By J.W. Richard – Dallas South News Contributor

With the election of President Barack Hussein Obama, many gay people throughout the U.S. were both elated and saddened because of California’s Proposition 8 that disallowed same-sex marriage in that state after it had just been allowed a few months before.

Texas gay residents had already felt that sting in 2006 with Proposition 2, another it wasn’t as bad due to the fact that Texas same-sex marriages were never recognized in the first place.  In that sense, it was like burying something that never really lived.

Outside of the legal victories that many are working to win, I feel we have several reasons to be proud that we live and love in Texas.  If you’re a fan of the state color game (red state vs. blue state), then consider these progressive or “blue” happenings in our red state.  Our state’s largest city, Houston, has recently elected a mayor who is openly lesbian.

Several cities across the state have gay people working in city government including Dallas.  And recently, the national gay entertainment and lifestyle magazine, Advocate, listed Austin as one of the “gayest cities in America” (though I personally believe that Houston and Dallas have far more going on than Austin).

So what does all this talk of politics have to do with our relationships as gay and bisexual people?  I believe the most important aspect of the public political life is the opportunity to see men and women, regardless of sexual orientation, as individuals working for the better good of our community, city, county, and state.

Healthy relationships, again regardless of sexual orientation, have a similar positive impact. Especially when relationships are celebrated, you can quite literally impact the social, mental, and physical health of those involved.

One way that we as gay or bisexual couples can be recognized and celebrated is with a spiritual home.  From the Christian standpoint, there are several welcoming or affirming congregations of just about all denominations in the greater Dallas metropolitan area, including Living Faith Covenant Church, Church of the Rock, and Cathedral of Hope.  In fact, a young man told me that he attends a popular mainstream Baptist church in town because the pastor recognized him and his boyfriend and invite them both back to church.

Another way that our relationships can be counted is to correctly fill out your U.S. census form. Couples have the opportunity to mark whether their relationship is with a “husband/wife” or “unmarried partner”.  By being correctly counted, you provide community visibility and to our state representatives and Congress in a way that can result in political and economic opportunity.

You can find out more about how this year’s census impacts our lives at www.ourfamiliescount.org.  While there isn’t a place to mark your orientation, there are groups that are working to change that including the Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Their website is www.queeringthecensus.org.

So while we work towards the equality of legal recognition for our relationships in a state-by-state battle, we are also continuing to live and love and work for the good of all.  Being out as a gay or bisexual couple reminds everyone that all families matter.

JW Richard makes audio recordings and shares stories about Dallas Black gay life at MandrakeSocietyRadio.com and is also the managing director of Fahari Arts Institute. He can be reached at: mandrakesociety@gmail.com