Dallas gays urge mayor to rethink rejecting gay marriage pledge
WFAA
The gay and lesbian community is calling for Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to reconsider and sign a pledge in support of same-sex marriage.
In Washington, D.C. Friday, more than 80 other mayors in 25 states had signed the pledge sponsored by the group ‘Freedom to Marry,’ including the mayors of Houston and Austin.
Most of the supportive mayors are democrats, as is Rawlings, but some are republicans.
Among the mayors backing the pledge to fight for gay marriage was Houston’s Annise Parker. She’s a lesbian who has raised three children with her partner, and spoke of the difficulties without legal marriage in Texas.
“We have had to navigate insurance challenges, custody challenges and the school districts,” Parker said.
But not among the group was Rawlings, who said he didn’t feel he should get involved in such social issues as mayor.
“I was asked to pledge my support to ‘Mayors for the Freedom to Marry’ in an effort to pressure state and federal entities to legalize marriage for same-sex couples,” said Rawlings in a statement. “I decided not to sign onto that letter because that is inconsistent with my view of the duties of the office of the mayor.”
But that’s angered Dallas gay and lesbian groups.
“These are issues that affect gay and lesbian people here, and as our mayor, he should be willing to put his money where his mouth is and sign the pledge,” said spokesman Rafael McDonnell of Resource Center Dallas.
Rawlings said he personally supports gay marriage, but feels putting the weight of his office behind it is inappropriate, especially when he wants to focus on larger issues facing the city.
That’s not easing the anger.
“I think it’s causing some people to go, ‘That’s not what we expected,’” McDonnell said.
