Posted on 06/04/2007 2:29:11 PM PDT by Zakeet
This conservative metropolis could become the nation's largest city to elect an openly gay mayor if a longtime city council member wins a runoff election later this month.
Ed Oakley's candidacy is the latest indication that Dallas' reputation as a conservative stronghold is giving way to more diversity. The city is already home to several gay elected officials, including the sheriff.
"Dallas is less and less the Dallas that people think it is," said Cal Jillson, a political science professor at Southern Methodist University. "And Dallas is less and less the Dallas that it used to be."
In the mayoral race, Oakley and former construction company CEO Tom Leppert emerged from a crowded 11-candidate field that included another openly gay man and a transgendered woman. Oakley and Leppert will be the only candidates in the June 16 runoff.
But if Oakley, 54, is on the edge of history, he doesn't talk about it. His sexuality hasn't figured prominently in the campaign. Oakley said his internal polling showed it had little impact on voters.
"I have never made this an issue, a part of what I am or who I am or what I have done to represent the community," said Oakley, a small business owner.
Dallas, with a population of 1.2 million, is home to a growing gay community with an estimated 120,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered households.
The city has nondiscrimination policies covering sexual orientation and gender identity and offers health insurance to the domestic partners of city employees, measures praised as progressive by local gay-rights activists.
"I think some people don't realize that Dallas is very diverse: economically, ethnically, culturally," said Pete Webb, president of the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Dallas hasn’t been conservative for quite a few years: most of the conservatives moved to the outlying communities.
For a minute I thought it was going to be Troy Aikman.
The same, unfortunately, could be said of most major cities today...
More like giving way to madness. The rodents swept Dallas County last November, and if that holds, the county will have officially jumped the shark. This fella looks like Paul Lynde's cousin.
I wonder what the gay sheriff looks like? Can he lead his officers? And in what direction? I wouldn’t like to be in the locker room with him, if I were a police officer.
Wasn’t the line from Full Metal Jacket by the DI R. Lee Ermey? “Only steers and queers come from Texas, son - and I don’t see any horns on your head”.
One of the guys on another political board who always help me fight off the liberals is openly gay. He’s very libertarian on social issues, and very conservative on issues of taxation, regulation, and environment.
Shrug
I’d rather have a gay business owner elected mayor than any sort of socialist.
What an blatantly biased statement. The AP makes it sound as if diversity is dependent on openness to homosexuality. Give me a break.
“Dallas hasn’t been conservative for quite a few years: most of the conservatives moved to the outlying communities.”
Yep. Or Highland/University Park. Or Ft. Worth.
DISD is one of the biggest liberal cesspools in the country.
The sheriff is a she. Lupe Valdez.
Like Clay Aiken with a cowboy hat.
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Dosn’t that show that gays are in the political arena in disproportionate numbers ? Are are a 1/4 of the voters in Dallas gay?
You shut your mouth when your talking about Aikman!
I think Aikman's wife (who is female) would take offense to that remark.
At least the Democrat mayor we have now is far better than the Democrat moron before him.
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