Sometimes I wake up in the morning and read the headlines and swear I'm still deep in slumber. Tell me this is not so. If you want to supprt Dallas' gay community, send a check to one of its leading charities. If you must visit, try to limit your expenditures to gay-owned businesses. Bigots are not getting a dime of my money. I want to see a prominently displayed rainbow flag decal in your store/restuarant/hotel at the very least before I will even consider window shopping. How about this for a plan? Spend money in Dallas on a given weekend at certain tourist venues and 5% of all dollars spent (with a dollar for dollar match from the city's coffers) will go to local LGBT and HIV/AIDS charities.

Vote with your dollars, my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, fearless hero of the marriage equality momevement, deserves to be rewarded with mass LGBT tourism to his city. When Dallas joins the fight for gay civil rights in earnest, then we can talk. Nothing against my dear friends from Dallas, but I cannot abide by this hypocrisy. Don't take my money unless you are willing to stand up and join the fight for full equality. Here's the AP story from the Indianapolis Star:

That's the word from Dallas tourism officials attempting to lure gay and lesbian visitors with a message that the city is a great place for them to spend their time and money. "Big D" is a diverse metropolitan area that "has left behind stereotypes of big-haired women and rowdy cowboys -- that is, unless you count sassy drag queens and strapping gay rodeo champs," according to a Web site operated by the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Our Secret is Out" proclaims the site, which features images of same-sex couples enjoying the local sights."It's not about being politically correct, it's about being economically correct," said Phillip Jones, president and CEO of the tourism bureau. He said gay travelers spend an average of $100 more per day than other travelers and plan four to six trips a year.

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