Women's Rights

Dallas pro-choice activists join national rally at City Hall

Attendees at a pro-choice rally at Dallas City Hall carried signs and chantedtogether.
Photo by Melissa Bonnet
Attendees line up behind magnificent sign in lights, for pro-choice rally atDallas City Hall.
Photo by Bob O'Daniel
Attendees listen to speakers at pro-choice rally at Dallas City Hall.
Photo by Bob O'Daniel

Undeterred by rainy weather, nearly 300 folks turned out at Dallas City Hall on Monday for a rally to support pro-choice rights.

Dallas joined other marches and rallies in cities across Texas as part of a national "day of action," in response to the Texas legislature's passage of a controversial bill banning abortions after 20 weeks and imposing strict new standards on abortion providers and clinics.

Dallas' pro-choice community has been gathering steam for the past few weeks, said organizer Mia Dia, who helped coordinate Monday night's event. "We all have the same passion and anger about what has happened with this legislation," Dia said. "It's not good for women."

In the wake of the bill passage, filibustering Fort Worth state senator Wendy Davis has become a national figure who's raised nearly $1 million, is being eyed as a potential gubernatorial candidate, and is on the cover of Texas Monthly.

The Dallas event included speeches by activists, religious leaders and musicians, beginning with a rendition of the National Anthem performed by violinist Kevin Felton. Attendees carried signs and chanted together. "This is offensive to all women and that's 50 percent of the population," one speaker said.

A few pro-life supporters lingered on the sidewalk in front, trying to interrupt the momentum by shouting; but eventually, they left.

After a performance by musician SuZanne Kimbrell, anyone who wanted to speak got their chance during an open-mic session.

"Our goal was to bring together people who are passionate to organize so we can defeat those lawmakers in November," Dia said. "We're getting a strategy together to say that this is not working for us."

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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