100 Women We Love Class of 2010
A Houston, Texas native, Annise Parker has remained close to her roots. She was sworn in as the 61st mayor of Houston in January, becoming only the second woman and first openly gay person to hold that office. She graduated from Rice University and worked for two decades in the oil and gas industry, with 18 of those years spent at the Houston-based Mosbacher Energy Company. For ten years, she co-owned Inklings, a Houston-based independent gay bookstore. Parker was involved in Houston politics for several years prior to becoming mayor, serving six years as a member of the City Council and one six-year term as Houston City Controller. -CB
As the first decade of the new millennium comes to an end, we take a moment to celebrate 100 out lesbians who have made the past year one of inspiring change and amazing progress.
Jennifer Knapp
Famous on the Christian music scene and winner of a Dove Award for Best New Artist from the Gospel Music Association, Grammy Award-nominated artist Jennifer Knapp isn’t your typical lesbian singer-songwriter. Knapp would like her music to lead other others on the path to self-discovery. “I always hope there is a point of personal connection, both unique and communal, that listeners of my music will find. To me, music can help us along in a journey of both revelation and discovery, of ourselves and the world around us,” she says. Knapp just released Letting Go, her first album after a seven year hiatus spent soul-searching in Australia, and she’ll hit the road this summer, including a stop at this year’s much anticipated Lillith Fair (a tour she also played in 1999). -CB
