And just so you know, he is heterosexual and he also opposes the Texas Constitutional Amendment re: same-sex partnerships.

"All of us as Texans are entitled to public servants who will serve the people and do everything in their power to defend the constitutional rights liberties of all the people equally," Van Os said.

Finally, a sensical statement from someone running for office. Too bad Texans don't understand that sort of thing.

Read more after the jump.

From the Dallas Voice,
Dallas GLBT community newspaper

Democrat Van Os seeks A-G post

Says he's 'personally affronted' by anti-gay-marriage amendment


By David Webb
Staff Writer


San Antonio lawyer David Van Os, a candidate for attorney general, vowed to fight the anti-gay-marriage amendment and any other "affront" to the Texas Constitution when he addressed Stonewall Democrats of Dallas this week.
"As a citizen of Texas - a lifelong citizen of this state - I am personally affronted," said Van Os of the ballot measure. "I take it as a personal offense and an affront to my citizenship that forces of hate are seeking to enshrine hate into the Texas Constitution."
Van Os said the anti-gay-marriage amendment is an affront to the U.S. Declaration of Independence of 1776. The document guarantees every citizen the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, he said.
"It is inconceivable that we here in Texas would put something in our state constitution that would be a giant step backward from the achievement of that vision," Van Os said.
The candidate and his wife, Rachel Barrios-Van Os, a law firm administrator, have signed on to the No Nonsense in November campaign, said Michael Moon, president of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.
"He believes in what he says," Moon said. "He didn't come just to tell us what we wanted to hear."
Van Os urged the GLBT community in his speech to join him in the fight against the anti-gay-marriage amendment - no matter what the odds could be.
"Just keep on fighting for liberty, keep on fighting for equal justice under the law and keep on fighting for the kind of society and world you want to live in," Van Os said. "Fight them til hell freezes over, then fight them on the ice."
Van Os said the anti-gay-marriage amendment is an example of how public officials have sold out to special interest groups. He called the backers of the ballot measure the "unreligious wrong."
"The very idea of what they are trying to do is a disgrace, it is inhumane and it sure isn't moral," Van Os said. "Morality means everyone is equal under the law."
Van Os said if Texas voters approve the ballot measure it would create two-tiered citizenship.
The candidate, who is seeking the Democratic Party's nomination for attorney general on the November 2006 ballot, said many lawmakers and other public officials have forgotten they serve all of the people.
"All of us as Texans are entitled to public servants who will serve the people and do everything in their power to defend the constitutional rights liberties of all the people equally," Van Os said.
If he is elected, Van Os said he would take on the big insurance companies and oil companies operating in Texas who he claims are violating the terms of the Texas Constitution. The candidate said the document prohibits monopolies and price-fixing, and that he believes those businesses are raising prices in cooperation with each other.
"It looks obvious," Van Os said. "Don't you think somebody ought to do something about it?"
Van Os said he believes the state's public officials have sold out to big business as well as special interest groups. It is the role of the state's attorney general to prevent big business from taking advantage of consumers, he said.
"You are entitled by constitutional rights as Texans to an attorney general who will be the people's lawyer," Van Os said.
Van Os said he opposes the Patriot Act's provision that allows federal officials to take action against individuals without probable cause and search warrants. If he were elected, Van Os said he would advise law enforcement officials in Texas to refrain from cooperating with federal officials using the Patriot Act to detain people and search their premises.
"Not on Texas soil," Van Os said.
The Web site of current attorney general, Republican Greg Abbott who was sworn into office in 2002, touts the incumbent as having provided "outstanding service and legal representation for the people of Texas."
He cites the establishment of the Cyber Crimes Unit against Internet predators, the Fugitive Unit to track down parole violators, expanding the Medicare Fraud Crime Unit to protect seniors and others against fraudulent billing practices, a criminal conviction for violation of the state's open record laws and the collection of $3.2 billion in child support as examples.
So far, Van Os is the only candidate in the Democratic Party to announce to run against Abbott.
Moon said he believes Van Os has a chance of winning the election because he is devoting so much time to personal appearances.
"It's hard to get excited about a race when you don't see the candidates out there," Moon said. "He's one that will be out there all over the state next year."
Van Os has been a labor lawyer for 30 years. Texas Monthly named him one of Texas' "Super Lawyers."
He ran for the State Supreme Court last year, but lost.
Van Os said the defeat inspired him to fight even harder for a public office that would allow him to make a difference in state government.