the first big city in the United States to elect an Out Lesbian Mayor

"HOUSTON — When asked why Houston became the first big city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor, rather than New York or San Francisco, the woman who had broken that barrier, Annise Parker, raised her eyebrows and said her victory came as no surprise to people who live here.

“I think the rest of America had the wrong impression of Houston,” said Annise Parker, right, with partner Kathy Hubbard.

Houston Is Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor (December 13, 2009) “I think the rest of America had the wrong impression of Houston,” Ms. Parker said after winning on Saturday night. “We are a diverse, amazing, international city.”

Still, every election has its own unique, local dynamic, and Ms. Parker’s victory owed more to a series of small, gritty factors — from low turnout to the absence of a Republican contender —than to a huge groundswell of support for gay rights, political strategists here said.

For starters, Ms. Parker, a Democrat, is no firebrand, despite her roots as a gay-rights advocate in the 1980s. She spent six years on the City Council and another six as city controller, steadily building a reputation as a policy maven who was honest about her sexual orientation but never pushed too hard for gay causes.

Indeed, she won citywide election several times by avoiding the label of “the gay candidate.” During her mayoral campaign, she never emphasized sexual politics. When asked, for instance, if she would advocate for a referendum giving benefits to same-sex partners of city workers, she was quick to say it was not in her plans.

“Once any candidate is able to build a career and a reputation as a policy wonk and someone dedicated to the city, rather than doing this for other reasons, she builds trust,” said Denis Dison, a vice president of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, a national group that funneled about $400,000 into her campaign.

That there was no credible Republican candidate in the race for the first time in three decades also helped Ms. Parker’s bid. Her opponent was Gene Locke, a Democrat and former city attorney, who was less well known than she was and had never won an election.

The two were so close on the issues, most people could not tell them apart. Mr. Locke strived to be the law-and-order candidate, but he could not compete with Ms. Parker on the question of experience. There was also precious little anger at City Hall to tap into, since Mayor Bill White, who is running for governor, remains popular..."
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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/us/14houston.html
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