Houston Mayor Annise Parker – the
city's first openly gay mayor, now in her second term – believes
President Barack Obama's gay marriage nod has led to good things.
During an appearance on SiriusXM's
OutQ, Parker, a co-chair of the gay marriage group Mayors for
the Freedom to Marry, cited the marriage equality endorsements of
several minority groups as proof that the president's May
announcement was positive.
“In fact, good things happened
because when he made his public declaration that he changed his mind,
the NAACP took a vote,” Parker told host Michelangelo Signorile.
“[The League of Latin American Citizens] took a vote. Those major
civil rights organizations now really are allied on this issue.”
“They're advocating gay rights. It's
really clear to anybody who spends any time at all in popular culture
and with young people in America, that this is a war that has already
been won with young people. Full equality in this country is going
to be in our lifetimes. It's moving at lightning speed.”
Parker was also asked to comment on
Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank's description of gay
Republicans as “Uncle Toms,” which he made during an
LGBT panel last week at the Democratic National Convention.
“[I] do think it's important for
GLBTs to stay engaged in both parties. But not at the price of your
self-respect and dignity,” she
said.