There’s no doubt the Dallas chapter of Stonewall Democrats is thriving, particularly with all the excitement surrounding Tuesday’s primary. But one member of Texas Stonewall Democrats told me recently that the statewide organization has “ground to a halt” as a result of the controversy surrounding TSD President Shannon Bailey.

Many TSD members called for Bailey’s resignation after he was arrested on a charge of public lewdness last year, but Bailey has refused to step down. Bailey’s court case is still pending, according to online records, and it’s a safe bet that TSD will elect a new president when his term expires in June.

In the meantime, one can’t help but sympathize with Bailey. This is a historic moment for Democratic politics in Texas, and one that someone who’s been an activist for as long as he has surely would revel in. But due to the circumstances, Bailey has been forced to sit it out.

— John Wright

Ed Oakley had his tape measure clipped to his front pants pocket when I ran into him at the presidential town hall hosted by National Stonewall Democrats at Station 4 the other night. Oakley’s property management company does a lot of work for Caven Enterprises, which of course owns S4, but Oakley may also be sizing things up on another front.

Oakley said he wouldn’t rule out a bid for his old District 3 City Council seat, currently occupied by Dave Neumann, in 2009. Oakley also said it’s too soon to judge the performance of Mayor Tom Leppert, who defeated him in a runoff last year, given that Leppert is working with seven new councilmembers. Although he appears to be keeping himself busy, Oakley acknowledged that he misses being closely involved in city affairs. He also noted the lack of an LGBT representative on the council.

— John Wright

Last night I heard the best reason yet why Democrats should rally behind whoever wins the party’s nomination for president. It came from Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona’s first openly lesbian state legislator.

Sinema, one of Barack Obama’s campaign “surrogates,” was among about 100 people who attended the town hall meeting hosted by National Stonewall Democrats at Station 4 in Dallas.

I ran into Sinema on the sidewalk in front of S4 before the event, where she was trying to put Obama stickers “on anything that moves.” Turns out, Sinema lives just a few miles from likely Republican nominee John McCain in Phoenix, and apparently she’s not too fond of her neighbor.

“He looks like death on a Triscuit,” Sinema said. “I think it’s incredibly important that we [Democrats] win.”

— John Wright

I’ve had the last name “Jones” all my life. It’s the kind of name that gets “yeah, right” reactions when you sign into an inexpensive motel late at night, yet I am often asked to spell it.

The biggest problem with “Jones” is that, because it is so common, you need an interesting name (or three) to help it stand out. The one name you can’t have is “John.”

But two other people here at the offices do have the name John, sort of — John Wright, our news reporter,  and Tyler Johns, our advertising rep. Note the “H” in both their names. I don’t have an “H” in mine.

And yet I keep getting their e-mails. I think people begin to type from their address books or on the Web site, see “Dallas Voice,” click send. But it means messages go to the wrong person — I get their e-mails, and I know they sometimes get mine. So be kind, rewi… no, that’s not it. Just check the spelling before you hit send. Especially those of you who send naughty notes to Tyler — you know who you are.

— Arnold Wayne Jones 

Dallas-bred erotic honcho Chris Steele directed Jet Set Men’s “On Fire,” which starred local hotties Jesse Santana and Guy Parker.

“On Fire” also featured Aaron James, pictured, who’s featured on Wednesday’s episode of MTV’s “True Life: I’m in the Sex Industry.” And get this, according to James’ MySpace page, he claims he’s straight — for now.

Airs Feb 27 at 10 p.m. on MTV

— Daniel A. Kusner

Proud “fag enabler” Tyra Banks asks former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee about gay marriage. 

Here’s a snippet of their discussion:

TYRA BANKS: I know that you are a preacher; do you believe that homosexuality is immoral?
 
GOVERNOR HUCKABEE:  Well, I think a lot of things in our lives are missing the mark.  The word sin means missing the mark.  It doesn’t mean that a person has committed murder.  I miss the mark if I don’t tell the whole truth. I miss the mark in a lot of ways. I think that we were created to have relationships with someone of the opposite gender, that how’s we reproduce, that’s how we live our lives.  So I think sometimes if you say is it a sin or immoral and people think you’re making these terrible statements about somebody.  I’ve had people who are gay that worked on my staff.  It’s not like I’m some homophobe.  If you ask me is it the normal pathway? I don’t think so.  But, you know, I respect that people have different views about that.
 
TYRA BANKS:  Do you want the gay vote?
 
GOVERNOR HUCKABEE:  Sure, I want every vote.  Seriously, I want to be president of everybody.  And I can disagree with people over a choice they make in their life or a over a lifestyle, and still be their president and still say I want to keep you free, I want to keep your country safe, I want to make your taxes lower not higher.  I want to solve some issues like the problems we have in education, and rebuild our health care system and I think whether a person is straight or gay, they want a president who is solving issues, not just pointing out differences among people.
 
TYRA BANKS:  What if they say, I want to vote for you Governor Huckabee, but I’m a gay man and I want to marry my man. What do you say to that?
 
GOVERNOR HUCKABEE:  To change the definitions of institutions like marriage is beyond saying, if people want to live a life that’s different than others, that’s fine but when you redefine basic institutions of marriage, government, whatever they may be that’s when we really should have a pretty thorough public discussion about it.
 
TYRA BANKS:  You’re open to a public discussion at least?
 
GOVERNOR HUCKABEE:  I think we’re having that.  Whether or not we should change the rules and marriage and redefine it someway, I’m not comfortable with that.
 
TYRA BANKS:  Comfortable or opposed?
 
GOVERNOR HUCKABEE:  Opposed.  I think it’s something that is not a good thing.  I go back to the point the a marriage ought to be, the context in which two people not only have, they may not have children but have the capacity and ultimately to train replacements and create the kind of environment in which people are able to thrive.
 
TYRA BANKS:  I’m asking you some many questions about this because I love the   gays and the gays love me. And I know I cannot walk down the street here in New York City if I didn’t press that issue and truly ask you that.
 
GOVERNOR HUCKABEE:  I think you should. I think people will respect my views on that, I respect theirs.  The great thing about America is we can have totally different viewpoints and we can do it without having animosity, and hatred.  This is one of the great countries where you can have sharp disagreements without killing each other over it.  That’s where I think we need to celebrate what is great about America and that is we all don’t have to agree. 

This episode of Tyra Banks airs Friday at 11 a.m. on KDFW.  

Apparently Texas Gov. Rick Perry would support allowing gay leaders in the Boy Scouts if people would just call homosexuality something else.

I’m sure I’m the only one who hasn’t read Perry’s thrilling new book, “On My Honor,” which has something to do with defending the Scouts against the ACLU. But I did catch the interview with Perry that appeared in this weekend’s New York Times Magazine. In the interview, Perry makes his case for the ban on gay Scout leaders. Perry says Scouting is about building character, not sex. Asked whether gays couldn’t foster character-building, Perry says, “The argument that gets made is that homosexuality is about sex. Do you agree?” When the reporter says no, Perry responds, “Well, then why don’t they call it something else?” Good question, Rick. Good question.

— John Wright

Tonight we’ll be partying with the LGBT folks from the Clinton and Obama campaigns at S4. But tomorrow I’ll be interviewing Mike Gravel, the former senator from Alaska and the only Democratic presidential candidate still in the race who’s come out in favor of gay marriage. Of course, Gravel’s not really IN the race for the party’s nomination, and he doesn’t even appear on the ballot in Texas, but don’t try telling him that. Learn more about Gravel in this week’s Soundout.

Also, as a reminder, tonight’s town hall meeting begins at 7 p.m. at S4 and is open to the public. In addition to the Clinton and Obama people, it will feature the national executive director of Stonewall Democrats. The Obama camp plans an afterparty at Havana beginning at about 9 p.m., while Clinton’s big gay Dallas shindig will be a week from today, Monday, March 3, at S4.

— John Wright

Just got off the phone with Jaymee Johnson, former recruiting coordinator for the Pegasus Slowpitch Softball Association. Turns out the rumor about his death was just a rumor, and Johnson is alive and well. There’ll be more in this week’s print edition, but for now I’ll just note that a few people have discovered the comments section of Dallas Voice’s weekly Speak Out poll and turned it into a forum for discussion of this issue. That’s fine, except this week’s poll has nothing to do with softball or Johnson. We’re hoping these same people will discover the comments section of our new blog, Instant Tea. We’re still working out some kinks, but to comment on a post, just click where it says how many comments there are, i.e. “no comments,” “1 comment,” “1,647 comments,” etc. This link is below the post itself on the right-hand side. Your comment may not show up instantaneously, so be patient.

— John Wright

My favorite song — heck, series of songs — in 2007 came in the deeply felt Once. It should have been in the running for three songs, but the fact it won against Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz’s wildly popular Enchanted is great.

But the real favorite this hour was Freeheld, the only outwardly gay-themed film nominated for an Oscar this year. It won for documentary short, and in a little bit of irony, the win was announced by an active soldier in Iraq.

 Finally, though, it is a bit odd that the best picture and director win, the very American No Country for Old Men, is about the only “American” recipient. Every acting winner this year is European.

— Arnold Wayne Jones