Purveyors of ‘ex-gay’ therapy, Exodus International says it’s shutting down
Holder, Kerry honor LGBT staffers at pride events at Justice, State departments
A note to the parents seeking to devastate their 15 year-old daughter and her 18 year-old girlfriend
Marriage equality advocates hope to repeal Florida’s ban on gay marriage
Del. gender identity protections bill clears final legislative vote
Four sentenced to prison in kidnapping, attack on gay man in Ky.
ACLU sues Ind. motor vehicles bureau over gay youth group license plates
HOUSTON — A high profile Houston pastor wants openly lesbian mayor Annise Parker to resign, or stop “promoting” the legalization of same-sex marriage.
Steve Riggle, pastor of the 15,000 member Grace Community Church, wrote in an email to Parker on Friday, “Respectfully, if you cannot uphold the Texas constitution, then you should do the honorable thing and step down,” reported the Houston Chronicle.
Annise Parker
Parker is a co-chairperson of “Mayors for the Freedom to Marry,” a bipartisan coalition of more than 80 mayors from across the U.S. who have publicly stated their support for marriage equality for LGBT citizens, and their intention to work toward that goal.
Riggle asserts that Parker’s role in the coalition violates “the very constitution you were swearing to uphold.”
In response, Parker said “I do my duty to uphold the state Constitution and the U.S. Constitution. I swore an oath to that. I take that oath very seriously, but I have my First Amendment rights to free speech.”
“We all have the right to do that and I’m sorry that they (Riggle and his supporters) don’t understand the Constitution,” Parker said.
Parker has also said that President Barack “needs to evolve a little bit faster and is not clearly where I think he ought to be” on the issue of marriage equality.
In an interview with Michelangelo Signorile on SiriusXM radio, Parker said she agrees with activists who are pushing the Democratic National Committee to include marriage equality in this year’s party platform.
Riggle has also objected to a city memo that identified Parker’s long-term partner, Kathy Hubbard, as the “first lady” of Houston, calling the distinction “deeply disturbing.”
Parker was elected Mayor of Houston, the fourth largest U.S. city, in 2009; she was elected to a second term in November 2011. Parker and Hubbard have been together since 1990 and have three children.
Filed under: Texas
Eldest of ‘19 Kids and Counting’ joins anti-gay hate group FRC
Rubio: ‘I’m done’ with immigration bill if gay couples are included
Marco Rubio: No ‘special’ rights for gay Americans — but I’m not ‘a bigot’
Brazil lawmakers OK bill to allow treatment of homosexuality as a disorder
Christian college expels lesbian, wants her to repay grant money
Mugabe vows to strengthen penalties against gays: ‘They should rot in jail’
Lesbian may be forced to testify against spouse in Ky. murder case
Man pleads not guilty in New York City hate crime shooting
Russia to ban adoption by same-sex couples
E.W. Jackson: Using my past anti-gay statements against me is ‘persecution’
Tucson becomes second Arizona city to allow same-sex civil unions
At LGBT Pride reception, Obama urges ban on workplace bias against gays
‘M’ or ‘F’? Outdated IDs worry transgender people
Not everyone who talks of God is good, and not everyone who is good talks of God.
Revoke the church’s tax exempt status. Then pastor can get involved in politics
It’s contrary to my beliefs to try to exalt Christianity as having some sort of preferential status in the United States. That violates the Constitution.” Jimmy Carter, Christianity Today, March 2, 1998
Did I miss something, but where in the Constitution does it say anything about same sex marriage?
The mayor should tell the douche bag in the robe to shut his mouth and go back to gettin with the alter boys…………. hypocrate.
I wish someone would tell these religious leaders to shut up. Enough already.
When did it start takin place that church an state are NOT seperate. This is stupid! She is ok as mayor only if she keeps her mouth shut!?! Get real!!
Mayor Parker is an awesome human being…
If we stop acknowledging diversity, maybe it will go away! Great plan.
I think pastors should keep their religion and their beliefs within the walls of their churches and shut up about state and federal government, so there!! LOL
How about that pastor shuts the hell up and instead tends to its flock spiritual needs instead of getting involved in politics
they need to mind their own business and personal affairs and stop trying to worry about what other people are doing, this is not medieval times so they just need to get use to the fact that people of the LGBT community deserves equal rights just like everyone else, people who hate, deny rights and target people because they are different makes me utterly sick, some of these very religious people need to stop hating so damn much and start loving for once.
yah shut up already…would ya? I got some boy-molesting I gotta attend to.
He’s a dirt bag
hhahahha what an idiot. just stop ok just stop promoting peace and love god what wrong with you! LOL
they are voilating our rights. this a supposely a free country. well i think tht marriage should be consider to be a part of our 1st comendment. we all been through love, we know what love is. most of u r heartless parasites tht get fed lies by those around u and too blind to see wht really goes on around us. why dont u leave the gays alone n worry about ur love life n whtt not. if two gays cant love each other like us striaght can thn us striaht ppl shouldnt love either. apparently to most ppl love is a sin.
this is a page i created for my school, to show all those who are being bullied that differences are good. by liking this page, you are prooving to all those bullies that they have no RIGHT to tell us who and how to be. help send hope to all those in need of it. love is louder :)
why are people liking this story on the lgbtq website? am i missing something?religious feelings should stay in religion and not in politics!
I bet they wouldn’t do that to a straight person promoting same sex marraige.
The pastor needs to piss off and stay out of politics. Or maybe he wants to start paying taxes?
it used to be illegal in Texas until just a few decades ago for a preacher to be a politician.
the preacher needs to STFU
Everyone that feels this way needs to vote every chance and get more liberals in office that will speak out against the religious bigots and shut them down.