Tag Archives: wendy davis

WATCH: State Sen. Wendy Davis says Joel Burns’ ‘It Gets Better’ speech inspired anti-bullying bill

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As we told you the other day, State Sen. Wendy Davis has filed a fully inclusive anti-bullying bill, after State Rep. Mark Strama failed to include gender identity/expression in his House version. You can read the full text of Davis’ SB 245 here, and she tells WFAA-TV that the bill was partly inspired by Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns’ “It Gets Better” speech:

“To be able to honor what he did in coming forward in such an honest and vulnerable way, is really an honor to me,” Davis says.

Davis, of course, appointed Burns to the City Plan Commission when she was a Fort Worth councilwoman. And Burns was elected to replace her when she stepped down to run for state Senate.

—  John Wright

Sen. Wendy Davis, who brought us Joel Burns, now brings us a fully inclusive anti-bullying bill

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State Sen. Wendy Davis

Sounds like State Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, has introduced a fully inclusive anti-bullying bill. If you’ll recall, State Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, filed an anti-bullying bill in the House that includes sexual orientation but NOT gender identity/expression. In response to Strama’s as-yet-still-unexplained omission, Equality Texas told us they were working to get a fully inclusive anti-bullying bill introduced on the Senate side. The text of Davis’ SB 245, filed earlier today, wasn’t immediately available on the Legislature’s website, but here’s what Equality Texas said on Twitter just now:

“SB245 filed today by Sen.Wendy Davis relating to bullying & cyberbullying is the #1 priority in @EqualityTexas 2011 Legislative Agenda.”

It’s safe to say that if Equality Texas is calling the bill its No. 1 priority, it includes both sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.

Davis, of course, is a former Fort Worth city councilwoman who handpicked the openly gay Joel Burns as her successor when she stepped down to run for Senate. Yes, that’s Joel Burns of “It Gets Better” fame.

More to come.

—  John Wright

Local briefs • 09.03.10

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Artists Against AIDS auction set for October at Community Arts Center

AIDS Outreach Center of Tarrant County’s annual Artists Against AIDS Silent Art Auction is set for Oct. 23, 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center.
Artwork will be on display from Oct. 1 to Oct. 23.

The event will feature food, entertainment, an open bar with wine and beer and a silent auction including a selection of high-quality fine art from local and regional artists. Tickets for the auction and party are $75.

This year’s honorary co-chairs are state Sen. Wendy Davis, and Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns. Event co-chairs are Cynthia Hodgkins and Sarah Garrett. Featured artists for the evening are Henrietta Milan and Eric Stevens.

ACLU executive director to speak at Oak Cliff Unitarian

Terri Burke, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, will will speak Sept. 15 on recent decisions by the Texas State Board of Education that some people believe were an abuse of authority by board members who forced their own personal ideologies into Texas public schools’ curricula.

The meeting will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Oak Cliff, 3839 W. Kiest Blvd. in Dallas. The event is co-sponsored by the ACLU of Texas and the Unitarian Church of Oak Cliff. Admission is free and open to the public.

Black Tie offers Joan Jett VIP  Weekend for Four, more in auction

Black Tie Dinner announced that bidding has opened for a Sept. 18 Joan Jett weekend VIP package for four courtesy of DiamondJack’s Casino and Resort. Bidding will close on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 9 p.m.

The package features two nights’ accommodations for four people (two rooms) at the Casino Resort in Shreveport/Bossier City, four VIP tickets to the  Joan Jett and the Blackheart performance on Saturday, Sept. 18 and a meet-and-greet with Jett. Dinner for four at DJ’s Steakhouse (up to $400), Saturday buffet lunch and two breakfast buffets for four and $500 in cash are also included.

Go to the BlackTie.org to bid.

The Friday B4Black Luxury Auction will move from a live auctioneer to a real-time ‘Big Board.’ Bidding on interactive touch screen displays will be available on the entire Big Board Luxury Line-up from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. at the event.

This new auction technology will continually display the Friday Luxury Line-up on prominent screens.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition September 3, 2010.

—  Michael Stephens