This is ultimately a Dallas Voice competitor, but the 16th annual BE WHO YOU ARE section is gathering names for the anti-discrimination petition. The pullout coincides with National Coming Out Day celebrations and runs in The Dallas Morning News. HRC member Anne Fay, above, holds the 2007 signature page, above.
Deadline for signatures is Sunday, Sept. 21. Follow THIS LINK to participate.
Thanks for plugging the section! The cover story is about former Marine Staff Sgt. Eric Alva, the first American soldier to be wounded in the Iraq war, and his efforts to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. His is a story of profound loss, unanticipated gain and ultimate redemption. Mr. Alva is a selfless American and a true inspiration.
I must take issue with Mr. Kusner’s assertion that the section is a Dallas Voice competitor. It’s not a gay section for gay people, but a section about gay people for straight people. True, when the section began seven years ago, our sales team approached many of the same gay-owned businesses that advertise in Dallas Voice, but that approach has changed. Today, our sales team approaches an array of companies that want to be seen as supportive of GLBT workers and customers, and that want to purchase an advertisement as a diversity initiative.
As editor for the fifth consecutive year, I’ve been pleased that Dallas Voice has consistently encouraged readers to join the cause of Coming Out Project D-FW: to present positive images of GLBT citizens and to encourage all people to be who they are by living open, honest lives. I’ve never considered Dallas Voice to be a competing publication, but a complementary one.