Houston: Vote for Parker
Why? Because she's a lesbian, that's why.
There could be other reason, and I'm no single-issue voter, but this seems to be the approach taken by her opposition.
Think of the number of times we've heard talk–demonstrably empty talk–about "loving the sinner, hating the sin", not really being homophobic ("some of my best friends…"), and how gays and lesbians are not really, actually discriminated against as a group. Now, let's hear this analysis of the mayoral race in Houston:
A cluster of socially conservative Houstonians is planning a campaign to discourage voters from choosing City Controller Annise Parker in the December mayoral runoff because she is a lesbian, according to multiple ministers and conservatives involved in the effort.
The group is motivated by concerns about a “gay takeover” of City Hall, given that two other candidates in the five remaining City Council races are also openly gay, as well as national interest driven by the possibility that Houston could become the first major U.S. city to elect an openly gay woman.
[Bradley Olson, "Ministers, conservatives work for Parker's defeat : Group opposes a lesbian in office", Houston Chronicle, 13 November 2009.]
My bold, of course.
Does this mean that we can finally see the lack of clothes on the Emperor? Can we now stop the silliness of social conservatives endlessly repeating that gays and lesbians are not a group discriminated against, for what is discrimination except a prejudice based, in the case, on the irrelevant fact that Parker is a lesbian?
I also like that bit about the "gay takeover". In general my thought on the subject of conservative paranoiac fears along these lines is this: yes, the homosexual menace is clever and powerful and, yes, we certainly could take over governments both local and federal if we wanted to — but who would want them? We have far more fabulous things to be doing than running the country (well, except, perhaps, for a few control queens who shall remain nameless).
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I welcome comments -- even dissent -- but I will delete without notice irrelevant, rude, psychotic, or incomprehensible comments, particularly those that I deem homophobic, unless they are amusing. The same goes for commercial comments and trackbacks. Sorry, but it's my blog and my decisions are final.
on Sunday, 15 November 2009 at 20.23
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It might be fun to be able to question these people about exactly what they fear a "gay takeover" bringing about. I mean, do they suppose gays have different and unacceptable views on garbage pickup, traffic management and law enforcement? Or do they imagine wet kisses instead of high fives if the gay/lesbian bloc wins a vote during a city council meeting, or something like that? The mind boggles.