Gay woman elected Houston's mayor, Nation's 4th largest city

[Update, Dec 13: I've embedded Parker's acceptance speech on the blog site.]

The Nation's 4th largest city, Houston, became the largest city to have openly gay mayor after City Controller Annise Parker won 53% of the vote.

"This election has changed the world for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community. Just as it is about transforming the lives of all Houstonians for the better, and that's what my administration will be about," [said Parker]...

Parker's sexual orientation became the focus of the race in recent weeks after anti-gay activists and conservative religious groups endorsed the 61-year-old Locke and sent out mailers condemning Parker's "homosexual behavior."

Meanwhile, gay and lesbian political organizations nationwide rallied to support the 53-year-old Parker by raising money for her campaign and making calls urging people to vote...

Several smaller U.S. cities have openly gay mayors, including Portland, Ore., Providence, R.I., and Cambridge, Mass. [MSNBC]