On Wednesday, Republican candidates running to replace Kay Bailey Hutchinson in the U.S. Senate participated in a debate. In attendance were former Dallas mayor and CEO of Turner Corporation Tom Leppert, former Solicitor General of Texas Ted Cruz and former SMU football star and ESPN announcer Craig James.
Instead of getting bogged down in the myriad of less relevant topics to the senate race, these illustrious candidates focused on a matter of utmost national importance: Leppert’s decision to march in two gay pride parades as mayor of Dallas. What ensued was a stunning demonstration of how fast each candidate could run away from the gay portion of his electorate. Cruz led the charge by criticizing Leppert for marching in the parade, saying, “when the mayor of a city chooses to march in a parade celebrating gay pride, that’s a statement. And it’s not a statement I believe in.”
Former mayor Leppert did not stand his ground. Like any noble candidate, he quickly sought to distance himself from oppressed special interest groups as quickly as possible to fall in line with his other conservative, Christian, wealthy, white male competitors. Visibly irritated, Leppert claimed that it was his job as mayor to represent all of the city’s citizens, but that he stood firmly against gay marriage.This does raise the question as to how Leppert was helping his more oppressed citizens by walking alongside them in a parade, but I’m sure that will be addressed in a future debate.
The next portion of the contest was a competition to see which candidate was the most Christian. Leppert put his holiest foot forward: “My role as a Christian is to reach out and touch everybody.” He also reasserted that, “marriage should be defined as one man and one woman.” But Leppert was trumped by James, who referenced Christianity and children. James warned that, “our moral fiber is sliding down a slope that’s going to be hard to stop if we don’t stand up with leaders who don’t ride in gay parades. … Our kids out there need to see examples. I know you’re a Christian, Tom, but you have to stand up. James then stated that being gay is a choice. James certainly won the most self-righteous candidate position: “God’s going to judge each one of us, but in that case, [gays] are going to have to answer to the Lord for their actions.”
Pony up, Mr. James. I am quite impressed by your ability to fight your own gay tendencies. If only the weaker members of our society (the ones eating at our moral fiber) could follow your example.
It is so much easier to give in, take the low road and face homophobic slurs, hate crimes and government-led inequality. Never mind the fact that LGBT youth are four times more likely to commit or attempt suicide than their heterosexual counterparts or a recent study by Dr. Hatzenbuehler of Yale University showing that LGBT people have significant increases in anxiety after their states pass discriminatory laws banning gay marriage. It is fortunate, then, that we have Craig James to lead the way with his firm morals. I am particularly proud to call James an SMU alumnus. During his time at SMU, James took improper money offered to football players by SMU and now he is showing his best as a candidate who could possibly represent me in the senate.
More and more Americans are starting to support gay rights. It is time for our politicians to move away from this as a topic of debate. In particular, the idea that being gay is a choice is appalling and uninformed. I can say from personal experience that being gay is hard and I have it easy! I also know from personal experience that there are a lot of people who are afraid to come out because the culture around them is so hostile to gay people. Why on earth would someone choose to subject himself or herself to intolerance and misunderstanding? When politicians who do not know anything about what it is like to be gay stand up in public forums and spread intolerance, I am offended.
Right now, our nation has a lot more to worry about besides what Americans do in their bedrooms or who they marry. And Mr. Leppert, I appreciate you walking next to gay people twice, but if you disapprove of gay people and want to withhold rights from them, then please walk somewhere else during this year’s pride parade.
Paul is the Opinion Editor. He is a junior majoring in voice performance.
