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.
Tiny Mabry
Last year, writer and director Tina Mabry made her feature directorial debut with the film Mississippi Damned, the heartbreaking story of three poor, black kids from the South who struggle to escape their family’s cycle of abuse. The film won an impressive 11 awards, including the nod for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature at Outfest 2009. “I quickly found that films representing my community and experiences were rare. I thought that mainstream cinema would evolve and showcase a range of truly diverse stories, but it didn’t,” Mabry says. “Finally, I realized that I should stop waiting for someone else to take on the challenge; I could give my community, as well as other marginalized groups, the voice in cinema we deserve.” Before Mississippi Damned, Mabry co-wrote the screenplay for the critically acclaimed film Itty Bitty Titty Committee, directed by Jamie Babbit, with which she won Best Feature Narrative at the South by Southwest Film and Music Festival in 2007. Mabry was also named one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film in Filmmaker Magazine. -EZ
