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Houston voters elect city's first openly gay mayor
Source: Agencies |
December 14, 2009, Monday
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ANNISE Parker became Houston's first openly gay mayor on Saturday, seizing 53.6 percent of the vote in the city's hotly contested election.
"This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about," Parker told supporters after former city attorney Gene Locke conceded defeat.
Of the more than 152,000 residents of Houston's 2.2 million who voted on Saturday, 81,652 chose Parker - 11,000 more votes than for Locke.
Parker is a lesbian who has never made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation. But that orientation became focus of the race after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed the 61-year-old Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behavior."
Locke tried to distance himself from the anti-gay attacks while courting conservative voters who could tip the race in his favor.
Although Locke condemned the divisive rhetoric, two of his key supporters contributed money to a conservative political action committee that sent out an anti-gay mailer earlier this month, urging voters not to pick Parker because she was endorsed by the "gay and lesbian political caucus."
Campaign finance reports show Ned Holmes, finance chairman of Locke's campaign, and James Dannenbaum, a member of the campaign's finance committee, each gave US$20,000.
Late Saturday, Locke offered his congratulations to Parker.
"Here's what our city needs now: It needs unity. It needs us to come together and heal like we've never healed before, and to move forward under a new administration," he said.
Parker will replace Bill White, who is term-limited after serving six years.
Several smaller American cities have openly gay mayors, including Portland, Oregon, Providence, Rhode Island, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
"This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about," Parker told supporters after former city attorney Gene Locke conceded defeat.
Of the more than 152,000 residents of Houston's 2.2 million who voted on Saturday, 81,652 chose Parker - 11,000 more votes than for Locke.
Parker is a lesbian who has never made a secret or an issue of her sexual orientation. But that orientation became focus of the race after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed the 61-year-old Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behavior."
Locke tried to distance himself from the anti-gay attacks while courting conservative voters who could tip the race in his favor.
Although Locke condemned the divisive rhetoric, two of his key supporters contributed money to a conservative political action committee that sent out an anti-gay mailer earlier this month, urging voters not to pick Parker because she was endorsed by the "gay and lesbian political caucus."
Campaign finance reports show Ned Holmes, finance chairman of Locke's campaign, and James Dannenbaum, a member of the campaign's finance committee, each gave US$20,000.
Late Saturday, Locke offered his congratulations to Parker.
"Here's what our city needs now: It needs unity. It needs us to come together and heal like we've never healed before, and to move forward under a new administration," he said.
Parker will replace Bill White, who is term-limited after serving six years.
Several smaller American cities have openly gay mayors, including Portland, Oregon, Providence, Rhode Island, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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