|
(Austin, Texas) Former Texas Gov. Ann Richards is
being remembered as a caring leader who embraced people from all walks of life
and supported minority, including LGBT, civil rights.
Richards, who was governor from 1991-95, died
Wednesday at her home in Austin of esophageal cancer. She was 73.
On the weekend dozens of prominent gay leaders
joined more than a thousand people to file past her casket at the Texas Capitol.
One of them was former state Rep. Glen Maxey.
"For me to run for the legislature as an
openly gay man had everything to do with Ann Richards," Maxey said.
After leaving the legislature Maxey became a
political consultant and headed the Lesbian & Gay Rights Lobby battle
against a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
Richards frequently spoke out against the
amendment but it was approved by voters last year.
A neighbor, Siri Hutcheson, recalled regular
chats with Richards.
"She was a woman governor that Texas, people
like me in Texas, can be really proud of. She stood for human rights, equal
rights. She was not a bigot. She was not homophobic," Hutcheson said.
"She gave us women a real strong role model," said Hutcheson.
Among those asked to serve as honorary
pallbearers was lesbian comedian Lily Tomlin.
Richards was never at a loss for words. She
rose to national prominence in 1998 at the Democratic National Convention when
she lambasted then GOP presidential nominee George H.W. Bush.
"Poor George. He can't help it. He was born
with a silver foot in his mouth," she told delegates.
She was defeated as governor by Bush's son George
W. Bush and was a regular commentator on TV and radio talk shows dispensing
constant zingers at the administration.
Before leaving office, Gov. Richards said she
didn't want her tombstone to read, "She kept a really clean house,"
but rather, "She opened government to everyone."
©365Gay.com 2006
|
Entertainment
