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.
Sarah Schulman
A prolific writer and lesbian intellectual, Sarah Schulman is the author of 14 books and numerous plays and screenplays. The Owls, a film she co-wrote with director Cheryl Dunye, recently premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. A Professor of English at the City University of New York, College of Staten Island, Schulman’s latest nonfiction title is Ties That Bind: Familial Homophobia and Its Consequences. This accessible read puts into words a phenomenon that before had no language. “It was crystal clear that homophobia in the family was a profound and fundamental experience for queer people, and yet it had never been theorized. In fact, I had to coin the phrase ‘Familial Homophobia’ because there was no name for it,” Schulman explains. “The incredible emotional urgency with which the book has been received has been so exciting and satisfying. I am really, really proud of this book.” -CB
