Openly gay Dallas County judge pushing for sexual orientation to be added to nondiscrimination policy, following in city’s path

Despite concerns that Republican commissioners would vote down such a proposal, openly gay Dallas County Judge Jim Foster has requested that staff look into the possibility of adding sexual orientation to the county’s employment nondiscrimination policies.

Mattye Taylor, the county’s director of Human Resources, confirmed Wednesday, July 9, that Foster has asked her to provide him with more information about the subject. In response to Foster’s request, Taylor said she’s looked at the county’s existing nondiscrimination policies, as well as those of other public and private employers. Taylor said she plans to meet with Foster sometime in the next few weeks to discuss the matter.

Foster’s apparent decision to pursue nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation, which would fulfill a campaign promise, comes in the wake of a June 27 Dallas Voice article highlighting the fact that the county is lagging well behind the city of Dallas on issues of LGBT equality. The development also coincides with news that at least five Democrats, including two who are openly gay, are considering challenging Foster in the party’ s 2010 primary.
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