Houston has a lesbian mayor!

[panthera]

This is significant on many levels.

One, she is really competent in exactly those areas which this city needs.

Two, she is openly out and in a committed relationship with kids.

Three, her opponent - a Rethuglican, of course, while publicly denying that he was responsible for the filthy christianist lies being circulated about her and the openly hateful letters sent to "good Christians" warning of the dangers to "American Christian" values, got caught with this pants down when his campaign manager and another major player for his election were traced to big contributions to the anti-gay campaign. A special attempt was made to rally the Black community against her.

This is now another example of why we are so very foolish to blame the Blacks for our losses on gay rights. They didn't fall for it in Houston, either.

We need to work with everybody who is willing to stand with us, not only those who are our traditional allies.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6767621.html

 

[toggleswitch2]

Practise makes pervert, er perfect..........

So that means she must have really licked her opponent in the election..........

 

[toggleswitch2]

Since we're not holding back, at all..........

 

[gansky1]

Her opponent was a Democrat as well but when he decided to bring her sexuality into the campaign and use it to attempt to gain an edge against her, where did he go? Right to the gutter - to the evangenital christian republicans who know this territory best.

Once again this example proves the rule; You are who you associate with. You can try to claim you're not them and don't like how they are, or you are "trying to change them from within" but nobody will believe it. Ever. Hang out with thugs, bigots and liars and you are one. Period.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/12/us/12houston.html

 

[panthera]

Greg,

I stand corrected - and it makes it even worse. I expect Republicans to behave like pigs, but when a Democrat does it, he or she should be drummed out of the party and, as punishment, compelled to register as a Republican.

What I find interesting, is his lies. While his dirty tricks department were spending serious money agitating the christianists and the low-knowledge voters (another word for: dumb red-nex jerks) about her being a godless homosexual pervert, he was publicly denying it!

Toggles, I don't know what I'd do without you around here. I haven't thought of licking my way to the warm, creamy center in simply ages.

 

[andrewinorlando]

It's unfortunate that such tactics are not confined just to the Republican party. It's being seen now in both New York and New Jersey, where Democratic congresses are blocking votes on gay civil marriage. What's worse, both taxpayer and campaign contribution dollars are spent on smear campaigns that could best be spent elsewhere.

Fortunately the voters of Houston would not be fooled and a competent leader won. Hopefully she will do a terrific job and make us all proud.

 

[panthera]

There's a very strong movement among

many gay and transgender organizations right at the moment to stop giving money and support to the Democrats until they start to fulfil their responsibilities to us.
It is statistically responsible to say that without the gay vote, McSame and Barracuda Barbie would have won.
The New York senate would have stayed rethuglican without us.

And now, they turn on us?

Screw them. Not one cent more without clear progress. First the progress, then the money. Pam's Houseblend is one of the leaders here, most activist gay sites have joined in.

We have to stand together and stop throwing those transgender and straight women under the bus. After Uganda, it is clear, they really are out to get us and if we don't fight back, the yellow-bellied spineless conserv-a-dems will feed us to the lions.

What's the definition of an honest politician? One who stay's bought.

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/

 

[andrewinorlando]

Absolutely correct Keven....no money and no vote, until their responsibilities and promises are fulfilled. Obama may have meant every word he said regarding gay rights, and I believe he did, his party won based on some of those promises. And while he may not be the deciding factor, as the leader, the reponsibility lands on his doorstep. He said it, now do it. But dems are not going to concede (my opinion), just like they blocked early adoption of consumer banking protections for their banking cronies. Thank you, do-nothing Nancy Pelosi.

I've heard too much democrapic BS about "states rights" where gay civil marriage is concerned, which leads me to believe that they are not willing to go against existing legislation that already exists in many states banning gay marriage. It's a real easy out for politicians. What makes me laugh is that states, or even the public at large, was in no way, shape or form in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. But it passed because government understood that it was the RIGHT thing to do. So, what's different here? Our civil rights are on the line, and we can't blame just the republican party for the lack of progress. Really a shame.

 

[panthera]

I think there are several factors involved

First, who the hell ever said civil rights should be put to popular vote? Hello, this is the United States - a constitutional republic, not a direct democracy. It was the intent of the founders to NOT permit majorities to trample on minorities.
Second, too many gays (and way too many intelligent gays, like here) really honestly believe the whole religious bull-shit about how we are supposedly disturbed or something.#
Third, we on the left have never really recovered from the Clinton era disaster. We've let the right set the tone and are constantly playing defence. That's what upsets so many of the blue-rinsed queens here - I will not apologize for being a progressive liberal.
Screw the "family values" crowd. Screw the hateful christianists.
We need to hit back and hit back hard.
It's time for a very strong offence. Name names. I don't give a flying fish for the Catholic church, those perverted monsters have destroyed the lives of untold thousands of boys and girls, screw them. Name names. Sue them for every last dime. If they want to collect money to support anti-gay legislation, take away their tax-exemptions. If they threaten to drop social-services in DC, well, "don't slam the door on your way out".
Same goes and doubled for the Mormons and the fundamentalists. We need to assign hit squads to follow their square-headed "preachers" around and film them in compromising situations. The deeper the "southern" accent, the harder they thump the Bible, the more likely that they enjoy taking it up the, well, anyway, if I were 30 years younger, I'd happily volunteer to be "seduced" and "caught in flagrante" for the good of the cause. For every Ted Haggard, there are hundreds still in the closet. Out them.
End of rant...no more Mr. Nice-Gay for me. That's why I've put the "Far-Right Christian" back on the shelf. Any gay man who still defends the conservative Christians after their efforts to turn Uganda into Nazi Germany part two can just get her little blue-rinsed panties in a twist as far as I'm concerned. It will soon be 2010 and the word is: Fight the christianists with every breath in your body - they've shown that their goal is to stop you breathing, period.

 

[hunter]

As, indeed, should Christians.

Don't forget, Keven, that Christians (which, btw, I'm not, as I am an unbeliever), should also fight the christianists with every breath in their bodies as well -- for they make a philosophy which could be beautiful, disgusting.

 

[whirlcool]

As for somebody who lives in the greater Houston area I watched Anise Parkers campaign. You never really would have known she was a lesbian from listening to her.(Well she is kind of butch) She kept that part of her life private, not secret, but just didn't bring it up. After all what does being a lesbian have to do with running a town? She talked mostly about eduction, children and frankly most things any mother would talk about.

Gay or straight, I felt that she had the best qualifications of any of the participants in the race. The day after the election, the police chief resigned. Anise Parker said that he resigned because he "wanted something different" than she plans to offer the citizens of Houston.

 

[hunter]

which is as it should be.

Who cares what someone's sexual orientation is anyway?

(Yes I know in this country it is significant. But really, who cares?)

 

[toggleswitch2]

~The day after the election, the police chief resigned.

Fool. Get rid of a good job with a pension, quick retirement and benefits because your little ege is bruised. AWWWWWWWWWWW and you cant have your way. Your idea of what life is got a bit twisted around.

I guess she is more of a man than he is, and more of a man than he can handle.

Interestingly men love the idea of two women together, physically. I guess it hits them later that in other aspects (beyond the physical)such an arrangement where the man is no more than than a sperm donor and a meal-ticket means "you is useless", mister.

 

[toggleswitch2]

ego not ege

 

[whirlcool]

Anise Parker was previously the City Controller and a long time City Council Member. None of the other candidates had that kind of experience. She said she'll be tough on crime, which is great because crime has been getting out of control in this town.

I'm glad the police chief is leaving, he was a do nothing anyway left over from the Lee Brown administration which was terrible.

 

[peterh770]

Which means he'll probably be hired by Atlanta, as our do-nothing Chief Pennington just resigned, with the raid on the Eagle fresh on his resume.

 

[alr2903]

Good for her, I like to see others do well and realize their aspirations. alr2903