A Step Ahead

When an openly gay woman won the Houston mayor’s race this month, it was the latest in a string of victories by gay candidates across the country, a trend that seems to contradict the bans on same-sex marriage that have been passed in most states in recent years.

Take Texas, by many measures one of the most conservative states in the nation. In 2005, Texas became the 19th state to enact constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage; the voters passed the referendum by a ratio of 3 to 1.

Yet in the last decade, an openly gay woman has twice won election as the sheriff in Dallas County and another openly gay woman was elected district attorney in Travis County, which includes the city of Austin. Gay candidates have also won city council seats in Austin, Fort Worth and Houston.

Then, this month, Annise Parker, the city controller who is a lesbian, swept to a solid victory in the mayoral race in Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city.

There are currently at least 445 openly gay and lesbian people holding elected office in the United States, up from 257 eight years ago, according to the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a political group that supports gay candidates.

More at: The Star Tribune!