Dallas City, November 24, 1985, Page: 4 of 10
[10] p. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
"Bill's sincere," says a writer for the
gay publication Dallas Voice, "but he's
confrontational. Things are really not
that bad for gays in Dallas. Gays in Dal-
las want the same things everybody else
does: first, to make money, second, to
have a good time, then,. maybe, after
that, political things. Bill wants to force
changes, but the Dallas gay community
is very conservative and doesn't like
controversy."
Nelson contends he's as conservative
as they come. "What I do is a reflection
of the Dallas gay community. The Dal-
las gay community is conservative. Gay
issues are conservative - like the right
to privacy, the right to work without
discrimination. So many people see gay
rights as a radical or liberal movement,
but it's not. What we want is what
everyone else already has - equal
rights. That's not liberal, that's
conservative."
Nelson says he figures the real prob-
lem his critics have with him is his will-
ingness to tell it like it is. All of it.
"They see the concept of being ag-
gressive and upfront about your gayness
as being detrimental to the well-being of
gay people," he says. "They're fright-
ened. I don't think everyone can come
out of the closet - the reality is that
many of them would lose good jobs,
would lose their relationships with theira
0
W
z
0
z
a
S
d
Q
t2 ^
VI could not in moral good conscience promise to pre-
serve, protect and defend Section 21.06 of the Texas
Penal Code, which is the law that makes homosexual
conduct illegal. That's like asking a black person to
preserve, protect and defend slavery in order
to serve on a board.'
- Bill Nelsonfamilies - but they'd be better off if
they did."
Nelson knows what he's talking about
when it comes to coming-out conflicts,
and as it does for many gays, the strug-
gle began with himself.
"I've always known I was gay; as soon
as I had a concept of sexuality, I knew
there was something different there," he
says. "But I remember in high school,
feeling, not exactly confusion, but the
dual mentality of knowing that I was
homosexual, but thinking about what
kind of father I would be, what it would
be like to have a family. I finally had to
realize that that wasn't on the agenda."
Nelson didn't exactly rush home with
the news. He was 31 when he finally
gathered the courage to break it to his
mother (his father died in an auto acci-
dent in 1979).
"I went over to her house with a big
stack of books - Loving Someone Gay,
Now That You Know - all the books
for parents of gays, and I'd read all the
Gay Task Force books about how to
come out. So I went to her home and
said, 'I want to talk to you about some-
thing that's very important to me, but
first I just want us to reconfirm that we
love each other, no matter what.' And
she was saying, 'What's wrong? What's
wrong?'
"Well, I just knew when I told her9 GREAT REASONS
BLUE FOUNTAIN POOL NOW
1. Low Interest Rates - Just 10.87% O.A.C. 7. The Very Best Craftsmen are Available .. NOW!
2. Low Winter Prices. (Prices will increase 86) 8. Opportunity to Win $10,000. The Next 150 qualified Blue
3 . Me h .. Fountain Pool customers can win a $10,000 CASH PRIZE or $5,000 2nd PRIZE
when the 150th pool is dug - a drawing will be held and winners announced.
4. No payments for 6 Months. Winners need not be present to win.
5. Free Pool Utility Bill for 6 Months 9. Free Kodak Instamatic Camera given with each
6. Free Pool Chemicals for 6 Months Free in home estimate Both home owners must be
present.GO.D NEWSQ
if your pool loan has previo
Call us today ..See Texas' First Indoor
Open 7 Days A WeekPool Display
Quality and Integrit
iVILLE B
290
FT. WORTH B1
995)usly been denied for ANY reason,,
. W e have great new s! look#
BLUE F-OUNTAIN u I
y at a price you can afford
EDFORO PLANO
293-55 423-.9259 lURLESON
295.7091 :AUSTIN
(512) 331-6627I
I
C
zDALLAS.;
263-3460
GARLAND
530-3003'-4.
DUNCAN
296-.9
ARLINGTON/
540-2i
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Dallas Times Herald. Dallas City, November 24, 1985,, periodical, November 24, 1985; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc851836/m1/4/: accessed June 11, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.