HR848 - In memory of Daniel Chris Graney of San Antonio.

      H.R. No. 848       R E S O L U T I O N          WHEREAS, A life dedicated to the pursuit of social justice   and human rights drew to a close with the passing of Daniel Chris   Graney of San Antonio on July 11, 2024, at the age of 75; and          WHEREAS, Born on May 16, 1949, in Norfolk, Nebraska, Dan   Graney spent part of his youth in foster care before being adopted   by a Lutheran minister and his wife at age 18; after graduating from   St. John's College in Winfield, Kansas, he received his   undergraduate degree from Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne,   Indiana, and his master of divinity degree from Christ   Seminary-Seminex; ordained as a Lutheran minister, he began his   clerical career serving San Francisco's Mission District Hispanic   community; and          WHEREAS, While undertaking his ministerial studies,   Mr. Graney met his first love, a Franciscan priest named Roberto   Flores; in 1977, the pair moved to Houston, where Mr. Graney served   as a minister and paralegal for undocumented immigrants; he was   elected as a bishop of the Texas Province of the Southwest Regional   Synod of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, but he was forced to resign   after church officials learned about his relationship; pivoting to   a career in law, he graduated as valedictorian of his class at Texas   Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1987, and   he went on to relocate his practice, which primarily focused on   immigration law, to San Antonio in 1992; and          WHEREAS, Mr. Graney and Mr. Flores shared 35 years together   before they were able to legally marry in Vermont on October 15,   2009; after Mr. Flores passed away, Mr. Graney was fortunate enough   to find love again, and on June 9, 2017, he wed Rolando Jaimes   Mesco, who served as his devoted caregiver throughout his medical   challenges; and          WHEREAS, Despite retiring from his work as an attorney due to   health issues in 1993, Mr. Graney continued to make an impact   through his involvement with San Antonio's LGBT community; he   served as cofounder of the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio, as   chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party, and as president of the   Stonewall Democratic Caucus for the 2008 Texas Democratic Party   Convention; additionally, as co-chair of the Community Alliance for   a United San Antonio, he helped secure the historic passage of a   citywide nondiscrimination ordinance in 2013; and          WHEREAS, Dan Graney touched countless lives through his   selfless service and his unwavering commitment to the rights of the   marginalized, and he leaves behind a legacy that will long be   remembered; now, therefore, be it          RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas   Legislature hereby pay tribute to the memory of Daniel Chris Graney   and extend deepest condolences to all those who mourn his passing;   and, be it further          RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be   prepared for his family and that when the Texas House of   Representatives adjourns this day, it do so in memory of Dan Graney.     Martinez Fischer     ______________________________   Speaker of the House                 I certify that H.R. No. 848 was unanimously adopted by a   rising vote of the House on June 1, 2025.     ______________________________   Chief Clerk of the House