Hat Tip to Houston – Annise Parker inherits a City of Progress

Houston, Texas has become an island of hope in a sea of doom and gloom.  Progress is measured with attention paid to the real issues facing any population, as opposed to a narrowly defined image of “normalcy”.  In a state where normal is defined vigorously as anything outside the envelope, as long as it appears heterosexual, the election of Annise Parker is big!  She is a leader who just happens to be lesbian … so what!  Past all frivolous labels stands a leader.

Hat Tip to Houston and its new mayor.

Houston has led proudly as a global economic player. WIKI says: Houston’s economy has a broad industrial base in the energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, transportation, and health care sectors and is a leading center for building oilfield equipment; only New York City is home to more Fortune 500 headquarters in the city limits.^[7] The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled.^[8] The city has a population from various ethnic and religious backgrounds and a large and growing international community. It is home to many cultural institutions and exhibits—attracting more than 7 million visitors a year to the Houston Museum District. Houston has an active visual and performing arts scene in the Theater District and is one of few U.S. cities that offer year-round resident companies in all major performing arts.^[9]

Now Houston has made a significant social statement that emphasizes that broader vision trumps narrow vision when it comes to leadership.

NY Times announces that Houston is the largest American City that has elected an openly gay mayor.  Houston now ranks along with Cleveland who elected Carl B. Stokes,  1967 to 1971,  the first Black mayor of a major American city and El Paso for the first First hispanic mayor of a major us city, Raymond L. Telles in 1957 and San Antonio’s Henry Cisneros in 1975.

Like trailblazers before her, Annise will have radical detractors.  But, the ranks of cultural pathfinders are growing stronger.  She will have enormous support for the task of governing a huge, unwieldy, diverse city that happens to be in Texas.

Annise Parker elected Houston’s next mayor Nation watches as city becomes the largest in U.S. to choose an openly gay leader

Wiki topics on Gay Lesbian BiSexual and Transgenders throughout history:

GLB people that changed History

Alexander the Great – *Macedonian Ruler, 300 B.C.,  Socrates – *Greek Philosopher, 400 B.C.,  Hadrian – *Roman Emperor, 1st-2nd c.,  Richard the Lionhearted – *English King, 12th c.,  Saladin – *Sultan of Egypt and Syria,  Francis Bacon – *English statesman, author,  Frederick the Great – *King of Prussia,  Pope Julius III – *1550-1555,  Michelangelo – *Italian artist, 15th c.,  Leonardo Da Vinci – *Ital. Artist, scientist, 15th c.,  Eleanor Roosevelt – *U.S. stateswoman, 20th c.,  Julius Caesar – *Roman Emperor, 100-44 B.C.,  Augustus Caesar – *Roman Emperor,  James I – *English King, 16th-17th c.,  Queen Anne – *English Queen, 18th c.,   Marie Antoinette – *French Empress, 18th c.,  Pope Benedict IX – *1032-1044,  Montezuma II – *Aztec ruler, 16th c.,  Peter the Great – *Russian Czar, 17th-18th c.,  Pope John XII – *955-964,  Roberta Achtenburg – *U.S. politician, 20th c.,  Barney Frank – *U.S. Congressman, 20th c.,  Gerry Studds – *U.S. Congressman, 20th c.,  Tom Dooley – *U.S. M.D. missionary, 20th c.,  J. Edgar Hoover – *U.S. director of the FBI., 20th c.,  Candace Gingrich – *Gay Rights activist, 20th c.,  Margarethe Cammermeyer – *U.S. Army Colonel, 20th c. ,  Ernst Röhm – *German Nazi leader, 20th c.,  Dag Hammerskjold – *Swedish UN Secretary, 209th c.,   Aristotle – *Greek philosopher, 384-322 B.C.,  Baron Von Steuben – *German General, Valley Forge,  Edward II – *English King, 14th c. .. and don’t forget recent revelations about Abraham Lincoln.