Story by Renee Baker – Dallas Voice Tavern Guild Pullout 2010
When Erin Moore got the message she was selected for Grand Marshal in the Pride Parade this fall, she said she was “flabbergasted and honored, but taken aback.” Moore is probably just a bit more humble than most and thought there might be some kind of mistake.
No, there was no mistake about it. The Tavern Guild picked Moore precisely because of her steady and strong contributions to the Dallas LGBT community over nearly 20 years – from Pride involvement to current President of Stonewall Democrats.
Moore said she was “really surprised and thrilled.”
Moore, from New Orleans originally, began her Dallas LGBT history 1992 by attending the Pride Parade. She has proudly participated in the parade every year since then including marching 15 times. But the year that meant the most to Moore was the year her mother came down and marched beside her.
“That mean a lot to me,” she says, “and it felt really good to have a proud mom.”
Moore said the Pride Parade helped her in the early days of coming out. She worked then at Southern Methodist University when a coworker and her bumped into each other, only to discover each other were part of Family.
She smiled when he told her, “It is good to see your employer is well represented.”
Over the years, Moore’s favorite Pride moment was in 2003, the year we were all “emancipated” she says. She was referring to the landmark Supreme Court decision of Lawrence v. Texas which overturned Texas sodomy laws.
Moore says, “That one [Lambda Legal] victory opened the door for every other equal right.”
Moore is the current President of Stonewall Democrats and has been active in numerous organizations including Lambda Legal, Leadership Lambda, GLSEN, Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance and HRC. She was one of the organizer’s for the 40th Stonewall March in Dallas last year and was a host of KNON Lambda Weekly for six years. She lives in Dallas with her long term partner Patti Fink.
Moore says of her honor, “I hope to wear the tiara well!”