Dozens of Carrollton residents were on hand for public comment at Tuesday’s city council meeting, and most were there to speak out on a petition that had been presented to the council two weeks ago.
A string of residents got up during the public comment portion at the beginning of the meeting and spoke out in opposition to the petition. That document was signed by about 75 Carrollton residents and criticized two city officials for participating in a gay pride parade months ago in Dallas and urged city officials to halt their involvement with similar special interest groups.
Most of the residents present at Tuesday’s meeting urged city officials to “support diversity,” which they said means not singling out any groups, for better or for worse.
Carrollton resident Todd Cormier said he believed religious teachings ought to determine whether or not council members ever participated in such activities in the future, calling homosexuality an “abomination” and a “horror.” All other speakers at Tuesday’s meeting approached the council with support for its inclusion.
Morris Garcia, president of the Collin County Gay and Lesbian Alliance, blasted the petition, calling it a “blatant effort to impose prejudices on our elected officials.”
“All people should have a place at the table of governance,” he told the council, adding that the future of the city depends on “the fair and equal treatment of all citizens.”
Rev. Dennis Hamilton, the pastor of the Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church in Carrollton, compared the petition to the thinking that stifled the civil rights of African Americans and that said women should not be allowed to vote.
“Lest we forget that it was less than 100 years ago that women couldn’t vote,” Hamilton remarked. “Now we have a woman mayor and we are very proud of her.”
At the same meeting, the Carrollton city council recognized the city’s first ever youth basketball state championship-winning team Tuesday at its regular meeting at city hall. And a few moments later, Chris Robinson thanked the council for recognizing his son’s basketball team and for supporting him and his longtime partner, who together coached the state championship-winning basketball team.
Robinson said he had worried about moving to a suburb but that he and his family had been well accepted into the community, particularly their neighborhood.
“I feel very lucky and blessed to have received that acceptance and acknowledgement from our friends and neighbors,” he said. “We’ve just been accepted.”
Another man’s voice shook as he nervously spoke to council members.
“I pay my taxes. I attend jury duty when called. I have a library card, and I’m gay,” he said, clutching a podium as he spoke apprehensively.
The brouhaha over the petition has come to light in recent weeks because of anonymous packages mailed to Carrollton residents sometime in the past few months. The packages contained a letter about the petition and a copy of an article from the Dallas Voice, a local publication for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community.
The article, “Pride, not prejudice: Opening doors, increasing gay visibility in Carrollton,” said Miller would ride in a car in the Dallas Gay Pride Parade. The article originally was published in September, though council members are only now being criticized by an anonymous sender.
Carrollton mayor Becky Miller thanked all residents for their comments. In an earlier interview she explained that she supported diversity and was committed to fairly representing all Carrollton citizens regardless of whether or not she agreed with their lifestyles.
Contact staff writer Katy Moore at kmoore@acnpapers.com or at 972-628-4087. |