Will Dallas make history with gay mayor?

[DeepModem Mom]

Houston Chronicle: June 12, 2007
Will Dallas make history with gay mayor?
Candidate's sexuality touches off debate in this changing city
By THOMAS KOROSEC


Dallas mayoral runoff candidates Tom Leppert, left, and Ed Oakley are seen during a debate in Dallas, on June 1. Mr Leppert has said he would not make Mr. Oakley's sexuality an issue in the race.
(Ben Sklar: AP)

DALLAS — Handicapping Dallas' mayoral contest in a recent interview, former Mayor Ron Kirk mentioned one thing as crucial to the candidacy of three-term councilman Ed Oakley: "The question for him is, 'Is Dallas ready for Ed Oakley?' "

If the 54-year-old small-business owner wins Saturday's runoff election, Dallas would become the first large city in the nation to elect an openly gay mayor.

This once-conservative stronghold has by all accounts become more diverse, more cosmopolitan and more politically liberal. But as city voters have become aware of Oakley's sexual orientation — which had not been prominently discussed in news coverage until last week — his campaign staff and key supporters said they are finding they are not quite living in freethinking Paris or Berlin, both led by gay mayors.

They say that wider knowledge of Oakley's sexual background — which he tersely acknowledges in interviews and debates — is hurting him in a Bible Belt city that remains home to scores of conservative churches, white and black, whose leaders regard homosexuality as a sin....

The blast of publicity, which began with an essay in Time that described Dallas as "the lavender heart of Texas," has stirred an issue that had not been raised by the local media or Oakley's opponent, Tom Leppert. The former construction company executive moved on with Oakley to a runoff after the May 12 city election....

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4881411.html

[BOSSHOG]

1. Neither candidates sex life should be an issue

but I'm sure the holier then thou set would rather elect a klansman as Mayor then a Homosexual regardless of any consideration of any qualifications relative to running such a large city. Maybe this is the continued "Marginalization" of christians in this country - an open and fair election!!

[Bucky]

2. Was Ed Koch's orientation really not known, or just untalked about?

Or does an "open secret" not count?

[David__77]

3. The city has come a long way.

It has a long way to go as well. But in the 80's, this candidacy would be totally unfathomable.

[ooga booga]

4. Dallas: It's changing but slowly.

Dallas isn't going to become another gay friendly San Francisco anytime soon.

I see Dallas hanging onto its conservative tendencies and shifting slowly toward more progressive things.

I think Oakley is probably a bit of a longshot. But, who know? Strange things happen in Dallas politics these days.


After all:

* Dallas city council gadfly, Laura Miller, who made a reputation for throwing a monkey wrench into the cozy deals that the fat cat ole boys have always felt entitled to. Laura actaully got elected and then re-elected as MAYOR!

* Dallas County elected a sheriff who's female, Hispanic and gay. How'd THAT happen?

* In 2004, Dallas County voters gave John Kerry 49% of the vote and Martin Frost got 45% in an election that Tom Delay engineered for him to lose.