Molly Ivins: A Great Friend to GLBT

With the passing of Molly Ivins, the GLBT community has lost a true friend. For those of us who work in Texas politics, her departure is particularly hard to take, as her wit and keen intelligence always inspired and encouraged us. Even when facing disappointments, she helped us laugh. She was certainly one of the most persuasive, progressive advocates we've ever known.

So, to help us duly appreciate Molly Ivins, I've collected a few of her classic columns on GLBT issues.

Here's a great excerpt from a Column she wrote in 1993 for "The Progressive." It details State Representative Warren Chisum's -- our newly appointed appropriations committee chair-- and FORMER! representative Talmadge Heflin's outrageous campaign to keep Texas's anti-sodomy law in the books. (Aren't you glad we worked to get Hubert Vo elected).

So the Housies were afraid everyone would think they were perverts if they didn't vote for it, and they did. Chisum then shook hands with his ally, Talmadge Heflin of Houston, in celebration of this double triumph, and the Speaker had to send the Sergeant -at-arms over to reprimand them both.

Because under Chisum's own amendments, it's illegal for a prick to touch an asshole in this state.

Here's how Molly celebrated the much belated repeal of that same law by the U.S. supreme court in 2003. I always enjoy how Molly confidently and deftly refutes hate mongers like Antonin Scalia.

The constitution of the United States was designed to protect the rights of minorities against the majority. The law is supposed to apply equally to all, and under the Texas statute it did not; it was specifically discriminatory...

Justice Scalia's intemperate outburst -- he said the Court has signed on to "the so-called homosexual agenda" -- brings up the question: What the heck is the homosexual agenda? I hear people on the right talk about it all the time, but as I far as I know, gay groups have not signed on to any master plan or series of proposals. Has anybody seen one? There are a lot of gay Republicans: I should think all the gays would have a hard time agreeing on an agenda. I suspect the "homosexual agenda" is like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Most recently, we may thank Molly Ivins for fighting vigorously against prop. 2 in 2005. With this column, Molly Ivins immortalized the poignant and powerful words of Houston's own Senfronia Thompson.

Even through debilitating cancer, Molly Ivins tirelessly fought the good fight, and she fought with infectious humor and exemplary literary craftsmanship. Let's show our appreciation and honor her memory, with diligent work towards progressive causes and unrelenting good humor in the face of adversity.