I want to tell you about my friend Karen Wilkerson.  She lives gaily in Tyler, Texas.  You know, where Louie Gohmert is her congressman and a whole bundle of other crazy people represent her in Austin.

When I say she lives gaily, I mean that literally.  Karen is a smart, gorgeous, funny, gay woman.  It’s not so hard to be a gay person in Houston or Dallas, but holy crap, Karen is a gay person in the Free State of Tyler, Texas.

But, do you think that bothers her?  Nope.  This sign makes me so damn happy that I do a little dance every time I see it.

Karen says, “It’s been up a few years. Several bullet holes in one of them (in a tight pattern, I hasten to add) and the other went missing once, but we got a replacement from the state. I’m always surprised that nobody throws stuff at us when we do cleanup. Actually, our stretch of the road stays pretty clean compared to others. Hmmm…”

Karen would fight a rattlesnake with one hand tied behind her back and give the snake three bites head start.  It makes me proud that there are people like her in Texas.   That’s why I stay here.