From Proposition 8 to Maine and John Perez to Annise Parker, it's an uneven year for gay politics

It's been a topsy-turvy year for gay rights and political empowerment. For those who support gay marriage or gay candidates, every advance seems to be countered by a setback — or the sting of every defeat relieved a bit by a victory.

In May the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, the voter-approved measure that banned gay marriage in the Golden State. And in November, voters in Maine overturned a state law that would have allowed gay marriage there. But on the same day Mainers went to the polls, voters in Kalamazoo -- yes, Kalamazoo, Mich. -- voted to strengthen legal protections for the city’s gay citizens.

And now, as The Ticket reported earlier tonight, voters in Houston elected Annise Parker as their mayor. Parker, the 53-year-old city controller, becomes the first openly gay mayor of such a large American city. Houston, with 2.2 million residents, is the nation’s fourth-largest city.

Two days earlier, Democrats who control California’s Assembly unanimously picked John A. Perez of Los Angeles to be their speaker. He will be the first openly gay lawmaker to hold the powerful post once held by Antonio Villaraigosa (now L.A. mayor) and the famously quotable Willie Brown.

This month also saw New York lawmakers reject legislation that would have made their state the sixth to allow gay marriage.

But again, as part of the topsy-turvy pattern, the District of Columbia Council this month took a step toward legalizing gay marriage in the nation’s capital. As our colleague Alexander C. Hart in Washington recently reported:

"In order to legalize same-sex marriage, the council must vote again to pass the bill, which is expected to occur Dec. 15. Once it is signed into law by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty as expected, it will be sent to Congress for review. If Congress takes no action to block the law within 30 legislative days, same-sex marriage would become legal."

But even if the measure goes down in defeat, gay rights groups can take heart with the arrival of the new year. A law making same-sex marriage legal in New Hampshire takes effect Jan. 1.

-- Steve Padilla

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Top photo: Parker, right, and her partner, Kathy Hubbard, celebrate on election night. Bottom photo: John A. Perez. Credit: Associated Press.

Comments

[Bill]

I wonder if these anti-gay people will ever tire of playing with and damaging innocent people's lives?

Annise Parker and John A. Perez give me some hope that they might.

[Pedro]

For gay rights, it's always two steps forward, and one step back. We are winning gay rights, though. And in the long run, we will win completely. The anti-gay haters are on the wrong side of history.

[samantha]

Psst! Go back just a little further in time, and Portland, OR has Sam Adams - openly gay Mayor and former City Commissioner.

[GW Crawford]

My question is would you support nasty right wing Texas when it votes someone in who is gay but not because they are gay?"

I would never , EVER vote for a politician because they are gay... I would vote for a fiscally responsible politician who happened to be gay but never because they are (or are not) gay

Voting for someone just because they are part of your group ends up with Coleman's Detroit on the Screw Whitey ticket

[Justin Bryan]

Pssst! Portland, Or. is not a major city dude. (Portland, 29th largest city, Houston, 4th largest... just behind NYC, LA & Chicago)

[Steve]

Anyone who takes much notice of the election of the lesbian as Houston's mayor would be mistaken as big cities have already been doing this. It's tragic that it happened in a big Texas city but not really surprising as Houston isn't anywhere near as conservative as Texas as a whole.
As for the ruling liberal Dems in the California General Assembly, it shouldn't come as a suprise that they would pull a weirdo stunt like this.

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[Ken]

We are a tolerant and accepting people. Even a lot of people who find the idea of homosexual behavior extremely repulsive want to treat people who are homosexual the same as they'd treat anyone else. So, openly gay people can be elected to political office and will be supported at the box office and welcomed as neighbors.

But even people who do not believe homosexual behavior is immoral, wrong, destructive, or disgusting - people who generally support their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family members who are "gay" or "lesbian" - do not see the benefit to society in changing state marriage licensing to license brideless or groomless couples as a marriage. Or, they don't see the benefits as outweighing the negatives. Make no mistake about it - state licensing of anything is done for the benefit of the state, which is supposed to represent the people.

There is no right to a state-issued license, and it is constitution, right, fair, and moral to treat different kinds of voluntary associations differently. Marriage (bride+groom) is demonstrably different from two men or two women. Click my name for things I've already written about this.

[Justin]

"voters in Kalamazoo -- yes, Kalamazoo, Mich. -- voted to strengthen legal protections for the city’s gay citizens"

From giving every Kalamazoo Public School graduate a free four year education to any university in Michigan, from electing an openly gay man to city commission, the only City in Michigan to be label as recovery from the recession, and because of the overwhelming support of the passage of Kalamazoo’s non-discrimination policy has led to the Michigan’s legislature starting the process of legalizing gay marriage

So your assumption of a post-industrial city in Michigan is correct – Yes Kalamazoo!

[Levinson Axelrod]

Glad to see progress with this issue. I'm rooting for gay rights all the way.

[BeautyQueen]

@samantha - The writer did not say Parker is the first openly gay mayor in US history. He said she is the first openly gay mayor of "such a large American city" (Houston, w/ 2.2 million residents, 4th-largest city in the country. Portland only has 557,706 residents and is America's 29th largest city).