Hoton's First Openly Gay Mayor on How the Cy Beme One of Ameri's Most Diverse: Season 2, Episo 1 of 'Let's Go Together'

Contents:

• HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HOTON'S OPENLY GAY MAYOR MARRI LONGTIME PARTNER CALIFORNIA
• HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HOTON IS LARGT CY TO ELECT OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HOTON ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HOTON ELECTS ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HOTON’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR ON HOW THE CY BEME ONE OF AMERI’S MOST DIVERSE: SEASON 2, EPISO 1 OF 'LET’S GO TOGETHER'
• ONE OF THE TEXANS ULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORVENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED.CHRISTIAN "MANUEL" HAY (OM LEFT), JOLANDA JON AND VENTON JON ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS BEMONT, HOTON AND DALLAS, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST STATE'S FIRST BLACK AND OPENLY LGBTQ LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.(FILE)BY LREN MCGGHY9:37 AM ON MAR 7, 2022 CST — UPDATED AT 3:12 PM ON MAR 18, 2022 CDTAUSTIN — TEXAS VOTERS MAY ELECT THE STATE’S FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK LEGISLATOR THIS YEAR.VENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.ADVERTISEMENTEACH WILL FACE FELLOW DEMOCRATS THE MAY NOFF ELECTN. IN THE HOTON AND BEMONT RAC, THE WNER WILL FACE A REPUBLIN OPPONENT NOVEMBER.ADVERTISEMENTA TOTAL OF 24 OPENLY LGBTQ NDIDAT WON THEIR PRIMARI THIS MONTH , ACRDG TO LGBTQ VICTORY FUND, A GROUP THAT ADVOT FOR LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND QUEER NDIDAT FOR ELECTED OFFICE. OF THOSE, 13 ARE NNG FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WHERE THERE ARE CURRENTLY FIVE OPENLY LGBTQ MEMBERS.POLIL POTSGET THE LATT POLICS NEWS OM NORTH TEXAS AND BEYOND.EMAIL ADDRSBY SIGNG UP YOU AGREE TO OUR TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICYSUBMITANNISE PARKER, PRINT AND CEO OF LGBTQ VICTORY FUND AND THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF HOTON, SAID THE PROLIFERATN OF THE NDIDAT SHOWS VOTERS ARE MANDG CHANGE THE PAL.“TIME AND TIME AGA, WE WNS HOW UNEQUABLE REPRENTATN CREAT A RIPPLE EFFECT OF HATE AND HARMFUL POLICI THAT IMPACT ALL OUR LIV. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” PARKER SAID A STATEMENT.ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:FIVE WOMEN START TEXAS LEGISLATURE'S FIRST LGBTQ UCDALLAS SEATVENTON JON, WHO IS VYG TO REPRENT THE SPRAWLG OAK CLIFF DISTRICT THAT STRETCH ACROSS SOUTH DALLAS, WOULD NOT ONLY BE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ BLACK LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED. HE’D ALSO BE THE FIRST KNOWN TO BE OPENLY LIVG WH HIV.ADVERTISEMENT“I’M SPIRED BY THE OPPORTUNY ABOUT BEG ONE OF THE FIRSTS,” JON SAID. “BEG BLACK, BEG LGBT AND BEG HIV POSIVE — IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS TGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRENTATN, THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUY, THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYTHG WE’RE FIGHTG FOR.”ADVERTISEMENTJON SAID HIS EXPERTISE MUNY HEALTH HAS “PERFECTLY PREPARED HIM” TO LEAD AT THIS MOMENT, AS TEXAS EMERG OM THE COVID-19 PANMIC. HIS OTHER POLICY FOC AREAS WILL BE ASTCTURE, PUBLIC TN AND VOTG RIGHTS. WHILE HE WAS BORN AND RAISED THE DISTRICT, JON SAID NAME REGNN HAS BEEN THE TOUGHT PART OF THE ELECTN BEE HE HAS NEVER N FOR ELECTED OFFICE BEFORE.HE ALSO BLASTED STATE OFFICIALS’ RECENT EFFORTS TO TARGET HEALTH RE ACCS FOR TRANSGENR CHILDREN.“IT HURTS MY HEART TO SEE THOSE THGS HAPPEN,” JON SAID. “THAT IS PART OF THE REASON I AM EVEN HERE TODAY THIS RACE IS TO BE ABLE TO RAISE MY VOICE AND TO BE ABLE TO E MY WORK TO HELP.”ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:WE REMEND THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR TEXAS HOE DISTRICT 100HE WILL FACE SANDRA CRENSHAW THE MAY 24 NOFF.CRENSHAW, A FORMER DALLAS CY UNCILWOMAN, BTED VENTON BY 728 VOT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. SHE CREDED HER ADVOCY WORK ON MENTAL HEALTH RE AND HOMELSNS AS ONE REASON SHE END UP THE TOP SPOT HEAD TO THE NOFF. SHE WOULD LIKE TO FOC MORE ON CHANGG THE CRIMAL JTICE SYSTEM FUTURE.“I WANT TO MAKE A NTRIBUTN, WHETHER I’M ELECTED OR NOT, FOR THOSE RCERATED,” CRENSHAW SAID.ADVERTISEMENTSHE ACCED JON’ MPAIGN OF SPREADG A MOR SHE IS HOMOPHOBIC, AN ALLEGATN HE STRONGLY NIED.CRENSHAW NIED BEG ANTI-GAY — NOTG “I BELIEVE THAT GOD MA NO MISTAK” — BUT ADD SHE IS OM AN OLR GENERATN AND DO NOT FEEL FORTABLE WH PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTN BY ANYONE REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUALY.“I JT DON’T LIKE . AND I THK I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE THAT OPN,” SHE SAID. “THAT DON’T MAKE ME HATE THEM OR FEEL ANY DIFFERENT TOWARD THEM.”THE DALLAS SEAT IS BEG VATED BY STATE REP. JASME CROCKETT, WHO IS NNG FOR CONGRS. CROCKETT HAD NOT ENDORSED THE PRIMARY.ADVERTISEMENTHOTON SEAT
• WHAT HOTON'S GAY MAYOR MEANS FOR TEXAS
• HOTON MAYOR PARKER MARRI LONGTIME GAY PARTNER
• HOTON’S ANNISE PARKER, A GAY MAYOR A RED STATE, PONRS POLIL FUTURE
• HOTON'S OPENLY GAY MAYOR MARRI LONGTIME PARTNER CALIFORNIA
• HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HISTORY MA IN HOTON AS CY ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR
• HOTON ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR

HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR

Cy Parker, who served five years as cy ntroller, won wh nearly 54 percent of vote Conservativ, anti-gay activists had lnched tense mpaign agast Parker Hoton, Texas (CNN) -- Annise Parker ma history Saturday as Hoton's first openly gay mayor. Other ci such as Province, Rho Island, and Portland, Oregon, have picked openly gay mayors. Also, the cy ss a state where gay marriage is agast the law.

HOTON'S OPENLY GAY MAYOR MARRI LONGTIME PARTNER CALIFORNIA

"I have always stood up for the fact that I am gay.

After the mayoral race entered a noff, nservativ and anti-gay activists mounted an tense mpaign agast Parker.

HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR

Hoton rints received flyers the mail that highlighted Parker's support om gay groups and her relatnship wh her partner.

By Andrea Lorenz HOUSTON (Rters) - Hoton's openly gay mayor, Annise Parker, has wedd her longtime partner at a private home California, even as her home state of Texas bans such same-sex marriag. But the polics the state's largt ci are far more progrsive, wh vibrant gay muni plac such as Hoton, Dallas and At.

HOTON IS LARGT CY TO ELECT OPENLY GAY MAYOR

Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valz, currently servg her third term office, is openly gay, as are cy uncil members Dallas, Fort Worth, At and Hoton. Eastern timeAnnise Parker ma history Saturday by beg Hoton's first openly gay mayor, seizg 53. "This electn has changed the world for the gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenred muny.

Cy Saturday, 81, 652 chose Parker - some 11, 000 vot more than were placed for electn battle leadg up to Saturday's ballotg was marked by fierce mpaigng and anti-gay rhetoric.

But that orientatn beme foc of the race after anti-gay activists and nservative relig groups endorsed the 61-year-old Locke and sent out mailers nmng Parker's "homosexual behavr. "Meanwhile, gay and lbian polil anizatns natnwi rallied to support the 53-year-old Parker by raisg money for her mpaign and makg lls urgg people to tried to distance himself om the anti-gay attacks while urtg nservative voters who uld tip the race his favor.

HOTON ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR

Although Locke nmned the divisive rhetoric, two of his key supporters ntributed money to a nservative polil actn mtee that sent out an anti-gay mailer earlier this month, urgg voters not to pick Parker bee she was endorsed by the "gay and lbian polil uc. Ci have openly gay mayors, cludg Portland, Oregon, Province, Rho Island, and Cambridge, Massachetts. 2 ln rints intify as gay or lbian.

12, 2009HOUSTON — Hoton beme the largt cy the Uned Stat to elect an openly gay mayor on Saturday night, as voters gave a solid victory to the cy ntroller, Annise Parker.

HOTON ELECTS ITS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR

But she began her reer as an advote for gay rights the 1980s, and was lost on no one Hoton, a cy of 2. 2 ln people, that her electn marked a tone for gay men and lbians around the J. Phillip/Associated Prs Several smaller ci other regns have chosen openly gay mayors, among them Province, R.

Parker’s succs me a nservative state where voters have outlawed gay marriage and a cy where a referendum on grantg benefs to same-sex partners of cy employe was soundly feated. Parker for what they lled her gay agenda and two separate anti-gay advot who sent out fliers the mail llg attentn to her support om gay groups and to her relatnship wh her partner.

HOTON’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR ON HOW THE CY BEME ONE OF AMERI’S MOST DIVERSE: SEASON 2, EPISO 1 OF 'LET’S GO TOGETHER'

Pool/Hoton Chronicle, via Associated PrsSome natnal gay-rights groups, meanwhile, me to the aid of Ms. Parker’s speech clud dozens of young gay men and lbians who had volunteered on her mpaign. ”Robert Shipman, who is gay and worked long hours for Ms.

Parker, said: “The diversy this room, ’s not jt gay people, ’s gay, straight, black, whe, Jew, Christian, Mlim, every kd of person. “We have to all work together to brg our cy closer and closer together, ” he Parker appeared to have bbled together a wng aln of whe liberals and gay people, who were expected to turn out large Marc ntributed reportg om Hoton.

Cy to elect an openly gay mayor, Annise Parker, after a hotly ntted n-off electn that gave gay and lbian supporters a symbolic victory followg feats over legalizg same-sex marriag California and Mae.

ONE OF THE TEXANS ULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORVENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED.CHRISTIAN "MANUEL" HAY (OM LEFT), JOLANDA JON AND VENTON JON ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS BEMONT, HOTON AND DALLAS, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST STATE'S FIRST BLACK AND OPENLY LGBTQ LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.(FILE)BY LREN MCGGHY9:37 AM ON MAR 7, 2022 CST — UPDATED AT 3:12 PM ON MAR 18, 2022 CDTAUSTIN — TEXAS VOTERS MAY ELECT THE STATE’S FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK LEGISLATOR THIS YEAR.VENTON JON, JOLANDA JON AND CHRISTIAN “MANUEL” HAY ARE NNG FOR OPEN TEXAS HOE SEATS DALLAS, HOTON AND BEMONT, RPECTIVELY. ALL THREE ARE GAY AND WOULD BEE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ AND BLACK STATE LEGISLATORS IF ELECTED.ADVERTISEMENTEACH WILL FACE FELLOW DEMOCRATS THE MAY NOFF ELECTN. IN THE HOTON AND BEMONT RAC, THE WNER WILL FACE A REPUBLIN OPPONENT NOVEMBER.ADVERTISEMENTA TOTAL OF 24 OPENLY LGBTQ NDIDAT WON THEIR PRIMARI THIS MONTH , ACRDG TO LGBTQ VICTORY FUND, A GROUP THAT ADVOT FOR LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENR AND QUEER NDIDAT FOR ELECTED OFFICE. OF THOSE, 13 ARE NNG FOR THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WHERE THERE ARE CURRENTLY FIVE OPENLY LGBTQ MEMBERS.POLIL POTSGET THE LATT POLICS NEWS OM NORTH TEXAS AND BEYOND.EMAIL ADDRSBY SIGNG UP YOU AGREE TO OUR TERMS OF SERVICE AND PRIVACY POLICYSUBMITANNISE PARKER, PRINT AND CEO OF LGBTQ VICTORY FUND AND THE FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR OF HOTON, SAID THE PROLIFERATN OF THE NDIDAT SHOWS VOTERS ARE MANDG CHANGE THE PAL.“TIME AND TIME AGA, WE WNS HOW UNEQUABLE REPRENTATN CREAT A RIPPLE EFFECT OF HATE AND HARMFUL POLICI THAT IMPACT ALL OUR LIV. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” PARKER SAID A STATEMENT.ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:FIVE WOMEN START TEXAS LEGISLATURE'S FIRST LGBTQ UCDALLAS SEATVENTON JON, WHO IS VYG TO REPRENT THE SPRAWLG OAK CLIFF DISTRICT THAT STRETCH ACROSS SOUTH DALLAS, WOULD NOT ONLY BE THE FIRST OPENLY LGBTQ BLACK LEGISLATOR IF ELECTED. HE’D ALSO BE THE FIRST KNOWN TO BE OPENLY LIVG WH HIV.ADVERTISEMENT“I’M SPIRED BY THE OPPORTUNY ABOUT BEG ONE OF THE FIRSTS,” JON SAID. “BEG BLACK, BEG LGBT AND BEG HIV POSIVE — IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS TGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF REPRENTATN, THE IMPORTANCE OF EQUY, THE IMPORTANCE OF EVERYTHG WE’RE FIGHTG FOR.”ADVERTISEMENTJON SAID HIS EXPERTISE MUNY HEALTH HAS “PERFECTLY PREPARED HIM” TO LEAD AT THIS MOMENT, AS TEXAS EMERG OM THE COVID-19 PANMIC. HIS OTHER POLICY FOC AREAS WILL BE ASTCTURE, PUBLIC TN AND VOTG RIGHTS. WHILE HE WAS BORN AND RAISED THE DISTRICT, JON SAID NAME REGNN HAS BEEN THE TOUGHT PART OF THE ELECTN BEE HE HAS NEVER N FOR ELECTED OFFICE BEFORE.HE ALSO BLASTED STATE OFFICIALS’ RECENT EFFORTS TO TARGET HEALTH RE ACCS FOR TRANSGENR CHILDREN.“IT HURTS MY HEART TO SEE THOSE THGS HAPPEN,” JON SAID. “THAT IS PART OF THE REASON I AM EVEN HERE TODAY THIS RACE IS TO BE ABLE TO RAISE MY VOICE AND TO BE ABLE TO E MY WORK TO HELP.”ADVERTISEMENTRELATED:WE REMEND THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR TEXAS HOE DISTRICT 100HE WILL FACE SANDRA CRENSHAW THE MAY 24 NOFF.CRENSHAW, A FORMER DALLAS CY UNCILWOMAN, BTED VENTON BY 728 VOT THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. SHE CREDED HER ADVOCY WORK ON MENTAL HEALTH RE AND HOMELSNS AS ONE REASON SHE END UP THE TOP SPOT HEAD TO THE NOFF. SHE WOULD LIKE TO FOC MORE ON CHANGG THE CRIMAL JTICE SYSTEM FUTURE.“I WANT TO MAKE A NTRIBUTN, WHETHER I’M ELECTED OR NOT, FOR THOSE RCERATED,” CRENSHAW SAID.ADVERTISEMENTSHE ACCED JON’ MPAIGN OF SPREADG A MOR SHE IS HOMOPHOBIC, AN ALLEGATN HE STRONGLY NIED.CRENSHAW NIED BEG ANTI-GAY — NOTG “I BELIEVE THAT GOD MA NO MISTAK” — BUT ADD SHE IS OM AN OLR GENERATN AND DO NOT FEEL FORTABLE WH PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTN BY ANYONE REGARDLS OF THEIR SEXUALY.“I JT DON’T LIKE . AND I THK I HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE THAT OPN,” SHE SAID. “THAT DON’T MAKE ME HATE THEM OR FEEL ANY DIFFERENT TOWARD THEM.”THE DALLAS SEAT IS BEG VATED BY STATE REP. JASME CROCKETT, WHO IS NNG FOR CONGRS. CROCKETT HAD NOT ENDORSED THE PRIMARY.ADVERTISEMENTHOTON SEAT

Ci like Portland, Oregon and Province, Rho Island have openly gay mayors, but none the size of Hoton -- the fourth-biggt cy the natn wh over 2 ln rints. Abroad, Berl and Paris are among ci wh gay mayors. “Most peopl’ unrstandg of Texas would not be this open and this welg, ” said Chuck Wolfe, print of the Gay and Lbian Victory Fund.

”Parker was opposed by nservative relig groups and anti-gay activists. Wife & Gay? She is the first openly gay person elected to ern a cy wh a populatn of over 1, 000, 000 rints.

WHAT HOTON'S GAY MAYOR MEANS FOR TEXAS

In 1986, Parker served as a print of Hoton’s LGBT Polil Cc, and 1997 Parker won the n-off electn for Hoton Cy Council, th beg Hoton’s first openly gay elected official. In the show, Mayor Parker shar her experience Hoton, and specifilly her history as an activist and member of s queer muny, eventually servg the cy as s first openly gay mayor. Annise: Oddly enough, we went om a vacuum where there was nothg right around the time we opened klgs to other bookstor focg on the muny, one Crossroads market, which was a sort of more of a general tert gifts and books, and then Loba books, which was targeted gay men and had eroti and so forth.

HOTON MAYOR PARKER MARRI LONGTIME GAY PARTNER

Kellee: What experienc led you to ci to n for public office and what gave you the nfince your muny to put yourself out there and bee the first elected openly gay mayor of a major U.

Gay and lbian, everythg, and then, you know, you get olr, you buy a hoe, you start thkg about other thgs. At the time of her electn, Hoton, then Ameri’s fourth largt cy, beme the untry’s largt cy to elect an openly gay lived Hoton until age 15, when her father’s work wh the Red Cross took the fay to a U. Parker, who had been open about her sexualy sce enterg public life, beme the target of anti-gay rhetoric durg the electn mpaign, yet more than three-fourths of those surveyed a poll nducted by the Hoton Chronicle and Zogby Internatnal one week before the noff electn dited that her sexual orientatn would have no effect on their vote.

HOTON’S ANNISE PARKER, A GAY MAYOR A RED STATE, PONRS POLIL FUTURE

All three are gay and would bee the first openly LGBTQ and Black state legislators if will face fellow Democrats the May noff electn.

A total of 24 openly LGBTQ ndidat won their primari this month, acrdg to LGBTQ Victory Fund, a group that advot for lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer ndidat for elected office. Polil PotsGet the latt polics news om North Texas and Parker, print and CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund and the first openly gay mayor of Hoton, said the proliferatn of the ndidat shows voters are mandg change the pal.

“I want to make a ntributn, whether I’m elected or not, for those rcerated, ” Crenshaw acced Jon’ mpaign of spreadg a mor she is homophobic, an allegatn he strongly nied.

HOTON'S OPENLY GAY MAYOR MARRI LONGTIME PARTNER CALIFORNIA

Crenshaw nied beg anti-gay — notg “I believe that God ma no mistak” — but add she is om an olr generatn and do not feel fortable wh public displays of affectn by anyone regardls of their sexualy. Joe, who is gay, worked for Dhotel as a legislative staffer for 17 years. After feats on gay marriage plac emed far more gay-iendly than Texas, like Mae and New York, the victory of Annise Parker, who is a mted relatnship wh two children, was a wele, if puzzlg, achievement for advot of gay rights.

Gay-rights activists were buoyed. "The fact that an openly gay ndidate ws for mayor the natn's fourth largt cy, the South, Texas, shows that when Amerins get to know gay people as people, not as stereotyp, their ristance to treatg gay people equally rc, " Evan Wolfson, director of Freedom to Marry, a gay-marriage advocy group, told USA Today. Candidat endorsed by Log Cab Republins, a GOP gay-rights lobby, have e unr fire om noted anti-gay mpaigners, cludg Hoton physician Steven Hotze, whose polil actn mtee sent out a last-mute anti-Parker flyer.

Hotze is also reported to have prsured statewi Republin judicial ndidat to back away om endorsements om gay groups or face primary opposn. Like Whmire, Parker ed the job of cy ntroller as a jumpg-off pot, built on her base the Montrose neighborhood (heart of the cy's large gay muny) and reached out to val nstuenci, like Ain Amerins, Hispanics, Asian Amerins and morate, affluent Republins.

HOTON ELECTS FIRST OPENLY GAY MAYOR

The late revelatn that two members of his fance mtee had supported Hotze's anti-gay PAC did not help Locke wh morate Republin voters, who saw the issue as not central to the vote.

HISTORY MA IN HOTON AS CY ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR

As for Parker's beg gay, Murray explas that Hoton's voters "are not that ught up 'liftyle' polics...

Todd Hill, a gay Democratic activist the Dallas–Fort Worth area, says Parker's w do have a wir meang.

HOTON ELECTS OPENLY GAY MAYOR

But I do believe that her electn giv momentum toward qualified, experienced and polilly savvy gay ndidat nng for public office, " he wrote on the polil blog Burnt Orange. Gay ndidat have won a seat on the Fort Worth cy uncil and as sheriff Dallas. Gay ndidat mt work at the lol level, Hill says, buildg a rerd and polil bench.

It is the grass-roots route that Parker adopted more than 18 years ago, and while she acknowledged that her victory was a signifint moment for the gay muny, she also told the Hoton Chronicle, "One of the reasons I'm not havg that big, exced, happy feelg is that there is a lot of work to be done... She is the first openly gay mayor of the cy, and said her electn to lead the natn’s fourth-largt cy marked a tone for gay Amerins but was jt “one step toward a tomorrow of greater jtice.