As a member of your constituency and a tax-paying citizen of the state of Texas, I am writing to express my disappointment with your exclusionary and discriminatory remarks made against non-heterosexual military veterans on June 5, 2005.
Your comments telling these veterans, specifically those returning from Iraq, that “a state that has more lenient views than Texas” might be “a better place for them to live” do not represent the views of most Americans, nor do they represent the views of most Texans. Those comments insult the very people who readily put their own lives in jeopardy to protect our way of life. Dare I say they are also, via proxy, protecting your position as governor of this state?
It is utterly disheartening for a sitting governor, or any elected official, to use such divisive, elitist and intolerant language, especially in reference to members of your own constituency and serving members of our military who are returning from combat.
Non-heterosexual individuals are recognized throughout the country as productive members of their communities. Texas companies who recognize this fact know it is in their best interest to protect their gay, lesbian and bisexual employees, which is why 30 of the Fortune 500 companies located here have non-discrimination policies that include sexual orientation. Equally important is that 12 of these Texas companies offer domestic partner health benefits to same-sex partners of employees.
Many American families have members who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, and those families ought to be treated with the same dignity and respect with which other families are treated. As tax paying citizens of this state, are they not entitled to the same rights and protections as other members of our society? More importantly, are they not entitled to just and equitable treatment by their own elected officials?
The 2000 Census demonstrated that there were nearly 43,000 same-sex unmarried partner households in Texas just a few short years ago. That number has grown since then, yet you are alienating each and every one of them and, more disturbingly, telling them to leave the state because they are unwelcome. Most dispiriting is the inference in your remarks that those who do not wish to be discriminated against should move to another state.
Non-heterosexual Americans make up a valuable segment of Texas families and workers. I urge you to apologize to these Texans for your supercilious comments. I also urge you to promote equality rather than subverting it and to shun such blatant discrimination as amending our state constitution in order to limit the rights of a specific group of people. This is simply not how Texans behave.
I look forward to your response.