J.W. Lown, Popular Texas Mayor, Resigns For Gay Immigrant Lover

SAN ANGELO, Texas — The mayor of a West Texas city abruptly resigned Wednesday, picking love over his love of office.

J.W. Lown told the San Angelo Standard-Times in a telephone interview from Mexico that he was involved in a relationship with a man who does not have legal status in the United States.

Lown, 32, said he didn't want to take the oath of office knowing he was "aiding and assisting" someone who is not a U.S. citizen. He was to be sworn in Tuesday but did not show up for the ceremony.

"We had to do the right thing and come to Mexico and wait in line for a visa," Lown said.

Lown, who has dual citizenship in the U.S. and Mexico, said he didn't know how long it would take to obtain a visa for his partner. He said they would return to San Angelo if "the people of San Angelo will welcome me back."

Lown, who has his own real estate company, said he'd made thousands of decisions as mayor and weighed the one to resign "in the same manner."

City Manager Harold Dominguez said he had spoken to Lown twice since receiving the resignation letter Wednesday morning.

"My impression is that he is very happy with the decision he made," Dominguez said. "He gave the decision-making process a lot of thought, and he is at peace with it. He did sound happy."

"I think it goes without saying we lost a great public servant with Mayor Lown," Mayor Pro Tem Jon Mark Hogg said. "He cared about and advocated for the city of San Angelo."

Lown on May 9 overwhelmingly won re-election to a fourth term, garnering about 89 percent of the votes.

The job of San Angelo mayor pays $600 annually. The mayor is elected at-large, serves a two-year term and has no additional power beyond that of other city council members.

Comments

[chulanow]

He was breaking the law harboring an illegal immigrant.­........it was pretty obvious to the town that he has no problem breaking the law when it's convenient.

The town is much better off without him.

[JayJonson]

You have no idea what you are talking about. Just a bigot.

[jjgg5]

Love should always trump politics.

[imsosure]

That's so sweet, and in Texas too. His family must be very proud of it.

[SgtLucifer]

Slow news day, hey..., Huffpo?

[marecek]

You are so right. It is no longer news that the GOP is hypocritical, through and through!

[jimmy19]

He tapped it hard! Boys club fO-Ever!

[Alexander-Y]

Oh boy, expect the local townspeople to bring out the pitchforks and torches.

[marecek]

Lown is no dummy. That is why he skipped town and is laying low in Mexico.

[Lumpy75]

I live in Texas - I do not want him living next to me - Mostly because I do not want to live in San Angelo.

[ZimboChick]

?....!

[Truth4Voters]

As a fellow Texan, I must say, there are far worse towns to be living in. San Angelo actually has a university.

[kathy001]

Hear, hear on the not living in San Angelo. I lived there for 11 years. Horrible place - just awful.

[ContraEgoiste]

Being that J.W. Lown is a conservative I thought that this was an article from The Onion.

Sheeesh, seems that the GOP is just one big closet with extra shelfs for the hypocricy.

[123dee]

Have a happy life, you hansome honest man.

[scottyknows]

How sad to equate this with love.

[OKnight]

then get divorced, skippy...

[complice]

Deeper and more profound than anything you will ever know, you sad, path e tic, h0m0 s3x-obsessed l0ser.

[The Ghost]

Abuse only gives "Snotty" wood. Don't do it.

[Truth4Voters]

Just FYI, there are a number of species who participate in "gay" behavior. Go take a biology course for heavens sake.

[tploomis]

We had a case in Hawaii where a male teacher had a boyfriend in a Southeast Asian country and the boyfriend was not able to get a visa. They arranged for the boyfriend to enter into a sham marriage for the purpose of immigrating to Hawaii to be with his teacher friend. The whole thing was discovered, and the teacher lost his teaching position and went to jail.

It's a travesty when our laws keep people in love with each other apart.

[cbates]

Only if the big boys and girls could live by such ethics.

[RainbowPhoenix]

I hardly think "friend" is the proper term for that relationship.

[SteveDenver]

I scanned a couple of articles on Lown (I actually wanted to see his pic, he's cute but that has nothing to do with anything) and ran across this:

www.immigrationequality.org
UAFA- Uniting Immigration Act cannot come fast enough. See how you can get involved. This has nothing to do with marriage equality - at this point - the quicker route to immigration equality is the passage of UAFA. Please go to Immigration Equality’s website and see if your representatives have signed on to this Bill. If not, push, push, push!

This situation will help a lot of people realize that someone they know is facing injustice because of unfair laws. Harvey Milk said that if every gay person came out to their family and friends, the fight for gay rights would be over.

[brt929]

Sorry, no thanks.

After working on a divorce where a man brought over his Russian wife, I personally do not support immigration based on marriage- straight or gay.

I support your right to marry, I believe it is your legal right. I just do not support bringing immigrants here on that basis- not after viewing what happens when these relationships do not work out.

[zest]

Wow, a republican with integrity, will they throw him out of the party?

[SteveDenver]

A republican with integrity who is GAY, he's certainly going to be ousted from the party. Why didn't he just have Florida Gov and renowned closet case Charlie Crist find his lover a bride for purposes other than procreation?

[deepintheheartoftejas]

Is he a republican? The article doesn't say. And in Texas, most city council positions are by law non-partisan.

[JDJase]

Here in Omaha everything, city council as well as state legislature, are all "non-partisan" but everyone is still publicly identified as a D or R

[Yamunation]

On a side note, this is why gay marriage needs to be an official marriage. I'm not sure a civil union allows you to marry someone from outside the country, and make them a citizen afterward. That is a privilege granted only to hetero couples.

[Paulied]

Not only does a civil union not allow you to bring your partner into this country legally, it is also not permitted for legal same-gender marriages in the five states allowing it because of DOMA.

[EuroRant1]

Yamunation, you have that one exactly on the button.

I have been screaming this same fact to my American friends for as long as this has been an issue. Here in Europe we learned that fact real quickly.

Under the "civil union" clause it will work if you love someone in the neighbourhood ... but go across state lines on business or holiday and you just don't know what may happen and if Mr. Right or Ms. Right should happen along.

In Europe we learned that love has no bounds and love certainly doesn't understand borders (and I am speaking from very personal experience).

"Nature knows no indecencies; man invents them." - Mark Twain

[HHarvey]

I think you had better leave Texas Mr. Low. I can't see any tolerance coming from that state. If I were in your shoes I would leave this country.

[SteveDenver]

HHarvey, why should he leave the country?

[emlr]

I live in Texas and I would welcome him next door to me.

[shrimpdip]

Umm...he DID leave the country. He's waiting with his partner to go through the process of obtaining a legal status for his partner to re-enter the country.

[JulieSA]

He was elected four times, in ranching/Air Force town. I don't know if he was out of the closet or not, but in smaller cities, usually people figure these things out.

They voted for him anyway. I live in Texas and wouldn't have any problem with him.

So you're wrong, and your prejudged based on igno rance. This is called bi go try.

[JulieSA]

No.