Hoton's First Openly Gay Mayor on How the Cy Beme One of Ameri's Most Diverse: Season 2, Episo 1 of 'Let's Go Together'

Contents:

• DEL R ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• ONE OF THE TEXANS ULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORVENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED.CHRISTIAN "MANUEL" HAY (OM LEFT), JOLANDA JON AND VENTON JON ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS BEMONT, HOTON AND DALLAS, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST STATE'S FIRST BLACK AND OPENLY LGBTQ LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.(FILE)BY LREN MCGGHY9:37 AM ON MAR 7, 2022 CST — UPDATED AT 3:12 PM ON MAR 18, 2022 CDTAUSTIN — TEXAS VOTERS MAY ELECT THE STATE’S FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK LEGISLATOR THIS YEAR.VENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.ADVERTISEMENTEACH WILL FACE FELLOW DEMOCRATS THE MAY NOFF ELECTN. IN THE HOTON AND BEMONT RAC, THE WNER WILL FACE A REPUBLIN OPPONENT NOVEMBER.ADVERTISEMENTA TOTAL OF 24 OPENLY LGBTQ NDIDAT WON THEIR PRIMARI THIS MONTH , ACRDG TO LGBTQ VICTORY FUND, A GROUP THAT ADVOT FOR LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND QUEER NDIDAT FOR ELECTED OFFICE. OF THOSE, 13 ARE NNG FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WHERE THERE ARE CURRENTLY FIVE OPENLY LGBTQ MEMBERS.POLIL POTSGET THE LATT POLICS NEWS OM NORTH TEXAS AND BEYOND.EMAIL ADDRSBY SIGNG UP YOU AGREE TO OUR TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICYSUBMITANNISE PARKER, PRINT AND CEO OF LGBTQ VICTORY FUND AND THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF HOTON, SAID THE PROLIFERATN OF THE NDIDAT SHOWS VOTERS ARE MANDG CHANGE THE PAL.“TIME AND TIME AGA, WE WNS HOW UNEQUABLE REPRENTATN CREAT A RIPPLE EFFECT OF HATE AND HARMFUL POLICI THAT IMPACT ALL OUR LIV. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” PARKER SAID A STATEMENT.ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:FIVE WOMEN START TEXAS LEGISLATURE'S FIRST LGBTQ UCDALLAS SEATVENTON JON, WHO IS VYG TO REPRENT THE SPRAWLG OAK CLIFF DISTRICT THAT STRETCH ACROSS SOUTH DALLAS, WOULD NOT ONLY BE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ BLACK LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED. HE’D ALSO BE THE FIRST KNOWN TO BE OPENLY LIVG WH HIV.ADVERTISEMENT“I’M SPIRED BY THE OPPORTUNY ABOUT BEG ONE OF THE FIRSTS,” JON SAID. “BEG BLACK, BEG LGBT AND BEG HIV POSIVE — IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS TGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRENTATN, THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUY, THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYTHG WE’RE FIGHTG FOR.”ADVERTISEMENTJON SAID HIS EXPERTISE MUNY HEALTH HAS “PERFECTLY PREPARED HIM” TO LEAD AT THIS MOMENT, AS TEXAS EMERG OM THE COVID-19 PANMIC. HIS OTHER POLICY FOC AREAS WILL BE ASTCTURE, PUBLIC TN AND VOTG RIGHTS. WHILE HE WAS BORN AND RAISED THE DISTRICT, JON SAID NAME REGNN HAS BEEN THE TOUGHT PART OF THE ELECTN BEE HE HAS NEVER N FOR ELECTED OFFICE BEFORE.HE ALSO BLASTED STATE OFFICIALS’ RECENT EFFORTS TO TARGET HEALTH RE ACCS FOR TRANSGENR CHILDREN.“IT HURTS MY HEART TO SEE THOSE THGS HAPPEN,” JON SAID. “THAT IS PART OF THE REASON I AM EVEN HERE TODAY THIS RACE IS TO BE ABLE TO RAISE MY VOICE AND TO BE ABLE TO E MY WORK TO HELP.”ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:WE REMEND THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR TEXAS HOE DISTRICT 100HE WILL FACE SANDRA CRENSHAW THE MAY 24 NOFF.CRENSHAW, A FORMER DALLAS CY UNCILWOMAN, BTED VENTON BY 728 VOT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. SHE CREDED HER ADVOCY WORK ON MENTAL HEALTH RE AND HOMELSNS AS ONE REASON SHE END UP THE TOP SPOT HEAD TO THE NOFF. SHE WOULD LIKE TO FOC MORE ON CHANGG THE CRIMAL JTICE SYSTEM FUTURE.“I WANT TO MAKE A NTRIBUTN, WHETHER I’M ELECTED OR NOT, FOR THOSE RCERATED,” CRENSHAW SAID.ADVERTISEMENTSHE ACCED JON’ MPAIGN OF SPREADG A MOR SHE IS HOMOPHOBIC, AN ALLEGATN HE STRONGLY NIED.CRENSHAW NIED BEG ANTI-GAY — NOTG “I BELIEVE THAT GOD MA NO MISTAK” — BUT ADD SHE IS OM AN OLR GENERATN AND DO NOT FEEL FORTABLE WH PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTN BY ANYONE REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUALY.“I JT DON’T LIKE . AND I THK I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE THAT OPN,” SHE SAID. “THAT DON’T MAKE ME HATE THEM OR FEEL ANY DIFFERENT TOWARD THEM.”THE DALLAS SEAT IS BEG VATED BY STATE REP. JASME CROCKETT, WHO IS NNG FOR CONGRS. CROCKETT HAD NOT ENDORSED THE PRIMARY.ADVERTISEMENTHOTON SEAT
• TEXAS BORRTOWN ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR WH A PENCHANT FOR HIGH HEELS AND GOVERNMENT ACUNTABILY
• SMALL TOWN TEXAS ELECTS GAY MAYOR
• HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HOTON ELECTS ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• ANNISE PARKER: OPENLY GAY MAYOR ELECTED IN HOTON, TEXAS
• HOTON’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR ON HOW THE CY BEME ONE OF AMERI’S MOST DIVERSE: SEASON 2, EPISO 1 OF 'LET’S GO TOGETHER'
• GAY MAYORAL CANDIDATE COULD MAKE HISTORY TEXAS
• TEXAS TOWN ELECTS GAY AIR FORCE VETERAN KNOWN FOR WEARG HIGH HEELS
• WHAT HOTON'S GAY MAYOR MEANS FOR TEXAS
• TEXAS JUDGE WHO DON’T WANT TO PERFORM GAY MARRIAGE CEREMONI HOP WEB SIGNER’S SUPREME COURT SE HELPS HER FIGHT
• GAY MAYORS? WHO R?

DEL R ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR

The South Texas town of Del R, populatn 35, 998, elected s first openly gay officeholr on Saturday when Bno Lozano won the mayoral race. Acrdg to Hoton’s OutSmart Magaze, as of January there were at least 52 LGBT ndidat across the state, chasg everythg om small-town mayor gigs to state reprentative seats to the ernor’s had bee well known Del R for his work to clean up the borr town’s waterways, acrdg to Into, an onle magaze produced by the gay onle datg app Grdr, and he cid to n for mayor 2016.

Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valz, who is openly gay, announced her tentn to n for ernor early January and has long been nsired the ont-nner to challenge Governor Greg Abbott November. One of Valz’s fellow Democratic gubernatorial ndidat was Jefey Payne, an openly gay owner of a gay bar Dallas.

All three are gay and would bee the first openly LGBTQ and Black state legislators if will face fellow Democrats the May noff electn. A total of 24 openly LGBTQ ndidat won their primari this month, acrdg to LGBTQ Victory Fund, a group that advot for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer ndidat for elected office. Polil PotsGet the latt polics news om North Texas and Parker, print and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund and the first openly gay mayor of Hoton, said the proliferatn of the ndidat shows voters are mandg change the pal.

ONE OF THE TEXANS ULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORVENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED.CHRISTIAN "MANUEL" HAY (OM LEFT), JOLANDA JON AND VENTON JON ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS BEMONT, HOTON AND DALLAS, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST STATE'S FIRST BLACK AND OPENLY LGBTQ LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.(FILE)BY LREN MCGGHY9:37 AM ON MAR 7, 2022 CST — UPDATED AT 3:12 PM ON MAR 18, 2022 CDTAUSTIN — TEXAS VOTERS MAY ELECT THE STATE’S FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK LEGISLATOR THIS YEAR.VENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.ADVERTISEMENTEACH WILL FACE FELLOW DEMOCRATS THE MAY NOFF ELECTN. IN THE HOTON AND BEMONT RAC, THE WNER WILL FACE A REPUBLIN OPPONENT NOVEMBER.ADVERTISEMENTA TOTAL OF 24 OPENLY LGBTQ NDIDAT WON THEIR PRIMARI THIS MONTH , ACRDG TO LGBTQ VICTORY FUND, A GROUP THAT ADVOT FOR LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND QUEER NDIDAT FOR ELECTED OFFICE. OF THOSE, 13 ARE NNG FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WHERE THERE ARE CURRENTLY FIVE OPENLY LGBTQ MEMBERS.POLIL POTSGET THE LATT POLICS NEWS OM NORTH TEXAS AND BEYOND.EMAIL ADDRSBY SIGNG UP YOU AGREE TO OUR TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICYSUBMITANNISE PARKER, PRINT AND CEO OF LGBTQ VICTORY FUND AND THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF HOTON, SAID THE PROLIFERATN OF THE NDIDAT SHOWS VOTERS ARE MANDG CHANGE THE PAL.“TIME AND TIME AGA, WE WNS HOW UNEQUABLE REPRENTATN CREAT A RIPPLE EFFECT OF HATE AND HARMFUL POLICI THAT IMPACT ALL OUR LIV. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” PARKER SAID A STATEMENT.ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:FIVE WOMEN START TEXAS LEGISLATURE'S FIRST LGBTQ UCDALLAS SEATVENTON JON, WHO IS VYG TO REPRENT THE SPRAWLG OAK CLIFF DISTRICT THAT STRETCH ACROSS SOUTH DALLAS, WOULD NOT ONLY BE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ BLACK LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED. HE’D ALSO BE THE FIRST KNOWN TO BE OPENLY LIVG WH HIV.ADVERTISEMENT“I’M SPIRED BY THE OPPORTUNY ABOUT BEG ONE OF THE FIRSTS,” JON SAID. “BEG BLACK, BEG LGBT AND BEG HIV POSIVE — IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS TGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRENTATN, THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUY, THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYTHG WE’RE FIGHTG FOR.”ADVERTISEMENTJON SAID HIS EXPERTISE MUNY HEALTH HAS “PERFECTLY PREPARED HIM” TO LEAD AT THIS MOMENT, AS TEXAS EMERG OM THE COVID-19 PANMIC. HIS OTHER POLICY FOC AREAS WILL BE ASTCTURE, PUBLIC TN AND VOTG RIGHTS. WHILE HE WAS BORN AND RAISED THE DISTRICT, JON SAID NAME REGNN HAS BEEN THE TOUGHT PART OF THE ELECTN BEE HE HAS NEVER N FOR ELECTED OFFICE BEFORE.HE ALSO BLASTED STATE OFFICIALS’ RECENT EFFORTS TO TARGET HEALTH RE ACCS FOR TRANSGENR CHILDREN.“IT HURTS MY HEART TO SEE THOSE THGS HAPPEN,” JON SAID. “THAT IS PART OF THE REASON I AM EVEN HERE TODAY THIS RACE IS TO BE ABLE TO RAISE MY VOICE AND TO BE ABLE TO E MY WORK TO HELP.”ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:WE REMEND THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR TEXAS HOE DISTRICT 100HE WILL FACE SANDRA CRENSHAW THE MAY 24 NOFF.CRENSHAW, A FORMER DALLAS CY UNCILWOMAN, BTED VENTON BY 728 VOT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. SHE CREDED HER ADVOCY WORK ON MENTAL HEALTH RE AND HOMELSNS AS ONE REASON SHE END UP THE TOP SPOT HEAD TO THE NOFF. SHE WOULD LIKE TO FOC MORE ON CHANGG THE CRIMAL JTICE SYSTEM FUTURE.“I WANT TO MAKE A NTRIBUTN, WHETHER I’M ELECTED OR NOT, FOR THOSE RCERATED,” CRENSHAW SAID.ADVERTISEMENTSHE ACCED JON’ MPAIGN OF SPREADG A MOR SHE IS HOMOPHOBIC, AN ALLEGATN HE STRONGLY NIED.CRENSHAW NIED BEG ANTI-GAY — NOTG “I BELIEVE THAT GOD MA NO MISTAK” — BUT ADD SHE IS OM AN OLR GENERATN AND DO NOT FEEL FORTABLE WH PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTN BY ANYONE REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUALY.“I JT DON’T LIKE . AND I THK I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE THAT OPN,” SHE SAID. “THAT DON’T MAKE ME HATE THEM OR FEEL ANY DIFFERENT TOWARD THEM.”THE DALLAS SEAT IS BEG VATED BY STATE REP. JASME CROCKETT, WHO IS NNG FOR CONGRS. CROCKETT HAD NOT ENDORSED THE PRIMARY.ADVERTISEMENTHOTON SEAT

“I want to make a ntributn, whether I’m elected or not, for those rcerated, ” Crenshaw acced Jon’ mpaign of spreadg a mor she is homophobic, an allegatn he strongly nied. Crenshaw nied beg anti-gay — notg “I believe that God ma no mistak” — but add she is om an olr generatn and do not feel fortable wh public displays of affectn by anyone regardls of their sexualy. Joe, who is gay, worked for Dhotel as a legislative staffer for 17 years.

TEXAS BORRTOWN ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR WH A PENCHANT FOR HIGH HEELS AND GOVERNMENT ACUNTABILY

He’s an openly gay Air Force veteran who prevly marched the cy’s Veteran’s Day para high heels.

The newly elected gay Texas mayor won 62% of the vote, beatg out his cumbent opponent, and — surprisgly — his sexual orientatn only me up once ( a nasty Facebook post) durg the mpaign. Here is the mpaign ad of gay Texas mayor Bno Lozano:. What do you thk of newly elected gay Texas mayor Bno Lozano?

SMALL TOWN TEXAS ELECTS GAY MAYOR

A small, unassumg borr town Texas jt elected a gay mayor, and he’s not here to ver his inty. Lozano is the first openly gay mayor to be elected, and he’s also the youngt.

HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR

Cy Parker, who served five years as cy ntroller, won wh nearly 54 percent of vote Conservativ, anti-gay activists had lnched tense mpaign agast Parker Hoton, Texas (CNN) -- Annise Parker ma history Saturday as Hoton's first openly gay mayor. Other ci such as Province, Rho Island, and Portland, Oregon, have picked openly gay mayors. Also, the cy ss a state where gay marriage is agast the law.

"I have always stood up for the fact that I am gay. After the mayoral race entered a noff, nservativ and anti-gay activists mounted an tense mpaign agast Parker. Hoton rints received flyers the mail that highlighted Parker's support om gay groups and her relatnship wh her partner.

She is the first openly gay person elected to ern a cy wh a populatn of over 1, 000, 000 rints. In 1986, Parker served as a print of Hoton’s LGBT Polil Cc, and 1997 Parker won the n-off electn for Hoton Cy Council, th beg Hoton’s first openly gay elected official. Annise Parker has an unbeatable lead over Gene Locke Hoton's hotly ntted mayoral electn, meang she will bee the cy's first openly gay Harris County electns Web se says 53.

HOTON ELECTS ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR

62 percent of voters who turned out Saturday chose rival, former cy attorney Gene Locke, was pchg to bee the cy's send black electn battle leadg up to Saturday's ballotg was marked by fierce mpaigng and anti-gay rhetoric.

Cy to ever have an openly gay Gay & Lbian Victory Fund put out a prs release llg this "a watershed moment Amerin polics. --Hoton, Texas has bee the largt cy the Uned Stat to elect an openly gay mayor after Cy Controller Annise Parker was clared the wner of a noff electn tonight. But Parker's endorsements om labor, police, women's, gay rights and other groups were echoed by the Hoton Chronicle, the area's major daily newspaper, and her mpaign ran a superr get-out-the-vote Wolfe, print and CEO of the Gay & Lbian Victory Fund, which endorsed Parker, said her victory holds tremendo signifince for the gay muny.

This victory sends a clear signal that gays and lbians are an tegral part of Amerin civic life, that we're willg to lead, and that voters will rpond to ndidat who are open and hont about their liv, " Wolfe praised the support of the Victory Fund and s donors, who raised hundreds of thoands of dollars to help fund her mpaign.

ANNISE PARKER: OPENLY GAY MAYOR ELECTED IN HOTON, TEXAS

Tonight Hotonians said y to a future like that, and I am glad the Victory Fund helped make that happen, " Parker 's electn was the Victory Fund's top polil prry 2009, a year that saw 54 of s 79 endorsed openly gay, lbian bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) ndidat elected to public office.

In the show, Mayor Parker shar her experience Hoton, and specifilly her history as an activist and member of s queer muny, eventually servg the cy as s first openly gay mayor.

Annise: Oddly enough, we went om a vacuum where there was nothg right around the time we opened klgs to other bookstor focg on the muny, one Crossroads market, which was a sort of more of a general tert gifts and books, and then Loba books, which was targeted gay men and had eroti and so forth. Kellee: What experienc led you to ci to n for public office and what gave you the nfince your muny to put yourself out there and bee the first elected openly gay mayor of a major U.

HOTON’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR ON HOW THE CY BEME ONE OF AMERI’S MOST DIVERSE: SEASON 2, EPISO 1 OF 'LET’S GO TOGETHER'

Gay and lbian, everythg, and then, you know, you get olr, you buy a hoe, you start thkg about other thgs. Bee the tax nsultant qutn is Kathy Hubbard, who for neteen years has been Parker’s life partner—and is now the cy’s first gay first nam of Hoton’s erng uple, fact, have been on everyone’s lips sce Parker beme the first openly gay mayor of a major U. Hoton has one of the largt gay populatns the U.

If Hotonians aren’t exactly fazed by havg an openly gay official lead them, has a lot to do wh the years that she—and plenty of other gays—voted to oculatg them. She has never hidn her sexual orientatn—not even as a stunt at Rice Universy, when she was shunned her dorm for beg a lbian—and she worked the earlit, bloodit trench of Hoton’s gay rights movement, when advot got their tir slashed and routely received ath threats.

GAY MAYORAL CANDIDATE COULD MAKE HISTORY TEXAS

”) As Parker proved herself to be a highly petent, tstworthy cy official, people rped far ls about her gayns than about her Rice, Parker’s new visibily is a far cry om her old days as cy ntroller. Could Hoton bee a gay mec for tourists? Is the My Gay Hoton mpaign, lnched by the nventn and visors bure right before the electn, good news or bad news?

TEXAS TOWN ELECTS GAY AIR FORCE VETERAN KNOWN FOR WEARG HIGH HEELS

All women who n, not jt gay on, experience this, but anxiety over Parker’s fashn sense sometim sound like anxiety over her homosexualy. ) Even when Parker did get dolled up, there was talk: Lbians generally have an easier time flyg unr the radar than gay men, but the fact that both Parker and Hubbard wore pantsus to the guratn was seen as a way to flect cursy about who was the boss the there were issu of physil ntact. As she told a lol gay publitn, “Especially for people who have been very wound, mak very special and very real to be able to touch me.

WHAT HOTON'S GAY MAYOR MEANS FOR TEXAS

” As for Hubbard, no one knows yet whether havg a gay first lady will be a pl, a m, or neher, and some of that will pend on Hubbard herself, who is by all acunts warm and genue, though, like Parker, a b rerved. ”For gay upl, of urse, that is easier said than done. They raised their children well, they were fislly rponsible, they volunteered their muny—attentive to neighborhood, not jt gay, issu—and they drsed like churchgog Republins.

Like other gay women public life, Parker has spent a lifetime knowg which l to cross and which to avoid. “In her subtle, bray way, ” mented one gay man who has long been part of the cy’s art scene, “she has never ma the personal public. June 8, 2007 — -- Some activist groups are burstg wh pri over the fact that Dallas may be on the verge of beg the largt cy the Uned Stat to elect an openly gay mayor.

TEXAS JUDGE WHO DON’T WANT TO PERFORM GAY MARRIAGE CEREMONI HOP WEB SIGNER’S SUPREME COURT SE HELPS HER FIGHT

But at town hall meetgs and durg fierce bat, his gayns seems a nonissue wh Councilman Ed Oakley, who has received the endorsement of the Democratic Party, said he has served as an openly gay public official for 15 years here Dallas. "His mpaign manager, Craig Murphy, said the fact that the ndidate is openly gay "Is totally irrelevant and that is why we are not talkg about . "All ndidat nng for Dallas mayor have mpaigned sayg they nsir someone's sexual orientatn a Webb, the assistant edor of the Dallas Voice, a newspaper wh a circulatn of 50, 000 that ters to the gay muny, said he thks " is funny" to watch some of the reactn om people who do not live said, "I am a native Texan.

The Dallas sheriff, unty judge and district clerk all hold office as gay a Time magaze article last month, wrer John Cloud noted that Dallas is also home to the 3, 500-member Cathedral of Hope, the world's largt gay noff for Mayor tak place June 16.

Oakley's opponent, Tom Leppert, is mpaigng on a platform of fightg crime and improvg Dallas whether he felt voters Dallas were aware that his opponent is openly gay, Leppert told ABC News, "I don't know the answer to that. " He is appealg to Dallas' gay muny for support and says "at my table, everybody has an equal seat. "Oakley has been elected to three terms as a cy uncilman, each time nng as an openly gay won the support of the Dallas Gay and Lbian Alliance.

GAY MAYORS? WHO R?

Patti Fk, the group's vice print, said the gay muny has helped rebuild many hard h areas of the cy and moved to neighborhoods that were once cmblg. The Alliance believ has had a strong hand helpg the cy build a new center for the performg arts the flourishg downtown theater said, "If Oakley were to w, I thk we would have a fe mayor, but we would also be very proud of him as an openly gay man for havg won the seat.

Cy wh an openly gay mayor is Province, R. 2 ln people, and the gay muny is timated at 120, Dallas mayoral race has attracted very ltle attentn.

Polil experts said voter turnout will be the cidg factor June 16, when the cy uld make history as the largt the untry to elect an openly gay mayor. On Saturday, 62 percent of voters Del R ― loted about 110 wt of San Anton ― elected gay Air Force veteran Bno “Ralphy” Lozano as s 35-year-old Lozano is both the town’s youngt mayor and first openly gay official.