The
Stonewall
“79.2 percent of all Texas
voters support uniform anti-
bullying legislation to prohibit
harassment in schools,
including the children of
gay/lesbian parents or teens
who are gay.”
- A statistic used frequently
during Lobby Day in
Austin on March 7, 2011,
based on the scientific poll
commissioned by
Equality Texas in 2010
Stonewall Democrats
of Dallas
PO Box 192305
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 506-DEMS
stonewalldemocratsofdallas.org
Advocate
Texas Stonewall
plots 2012 strategies
at Austin convention
More than 70 activists from all over Texas at-
tended the Second Biennial Statewide Conference
of the Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus in
Austin held March 5 to 6, to assess the “ass-whip-
ping” Democrats took at the polls last November
and to develop messaging and other strategies for
winning in 2012.
There was representation at the conference from
all nine active Stonewall Democrats chapters in
Texas, including many young people, as well as
Galveston and Tyler area residents. The success-
ful conference netted TSDC around $12,000 in
sponsorships and registration fees, which covered
meeting expenses and hotel fees, plus allowed for
a good profit, according to TSDC President Daniel
Graney of San Antonio.
Participants heard two keynote speeches from
openly bisexual Arizona state Sen. Kyrsten
Sinema and transgender activist Mara Keisling.
Sinema shared how Arizona is the breeding
ground for all the anti-immigrant, anti-choice,
anti-worker’s rights and anti-children’s health
care legislation that is being proposed in many
state legislatures, including Texas. She warned
that “Arizona is coming to a state near you” and
characterized this as an attempt by the Tea Party
to “mainstream hatred in this country.” She stated
that the Tea Party has been around for 20 years
and is just another name for Republicans. Sinema
outlined ways that Democrats can build coalitions
to stop these bad bills from becoming law and
encouraged LGBT Democrats to reach out to al-
lies, even unlikely ones, and support their issues in
exchange for their support of LGBT rights.
Keisling, executive director of the National Center
for Transgender Equality, used a combination of
expertise and humor to urge LGBT Democrats
to move outside their “issue silos” and talk about
racism, immigration and other issues in conversa-
tions with other communities. When asked about
the prospects of passage of the federal Employ-
ment Non-Discrimination Act, Keisling conceded
that it was dead for the next two years, given the
Republican majority in the U.S. House.
March 2011
Stonewall Democrats of Dallas participated in and led
conference sessions at the Biennial Texas Stonewall
Democratic Caucus Conference in Austin. Left to
right: Erin Moore, Omar Narvaez, Tony McMullin, Jay
Narey and Travis Gasper.
Other guest speakers included Austin Mayor Lee
Leffingwell, Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd
Richie, Equality Texas Executive Director Dennis
Coleman, Cameron County Democratic Party Chair
Gilberto Hinojosa and state Rep. Mike Villarreal
(D-San Antonio). Villarreal led a plenary session
that included a 2010 election analysis and group
sessions to develop messaging for 2012. A second
plenary session, led by TSDC Vice President Erin
Moore and Stonewall Democrats of the Rio Grande
Valley President Eli Olivarez, focused on winning
election strategies.
The conference also included a TSDC Execu-
tive Board meeting and workshops on a variety of
topics: building a bigger club, immigration reform,
transgender issues, political action committees,
youth involvement and use of social media. The
conference ended with an awards brunch. Houston
Stonewall Young Democrats’ Director of Com-
munications Brad Pritchett was awarded the Buck
Massey Legacy of Leadership Award. State Sen.
Wendy Davis (D-Fort Worth) received the Lone
Star Equality Advocate Award. The Stonewall Dem-
ocrats of the Rio Grande Valley chapter earned the
Roberto J. Flores Club Achievement Award.
The conference was timed to occur on the week-
end before Equality Texas’ Lobby Day. Many
conference attendees joined hundreds of other
LGBT Texans and their straight allies on March 7
to speak to state legislators about bills important to
the LGBT community.u
Page 2 The Stonewall Advocate
Little known level of government
also on your ballot this May
Dallas County Schools transports more than
60,000 children each day to school.
By Tony McMullin
Dallas County Schools is one of those enti-
ties most people *think* they know. DCS
is an agency that serves 14 independent
school districts with one of the largest stu-
dent transportation fleets in the nation. The
school board also provides state-of-the-art
technology such as videos on demand and
on-line testing for those school districts.
This May, you may have the opportunity to
weigh in on one of two board trustee races
if you live in Commissioner Court Dis-
tricts No. 1 or No. 4. The first digit of your
precinct number on your voter registration
card will match the district number. Or,
you can visit the DCS web site to view the
district map at www.DCSchools.com (click
on “Board” and then click on “Map”).
Currently, Hon. Jan Moody represents Dis-
trict 1 and Hon. Ann Hubener represents
District 4. Candidates filing to run for those
offices have until March 14 to file.
If you’re wondering why even bother to
learn about the candidates in this contest,
your tax dollars are spent by them as they
service 60,000 children daily.
You want the right, qualified people mak-
ing decisions about the more than 2,000
people employed by DCS, including our
LGBT brothers and sisters. When it comes
to exercising your right to vote, don’t miss
the bus!u
About
Dallas County Schools
“Strengthening education through
service” is the motto of Dallas County
Schools. As an intermediate educa-
tional agency, DCS employs more
than 2,000 professionals that serve 14
independent school districts in Dallas
County, which include Carrollton/Farm-
ers Branch ISD, Cedar Hill ISD, Coppell
ISD, Dallas ISD, DeSoto ISD, Duncan-
ville ISD, Garland ISD, Grand Prairie
ISD, Highland Park ISD, Irving ISD,
Lancaster ISD, Mesquite ISD, Richard-
son ISD and Sunnyvale ISD.
DCS Board Trustees meetings are
generally held on the third Thursday
of each month at 1 p.m. in the board
room located in the DCS Administrative
Building. Board trustees serve on one
or more of the following committees:
•Budget / Finance Committee
•Building Committee
•Personnel / Compensation Committee
•Policy Committee
•Technology & Instructional Services
DCS Board Trustees oversee an an-
nual budget of $97.3 million (16.4 per-
cent coming directly from local property
taxes).
Currently, Hon. Larry Duncan is the
DCS Board Trustees president. He is
also a member of Stonewall Democrats
of Dallas. During his tenure, DCS has
championed seat belt-equipped buses
(which is not mandatory in the U.S.)
and will fully retrofit all buses within six
years. DCS also has the distinction of
being one of the first in the nation to
fuel its school buses on vegetable oil.
DCS is in the process of converting its
fleet to this environmentally-friendly
alternative. DCS saves each district
significant tax dollars annually through
the use of its transportation, media,
psychology and technology services.
For more information, call (214) 944-
4525 or email info@dcschools.com.
DCS headquarters is located at 612 N.
Zang Blvd. in Dallas.u
March 2011
News
Briefs
General Meeting
The March meeting of the Stonewall
Democrats of Dallas will take place
Tuesday, March 15, at Ojeda’s Restau-
rant, 4617 Maple Ave. Please arrive at
6 p.m. for social time. Meeting begins at
6:30 p.m. Speakers are mayoral candi-
dates Ron Natinsky and Mike Rawlings.
Endorsement Screening
Stonewall Democrats of Dallas will
make candidate recommendations at
its Endorsement Screening from 10
a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, March 19, at
the Resource Center Dallas, Rainbow
Room, 2701 Reagan St. Per bylaws,
only Stonewall members current with
their membership dues as of Feb. 17,
2011, may vote during ratification of
endorsements.
Resource Center Dallas Donation
At the last meeting, Stonewall leaders
announced a challenge to the member-
ship. Stonewall’s board has collected
48 items of travel-sized toiletries to
donate to the Resource Center Dallas.
In support of the center’s work for the
LGBT and HIV/AIDS communities, we
are providing toiletries for their clients.
Please bring shampoo bottles, shaving
cream, soap, toothpaste, deodorant,
etc., to the March 15 meeting.
Membership
Last month, 21 folks either joined or
renewed with the Stonewall Democrats
of Dallas: Michael Amonett, Brian
Bleeker, Robert Book, Cass Callaway,
Rene Cano, Eric Crawford, Pamela
Curry, Pierre Cutler, Thomas Daley,
Hon. Larry Duncan, Deborah Floyd,
Maurice Franklin, Charles Griffith,
Eric Johnson, John Lawirmore, Karen
Llewellyn, Sonya McGill, Karl Meyer,
Charles Mullins, Hazel Nowlin, Keith
O’Neal, Mark Parker, Billy Pinson,
Jr., W.L. (Bill) Prather, F. Schiele, Jr.,
Bruce Shelton, Clinton Swingle, Hon.
Beth Villarreal, Paul von Wepperfeld
and Chad West. Membership is only
$35, which includes memberships for
the Texas Stonewall Democratic Cau-
cus and National Stonewall Democrats.
To join, visit www.stonewalldemocrat-
sofdallas.org.u
March 2011
President’s
Corner
By Omar Narvaez, President
Stonewall Democrats of Dallas
Wow, we have seen a ton of politi-
cal activity near and far. I applaud the
citizens of Egypt, and hope for a better
form of government. However, here at
home our brothers and sisters in Wis-
consin are fighting to keep their right to
earn a decent wage for an honest day’s
work. Over the past few weeks, I’ve
really been enlightened to know that the
fanatical right will stop at nothing to de-
stroy the middle class. The other day I
was thinking how they fought with every
ounce of energy in their bodies to keep
a tax cut for the wealthiest two percent
in our nation, and then turn around and
want the working poor and middle class
to be the ones to carry it on their backs.
Groups like Planned Parenthood,
Unions, children, teachers, police, fire
fighters and the elderly stand to lose
the most. We must stand up and unite
to stop the travesties that are happen-
ing around us. It is time to put away the
few things that make us different, and
focus with others on the 70 to 80 per-
cent of things that make us the same.
Let’s work together to make tomorrow a
better day for all of us!
I am going to ask that you look deep
inside yourself, and ask a question,
“Am I doing everything I can to help
make change happen?” I know person-
ally that I can do more to register more
voters, help get out the vote, and yes
maybe even give a little more money.
What can you do? Someone asked
me this past weekend why I was a
Democrat. I had to stop and think for a
minute. Why am I a Democrat? I am a
Democrat because I believe in social
justice and EQUALITY for all people. I
am PROUD to be a gay man who just
happens to be a feminist, trans-lov-
ing, tree hugging, marriage equality
believer, pro-choice, freedom of religion
or none, pro-union and pro-immigrant.
These are the ideals that I believe
in and I am willing to fight to keep or
achieve. Are you? Will you join me in
making change happen?
PROUD to be a Democrat – Omaru
The Stonewall Advocate
AIDS service organizations face
HIV/AIDS state funding cuts
By Jesse Garcia
While no anti-gay bills are being introduced
in the 82nd Texas Legislative Session,
severe cuts to funds that make HIV/AIDS
treatment accessible to low income people
are being considered -- a clear detriment to
the LGBT community.
An estimated 15,000 Texans depend on
the Texas HIV Medication Program, which
provides anti-retroviral drugs to low-income
people with HIV or AIDS.
“A huge segment of patients at Peabody
Health Center and case management are
on the Texas HIV Medication Program,
said Raeline Nobles, executive director
of AIDS Arms, Inc., the largest HIV/AIDS
service organization in North Texas. “Cur-
rently, we are involved with several groups
in advocating for no cuts.”
The medication program was already
sounding the alarm bells back in October
when various news outlets reported Texas’
budget crisis as well as the need for in-
creased funding for THMP.
The Dallas Morning News reported the
program needed an additional $23 million
to sustain its services or face a halt to
enrollment and/or eliminate coverage of
certain drugs in the program.
Without the program, treating HIV or AIDS
may cost $12,000 to $15,000 a year.
“The impact of potential federal and state
cuts to public health related contracts will
be dramatic in terms of the health status of
both individuals and our community,” said
Nobles. “When a communicable disease
does not have the proper resources to
identify, link, care for and educate the
people that disease impacts, it’s a recipe
for disaster for everyone.”
Nobles credits the efforts of local AIDS ser-
vices organizations, which include preven-
tion and education, over the past five years
for curbing the growth of the epidemic.
“Funding cuts will only light the fire of the
HIV epidemic once again and the ground
we have fought so hard to gain will be
lost,” she predicts.
Page 3
AIDS Arms, Inc., Executive Director Raeline
Nobles needs you to call your legislators to
protect HIV/AIDS treatment funds.
Nobles recently showcased her agency’s
new clinic headquarters in Oak Cliff on
March 10 that will allow for her original
headquarters office to be fully converted
into a treatment center. The clinical ser-
vices expansion in the original building will
help accommodate an additional 2,400
cases to the already 7,000 people the
agency served last year.
According to the 2010 HIV/AIDS Needs
Assessment published by Dallas County
Health and Human Services and the Ryan
White Planning Council of the Dallas Area,
it is projected that more than 6,700 HIV+
individuals are not receiving active and
ongoing medical care in the Dallas area.
“As always, people who are disenfran-
chised from the larger culture and people
who are poor will pay a very high price in
many ways,” said Nobles. “As will we all
when the epidemic becomes out of control
once again.”
Proposed Health and Human Services and
Medicaid cuts are found in House Bill (HB)
1, the Texas House’s version of the 2012-
13 state budget. Please lobby your legisla-
tors to avoid cutting funds for HIV/AIDS
treatment and Medicaid.
Along with providing legislative support,
the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas sup-
ports AIDS Arms through Stonewall’s an-
nual participation in LifeWalk. Since 2000,
Stonewall members have donated more
than $12,000 toward fighting HIV/AIDS in
North Texas. For more information about
AIDS Arms, visit www.aidsarms.org.u
Page 4
Stonewall
Spotlight
featuring Gillian Parrillo
What are the biggest issues in America
in your opinion? Greed, fear and lies.
How, as a country, we chose to raise and
spend money. This country spends four
times more on seniors than on children -
that’s backwards. And why does this coun-
try need to spend more on defense than
the next highest-spending 17 countries
combined when our children are falling be-
hind in terms of education or going to bed
hungry? The tax code allows corporations
and high net worth individuals to legally
avoid their fair share of taxes, placing a
burden on the middle class and the poor.
What do you do for a living? I retired in
2000 as a group president at Sterling Soft-
ware, a Dallas-based computer software
company. Since then I have focused full-
time on non-profit and political activities.
Tell us about your activism with voter
outreach. In the spring of 2007, I began
PO Box 192305
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 506-DEMS
stonewalldemocratsofdallas.org
The Stonewall Advocate is a monthly pub-
lication of the Stonewall Democrats of Dal-
las. To contact the publisher, email Jesse
Garcia at jesse@jessegarcia.org. No por-
tion of this newsletter may be reproduced
without permission.
President Omar Narvaez
Vice President Michael Wetter
Treasurer Mike McCue
Secretary Phyllis Guest
SDD Annual Memberships:
$35 General Level
$120 Truman Level
$300 Jefferson Level
$600 Kennedy Level
$1,200 Roosevelt Level
The Stonewall Advocate
Gillian
Parrillo is
a straight
ally who has
been active
in Stonewall
Democrats of
Dallas since
2008.
volunteering with Obama Dallas and
gravitated to voter registration. It just made
sense to me that if we could register and
empower more minority voters and get
them to the polls, we would win. During the
next year and a half, a team of dedicated
volunteers stood outside box stores and at-
tended hundreds of events registering and
educating as many voters as we could.
How can one help with your outreach?
There is nothing more satisfying than reg-
istering an 18-year old or informing an ex-
felon that, despite what they have always
been told, they can vote. Get deputized,
get trained and join the team. Ask your
friends, neighbors, restaurant servers, co-
Reminder: March General Meeting
Tuesday, March 15
6 p.m. Social & 6:30 p.m. Meeting
at Ojeda’s Restaurant
We registered 21 new voters in February! This brings our total to 57!
Help our Voter Registration Committee reach its 500 voter goal.
Contact Voter Registration Chair Patrick McCoy at prmccoy@gmail.com
March 2011
workers, etc., if they are registered to vote
and, if not, get them registered. Make sure
they know about early voting, the loca-
tion of their polling location, where to find
information about the candidates, and how
to use a voting machine.
Who is the first Democrat you voted
for? I moved to this country from the UK
in 1965. I have worked on every Demo-
cratic presidential campaign since then.
The first vote I could make as a citizen was
for Jimmy Carter’s re-election.
Why are you a Democrat? I am a Demo-
crat because I believe the party better
represents my values. How we treat the
least among us is truly a reflection of this
nation. As a woman, I can’t imagine being
anything other than a Democrat - equal
rights, choice are non-negotiable.
If you could tell President Obama one
thing, what would it be? Get re-elected.
You are the only thing that stands in the
way of a total sellout to the corporations
and the billionaires of all that this country
has stood for -- for more than 200 years.
We are backing you with everything we
can muster. Stand strong!u