Gay mayor-elect: Victory shows Houston's diversity

Yahoo News ^ | December 13, 2009 | Associated Press

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

HOUSTON – The first openly gay person to be elected mayor of Houston says she hopes her victory in Saturday's election will change how the world views the city.

Houston is the nation's fourth-largest city and the biggest to elect an openly gay mayor.

Mayor-elect Annise Parker spoke Sunday at a press conference after defeating former city attorney Gene Locke with 53.6 percent of the vote in the hotly contested runoff election.

[trumandogz]

I will put Houston up against any very large city in the U.S. in terms of standard of living, employment, state of the economy, property values and positive corporate climate and I promise you that Houston will come out on top.

That was true ten years ago, it is true today and will be true ten years from now.

[RobbyS]

The name escapes me. But it’s Lopez or some other garden variety Spanish name.

[John.Galt2012]

I can’t explain anything except anytime time I read a headline that says something along the lines, “SO and SO is the first (insert race, gender, hair color, etc here) to (insert achievement here). I lose interest. Now, if the headline reads, “so and so was the first, human or student or athlete or even American...” Then I am interested. Otherwise, whatever...I am sure their “group” whatever that group is, will be very proud.

[trumandogz]

I should mention that she probably benefitted from the anti-Obama vote given the race of her opponent.

And how do you explain the six previous times she has been elected to city wide office?

[trumandogz]

The better, more qualified and more fiscally conservative candidate won and for some reason people are bent out of shape that the more liberal candidate lost this election.

[BlueLancer]

Butch?

[goldstategop]

Big cities are run by Democrats. Every one of them.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find only things evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelogus

[AzaleaCity5691]

Probably helped her, but given that you would have thought she would have gotten a far higher vote. And it does matter because her opponent tried to bring her sexuality into the race and so did church groups.

And if there growing racial tension in the country then it would behoove us to see if we can recognize it because there could be major political implications in it.

[trumandogz]

And of the large cities in the US, Houston is in the best economic shape and it has always been run by Democrats.

[dragnet2]

Sheriff Butch of Dallas County?

hehehe....That would be a sight!

[John.Galt2012]

Good, I am glad they won. We need more conservative candidates winning more elections. BTW a am the first male in my family to have a gay niece. I guess that makes me and her extra special.

[QuantumOfIntelligence]

Folks, as a Houstonian, I must set the record straight (pun intended). Annise Parker received a “B” rating from the Texas Conservative Review. Gene Locke received an “F.” Do a Google search on “Lee Brown Houston Mayor” and read what you can. Lee Brown was the last black mayor Houston had and he was the worst mayor in city history. Gene Locke would have been Lee Brown II. I am as against homosexuality as anyone, but I was not going to vote for a man whom I know would have fiscally ruined this city.

[trumandogz]

She won because she was the better qualified of the two.

Furthermore, when we see the results of this election by areas of town, you will find that the Strong Democratic areas voted for Locke and the Strong GOP areas voted for Parker.

[trumandogz]

Folks, as a Houstonian, I must set the record straight (pun intended). Annise Parker received a “B” rating from the Texas Conservative Review. Gene Locke received an “F.”

You are exactly right and I have been pointing that fact out on numerous threads.

But, for some reason on these threads many Freepers are disappointed that the more conservative candidate won an election.

The Freeper world is upside down.

[dragnet2]

She won because she was the better qualified of the two.

Pat Hogjaws, the 2008 steer wrestling champion, might disagree.

[AzaleaCity5691]

Tell that to the Republican Mayors of the following cities:

Montgomery
Oklahoma City
Knoxville
San Diego
Lafayette
Virginia Beach

And many more are like that too. Making the statement that “Big cities are run by Democrats. Every one of them.” is just asinine.

[dragnet2]

Annise Parker received a “B” rating from the Texas Conservative Review

The gay mayor is a Christian conservative with high standards, family values and morals?

I knew it!!

;o

[getarope]

Houston, you’ve got a problem (Somebody had to post it!).

[dragnet2]

lol....Perfect

[John.Galt2012]

Nev. brothel aims to offer 1st male prostitutes. AP

See, I didn't read this article either. If they had dropped "1st", maybe then I would have been more interested. It's nothing about gays or prostitutes, just the way the media chooses bills the story.