[ updated: see below ]
First of all, congratulations are in order. Houston, Texas yesterday elected Annise Parker as the city’s mayor. That makes Houston the largest American city to have an openly-lesbian mayor. Neat.
Parker faced a rabid, homophobic campaign waged by bigoted, low-life christian supremacists , wing-nuts and black pastors. According to The New York Times:
But the ugliest attacks came from a group of black pastors who spoke out against Ms. Parker for what they called her gay agenda and two separate anti-gay advocates who send out fliers in the mail calling attention to her support from gay groups and to her relationship with her longtime partner. (They have been together 19 years and have two adopted children.)
[Parker's African American opponent] Mr. Locke denied having anything to do with the attacks, but two members of his finance committee gave $40,000 to help finance one of the mailings.
(emphasis: mine)
It’s safe to assume their little bobble-heads were exploding left and right last night at about the same time the champagne was being uncorked at Parker’s victory party. Suck it up, bigots.
Secondly, if you’re sick and tired of that idiotic “I don’t believe in homosexuality. It’s a sin against God” crap and you happen to be in the market for the perfect comeback, put down whatever it is you’re doing and go read Amanda Marcotte‘s post on Annise Parker‘s victory in Houston.
Thanks to Evan Hurst of Truth Wins Out for the catch (A holiday hint: My friends at TWO could use a little help).
Evan, you owe me a new keyboard.
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UPDATE (13 December 10:38 am):
Tom Schaller, writing at FiveThirtyEight (Chez Nate Silver), has the proverbial tale-of-the-tape vis-à-vis Houston’s contentious campaign and Mayor Parker’s victory.
