The Republican Platform Committee in Texas has deleted a nasty anti-gay phrase from their platform! This was the one about homosexuality tearing at the fabric of community and family and contrary to God and the Founding Fathers. Deleting it is a start! However, they kept the phrase that homosexuality should not be presented as acceptable, that we are not "couples," we should not be given any special rights and, by golly, there had better not be any harm to those fine church people who oppose us. Then they added the phrase saying reparative therapy (the debunked attempt to make us straight) is a good idea and shouldn't be restricted (as a few states have done). One step forward, one step back. The whole thing is still vile.
This could be our biggest battle this year. Houston Mayor Annise Parker is a lesbian. She's in her second term and has been an effective administrator, eliminating Houston's deficit. After the landmark rulings by the Supremes last summer and her own marriage, Parker decided it was time Houston added sexual orientation and gender identity to the city's anti-discrimination ordinances. With the help of the city council's two openly gay members it passed 11-6.
Now opponents are gathering signatures to both overturn the ordinance and to recall Parker. They have only a short time to do so -- 30 days -- and I haven't heard the chances of success. If either (or both) get on the ballot this year a lot of money will be drawn to the fight -- the highest profile openly gay elected official versus entrenched anti-gay sentiment in the South.
One more wrinkle in the fight -- in Houston a mayor can only be recalled for malfeasance or dereliction of duty, not for unpopular votes.
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