Dallas mayor says decision not to sign document puts him in position to advocate for LGBT equality among religious conservatives
JOHN WRIGHT | Senior Editor
wright@dallasvoice.com
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said this week that he has no plans to sign a pledge in support of same-sex marriage anytime soon.
But Rawlings added that he believes his decision not to sign the pledge puts him in a position to advocate on behalf of LGBT civil rights among religious conservatives in Dallas.
Rawlings, who claims he personally supports legalizing same-sex marriage, has come under fire from the LGBT community for refusing to sign the pledge from the national group Freedom to Marry.
Rawlings has argued that the pledge — which now bears more than 100 signatures from mayors across the country — creates a divisive and partisan social issue that falls outside the mayor’s scope.
“I’m not going to sign it at this point, and part of it is because of the reaction that I’ve gotten throughout the whole community, and I realize whether people appreciate it or not, that I’m in a very interesting position where I can convene a lot of great dialogue because of the position that I’ve taken,” Rawlings told Dallas Voice during an exclusive interview in his office on Tuesday, Jan. 31. “After thinking about it, it’s probably the best thing that I kind of stick by my position here, but also do what I said in that meeting, which is work hard to figure out how I can best help this [the LGBT] community to gain the civil rights they need.”
Rawlings was referring to a meeting last Saturday, Jan. 28, which he attended with about 25 LGBT leaders at Resource Center Dallas, in response to his refusal to sign the pledge.
The meeting included several longtime local same-sex couples, including Jack Evans and George Harris, and Louise Young and Vivienne Armstrong.
Over the nearly two-hour meeting, which was at times heated and emotional, the couples and other LGBT leaders told Rawlings their stories and made their case as to why they feel the mayor should sign the pledge.
Outside the Resource Center following the meeting — which came the morning after about 100 LGBT protesters had gathered at City Hall — Rawlings wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he would change his mind. But 72 hours later, he hadn’t budged.
“I don’t see myself changing in the short-term,” Rawlings said Tuesday. “I think if there was another movement that I could understand what it was going to accomplish better, I might join that entity. It’s not like I’m going to be anti-public on this issue, but I think this pledge itself is something that has allowed me to be a broker of discussions now in the city of Dallas. There’s some silver lining in this cloud.”
Rawlings said he’s spoken to as many people who support his position as oppose it. But he acknowledged that when it comes to emails and messages on Facebook and Twitter, the vast majority have been in support of signing the pledge. Rawlings’ chief of staff, Paula Blackmon, said his office has received thousands of emails in the last two weeks.
“The other night [someone] said, ‘Thank you for not getting caught up in the hype of this thing, but I see you support marriage equality,’” Rawlings said. “And I said, ‘Yes, tell me about your position.’ And I realize there are so many people out there who really support what the LGBT community is trying to accomplish, but they are not interested in getting caught up into a polarizing movement.
“I’m very excited about the ability now to have this conversation,” he added. “I’m tired of talking about the pledge, but I think we’re just at the front end of having a conversation about LGBT civil rights.”
Rawlings has also said he wants to focus on substantive things he can accomplish as mayor to support LGBT civil rights.
But as of Tuesday, he said he hadn’t identified what those things will be. He said he plans to set up another meeting with Cece Cox, executive director and CEO of Resource Center Dallas, and others LGBT leaders to discuss specifics.
“There’s no question I’m a little ambivalent about my role now with the LGBT community, because I think that many people feel that I have sold them down the river, and I don’t want for political purposes to act like, ‘Oh, but I love you,’” Rawlings said. “I don’t want it to be disingenuous. I want to earn my respect in that community by putting my actions where my speech is on this.”
Rawlings said he thinks that for religious conservatives, civil marriage is secondary to the sacrament of religious marriage.
He said as mayor he wants to focus on “starting to de-mystify this for the faith-based community, and making sure we separate sacraments from civil rights.”
“If we ever are going to get to a better place, we’ve got to have room for people’s civil rights and personal religious beliefs in the same city,” he said.
“I’m a believer. I understand that tradition. I understand why that’s important. Some great conversations are starting to take place that I didn’t think I could ever have.”
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition February 3, 2012.
SCREW YOU MIKE RAWLINGS…….. I BET YOU NEVER SEE ANOTHER TERM……….. BETCHA!
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
― Desmond Tutu
Mayor Rawlings (Dallas) and Mayor Price (Fort Worth) cannot sign the equality pledge. To stand “officially” for equality in this anti-equality bible belt region could be dangerous for them! Has the Voice reported on the religious/political backed attacks being waged against the mayors for simply participating in the equality parades? Imagine the attacks if they “officially” supported marriage equality by signing the pledge! Desmund was right.
the snarling older white guy looks evil. you can just see the hate he has. i’m sure he’s a christian and a proud member of first baptist dallas.
The LGBT speakers were at times drowned out by a few anti-gay counterprotesters who stalked nearby in City Hall plaza and yelled through an amplification device. Some LGBT protesters engaged the counterprotesters, with the parties getting in each other’s faces at one point, but there was no violence. One of the counterprotesters who identified himself only as Melvin said he didn’t want to give his full name to avoid getting hate mail. Another counterprotester identified himself to Channel 33 The CW as Will Stanford.
https://dallasvoice.com/lgbt-protesters-gather-dallas-city-hall-call-mayor-rawlings-sign-marriage-pledge-1099848.html
reminds me of the in your face anti-gay antics of Michael Marcavage!
No wonder Mayor Rawlings (Dallas) and Mayor Price (Fort Worth) are refusing to sign the equality pledge!
Court finds for Temple in suit by Marcavage
https://www.temple.edu/temple_times/3-24-05/lawsuit.html
the snarling older guy is the LGBT supporter.
John Wright, which guy in the face off is the “official” second class citizen in Mayor Rawling’s Dallas ? Marcavage and company like to face off publicly with second class citizens!
How is signing the pledge “dangerous” to the mayors? What sort of danger are you seeing beyond losing office? Is it the kind of danger I face being out in Parker County? That kind of danger?
@Steve: As the caption states, the guy on the left is the pro-LGBT protester, and the guy on the right is the anti-LGBT counterprotester. I don’t know whether the guy on the left is gay or not, but I’ve heard he’s from Occupy Dallas. I was not able to get his name.
@John, thank you. So the guy in the face off to the left appears to be standing up for second class citizen equality and the one to the right appears to be standing for those who oppose equality for second class citizens. As we all know, appearances aren’t always what they appear to be when dealing with anti-gay fundamentalist christians. How is the LGBT community in Fort Worth encouraging their Mayor to sign the equality pledge? Are they?
@Frank, Dallas, and Dallas area Mayors and elected officials, do not want to put themselves in danger, political or otherwise, by signing this marriage equality pledge or “officially” standing for LGBT equality! They will not take this risk for such a small minority group!
I can appreciate the predicament politicians have with opposing factions and trying to placate both sides. I guess that’s easier than standing up for what (he says) he believes is right.
I was shocked and appalled when both HRC and GLAAD endorsed Republican Mike Rawlings for Dallas Mayor instead of endorsing Democratic former Police Chief Kunkle. I hope theyboth think twice next time before endorsing any Republican for any office when there is a more Gay supportive Democrat seeking the same office.
As much as I agree with the mayor standing behind his principals, it still makes him look like a hypocrite and a coward by not signing this pledge. And yes, the LGBT crowd that was there last week at the protest rally in front of City Hall DID NOT help the situation at all. Having bitter, angry and possibly MILITANT gays and lesbians yelling, screaming and kissing each other in front of television cameras has NEVER worked in the past and this latest incident just proves once again that the public is viewing our community as one big dysfunctional FREAK SHOW. Unless we can peacefully sit down with the powers-that-be to discuss matters such as this that are important to the gay community, then we will never be taken seriously and the idea of “Gay Marriage will soon be a thing of the past, contrary to popular belief!!!
Whewww! Looks like living in the north eastern USA ain’t so bad after all. 😉 This subject matter was so yesterday. shoutout from the Bronx.
It doesn’t matter if the backwards mayor of a backwards city in a backwards state located in the backwards south doesn’t sign this forward-thinking pledge.
Same-sex marriage WILL HAPPEN, just as we got rid of slavery, and gave blacks the right to vote, and allowed interracial marriage. PROGRESS CANNOT BE STOPPED!