Today In History, 1985: Texas Editorial: “Given the Choice, We’ll Take Homosexuals Over the KKK”

Jim Burroway

July 10th, 2016

Randol Mill Park

In 1984, the Dallas/Ft. Worth suburb of Arlington was having a problem at Randol Mill Park. It seems that the popular park had become a well-known venue for men (often heterosexually-married men) to solicit sex with other men. Its notoriety even earned it a listing in Bob Damron’s Address Book, a popular pre-internet national guide to gay bars, businesses, organizations and cruising areas.

City council members weren’t pleased. The last thing that Arlington’s city fathers wanted was for the city to gain a reputation for gay friendliness. Council members Jim Norwood, Richard Green and Leo Berman had recently protested a gay adaptation of Edward Albee’s (Mar 12Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe at Theater Arlington, saying the play was “inappropriate to community standards.” City Council ordered the police to step up patrols in the park and adopted a resolution asking Dallas-area newspapers to publish the names of those arrested for public lewdness. “I think the thing they fear more than anything else is public exposure,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Gary Bruner, with no hint of irony. The Dallas Times Herald, Dallas Morning News and the Arlington Daily News all said they would refuse to do so. Said Times Herald Editor Will Jarret, “That’s not our function. We shouldn’t be instruments for public officials to punish or embarrass people.”

But after less than a year’s worth of increased patrolling and enforcement by Arlington police, the Mid-Cities Daily News reported, “We have not heard nearly as much about the problem as last year.” But for whatever reason, the Klan was still excited over queers in the park. The Klan’s “exalted cyclops” of the Ft. Worth kalvern, Bill Walton, announced that his group would be holding a picnic at the park to send a message that gays weren’t welcome. The Daily News responded, “Given the choice between sharing a park with homosexuals or a bunch of white-sheeted, racist, hate-peddling losers, we think we would prefer the homosexuals.”

Well sure, given the choice.

When the Klan held their picnic three days later — sans white sheets — Scott Patrick, the exalted cyclops of the Garland klavern, sounded disappointed with what he found — or didn’t find. “I expected the situation to be a little more blatant. I’m sure all the publicity kept it out.” With none of those dreaded homosexuals in sight, Walton was left with no option but to complain about other groups. “Would you believe I actually had a Jew ask if a Jew could come to one of our meetings,” he told a reporter. “I said ‘no.’ A Jew would have about as much chance of attending as a nigger. You’ve got to admit they aren’t as intelligent as we are.”

[Additional sources: “Arlington City Officials Order Crackdown on Homosexual Activity.” Dallas Voice 1 no. 18 (September 7, 1984): 1.]

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