DID SOMEONE SAY D I V E R S I T Y ???
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 ...
He’d still be an improvement over Laura Miller, not that’s saying much.
Ron Kirk starts to look pretty good after awhile.
“For a minute I thought it was going to be Troy Aikman”
Yeah, those 3 Super Bowl Rings and the Hall of Fame Bust are pretty gay too.
Keep hatin’ on the Cowboys, I’ll be laughing in Febuary when they win an unprecedented 6th Super Bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What’s the difference..?
Dallas has always been little New York.
What would you guess a lesbian sheriff would look like. I understand that she doesn't show up for work very often. Even the liberal press talks about how poorly the jail system rates.
Remember, she was already employed by the team when the marriage was confected.
Laura Miller is one of the worst mayors in history. Of course the city of Arlington is glad that she was mayor of Dallas. As for Oakley, I didn’t know anything about him other than the fact that he has been running some of the most negative ads about Leppert of any campaign ad I have ever seen (and after the Ann Richards vs Mark White vs Bob Bullock democrat primary back in the late 80’s that is saying something).
Houston would go first.
Well, at least he's not a porn star.
/sarc
It's amazing to me that the "gays" have to publicize their sex lives. You don't hear normal people going around or campaigning for office as "openly heterosexual". Their sexuality simply isn't an issue at all.
” I understand that she doesn’t show up for work very often.” (If I knew how to put these quotes in italics, I’d do it!)
That must be demoralizing for the officers. All in the interest of “diversity”, I suppose. That’s why the democrats have put up Hillary (a woman) and Barak (a Muslim).
God should judge us harshly.
Skip? Skip Bayless, zat you?
Well, the diversity line is PC bull$hit. Real diversity to any of our major cities would be Republican Mayors. As far as I know about Dallas, it has only had 1 GOP Mayor in a century, and that was former Congressman Steve Bartlett who served a single term from 1991-95. Electing another rodent is merely business as usual, whether they pack fudge, eat clams, or whatever else.
Judging by the way the Texas Rangers are playing this year, he already has.
Don't confuse the homophobes on this board with the facts! LOL
“...that Dallas’ reputation as a conservative stronghold is giving way to more DECADENCE.”
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