Houston Largest City to Elect Openly Gay Mayor, Don’t Mess With Texas Srsly

LESBIAN MAYOR: With Annise Parker winning nearly 53 percent of the vote late Saturday, Houston became the largest city to elect an openly gay mayor. Last night, with wife Kathy Hubbard by her side, she told supporters: “I know what this means to many of us who thought we couldn’t achieve higher office. But let us at this moment join as one community. We are united in making Houston the city it should be, could be, can be and will be.”

The Christian Science Monitor says her election in a state which outlawed same-sex marriage is telling of the national mood:

“As gays and lesbians become broadly accepted in society and politics, that acceptance is marked by a firm boundary beyond which voters do not yet appear willing to cross: same-sex marriage.”

FAMILY TIES: What is happening with the world when stories that open with “According to the National Enquirer” are accepted as fact? So we’re just gonna tell you that Meredith Baxter, according to a sketchy unreliable source, is going to marry her girlfriend. Or not.

GAY SCIENCE: According to this author, gay people are like female orgasms or male nipples: we don’t know why they exist evolutionarily, but it is kind of cool that they do! There are many, many traits of humans and other living things that are incidental by-products of evolution. They’re not the traits that were selected for. They’re incidental by-products of the traits that were selected for. Let me give an example. Let’s ask the question, “Why did bones evolve to be white? What is the selective advantage of bones being white?” (@blowfish)

BRING IT ON: Five Life Lessons Learned From the Ladies of ’00 Films: “So everything that doesn’t fit into some stupid idea of what you think God wants you just try to hide or fix or get rid of? It’s just all too much to live up to. No one fits in one hundred percent of the time. Not even you.” (@jezebel)

BULLYING: Were you bullied in middle or high school? Judith Warner was, and is still thinking about it. These days, I come back a lot to memories of 7th and 8th grade (and the unreliable narrators of those memories), because my elder daughter, Julia, is now in 7th grade, which means, of late, that she lives in a world filled with endless girl dramas of the most unfortunate and, alas, ordinary kind. Her article stirred up a lot of feelings over at Jezebel: “We editors reminisced about our own 13-year-old accomplishments and the wondrous potential of that age. In fact, it’s a time I try to avoid thinking about, since it’s when the cozy cocoon of childhood broke and I found myself the target of casual mockery on a daily basis.” Also, if you want to read more about how the world shortchanges women from the age of 13 on, we recommend Schoolgirls: Young Women, Self Esteem, and the Confidence Gap, by Peggy Orenstein, one of the best books ever to exist. And then just listen to Tina Fey, she will help you — (@nytimes, @jezebel)

CIVIL UNIONS: The Austrian Parliament has approved legislation that will give same-sex partners the right to enter into civil unions with “most of” the same rights as hetero marriage. Once you’re done celebrating that, try to wrap your head around the fact that the author of this article then spends five paragraphs discussing “So how much did Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” character and movie have to do with this move by Austria’s government?” He must have known it was Sunday Funday. (@examiner)

SPERM DONOR: A gay Irish sperm donor has won visitation rights to the child that was created from his sperm and that a lesbian couple is now raising. This is sad, because it means that lesbian partners and their children are not recognized as a legitimate family unit by the Irish government, but also awesome because it means that WILL AND GRACE IS COMING TRUE. Seriously does anyone else remember that arc where Jack and Rosie had a kid? (@irishcentral)

ACTUAL GAGA: Bitch must have read our Christmahanakwanzakah wish lists, because they have a whole article about Lady Gaga’s sexuality! Does she feed into negative stereotypes about bisexuality, or can she be our shining star? “The only thing I’m worried about is that it could appear to some, who don’t know much better, that bisexuals are those that are interested only in men for relationships, but will enjoy sexual relationships with women purely for fun. I hope it doesn’t further that awful stereotype, and that Lady Gaga isn’t put in the position of being the poster child for women who like women only while drunk and horny.”Also, in other news, Intern Rachel had no idea until right now that Gaga makes out with a lady cop in the Love Game video! Merry Christmas! (@bitch)