A REAL LINE IN THE SAND

In the sometimes seemingly hopeless war against American bigotry and homophobia, the largest city in Bushland and the nation's fourth largest city drew a line in the sand this past weekend electing the first openly gay mayor of a major American metropolis.

In short, history was made--not for gay rights but for democracy.

Houston turned its community back on virulent Republican, Evangelical and Catholic homophobia.  And this city of more than 2.2 million Texans solidly defied the stereotypes of African American and Hispanic homophobia. 

According to official census figures, less than 3 percent of Houston's registered voters are gay.  Over 25 percent are African American and over 37 percent are Hispanic Catholics--and yet just over 53 percent of voters delivered victory to a gay woman over a Black man. 

According to one Houston pundit:  "Houston is the winner because Annise Parker's prior experience will serve her well as Mayor.  Parker, a native Houstonian, has already served the city for over a decade as a City Council Member and as the current City Controller.  Prior to entering public service Parker spent twenty years in the oil and gas industry. Parker will need to draw upon this experience to lead Houston through lean economic times and position the city to be a leader in new energy development.  Houston is the winner because it did not succumb to bigoted fear-mongering and homophobia.  Yes, Annise Parker will become the first openly-lesbian mayor of a major U.S. city. However, Houston voters demonstrated, for the 7th time in Parker's case, that they can elect candidates based on their experience, qualifications and abilities, without regard to their sexual orientation. Houston is the winner because it has elected an eminently qualified public servant as its next mayor. We are all winners because fear-mongering and homophobia lost."

I would echo that sentiment:  as Americans we are all winners because for the first time in a very long time American voters--and American voters in a very Red state, defeated "fear-mongering and homophobia."

Standing with her partner of 19 years, Kathy Hubbard, and their three adopted children, Mayor-elect Parker told the press on Saturday night:  “Tonight the voters of Houston have opened the door to history.  I acknowledge that.  I embrace that. I know what this win means to many of us who never thought we could achieve high office.”

Throughout the campaign, Ms. Parker tried to avoid making an issue of her sexual orientation and emphasized her experience in overseeing the city’s finances.  But she began her career as an advocate for gay rights in the 1980s, and it was lost on no one in Houston that her election marked a milestone for gay men and lesbians around the country.

Several smaller cities in other regions have chosen openly gay mayors, among them Providence, R.I., Portland, Ore., and Cambridge, Mass. But Ms. Parker’s success came in a conservative state where voters have outlawed gay marriage and a city where a referendum on granting benefits to same-sex partners of city employees was soundly defeated.

Furthermore, during the final weeks of the campaign, a group of African American pastors partly financed ($40,000) by Parker's Black opponent, viciously attacked Ms. Parker for what they called her gay agenda and two separate anti-gay advocates sent out fliers in the mail calling attention to her support from gay groups and to her relationship with her partner.

Political strategists said that to win, Mr. Locke needed to carry a large majority of the black vote, which is usually around a third of the turnout, and to attract significant support from conservative whites, many of them Republicans, who are also about a third of the voting mix here.

The crowd at Ms. Parker’s acceptance speech included dozens of young gay men and lesbians who had volunteered on her campaign. Many were elated with the sense of history being made. “It’s a huge step forward for Houston,” said one of the volunteers, Lindsey Dionne, who is lesbian. “It shows hate will not prevail in this city.” Robert Shipman, who is gay and worked long hours for Ms. Parker, said: “The diversity in this room, it’s not just gay people, it’s gay, straight, black, white, Jew, Christian, Muslim, every kind of person. It took all of us to get to this point.”

For his part, her opponent was gracious in defeat, calling for unity after what had sometimes been a heated campaign. “We have to all work together to bring our city closer and closer together,” he said. Ms. Parker appeared to have cobbled together a winning coalition of white liberals and gay people, who were expected to turn out in large numbers.

Regardless of who did turn out, it is noteworthy that the supposed throngs of homophobic blacks, Hispanics, Catholics, Evangelicals and Republicans that dominate Texas and Houston politics simply did not materialize. 

Comments

[Alan down in Florida]

While I applaud this victory part of me wonders if it didn't come down to a white woman, regardless of her sexual orientation, was more palatable to the general electorate than a black man.