Throughout Dallas–Fort Worth, there is a large lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. Since 2005, DFW has constituted one of the largest LGBT communities in Texas.
History The first pro-LGBT event in DFW occurred in 1972; it was an unorganized march in Downtown Dallas.Price, Maddox. "Dallas Pride survival guide: Parking, bathrooms and what to do when you see your ex" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. September 19, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. The first official gay pride parade took place in June 1980.Price, Maddox. "Why is Dallas Pride in September?" (Archive). Dallas Voice. June 21, 2013. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. Since then, both the Dallas and Fort Worth metropolitan divisions of the Metroplex have held their own separate gay pride festivals.
Geography
The Oak Lawn/Cedar Springs Road area serves as North Texas' largest gayborhood and is home to Dallas' vibrant gay nightlife."Dallas LGBT Fact Sheet" (Archive). SRJ Marketing Communications, hosted at Southern Methodist University. p. 1/7. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. The first LGBT-oriented business to open there was Union Jack, a clothing store operated by an expatriate from the United Kingdom,Nicholson, Erin. "Union Jack, the First Gay Business on Cedar Springs, Is Closing" (Archive). Dallas Observer. Friday January 3, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. Richard Longstaff. It opened in 1971 and moved to Cedar Springs Road around 1972."Union Jack celebrates 40th anniversary" (Archive). Dallas Voice. July 21, 2011. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. It announced that it was closing in 2014. It was open for 42 years."Union Jack Announces Closing" (Archive). Dallas Voice. January 2, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. Bishop Arts is the other known gayborhood in Dallas. There's a notable number of gay residents, along with a few popular gay-centric/gay-friendly establishments. Tallywackers, a male version of Hooter's, opened on May 30, 2015, and closed in 2016 in the city of Dallas. It was owned by Rodney Duke. Its customer base included homosexual men and straight women. In Fort Worth, there is also a large LGBT community spread throughout the city.
Institutions In 1994 Community Center established the Phil Johnson Historic Archives and Research Library. The University of North Texas Libraries acquired this facility in 2012."Our Story" (Archive). Resource Center. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. This library holds archival information related the DFW LGBT community. The producers of the Dallas Buyers Club film used this archive."The Resource Center LGBT Collection: 50 Years of LGBT History in Dallas" (Archive). University of North Texas. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
The Stonewall Democrats of Dallas is an LGBT political club in the area.Wright, John. "Baptist minister sent letter to congregation members, others warning voters about Russell's “‘gay agenda’" (Archive). Dallas Voice. May 24, 2007. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. Gay for Good also has a Dallas–Fort Worth chapter.Brinkerhoff, Mark. "Gay For Good volunteers team up to help kids back to school" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. September 10, 2014. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
The Resource Center opened its 20,000-square-foot building in 2016; the $8.7 million project is located in Oaklawn and is one of the largest LGBT community centers in the nation.
Due to the high HIV/AIDS infection rate among young black gay men in Dallas County, the University of California, San Francisco researchers in partnership with original project coordinators Venton Jones, Terrance Anderson, and community organizer Chaaz Quigley decided to establish the United Black Ellument in Dallas. United Black Ellument (UBE), which had a cost of $1.6 million, is aimed at lowering infection rates in the Black LGBT community in Dallas. Researchers and Black LGBT community leaders study and promote safer sex habits in the Black LGBT community. The program includes social coffee hours every week, discussion panels, worship services, fashion shows, safer sex promotions, support groups, and picnics. Over 500 black gay and bisexual men have been participants. UBE is based near Downtown Dallas.
Politics and activism In 2002 the Dallas City Council passed an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting LGBT persons.Wright, John. "MY TAKE: Dallas kicks can down road on LGBT equality" (Archive). Lone Star Q. February 17, 2014. Retrieved on September 23, 2014. As of 2014 the city of Dallas pays an inferior pension to same-sex couples relative to its pension for opposite sex couples.Wilonsky, Robert. "Some on Dallas city council surprised gay employees don't have same pension plan as straight workers" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. January 7, 2014. Retrieved on September 23, 2014. John Wright, a former editor of the Dallas Voice, stated that the city is not complying with its own anti-discrimination ordinance and that "It's unbelievable to me that in 2014, the city of Dallas is still treating its LGBT employees unequally when it comes to basic benefits like pensions, family medical leave and transgender health insurance."
In 2004 Lupe Valdez, a Latina lesbian, was elected as the sheriff of Dallas; she was the first woman, Latina, and gay person to hold this position.
After she began her first term in the Dallas City Council in 2007,"UPDATE: Vonciel Jones Hill again snubs the gays, and we're officially ‘castigating’ her for it" (Archive). Dallas Voice. August 30, 2010. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. Vonciel Jones-Hill, who is also a Methodist preacher,Bush, Rudolph. "The Dallas Voice is not pleased CM Vonciel Jones Hill isn't attending gay pride parade" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. stated that she would not and never will attend the gay pride parade; she argued that God does not approve of homosexuality. The Dallas Voice criticized her because of her stance. In 2009 she was the only member of the Dallas City Council to not attend.Wright, John. "Hill lone council holdout for Pride" (Archive). Dallas Voice. September 3, 2009. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
Around 2009 the city of Dallas formed an LGBT task force.Wilonsky, Robert. "Dallas takes first steps toward addressing LGBT inequities at City Hall" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. February 18, 2014. Retrieved on September 23, 2014. Delia Jasso, a member of the Dallas City Council, had created this taskforce.
In early 2013 Scott Griggs, a member of the Dallas City Council, announced that he was writing a pro-LGBT resolution;"Griggs finalizes pro-LGBT resolution" (Archive). Dallas Voice. April 12, 2013. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. the resolution asked to allow same-sex couples to have the same marriage rights as opposite sex couples.Bush, Rudolph. "Mayor Mike Rawlings calls marriage equality resolution political and a misuse of Dallas council's time" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. May 1, 2013. Retrieved on September 23, 2014. By April he had filed the resolution,"Scott Griggs files marriage equality resolution, says it has votes to pass" (Archive). Dallas Voice. April 30, 2013. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. and he stated that it had enough votes to pass. The city council vote was scheduled for June 12 of that year.Bush, Rudolph. "Marriage equality resolution has the votes to pass Dallas City Council, says council member Scott Griggs" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. April 30, 2013. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. Mayor of Dallas Mike Rawlings criticized the proposal, arguing that because the city has no political power to enact gay marriage, it would be a "waste of time" to vote on this bill; Rawlings stated that he supports same sex marriage. Kingston argued that Dallas may be "left behind" if it does not pass this resolution.Wilonsky, Robert. "At Dallas City Hall, the debate over same-sex marriage resolution boils down to: morality or money" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. February 18, 2014. Retrieved on September 23, 2014. Rawlings quashed this resolution.
By June 2013 the Dallas County Health and Human Services put up a billboard, titled "Check Your Status", that asks men who have sex with men to get HIV tested. This billboard, intended to combat HIV infections in African-American men, depicts two men in a relationship. In response,McDonogh, Katie. "Texas councilwoman outraged over billboard featuring gay couple" (Archive). Salon. June 18, 2013. Retrieved on September 22, 2014. Jones-Hill stated that the billboard presents same-sex conduct among African-American men as acceptable as long as they safeguard their health.Rabb, Shaun. "HIV testing billboards getting attention in Dallas" (Archive). KDFW (My Fox DFW/Fox 4). June 18, 2013. Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
By February 2014 a committee of the Dallas city council voted to adopt a "comprehensive statement of support" for LGBT Dallasites and city government employees. Rawlings supported this measure,Wilonsky, Robert. "Mayor Mike Rawlings to back LGBT ‘statement of support’ up for a city council vote Wednesday" (Archive). The Dallas Morning News. March 14, 2014. Retrieved on September 23, 2014. and the council passed it in March of that year.Wilonsky, Robert. "‘A landmark day’ for Dallas’ LGBT community as council passes comprehensive LGBT resolution" (Archive). March 5, 2014. Retrieved on September 23, 2014. Wright argued that the resolution does not go far enough.
Established in 1982, the Black Tie Dinner has become one of the largest fundraiser events in the nation for the LGBT community. The event raises funds for the LGBT supportive organizations serving North Texas through a premier event of empowerment, education and entertainment in partnership with the community. To date, Black Tie Dinner has distributed nearly $20 million. The event is held every fall.
In 2016 John P. McCall, who had been featured in the Dallas Voice and the Wall Street Journal for his legal work with LGBTQ family law in Dallas, was appointed as the first openly gay Justice of the Peace in Texas in Dallas' Precinct 5, Place 1.
Media The Dallas Voice is the LGBT newspaper of Dallas. Dallas Voice first published in May 1984.
A gay reality series based in Dallas named The A-List: Dallas premiered on Logo TV in fall 2011.
Education Jose Plata, an openly gay Dallas Independent School District (DISD) board member, and Pat Stone, the president of the Dallas Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), advocated for adding LGBT students to the DISD anti-discrimination ordinance. In 1996 the DISD board of education voted to add LGBT individuals to the ordinance, and by 1997 the district had created a pamphlet for LGBT students.Fowler, Jimmy. "School's out." Dallas Observer. November 13, 1997. p. 2 (Archive). Retrieved on September 22, 2014.
In 1997,"Walt Whitman Community School, Nation's First Private School For Gays, Opens in Dallas." Jet. Johnson Publishing Company, September 22, 1997. Vol. 92, No. 18. ISSN 0021-5996. p. 12. the Walt Whitman Community School, a private alternative high school catering to those who identify as LGBT, opened in Dallas.Clare, Mary M. and Steven E. James. "Secondary Schools." In: Sears, James Thomas (editor). Youth, Education, and Sexualities: An International Encyclopedia, Volume 2 (part of: Youth, Education, and Sexualities: An International Encyclopedia, James Thomas Sears, , 9780313327483). Greenwood Publishing Group, January 1, 2005. , 9780313327551. Start: p. 754. CITED: p. 756. It was the United States's first LGBT-oriented private school. The school closed in 2004.