[lbo-talk] Dallas could elect its first gay mayor

[B.]

I already mentioned in a previous post that in 2006
Dallas elected an openly lesbian Latina as county
sheriff (http://www.lupevaldez.com/). Dallas is
technically a blue hub, as I also said, surrounded by
a radius of intense red. Dallas proper is blue. But
its suburban cities include Farmers Branch, the city
that passed the first ordinance in the USA making it
illegal to rent to illegal immigrants. And Park
Cities, home to Dick Cheney. And Plano, home to Kay
Bailey Hutchison and some of the most conservative
folks in the country. The Dallas area is a very Jekyll
and Hyde place, but more Hyde than Jekyll, I'd say.

A gay Dallas mayor wouldn't be that far of a stretch,
either, as there's also a very large openly gay area
of Dallas (believe it or not!) -- Oak Lawn. And it's a
pretty affluent area, to boot.

-B.

Steven L. Robinson wrote:
> Dallas could elect its first gay mayor
>
> The Associated Press
> June 05, 2007
>
> 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.''