Talking with Bigots

Get Your Tally Wacked By Half-Naked Waiters In Dallas

Finally, the restaurant we’ve been waiting for.

Tallywackers is a new dining establishment coming to Dallas. Per a help wanted ad posted to Craigslist, it appears to be a bar and restaurant specializing in hot dogs and other phallic-shaped foods served up by a staff of half-naked hunks.

In other words: It’s the male equivalent to Hooters. And we’re sure it’s going to be a huge hit in the Oak Lawn gayborhood. How could it not?

The restaurant, which is billing itself as the “newest and most exciting place to be,” is currently hiring bartenders, servers, cooks, bus boys and hosts, and is expected to open some time next month.

Let’s just hope servers in super skimpy briefs don’t violate any health department regulations.

TEXAS TEEN WITH TWO MOMS DELIVERS ROUSING SPEECH IN SUPPORT OF MARRIAGE EQUALITY

Freedom To Marry President Evan Wolfson was joined by Texas same-sex plaintiff couples fora marriage town hall at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin on Monday night. 

But Mason Marriott-Voss, a 16-year-old from Austin with two moms, stole the show with a rousing two-minute speech about the importance of bringing marriage equality to the Lone Star State. 

Marriott-Voss (shown with his family above) said when his two moms had him, same-sex marriage wasn't legal anywhere in the US, adding that a lot has changed, "but not here in Texas." 

"There are still people who stubbornly refuse to recognize family even when it's right in front of them," he said. "Some people are still genuinely concerned that my parents' love could harm tradition or erode society, maybe even threaten existing marriages."

Marriott-Voss talked about how ordinary his family is — his stepsister is a straight-A student who likes Harry Potter and his younger brother is wearing a Yoda-Santa hat every day in December in hopes that it will bring a white Christmas to Austin. 

"We share the same values and beliefs as everyone else, the same normal struggles and triumphs, except we are denied the basic dignity of being officially respected as the family that we are," Marriott-Voss said. "These anti-family laws create a raw deal for kids like me. Marriage is supposed to be a very important issue, but these laws cause children to be raised across the country in homes without it. The most important thing I want you to take away from me today, is that it's not our families that need to change, it's Texas." 

Freedom To Marry's Wolfson said people like Marriott-Voss continuing to tell their families' stories will be key to bringing same-sex marriage to Texas and the other 14 states where it's still banned.

BILLS AIM TO OVERTURN ANTI-GAY TEXAS LAW THAT PUNISHES CHILDREN FOR HAVING SAME-SEX PARENTS

The founders of a popular support network for gay dads are taking on a Texas law that prohibits them from having both of their names on their son's birth certificate. 

Austinites Andy Miller and Brian Stephens (above and below), founders of The Handsome Father, say the law is "mean-spirited" because it punishes their son, 7-year-old Clark, for something over which he has no control. From The Texas Observer: 

“As he got older, it became less about us and it became more about him,” Miller said. “This is his document that he’ll carry with him the rest of his life, and it very clearly only lists half of his family on it, and that’s when we kind of became angry and said the state is treating our son differently because of who his parents are, not because of anything he has done or hasn’t done. This needs to change because of our kids. The state is basically targeting them for unequal treatment.”

Acting in the name of "conservative values," the Texas Legislature decided in 1997 to require supplemental birth certificates issued to adoptive parents to have the name of one man and one woman. Texas is one of a handful of states with similar laws, and marriage equality won't solve the problem. 

On Wednesday, lawmakers in the state House and Senate introduced bills to overturn the law. State Rep. Rafael Anchia, D-Dallas, told the Observer: 

“I think if you asked every member of the Legislature, they would say they care about orphaned children, and if we can get them to understand that this bill is about children and not about who their parents are, then that should carry the day. There’s no doubt that this policy has cruel effects.”

Daniel Williams, legislative specialist for Equality Texas, called the law "the lowest form of politics possible — if you don’t like someone, attack their children.”

A few years ago, Lambda Legal challenged a similar law in Louisiaina, but lost the case when the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear it. 

Equality Texas is calling on people to contact their legislators in suport of the bills.

TEXAS OFFICIAL SAYS EQUAL RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR GAYS WILL LEAD TO 'DECLINE OF THE EMPIRE':

A Galveston County, Texas, commissioner says offering retirement benefits to the same-sex spouses of employees could lead to "the decline of the empire." 

Republican County Commissioner Ken Clark (above) made the comments during a meeting of the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC). Clark serves on the board of the H-GAC, an intergovernmental planning agency made up of 13 member counties and more than member 100 cities in Southeast Texas. 

The H-GAC recently received a notice from the IRS stating that, due to the U.S. Supreme Court's 2013 decision striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act, H-GAC must begin offering equal 401(k) benefits to same-sex couples who are legally married in other states, or lose the tax-qualified status of its retirement fund. 

The H-GAC's attorneys and a budget committee recommended complying with the IRS notice and offering retirement benefits to same-sex spouses legally married in other states. But Clark and others on the H-GAC board are apparently willing to risk losing the tax-qualified status — a decision that would affect the 401(k) plans of all 241 of its employees — to avoid offering the benefits, which they say would violate Texas' constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. 

When the issue was discussed at an H-GAC board meeting on Oct. 21, Clark said: 

NOH8 Photo Of 11-year-old Texan Targeted By Anti-Gay Bullies Goes Viral

Vanessa Tijerina-Arguelles posted the above photo of her 11-year-old son, Jesus "Jesse" Franco, on Facebook on Friday morning and marked it with the hashtag #NOH8.

Since being reposted by the NOH8 Campaign a few hours later, the photo has been shared more than 83,000 times on Facebook.

As you can see, Jesse is holding two signs saying although he's not gay, he's been the victim of anti-gay bullying at his school in Raymondville, Texas, near McAllen. School officials have refused to do anything to stop the bullying, and have in fact punished him for defending himself, according to Jesse's signs.

The signs read:

"HELLO! I'M JESUS (JESSE) FRANCO. I'M NOT GAY. STILL, I GET CALLED GAY AND FAGGOT AT MY SCHOOL EVERY DAY. RAYMONDVILLE (TX) INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT DOES NOTHING. MY PARENTS & I HAVE TRIED 2 GET THEM 2 DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THE LAST TIME I WAS ATTACKED, I GOT 2 DAYS OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION FOR OVERCOMING THE BULLY, DEFENDING MYSELF. PARENTS OF THESE KIDS ARE BULLIES 2. MAYBE THAT'S WHY THE SCHOOL DOESN'T ACT & THE KIDS(S) DON'T STOP? PLEASE SHARE SO OTHER KIDS, LIKE ME, CAN SEE THEY ARE NOT ALONE. THE SCHOOL MAY VIOLATE MY FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MY RIGHT TO (SILENT) PROTEST; THEY HAVE GIVEN ME NO CHOICE, NO HELP. THANK YOU. NO H8."

Jesse's mom, Tijerina-Arguelles, wrote the following when she originally posted the photo:

"My son is 11 years old. His school district is in a community that is a pro-bully, anti-victim community in EVERY aspect. Where victims should be of a concern (law enforcement, government, school district), and be protected. The latest insult was a gay slur, a shouted gay-bashing during lunch in the cafeteria, followed by ooohs. With faculty present. My son has a learning disability, he was caught off guard and unable to react. The bully who did this is a notorious bully, his mom is a nortorius bully. Both the mother and her son have cyber-bullied and gay bashed my boy. Enough is enough."

Tijerina-Arguelles said on Saturday that she took the photo and posted it as a last resort before Jesse, who's in sixth grade, left for school on Friday morning.

"It was not because he did not want to go; it was because he was afraid if he fought back that he would be punished again, and they wouldn't care that he was defending himself," Tijerina-Arguelles said. "He has a learning disability. He is actually extremely bright. He just has trouble socially and with new concepts and surprising circumstances, such as being bully-ambushed."

Tijerina-Arguelles said Jesse had asked why his bullies were using gay slurs. She explained it was because he's different and they make assumptions. That's when Jesse said there should be a campaign to protect people against anti-gay bullying.

"I said, 'Oh honey, there are many, some have been around forever. The newest one is NOH8. Have you heard of it?' ... I logged online and showed him the campaign. He said, 'I bet no one in Raymondville knows about that.' I said: 'I bet you're right. You want people to know about that?' He nodded. And voila! We made it happen. He got there [to school] and only one girl knew what it was about. Teachers asked him, 'Is that gang related?' He said, 'No, I support gays and their rights.' So proud of my boy. Others took out markers and followed suit."

Many of those who've commented and shared the photo say they plan to contact the Raymondville school superintendent. Here's his info should you choose to join them:

Johnny I. Pineda

jipineda@raymondvilleisd.org

956-689-8176

Rick Perry Looks Like an Absolute Fool After Net Neutrality Comments Go Terribly Wrong

Have you ever been in a discussion with someone who was trying to sound intelligent, or like they knew what they were talking about, but it was glaringly obvious that they had no clue what they were saying? The result is usually some incoherent babble that sometimes leaves you unable to respond because you really have no idea what the heck they just said – because it didn’t make any sense.

Ladies and gentlemen I introduce you to Rick Perry’s comments on net neutrality. It’s not every day that someone tries to compare the fight to keep net neutrality with anything from the time period of the Great Depression, because that would make very little sense.

Except that’s exactly what Perry did.

“President Obama’s call to saddle 21st century technology with outdated, unnecessary regulations from the era of the Great Depression is alarming and will stifle innovation and growth,” Perry said.

He’s obviously referring to Obama’s attempt to reclassify the internet as a public utility, so that corporations can’t screw over consumers when it comes to internet access. Let’s think about Perry’s comments for a moment. Just because a law (that’s proven to be successful by the way) is from the 30′s, does that mean it’s suddenly invalid and worthless?

By Perry’s standards of “outdated,” couldn’t we then say our entire Constitution is outdated? After all, it was written in the late-1700′s. You’re telling me the quartering of soldiers during a time of war is a big issue in the 21st century? That’s what our Third Amendment addresses.

But what infuriates me most is how Perry, and others who think like he does, continue to perpetuate this ridiculous idea that the internet as we have known it since its inception has somehow been “stifling toward growth.” What the hell are these idiots even talking about? Net neutrality is about keeping the internet exactly how it’s been since it went mainstream. What ending net neutrality does is it gives the right for internet service providers to determine what sites are given access to what speeds based on who pays the ransoms they’ll demand for better service.

GOP TEXAS LAWMAKER WANTS TO ENSHRINE 'LICENSE TO DISCRIMINATE' AGAINST GAYS IN STATE CONSTITUTION

A Tea Party Republican in Texas wants to enshrine a "license to discriminate" against LGBT people into the state Constitution.

State Sen. Donna Campbell filed a proposed constitutional amendment Monday that could allow business owners and government contractors to turn away gay people, or fire LGBT employees, under the guise of religious liberty. The amendment could also undermine LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinances that have passed in all of Texas' major cities.

Campbell's proposed constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 10, states that government "may not burden an individual’s or religious organization’s freedom of religion or right to act or refuse to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief unless the government proves that the burden is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that interest."

SJR 10 goes on to say that a "burden" includes "indirect burdens such as withholding benefits, assessing penalties, and denying access to facilities or programs."

Jenny Pizer (right), senior counsel at Lambda Legal, told Towleroad that in addition to undermining local nondiscrimination laws, she believes Campbell's proposal would open up government to all sorts of litigation from people who have religious objections to a wide variety of regulations.

"What it probably means is that the government's ability to challenge discrimination would be limited," Pizer said. "While she wants to permit religiously motivated discrimination against gay people, what about religiously motivated discrimination by one religion against another? What if the Jewish doctors decided to stop providing medical services to Christian fundamentalists?

College Students Can’t Answer Basic U.S. Questions, But Get Celebrity Ones Right

Awesome Mom Wants Federal Investigation Into Gay Son’s Bashing

Dylan Beard’s “friends” are definitely awful people — they lured the 17-year-old to a skate park and then beat him up while shouting gay slurs. Making matters worse, the local police were like “eh,” and haven’t really don’t much about it.

But the good news is that his family is completely awesome.

His mom, Jennifer Beard has hired an attorney and now they’re demanding action from the Department of Justice. They want the attack investigated as a hate crime. Texas is one of the states that identifies sexual orientation as a category for hate crimes (but not gender expression).

And Dylan’s uncle, Tom Plunkett, is furious too. “As a military veteran it kind of disappoints me, a country I defended,” he said. It sucks that Dylan endured this attack, but bless his family for being so supportive.

Dylan is home-schooled, and doesn’t really know his attackers that well. It’s totally mysterious why they would decide to coordinate an attack on him.

According to his mom, police didn’t care that the attackers bragged about it on social media. In fact, the police told reporters that they didn’t know about the bragging at all — but that’s how Jennifer found out about the beating in the first place. (Her son’s black eye and broken nose might also have been a good clue.)

A few months ago, Austin rallied around a victim of a hate crime. A local dentist did reconstructive surgery to fix the nine (!) teeth that were beaten out of a victim’s mouth.

TX Senator Pathetically Takes to Twitter to Mock Thousands of Americans Who Won’t Be Able to Vote

Voter ID laws, or as I like to call them the modern day poll tax, have sparked quite the debate these last few years. In fact, I was forced to pay a poll tax in Texas this year before I was allowed to vote. Since Republicans can’t just outright charge Americans for their right to vote, they’ve found a loophole to charge poll taxes with these new strict voter ID laws. Because when it comes right down to it, Americans are having to pay for the proper identification that’s required for them to legally submit their vote.

So, are Americans being charged for their right to vote? Not directly, but instead they’re having to pay various fees for the right documentation or identification so that they’ll be allowed to vote.

But most Republicans I’ve encountered on this issue simply don’t get it. I don’t care if most Americans have an ID or that you need an ID to do other things like buy a gun (at least in some cases) or open a bank account. I don’t even care if someone should already have a copy of their birth certificate “because they’re an adult.”

None of that matters.

It is unconstitutional and illegal to charge Americans for their right to vote.

End of story.

This isn’t a debatable issue. There’s no “Yeah, but…” response to this. The moment an American is required to pay anything for their right to vote, that’s unconstitutional. It doesn’t matter if the polling place is charging one penny to get in to vote - that’s illegal.

The amount charged doesn’t matter. Whether it’s $0.01 or $1,000,000, you cannot charge an American for their right to vote.

Well, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) took to Twitter recently to mock tens of thousands of Americans who won’t be allowed to vote this year because for whatever reason they lack the proper identification.

The senator tweeted:

Like I said, they just don’t get it.

She’s lucky she has time to take off work (if she works) to go down and get a new ID. Many Americans can’t afford to miss work. Hell, she’s lucky she has the money to pay for a new ID. That’s something else many Americans living in poverty don’t have.

But it all comes back to the very fundamental issue that Senator Cornyn actually exposed with this tweet: Texas voter ID laws are poll taxes.

Think about it. He claims his wife lost her ID. That being said, could she vote unless she paid for another ID (or at least at some point paid for a birth certificate to get a “free” Election Identification Certificate)?

The answer is simple: No, she couldn’t.

So here we have a U.S. Senator admitting that his wife will have to purchase an ID, which she will be required to show in order to vote in Texas.

No matter how these Republicans want to try to spin these unconstitutional voter ID laws, they’re poll taxes – plain and simple.

And without thinking, John Cornyn actually admitted as much with his pathetic tweet mocking those Americans who won’t be able to exercise their right to vote this November because of these unconstitutional laws.

In what sounds like a story straight from The Onion or The National Report, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) stated that he opposed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell because apparently all gay soldiers want to do is lay around and get massages all day.

I’ve listened to his comments, and even read a transcript of them, and I still can’t find a proper way to actually describe them. So I’ll just let his outrageous ignorance speak for itself:

I’ve had people say, “Hey, you know, there’s nothing wrong with gays in the military. Look at the Greeks.” Well, you know, they did have people come along who they loved that was the same sex and would give them massages before they went into battle. But you know what, it’s a different kind of fighting, it’s a different kind of war and if you’re sitting around getting massages all day ready to go into the big, planned battle, then you’re not going to last very long. It’s guerrilla fighting. You are going to be ultimately vulnerable to terrorism and, you know, if that’s what you start doing in the military like the Greeks did, as people have said, “Louie, you have got to understand, you don’t even know your history.” Oh, yes, I do. I know exactly. It’s not a good idea.

The main thing I get from this ridiculous diatribe is the utter and hateful disrespect he showed toward gay men and women serving in our military. He’s more or less saying that he doesn’t believe homosexuals serving in our military are capable of doing their job – because they’re too obsessed with “gay things.”

These are men and women who have risked their lives for this country (and some still are risking their lives overseas). Yet this disgusting pile of garbage has the gall to sit there and show such utter disdain and disrespect for them? Anyone who’s ever voted (or will vote) for this bottom-feeder should be ashamed of themselves.

But this all just ties in with the normal everyday hypocrisy show by so many on the right. Sure, they’ll profess their supposed “love and admiration” for our men and women in uniform – while showing nothing but absolute contempt toward those brave men and women who happen to be homosexual.

I guess to people like Gohmert, and those conservatives who support him and these anti-gay beliefs, the acts of bravery shown by gay members of our military don’t matter. Their courage means nothing and their sacrifices aren’t as selfless just because of their sexual orientation.

It’s an absolute embarrassment that this jackass is a representative of our government.

WHY MARRIAGE MATTERS: Houston mayor's daughter initially refused driver's license, because she has two moms

Houston Mayor Annise Parker

In 2009, residents of Houston, Texas made history when they elected Annise Parker as the first openly gay mayor of Houston. Progress!

Thursday she experienced another first.

Daughter needs drivers test. Has all docs, some in MomA name, some MomK, but w/ birth cert showing both. DPS says can only be from 1 mom!-A

— @AnniseParker

Her daughter went to take her driver's test and she was turned away. Why? Because the Texas Department of Public Safety personnel initially refused to accept her birth certificate as valid:

Turns out the Texas Department of Public Safety won’t honor name changes obtained through same-sex marriages in other states, based on the state’s anti-gay marriage amendment.

Now, it appears the DPS also won’t allow the children of same-sex couples to take a driver’s test if both of their parents names are listed on their birth certificate. It doesn’t even matter if one of their parents is the mayor of Houston.

After Mayor Parker complained on Twitter (and presumably elsewhere), Texas Department of Public Safety officials made a reversal:

Finally! After 3rd trip to DPS w/ different sets of docs in an unnecessary paper chase, last child has her drivers license.-A

— @AnniseParker

Thank you to the DPS clerk & supervisor in the Rosenberg office who took the time to read my daughters documentation & realize it was OK.-A

— @AnniseParker

Glad it all worked out for the Parker family. But, one has to wonder–what if she weren't the mayor? Would DPS officials have reversed their stance so quickly?

In a video made before this incident, see Mayor Annise Parker's message to the LGBT community nationwide, calling for the community to band together and stand up for those oppressed around the world.

Greg Abbott Refused to Answer Whether or Not He Would Have Supported Ending Bans on Interracial Marriage

There are many questions we can be asked that don’t have a simple “yes” or “no” answer to them. But then there are those questions that shouldn’t be difficult to answer, such as whether or not interracial marriage should be legal. The answer, unless you’re a racist or a bigot, should clearly be “yes.”

Well, not if you’re Texas Attorney General (and gubernatorial candidate) Greg Abbott.

During an interview with San Antonio Express-News’ Peggy Fikac, his defense of Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage was brought up. He was then asked whether or not he would have supported bans on interracial marriage that were overturned in 1967 in the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia. Because at that time, Texas had laws prohibiting interracial couples from getting married.

You would think a simple “no” would have been easy to come by, right? After all, who in their right mind would support bans on interracial marriages?

Well, apparently this wasn’t a simple “yes” or “no” question for Abbott.

Greg Abbott Writes Completely Ridiculous Argument Against Marriage Equality

Sometimes I think conservative Republicans, especially those from Texas, couldn’t do anything else that would surprise me. After all, this is the state that gave us George W. Bush, Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, Louie Gohmert, and Steve Stockman. Remember Stockman and Gohmert, the two members of the House that make Michele Bachmann look like a sane, balanced human being in comparison?

Well now, I’m totally not shocked, but still surprised at the argument that current Texas Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott presented in his brief which was filed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which hears cases from Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

It is worth noting that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals is known for being very conservative, and some people (myself included) believe the eventual ruling from this court will conflict with other federal appeals courts, thereby forcing the Supreme Court to finally rule on the matter of marriage equality.

Anyhow, in this brief, Greg Abbott was supposed to explain why allowing same-sex marriage in Texas would somehow undermine heterosexual marriage. Well, he decided not to do that; instead, he rambled on about how heterosexual marriage was better:

Wendy Davis Ad Slams Greg Abbott For Hypocrisy As Republicans Cry Foul

Texas Republicans are whining about the latest Wendy Davis advertising campaign that shows how hypocritical Greg Abbott has been towards others while seeking justice for himself.

In 1984, the current GOP Texas gubernatorial candidate was out jogging during a storm when strong winds blew an oak tree over, which fell on Abbott. The freak accident partially paralyzed him. And what did this “personal responsibility” preaching Republican do? Did he blame himself? No. Did he blame the storm? No. He blamed the homeowners whose yard the tree had been growing.

So he sued them in 2002, even though the tree falling was no fault of their own and the fact that Abbott was the one who chose to go jogging in the middle of dangerous weather. And he won a settlement of $10 million. Abbott and his Republican cohorts accuse poor people of being moochers when he had the gall to sue people for millions of dollars because of his own stupidity. He’s also been a major hypocrite when it comes to helping others find justice.

That’s why Wendy Davis’ campaign released an ad highlighting how big of a hypocrite Abbott has been over the years as Attorney General.

“A tree fell on Greg Abbott. He sued and got millions,” the ad begins. “Since then he spent his career working against other victims.”

Candidate for governor of Texas is against gay marriage because he's had a wife for 33 years

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, running for governor of the Lone Star state, said during a debate Tuesday (30 September) that he is against same-sex marriage because he's been married to a woman for 33 years.

According to LoneStarQ.com, the gay marriage question was posed to Abbott via Twitter from a man named John from Fort Worth: 'If a 10-year-old girl asked you whether her two dads should be allowed to get married, what would you tell her?'

Replied Abbott: 'John, I want you to know there are good and decent people on both sides oft his issue. I believe in traditional marriage. That’s what 75 percent of Texans agreed with less than a decade ago when they passed a constitutional amendment in the state of Texas saying that marriage in Texas is a union between one man and one woman.

'Now, for me personally, this is more than a constitutional amendment. I’ve been married to my wife Cecilla for more than 33 years now.'

Moderator Norma Garcia then asked: 'Is that what you would tell the 10-year-old?'

Replied Abbott: 'That’s what I just told John.'

Democrat Wendy Davis took the opportunity to reiterate her support of same-sex marriage.

Abbott and Davis are running to succeed Rick Perry who has been an outspoken opponent of gay marriage.

The state's ban on gay marriage has been overturned by a federal judge and that ruling is being appealed to the US Supreme Court.

WHY MARRIAGE MATTERS: Woman Who Changed Last Name Following Same-Sex Marriage Denied Driver's License in Texas

Connie Wilson [right], who changed her last name after marrying her wife Aimee Wilson in California has been refused an accurate driver's license by the Texas Department of Transportation because the name change was obtained through a same-sex marriage, The Texas Observer reports:

This summer, the couple relocated to the Houston area with their three children for work. With her California driver’s license nearing expiration, Wilson took her documents to a DPS office in Katy last week to obtain a Texas driver’s license. When a DPS employee noticed that Wilson’s name didn’t match her birth certificate, she produced the couple’s California marriage license identifying her spouse as Aimee Wilson. 

“Her only words to me were, ‘Is this same-[sex]?'” Connie Wilson recalled. “I remember hesitating for probably 10 seconds. I didn’t know how to answer. I didn’t want to lie, but I knew I was in trouble because I wasn’t going to be able to get a license.” 

Wilson eventually responded that although California doesn’t differentiate, she happened to be married to a woman. 

“She immediately told me, ‘You can’t use this to get your license. This doesn’t validate your last name. Do you have anything else?’” Wilson said. “She told me I would never get a license with my current name, that the name doesn’t belong to me.”

She was told that in order for her to secure an accurate driver's license, she must obtain an order from a state court changing her name to Wilson - a choice she claimed would cost at least $500 and have no guaranteed outcome.

“My name is already legally Wilson,” she said. “I don’t know if a judge will even grant me a name change from Wilson to Wilson.”

Check out the full story over at The Texas Observer HERE - which also mentions how Wilson's inability to get an license reflecting her legal name is jeopardizing her family's ability to find housing in Texas and secure disability benefits for one of her children.

Courage, character and clarity in young Texan's coming out story

James Alexander

Twenty year-old James Alexander, a student at the University of Houston, has shared his coming out story in a moving and compelling essay for LGBTQNation.

It's really a must read for folks who realize the depth of our fears and concerns when figuring out how and when to come out.

James beautifully chronicles the moment he came out on Facebook to his high school friends and the support he received; and the long and painful journey he and his parents shared in accepting his sexuality.

Just an excerpt from James' story:

My first week in community college I made several friends and kept contact with those I had made at the University as well. I went to class, talked with friends, and then I’d go home to study.

My second week of school I decided to join the LGBT alliance to meet new people who may have been in the same position as me. The club became a haven for me. I felt safe and validated there, but at home things started to get increasingly worse. My father, mother and brother-in-law made several homophobic remarks on a regular basis that ate away at my self-esteem which became apparent after several weeks.

I kept doing the same routine: school, study, sleep, repeat. Sleep became increasingly cumbersome as my mental health started to deteriorate. I started having dreams where I’d speak, but not be heard. Over many of this reoccurring dream I would speak to the crowds of people around me in an ever increasing volume and received no response.

Then, my dreams started to get violent. I remember waking up from a very graphic and brutal nightmare and then knew I had two choices: come out, or sit by while my mental health plummeted. I chose to come out.

Like James, I grew up in conservative Texas. I understand much of the mindset and opinions that are so pervasive throughout the state's culture.

But, I was lucky to have a father who supported my dream of being an actor, let me attend the best school I could get into (even if it was across the country), and when I did finally address my sexuality - he barely blinked.

With all the progress the LGBT community has made in recent years, I think we may have made a mental leap that misses the reality that there are still difficult coming out stories. Everyone doesn't get a hug and an ice cream cone in these huge life moments.

For some - like James - coming out is a slow, but forward process. For others, like Daniel Pierce in Georgia, whose coming out went viral when a video of the event documented verbal and physical abuse, it's still a very emotionally raw life event. 

The good news is we have strong, courageous men like James and Daniel, who had the clarity of heart to not only stand up for themselves, but share their stories. And in their stories, other young people will find strength and self-confidence.

I urge you to read James' essay at LGBTQNation.

And remember National Coming Out Day is October 11th. If you are closeted - at any age - and feel you need to talk to someone, reach out to folks who are always there, like at The Trevor Project. Or hell, email me here if you want to share. 

Thanks to James - one more important journey that shows it does get better.

Texas School Won’t Let Native American Attend His First Day Of Kindergarten Because Of His Long Hair

Malachi Wilson’s parents are Navajo and Kiowa, and they believe that their 5 year-old son’s hair is sacred and should not be cut. So Wilson arrived for his first day of kindergarten last week with his long hair in a braid. The principal at F. J. Elementary School in Seminole, Texas promptly send Wilson home, saying that he was not allowed to attend school with long hair because he is a boy.

Principal Sherrie Warren told Malachi’s mother, April Wilson, that he would not be able to come to school until he got a haircut. When April protested by noting her Native American religious beliefs, Warren asked her for to prove that Malachi is, indeed, a Native American.

Eventually, Warren backed down after April agreed to sign a form explaining why her son has long hair. Malachi Wilson was allowed to attend his second day of school. Even so, the school’s decision to deny him a single day of his education almost certainly violated the Constitution and Texas law.

For one thing the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee that “[n]o state shall . . . deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws” prohibits gender discrimination unless the state offers an “exceedingly persuasive justification” for doing so. It is unlikely that Malachi’s Wilson’s school could offer such a justification for only allowing girls to grow their hair long.

The First Amendment also protects Malachi’s right to wear his hair long, especially because his long hair is an expression of his family’s beliefs and ethnic heritage. As the Supreme Court held in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, a school may typically only suppress a student’s free expression when it can show that the expression would “materially and substantially disrupt the work and discipline of the school.” Again, it is difficult to imagine how a single student’s hair could create such a disruption.

Additionally, Texas law provides robust protections for the free exercise of religion. Although the Texas law sensibly departs from federal law by explicitly providing that religious liberty claims generally cannot be used to overcome civil rights law, the only civil rights at stake in Malachi’s case is his own right to attend school without having to change his hair. So it is likely that the school violated Malachi’s rights under Texas law when it sent him home from school, in addition to committing several violations of the Constitution.