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.
Jay Toole
Jay Toole knows the challenges of being queer and homeless: her battle with addiction led her to live on the streets or in homeless shelters for 25 years. Today Toole is Director of the Shelter Organizing Project at Queers for Economic Justice, a nonprofit organization focused on community organizing for poor and low-income LGBTGNC New Yorkers. With the help of volunteers and interns, the Project offers support groups for queer people living in New York City homeless shelters. Since 1999, Toole has been drug-free and in recovery. She became a founding member of QEJ in 2002. Toole says, “When I first heard the Queers for Economic Justice Network speak about poverty/welfare in our community I knew I wanted to be involved with these folks and to help form a new organization (QEJ) dealing with these very issues. Living in the shelter system myself at that time I wanted to work around that issue specifically.” -CB
