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Loading ...San Angelo mayor resigns to be with gay partner
06.05.2009 12:04pm EDT
San Angelo, Texas residents were surprised this past week when Mayor J.W. Lown resigned from his office to be with his partner in Mexico. Lown, who was re-elected for a fourth term by a landslide vote, is helping his partner, a non-U.S. citizen, get a visa.
“I made the final decision when I knew it was the right decision to make for me and my partner and our future – and for the community,” Lown said. “I love the people of San Angelo. I know the timing wasn’t good, but the timing couldn’t be helped.”Lown was re-elected to the position of mayor with 89.34 percent of the vote. Lown, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico, hopes to return to San Angelo with his partner if ”the people of San Angelo will welcome me back.”
Lown announced his resignation via a letter to City Manager Harold Dominguez in which he explained that he would not be serving his term for personal reasons.
Fellow city council members have expressed their sadness over the loss of Lown, who they consider to be a great politician. Several council members, such as John David Fields, hope that the San Angelo citizens “give him the time he might need to do what he needs to do and respect his privacy.”
“It was a choice I had to make,” Lown said. “I love the people of San Angelo. I know the timing wasn’t good, but the timing couldn’t be helped.”
Read the full GOSanAngelo story here.
“This is OLD ‘news.’”
“Very sloopy journalism I must say.”
“This was old news a week ago.”
Ee-gadz! you want old news that is many months old, try Larry Craig and his toilet stall not removed from the page for a very long time! And not ONE word when the staff returned of same-sex couples finally able to marry in Norway on New Year’s Day of 2009. Old news now, but on January 5 of 2009 when staff returned still would of far greater impact (historically and internationslly speaking) in the timeline forward in 2009 of gay rights. The old toilet stall months later hung around 365 gay.com and you people complain after only a week or so of having to see the story of this town and this mayor? This is not the only story to be repeated.
And in addition this isn’t OLD ‘news’ to some like me because I am reading this story for the first time of the mayor of San Angelo abruptly resigning so soon after being re-elected to his position to be with his partner. And how often does it occur to mayors of cities and towns around the USA of mayors suddenly taking off to do what he did especially to a foreign country and then mail home a resignation package and letter????
About the charge of sloppy journalism..how so and where in the article is it “sloppy?” Sloppy is sometimes in the eye of the beholder, not everyone here is agreeing on that. Not everyone here has majored for several years in journalism in college.
I see quotes from Mr. Lown himself, so he is essentially telling us himself via an article as to why he did what did.
He obviously had the sense to realize that his abrupt actions leaving from his job no sooner that he had been reelected without advance notice or warning would cause concern as to his whereabouts and if he was well and OK and that he needed to quickly address the issue of why he left. The story makes clear why, where and how and that is good enough for me. Anyone can make quickly understand what happened by the reading Mr. Lown’s words as quoted in this story.
Very sloopy journalism I must say.
I can hardly wait to see some commenters here start their own Gay News site and show us how it’s REALLY supposed to be done.
C’mon boys, talk is cheap, get that site up and hummin’.
For those who comment that this is “old news”, shame on you. This is very current news. I also left the States to live with my partner, who is from Mexico. We live abroad because we could not find a legal way to live together in the U.S. Discrimination affects everyone.
“They came for the Communists, and I was glad I was not Communist, so I did not say anything.
Then they came for the Socialists, and I was glad I was not Socialist, so I did not say anything.
Then they came for the Jews, and I was glad I was not Jewish so I did not say anything.
Then they came for me, and by then, there was nobody left to say anything.”
Have to agree. I’d not read the news before, either.
i 2nd kyle=)
ditto to what Kyle said.
Michael W: I heard this rumor as well and would like to know if it’s true. I’m tired of so-called national GLBT Orgs, deciding what they feel is best for our community as a whole. I’m a proud GLBT activist and organizer for our GLBT grassroots civil rights movement. This not only gives community members the opportunity to be active participants in our actions. It allows them to offer their invaluable input on issues that are of most importance to them.
Jeff: I agree with you, we must work toward getting the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) passed, to eliminate discrimination in immigration laws. The bill would permit permanent partners of United States citizens to obtain lawful permanent resident status, in the same manner as spouses of citizens receive. For information on UAFA click this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniting_American_Families_Act.
I emailed JW in Mexico after learning of his decision to resign as Mayor. It’s sad that he and many others are forced into this same situation, just to be with the person they love. He was kind enough to take the time to reply:
From: Joseph Lown
To: Pride Tampa Bay
Sent: Sunday, May 24, 2009 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: Wishing You and Your Partner Much Love and Happiness
Zeke,
Please know that I received your email and that your thoughtful support means a great deal. Thank your for sharing part of your story with me. I found it very encouraging!!
Best, Joseph W. Lown
Wow you who made comments are such bitter queens. No wonder no one likes us.
Old news or not, it’s the first source I received the information and it’s a good story. Get over yourselves.
This is OLD ‘news.’
A very good example of why we need the Uniting American Families Act (UAFA). Contact your senators asking them support the bill.
Only the trails for the polygamist cult were in San Angelo. The actual compound is about 40 miles away.
This is the same town with the polygamist cult?
great reporting 365…saw this on mainstream news last week. Way to keep the community abreast of the “latest” news. Why don’t you report on the rumors that Joe Solomonese (sp) HRC made a deal with Obama to forgo working on DADT and work on Hate Crimes Legislation. I am so glad the HRC thinks they can dictate what is important for the enitre Gay Community. They’ve done such a fabulous job (sarcasm implied) for the past 10 year!!!!! If the rumors are true that really pisses me off!!!!!!!
This was old news a week ago.