At the USA Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai, Annise Parker, the openly lesbian mayor of Houston, praised the city for its LGBT inclusiveness and its entrepreneurial spirit.

“Shanghainese and Houstonians are similar,” Parker said in an Aug. 3 address.  “They care about what you do, not who you are.”

Shanghai is among the more accepting cities of China’s LGBT population, which is not legally discriminated against, but which still suffers from social stigma.  In June 2009, the city hosted China’s first gay pride festival.

Houston made history in December 2009 when it became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor.

“What Houston and Shanghai have in common is the growth-oriented entrepreneurial altitude,” said Parker, who is leading a 60-member delegation of Houston business leaders.  “To boost development, a city needs to be open to a full range of people, especially the innovative ones who break barriers, like people of the gay community.”

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