An anti-gay message sent last week from the Twitter account of former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert wasn’t written by Leppert himself but by “an overzealous campaign worker,” according to Rob Schlein, president of the Dallas chapter of Log Cabin Republicans.
Speaking at Log Cabin’s regularly monthly meeting on Monday night, Schlein said Leppert called him just before the meeting to apologize for “the tone of the tweet.” According to Schlein, Leppert said he wasn’t the author of the tweet and agreed to meet privately with Schlein later this week to discuss the issue further.
The tweet, sent on the same day that Leppert announced his resignation as mayor to run for U.S. Senate, criticized President Barack Obama for his decision to no longer defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court. The tweet said, “We need leaders in Washington to stand for the principle of marriage between one man and one woman.”
Many in the LGBT community have said they feel betrayed by Lepppert because he was supportive of the LGBT community as mayor, including hiring an openly gay chief of staff and appearing in two gay Pride parades.
Leppert’s Senate campaign spokesman has failed to return multiple phone calls from Instant Tea seeking comment.
Schlein spent several minutes at the start of Monday’s meeting reading a sternly worded, heartfelt letter he wrote to Leppert about the tweet. However, the guest speaker at the meeting, Leppert political consultant Carol Reed, declined to comment on the issue. Reed said she’s advising Leppert on his Senate campaign but is neither his chief consultant nor his spokesperson.
“I’ll let him speak for himself,” Reed told Log Cabin members. “I have nothing to add.”
In his letter, Schlein slammed Leppert for being the only candidate in the race for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s Senate seat who’s tried to use gay rights as a wedge issue. He also said Leppert is the only candidate who’s posted social issues on his campaign website. In the Issues section of his website, Leppert states that he opposes both same-sex marriage and “government-sanctioned” civil unions.
Schlein said he’s supported Leppert on many key issues — including the convention center hotel and the Trinity River toll road. And he said Leppert attended numerous Log Cabin events as mayor, including the group’s annual dinner and holiday parties at the home of Schlein and his partner.
“With all due respect, nobody likes a flip-flopper or a political panderer,” Schlein said as he read his letter to Leppert aloud. “You’ve left many friends in your wake. This is truly a sad day.”
Below are screen grabs from the Issues section of Tom Leppert’s Senate campaign website:
Leppert may not have typed the tweet, but it was also published on his politician Facebook page. He has had ample time to remove it (like he has every comment that disagreed with the statement), and hasn’t. Mr. Leppert, beware of the fury of the supporters scorned!! There is a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TomLeppertPander please join so anyone looking for him on facebook will read about this issue. No one likes a panderer!!
I love how his website says Marriage is a faith based issue for him and he will fight for traditional values. I thought seperation of Church and State was a core value in this country as far as governance. LOL
The LCR, GOProud and any other gay group in Texas that claims to be Republican should be scorned and ridiculed out of existence. It can only be comparable to Jewish Nazis. What a bunch of self-loathing losers. In case anyone hasn’t read the Texas GOP’s party platform, I advise you to do so: https://www.texasobserver.org/oped/item/16723-required-reading-texas-republican-party-platform-2010 There will NEVER be ANY advancement of gay rights in Texas EVER as long as Republicans are in control. Please join me in soundly rejecting any LGBT person in Texas who claims to be supportive of ANY Republican for ANY reason. Tom Leppert is, and has always been, a phoney and a hypocrite.
Tim, you’re an idiot. You’re bigotry is something that is easily seen by your examples. And yes, there are such things as “Gay Republicans”. The only thing that is different from self-proclaimed “God people” and them are that they believe in equality.
Drew,
So you support the platform of the RPT? I have to admit, the LCR’s aren’t nearly as self-hating as the GOPROUD group.