M Robert Schwab
"Mort"

December 15 1983

Age 36, Houston, AIDS

   

Texas Human Rights Foundation
Houston Gay Political Caucus

JD Doyle Comment
As a historian I feel I must make a statement about some of the information found in several of
the obituary articles about Mort Schwab. To be sure he was an important leader and vital to our
movement in his work as founder of the Texas Human Rights Foundation (THRF), as a lead
strategist in the Baker v. Wade case, and he played advisory roles in several other organizations.
However, the articles repeatedly state that Schwab was "co-founder of the Gay Political Caucus."

This needs some clarification. The Caucus, was founded in June 1975 by Pokey Anderson, Bill Buie,
Hugh Crell, and Keith McGee. Probably early in that first year Schwab was elected as Chairman of
the Board of Trustees
, when that Board was established. The earliest reference in Caucus papers
and clippings I could find documenting that role was August of 1976, though we do not know exactly
when the Board was set up. He resigned from that position in August of 1977. President Gary Von
Ooteghem also resigned at that time, both stating they wanted to make room for new people to get
involved in the leadership. An ad in This Week in Texas for Schwab's legal services on 10/24/80
include in his accomplishments being "Founding Chair of Houston Gay Political Caucus." I think it could
be up to interpretation if he was technically a "co-founder of the GPC."
Perhaps this is fussing over
semantics.
But certainly he was in an early leadership role. And again, I want to take nothing away
from his accomplishments.