Houston Mayor Annise Parker weds Kathy Hubbard, partner of 23 years

Yesterday, January 16, Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston, Texas married her partner of 23 years, Kathy Hubbard, at a private home in Palm Springs, California. The women tied the knot on the 23rd anniversary of the day they became a couple. Since their home state of Texas does not allow same-sex couples to marry, the women flew to California, where same-sex couples have had the freedom to marry since May 2013. 

Mayor Parker announced yesterday:

"This is a very happy day for us. We have had to wait a very long time to formalize our commitment to each other. Kathy has been by my side for more than two decades, helping to raise a family, nurture my political career and all of the other ups and down and life events that come with a committed relationship. She is the love of my life and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life married to her."

Since its inception, Mayor Parker has served as a co-chair for Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, our program that encourages elected officials to speak out in favor of the freedom to marry and amplifies the voices of mayors who support marriage for same-sex couples. More than 400 mayors have signed on to the program, and we thank Mayor Parker for her years of leadership - on both the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry program and through her stalwart work as an openly gay leader in Texas. 

Learn more about Mayors for the Freedom to Marry HERE. And you can encourage your mayor to speak out using our Light Up the Map tool HERE

Photo by Richard Hartog