Harris County Commissioner’s Court Honors Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus on Its 50th Anniversary
Commissioner Lesley Briones introduces resolution celebrating decades of advocacy.
On Thursday, June 12, during the Harris County Commissioners Court meeting, Commissioner Lesley Briones of Precinct 4 introduced a request for approval of a resolution celebrating the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus on its 50th anniversary year.
In attendance were board members and supporters of the organization, including past presidents Lane Lewis (1997), Maria Gonzalez (2005–06), Kristopher Banks (2009–10), Katharine Ligon (2020) and Jovon Tyler (2020–22).
In her remarks to introduce the resolution, Commissioner Briones spoke of her respect for the group commonly known in Houston as the “The Caucus,” saying, “I love all of the caucus family dearly. Congratulations on half a century of advocacy, half a century being on the right side of justice and the right side of history, half a century of standing up for all people, for embodying inclusion, embodying the love, for embodying the justice that I believe is the best of Harris County.”
Speaking before the Court, Caucus President Austin Davis Ruiz (and staff member of Briones’ office) noted another anniversary marked by the day: “Today is the ninth anniversary of the horrific Pulse Nightclub Shooting [in Orlando], where we lost 49 members of our community to tragic senseless violence, and I know that while we have so much to celebrate over the last 50 years of the Caucus’ history, we still have so much further yet to go, and so today is … a recommitment to making sure we are protected, seen, valued as LGBTQ people and we are not going anywhere.”
Past President Jovon Tyler, who announced in May his candidacy for an At-Large Position on Houston City Council in the November 2027 election, speaking later with OutSmart about his tenure as leader in 2020, said, “Being part of 50 years of the history of the oldest LGBTQ+ political caucus in the South has been one of the greatest moments in my life. Nearly everything I know about politics I’ve learned from the nearly 30 years I’ve been a member of The Caucus. Having served as president during COVID was a particularly challenging time because we had to learn to do so much virtually. I’m proud of the work The Caucus continues to do to screen candidates, educate the public on who to vote for and serve as a trusted voice in political circles on behalf of the LGBTQ+ community here in Houston.”
The resolution passed by a vote of 3 to 1, with Commissioners Briones, Ellis, and Garcia in favor; Commissioner Ramsey opposed, and County Judge Hidalgo not present.
For the upcoming November 2025 election, The Houston LGBTQ+ Caucus Political Action Committee will convene a virtual meeting of the organization’s state PAC in August when its members consider the applications of candidates seeking endorsement of The Caucus PAC in their bid for office in the November Uniform Election.
For more information on The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, visit www.thecaucus.org
