Former Houston mayor warns against "demonizing" transgender Texans, drag shows
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Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker has quietly become an "impact player in the national political landscape. She may not be in office but she's very much in the fight for equal representation and the "equal rights" seat at the table will help ensure. FOX 26 Political Reporter Greg Groogan speaks exclusively with Parker on how she continues to make a difference in politics.
HOUSTON - Seven years have come and gone since Annise Parker led the City of Houston as mayor.
Elected to back-to-back terms, the Rice University graduate and longtime energy analyst shattered a formidable glass ceiling as the first openly LGBT person chosen by voters to run a major American city.
Since 2017, she has enjoyed considerable success at the helm of the Victory fund, supporting qualified gay and transgender candidates seeking public office and boasting a 71-percent win rate, among those endorsed in the last cycle.
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"I feel like I am once again making a difference in politics without having to run myself. Our democracy is healthier and stronger when all of us are represented. When you are part of a minority that is often targeted for attack, you need to be in a position to advocate for yourself and to speak up for yourself and to just be present," said Parker.
Among those "attacks" is the ongoing effort by conservatives in Austin aimed at outlawing "gender-affirming" health care and limiting athletic participation by Texas children in transition.
"Most of the attacks right now most of the anti-legislation is directed specifically on issues of gender identity. One, because it's easier to demonize a group that people are unfamiliar with and it's a tiny, tiny minority of the broader LGBTQ community," said Parker.
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As for proposed legislation banning Texas kids from attending so-called "drag shows", Parker calls the effort "a solution in search of a problem."
"My grandkids are five, three, one, and newborn. I would have no hesitation taking my five-year-old or three-year-old to a drag show. Kids don't go to a drag show and say 'oh that's a man in the dress.' Kids go to a drag show and open up their imaginations," said Parker.
A fifth-generation Texan, Parker is concerned the "anti-trans" policies and messaging will discourage some of the nation's "best and brightest" workers from re-locating to the Lone Star State.