Houston made history today, becoming the largest city in USA ever to elect an openly gay Mayor, Annise Parker.
Houston elects first openly gay mayor - CNN.com
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She was in a run off with another candidate. The run off election really was about her homosexuality, not much else.
“After the mayoral race entered a runoff, conservatives and anti-gay activists mounted an intense campaign against Parker. Houston residents received flyers in the mail that highlighted Parker's support from gay groups and her relationship with her partner.”
"There's a certain segment of Houston, there's a certain segment of society that has problems with the issues around sexual orientation," Parker said. "But the citizens of Houston have elected me six consecutive times to public office. They know me, they trust me.”
Locke, 61, tried to distance himself from the anti-gay attacks while courting conservative voters who could tip the election in his favor. Meanwhile, gay and lesbian political organizations nationwide rallied to support Parker by raising money for her campaign and making calls urging people to vote.
Anyway, while this is a feather in the cap for Houston, I don’t think it cleans up the tarnished image of Texas as a homophobic place. White Houston is apparently an oasis of tolerance in a desert of hostility, intolerance, the atmosphere in Taxes (and indeed in most of Bible Belt) remains uncompromisingly hostile to homosexuals.
Up until a few years ago, Texas used to imprison homosexuals for consensual sex, until Supreme Court put a stop to the insanity. So Houston may be one thing, but Texas is something else altogether..
Anyway, so congratulations, Houston.
Houston elects first openly gay mayor - CNN.com
[FONT="][/FONT]
She was in a run off with another candidate. The run off election really was about her homosexuality, not much else.
“After the mayoral race entered a runoff, conservatives and anti-gay activists mounted an intense campaign against Parker. Houston residents received flyers in the mail that highlighted Parker's support from gay groups and her relationship with her partner.”
"There's a certain segment of Houston, there's a certain segment of society that has problems with the issues around sexual orientation," Parker said. "But the citizens of Houston have elected me six consecutive times to public office. They know me, they trust me.”
Locke, 61, tried to distance himself from the anti-gay attacks while courting conservative voters who could tip the election in his favor. Meanwhile, gay and lesbian political organizations nationwide rallied to support Parker by raising money for her campaign and making calls urging people to vote.
Anyway, while this is a feather in the cap for Houston, I don’t think it cleans up the tarnished image of Texas as a homophobic place. White Houston is apparently an oasis of tolerance in a desert of hostility, intolerance, the atmosphere in Taxes (and indeed in most of Bible Belt) remains uncompromisingly hostile to homosexuals.
Up until a few years ago, Texas used to imprison homosexuals for consensual sex, until Supreme Court put a stop to the insanity. So Houston may be one thing, but Texas is something else altogether..
Anyway, so congratulations, Houston.
