Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber Ousts President, Announces New Leadership

Both the AGLCC and Flannigan, the latter whom we spoke with over the phone, indicated that the conflict did not stem from last weekend's well-received Pride festival, which drew a record crowd of 6,000 to 7,000.

"No doubt about it, 2009 was one of the best Pride celebrations Austin has seen, and I [attribute] that to the entire [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered] community coming together," said Peevy in yesterday's announcement. "But ... there is room for improvement, and we’re committed to making those improvements."

Flannigan posited that the board may have become unhappy after he made several key decisions without their explicit approval. What these were exactly remains unclear.

Regardless of the underlying motives behind the now-public schism, Austin's gay and lesbian community could suffer as a consequence. During his tenure with the AGLCC, Flannigan was an instrumental force in the creation of its magazine, Forward Austin, as well as the establishment of the city-wide Pride Coalition. With his term as president set to end in 2010, Flannigan stated that he had been planning to transition his role as the organization's most public figure to the chamber's new leadership. Now, during this nebulous interim, the group faces much in the way of rebuilding if it's to continue its efforts to give the community a cohesive voice.

"While I disagree with the actions this new board has taken and their reasons for doing so are still unclear to me, I continue to feel that a chamber of commerce has a critical role to play in the community and the fight for equality," said Flannigan. "It would be a shame if their actions have a negative impact on all that we’ve accomplished in the past [two and a half] years, and it’s my wish that the community find a way to move forward in a positive fashion."

Peevy said much the same. "Jimmy has worked incredibly long and hard hours to promote the Gay and Lesbian Chamber, gay and gay-friendly business, Austin Pride, and the Austin lesbian and gay community as a whole," he said. "We are looking forward to building upon the groundwork of collaboration, cooperation and community he laid."