Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance was an LGBT advocacy group that operated in the Dallas area. The group was founded in 1975 as the Dallas Gay Political Caucus before it changed its name first to Dallas Gay Alliance in 1981 and later to Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance in 1992. ¹

The Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance, under its various names, sued the government multiple times over anti-sodomy laws and AIDS treatment, as well as lobbying for state recognition of same-sex marriages.

According to the IRS database of tax-exempt organizations, as of early 2024 the group had lost its tax-exempt status for failing to provide tax returns for three consecutive years. It appears to be defunct.

Founding and History

Dick Peeples, Steve Wilkins, Louise Young, and Don Baker founded the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance in 1975 as the Dallas Gay Political Caucus to promote normalization of homosexuality. The group promoted voter registration among the Dallas gay community and organized protestors to participate in the 1979 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights. ²

In 1981, the group changed its name to the Dallas Gay Alliance and began to focus more on AIDS issues. ³ In 1983, the group gained tax-exempt status. ⁴ The group changed names again in 1992 to the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance. ⁵

The Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance lost its 501(c)(3) status for not providing tax returns for three consecutive years according to the IRS database of tax-exempt organizations. ⁶ The group has no website or social media and appears to be defunct as of early 2024. ⁷

Activism

In 1979, Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance (then known as the Dallas Gay Political Caucus) participated in the March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Equal Rights. ⁸

The same year, Don Baker, a founder of the Dallas Gay Political Caucus and president of the Dallas Gay Alliance from 1980 to 1982, sued the state of Texas over the constitutionality of anti-sodomy laws in Baker v. Wade, losing in federal circuit court in 1986. The lawsuit revolved around Baker’s firing as a teacher after he came out as gay. ⁹

In 1988, the Dallas Gay Alliance sued the city of Dallas for its handling of the AIDS crisis in Dallas Gay Alliance v. The City of Dallas (Parkland Hospital). The group won this lawsuit, forcing the hospital to increase its capacity to treat AIDS patients. ¹⁰

In 1990. the group sued the City of Dallas and the state of Texas to overturn Texas’ anti-sodomy laws, this time winning the case in 1992 and having the ruling upheld on appeal. The lawsuit forced the Dallas Police Department to accept gay applicants. ¹¹

In 1993, the group launched its Marriage Project, pushing for federal legal recognition of same-sex marriages. ¹²

1. “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
2. “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
3. “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
4. “Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance.” GuideStar. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/75-1715253
5. “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
6. IRS Tax-Exempt Organization Search, Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance (EIN 75-1715253), Queries conducted January 5, 2024. https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/
7. “Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance.” GuideStar. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://www.guidestar.org/profile/75-1715253
8. “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
9.  “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
10. “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
11.  “Pride in Dallas: A Brief look at Dallas LGBTQ History.” Oak Lawn Library Friends. Accessed December 22, 2023. https://oaklawnlibraryfriends.com/pride-in-dallas-a-brief-look-at-dallas-lgbtq-history/
12. “The Marriage Project.” The Portal to Texas History. Accessed December 22, 2022. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1457697/?q=dallas%20gay%20and%20lesbian%20alliance