Parker and her partner

Much noise has been made outside the Lone Star State about Houston electing Annise Parker, an unabashed lesbian, to that City's mayoral  post. Many members of the chattering classes appear to be shocked that a Texas city, of all places, would elect an openly gay person to its highest office. USA Today seemed perplexed, stating that "Annise Parker's victory came in a state that overwhelmingly voted to outlaw gay marriage four years ago and in a city where voters have rejected offering benefits to the same-sex partners of government employees."

Gosh, who'd a thunk it?

The USA Today article went on to quote Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry regarding this supposed "phenomenon."

"The fact that an openly gay candidate wins for mayor in the nation's fourth-largest city, in the South, in Texas, shows that when Americans get to know gay people as people, not as stereotypes, their resistance to treating gay people equally reduces."

Seems that both USA Today and Mr. Wolfson in their  exasperation and rush to declare the end of stereotypes fell into a bit of a stereotyping trap themselves. They seemed to be saying, "But, of course, as we more civilized  persons know, in Texas and in the South, they are just a bunch of hateful dumb bumpkins. Indeed, it's obvious, every single last person in Texas hates everyone who's different."

Of course, one can never find anti-gay attitudes in California and the more enlightened states. Never.

Cue crickets.

Roll tape:

Prop 8 and recent developments in Maine and New York??

End tape...

Anyone?

Hmmm...

Most Texans, myself included, are not so much surprised that Houston became the largest American city to elect an openly gay mayor, as that Houston, finally, after god-knows-how-long, elected a graduate of its much-hallowed Rice University. We know that Rice is the geekerdome of Texas universities, but the fact that the school hadn't produced anyone with enough personality to run the corporate behemoth that is Houston until now...? Well. That's the big news.

What seems to be missing from all the hoopla and surprise is the fact that Houston has an established and thriving gay community centered around the Montrose District just west of downtown. Want a good gay bar for dancing like a fiend? Start at the corner of Montrose and Westheimer, and walk either west or east on Westheimer. That'll keep you busy for a few years.  Want to see a transvestite working the drive-through at Wendy's? Well, get thee to the mighty, mighty Montrose toute suite! According to an American Community Survey, over 61,000 openly gay folks call the city home, ranking it 6th in the U.S. That community was galvanized by Parker's candidacy and they turned out in droves to vote for her.

As far as other Texas cities, Dallas ranks 8th in total gay population and the Austin metropolitan area ranks 6th in percentage of gay citizens. Fort Worth, a city that proudly calls itself "Cowtown" and that happened to be the location of an unseemly law enforcement versus gay citizen imbroglio earlier this year, was named by Gay Travel writer Andrew Collins as one of America's underrated gay-friendly cities.

So, really, is this such a big deal that a Texas city has two mommies?

Parker is not the first openly gay person to run for and be elected to political office in Texas.

Following is a short list of other gay Texans who should be recognized.

1. Glen Maxey; Texas House of Representatives, D-Austin; Served in the Legislature 1991-2003;



Maxey may be best known nationally for his infamous run-in with Governor George W. Bush over Texas hate crimes legislation in 1999.

2. Margo Frasier; Sheriff of Travis County (Austin); 1997-2005



3. J.W. Lown; Mayor of San Angelo, 3 terms, 2003-2009; was elected to a fourth term but did not serve it



Mr. Lown was a wildly successful and popular mayor of San Angelo (about 150 miles Northwest of Austin). He abruptly left office at the beginning of his fourth term to join his lover in Mexico to avoid a citizenship fight in the U.S.  Texas Monthly has the best story on Lown's tenure in office and his departure. (Requires registration)

4. Lupe Valdez, Sheriff of Dallas County, 2005 to Present



More about Sheriff Valdez here.

Thank you Mrs. Michaels for bringing the Sheriff to my attention.

 5. Rosemary  Lehmberg, District Attorney, Travis County, 2008  to present.

 Thanks DavidAusTex for the info on Lehmberg. I should really keep up more with local politics.

OTHERS:

SOMEWHAT CLOSETED, but we knew:

6. Barbara Jordan, Texas Senate, 1966-1972; U.S. House of Representatives, 1972-1979



Jordan's longtime partner (30 years-plus) was a psychologist named Nancy Earl.


Know any others?? Let me know.