic bigot might say.”
Edward H. Smith
Dallas
Thompson’s anti-gay statements
Lisa Keen states in “Figuring out Fred” in the Sept. 16 issue of Dallas Voice that Republican presidential candidate Fred Thompson “leaves voters guessing on his gay rights stances.” However, the Sioux City Journal reported Thompson saying government should treat everyone the same way, but that “we should not set aside categories to give special set-aside treatments” to specific groups.
So how can you treat everyone the same way and yet deny civil rights to some citizens? Does marriage for gays equal special treatment but marriage for straights does not equal special treatment?
Further, Thompson said, “I would support a constitutional amendment which says some off-the-wall court decision in one state” should not be recognized in another state. And the “second part of my amendment would also state that judges could not impose this [gay marriage] on the federal or state level, unless a state Legislature signed off on it.”
I presume any decison granting equal rights to gays would be “off the wall,” even if judges issued rulings in accordance with state constitutions especially if the straight majority disagreed with such decisions.
Jeffery Weber
Dallas
How ENDA will help
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is good news, but not the way some people think. Even a weak ENDA will be immediately useful in larger companies, and it will filter down to smaller ones. Its loopholes exempting Christian totalitarians can be challenged in court.
The biggest obstacle to workplace equality, of course, is that this country is a feeding ground for the super rich. They own the businesses that discriminate and the politicians who’ll decide ENDA’s scope and enforcement parameters. They all but mint their own money not paying benefits, paying lower wages, pitting workers against one another, etc.
ENDA is going to come from the Congress of the rich so it has every chance of being a success story like the DEA’s attempts to stop the use of drugs, the FBI’s
triumphant elimination of crime, corruption and terrorism, or the FDA’s sterling protection of our health. And we don’t have to worry about mine and bridge inspectors, Veterans Administration doctors or Louisiana levee maintainers.
ENDA’s successes will be as great as the stunning victories of the U.S. Civil Rights Commissions, which stamped out racism or maybe not. And there’s the war in Iraq, which got overwhelming support in Congress. And how about those folks over at the CDC and their fast track victory over AIDS? Simply dazzling. Congress has given us so much to be thankful for.
The good news is that ENDA is a tool we can use to organize. Its flaws will allow us to mount joint campaigns with unions, immigrants, African-Americans, women and others who get the short end of the stick at work.
We’ll have to fight to make ENDA work for us. Those efforts, not Congressional compromise and cowardice, will make it a worthwhile law.
Bill Perdue, RainbowRED Organization
Las Vegas
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This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 21, 2007