The Dallas Way

""Having joined the Dallas Gay Alliance in the late 70s, Dotson's work reads like a ""Who's Who"" of Dallas LGBTQ activism. From boardrooms to streets, his work forms a blueprint for The Dallas Way. While we may have had disagreements over process, the principles that underpin Dotson's report are clear. ""The Dallas Way"" held. While the model might not work for other cities, Dallas today enjoys one of the most active LGBTQ communities. Born out of the Dallas Gay Alliance, Resource Dallas maintains a vibrant campus that includes a community center, a senior residence, its own clinic and pharmacy, and a food bank. Dotson reveals a legacy left by individuals who did their best in the worst of times."" - William Waybourn, Former President of the Foundation for Human Understanding and the Dallas Gay Alliance ""All organizing is local – and most effective when it represents a community's actual needs and strengths. M. Rhys Dotson's beautifully written and meticulously researched The Dallas Way demonstrates this splendid illustrating in depth how activists organized and won battles for LGBTQ rights over four decades. Deftly illuminating the navigation of regional conservatism and strategically promoting connections with local political and church groups, Dallas's queer community found a voice and power. The Dallas Way is not simply history of local organizing but a template for how queer history can be written."" - Michael Bronski, author of A Queer History of the United States ""The gay-rights movement since the 1970s cannot fully be understood until we appreciate its methods in relatively conservative areas, where it met the fiercest resistance. The Dallas Way succeeds admirably in calling much-needed attention to its tactics and leaders in a major urban center."" - Dale Carpenter, author of Flagrant Conduct: The Story of Lawrence v. Texas