5 questions with Erin Moore
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Erin Moore is president of the Stonewall Democrats. A native of New Orleans, Moore moved to Dallas in 1992 and currently works in the advertising industry. Moore is very active as a political and gay rights activist. She is a former chair of National Coming Out Day, a former member of the Human Rights Campaign Board of Governors and a former president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance. She is also a former co-host of Lambda Weekly, a radio show providing news to the LGBT community.
What is Stonewall Democrats?
Stonewall Democrats of Dallas is an organization of politically active individuals working for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community in Dallas and the surrounding areas. We work to get fair-minded Democratic candidates elected and then work with them to sensitize them to the needs of the GLBT community.
How did you become involved with Stonewall Democrats?
I had been involved in many LGBT organizations but most of them were non-partisan. After the Prop. 2 loss in 2005 when the Texas Constitution was amended to prevent gay marriage, I had had enough of mostly Republican hateful legislation and wanted to actively work for Democrats and only Democrats.
What do you hope to achieve this year as president?
I think the election of Barack Obama is a real turning point in the LGBT community. We can finally breathe again and have hope that we will be heard. I also hope this is a turning point in reaching out to communities that traditionally vote Democratically but against the gay community. Also, we just helped to get a lot of folks elected. We need to make sure they hear our voices and don’t forget about us now that the election is over.
In your opinion, what was the best part of Inauguration Day?
It’s really hard to narrow it down. The whole day was the realization of a long season of hard work and disbelief that we actually have a real president. I enjoyed every minute of it. I had a permanent smile on my face the whole day. I guess, if I had to narrow it down, it would be watching it at the Resource Center with other members of the community and seeing the different emotions people were experiencing.
What do you think is the biggest political issue dividing the LGBT community?
Politically it would have to be marriage rights. It’s still a fairly new discussion and a lot of people don’t know where they stand, how hard to push or not push, if it should be civil unions or full marriage equality. I don’t know that it’s a division so much as a lively debate.
Soundout is a weekly column featuring people whose jobs and interests have an impact on the daily lives of members of the LGBT community. It features those who often go unnoticed by the press and community. If you’d like to recommend someone to cover in this column, editor@dallasvoice.com.
