After a knock-out drag out mayoral race in the city of Houston, TX, Houston made history this weekend electing their first openly Gay Mayor and becoming the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay Mayor.
Annise Parker (D) scored a 53-47 victory over her incumbent. While Parker’s team never tried to make her sexuality a factor in the Mayoral race, Republicans ran a slew of anti-gay attacks on her including using a strategy to drive homophobia in the African American communities to vote against the lesbian Mayor.
Parkers’s opponent, Gene Locke, was an Africn American Democrat and many bloggers and correspondants pointed out that once Republicans found out that 70% of African Americans voted for Proposition 8 in CA last year, their strategy was to continue the homophobia as a “swing vote” in the Houston Mayoral race although it was never endorsed by Gene Locke . Dirty politics!
Shout out to all of those in Houston, that made their choice based on accomplishments and not sexuality! This should be a strong message to Republicans and those who support homophobia that it won’t work!!!!
I know this is gonna sound preachy and like I’m getting on a soapbox but oh well. I just want to take the time to say that Barack Obama’s victory means alot to the changing of the political climate in America. It means that while we have not reached the promised land that Dr. King hoped for, we are making some fervent strides towards getting out of the wilderness. I applaud Texas on progressively moving towards accepting those who live a life that happens to be homosexual and I further applaud them for understanding that that should have no bearing on their decision about who is best to run their city. Thank you Annise Parker, for having the courage to stand out in the open and let your light shine forth. You inspire millions everywhere that they don’t have to give up on their dreams or be ashamed of who they are. Congratulations.