Three stories of local interest (sort of)

1. Collin County Commmissioner Jerry Hoagland, who’s been in office since the early 1980s, has solidified his status as the poster child for term limits. Hoagland recently proposed firing Teen Court Coordinator Justin Nichols for being gay. Now, Hoagland has expressed opposition to a proposed Equal Employment Opportunity policy that includes race: “I think we need to hire the most qualified person for the job, irregardless of race,” Hoagland said. Gay rights advocates are calling on Collin County commissioners to add sexual orientation to the proposed policy in response to the situation involving Nichols.

2. The Houston Chronicle recently chatted with Judy Shepard, the mother of gay murder victim Matthew Shepard. As the 10-year anniversary of Shepard’s death approaches, Shepard was in Houston for the Human Rights Campaign’s annual fundraising dinner last weekend. “I’ve always been a person who believed things happen for a reason,” Shepard told The Chronicle. “When I figure out what this reason is, I hope I’m open to it. And I hope that losing my son was part of it.”

3. Oklahoma State Rep. Sally Kern’s anti-gay tirade may end up costing Oklahoma City big-time. According to this article, a San Francisco Bay-area financial services company is among those reconsidering a planned relocation to OKC based on the comments. Apparently, the 1,000-employee company’s top executive is a lesbian. Maybe they should consider moving to Collin County instead.