Houston Mayor Annise Parker and longtime partner Kathy Hubbard are preparing to marry next month in Palm Springs, California, one of the 18 states where gay and lesbian couples are allowed to marry.

According to CultureMap Houston, Parker and Hubbard are planning to tie the knot in a low-key ceremony.

Parker's press secretary, Janice Evans, would not confirm the plans: “The mayor very much appreciates the interest in the 23-year relationship she has shared with her life partner, First Lady Kathy Hubbard. However, marriage is a private matter and she has no announcements she wishes to make at this time. If that changes, we will let you know.”

Parker, who begins her third and final term as mayor in January, has previously stated that she would wait to marry in Texas. However, during a recent National Press Club address, Parker softened her stance.

“I am in a 23 year domestic partner relationship and I've been looking forward to the opportunity in the state of Texas to marry her,” Parker said. “May get tired of waiting, if it goes on too long. I want to be young enough to actually know who I'm marrying when I do it.”

Parker and Hubbard have two adopted daughters, Daniela and Marquitta, and one foster son, Jovon Tyler.