Hubert Vo When asked by the Houston GLBT Political Cause why he voted against the antigay amendment, Mr. Vo's response was very simple: "It was the right thing to do."

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"Perhaps if the American people more fully comprehended the terrible pressures which discourage acts of political courage, which drive a Senator to abandon or subdue his conscience, then they might be less critical of those who take the easier road -- and more appreciative of those able to follow the path of courage."—John F. Kennedy, Profiles in Courage, 1956

Such is the experience of our state representative, Hubert Vo.   Mr. Vo's act of courage to go on record and vote against the antigay marriage amendment last year in the Texas legislature was a vote that many in his own district would declare as very foolish and unnecessary. Even after many of his own supporters, including assistants, said voting for the antigay marriage amendment would not hurt him, Mr. Vo could not "abandon or subdue his conscience" as others so easily had done. Mr. Vo's "path to courage" was on behalf of the GLBT community in a fight many would argue had nothing to do with him, was not in his political interest, and could endanger his future political career.

As a member of the GLBT community working with legislators to assure the safety of our community, I was surprised and deeply touched by the vote Mr. Vo offered in support of our community. Having won his seat by a mere few votes against a long-term incumbent with no love of the GLBT community, Mr. Vo was a first-term legislator in 2005. In his first legislative session, he was faced with a very difficult choice. He knew his district overwhelmingly supported the antigay marriage amendment. His own staff advised him that voting for the antigay marriage amendment would not hurt him, but voting against it, could. And everyone knew that his opponents would use any vote against the antigay marriage amendment as reason to not elect him again in his re-election campaign in the fall of 2006. In spite of this, when asked by the Houston GLBT Political Cause why he voted against the antigay amendment, Mr. Vo's response was very simple: "It was the right thing to do."

Many others in that legislative session knew it was the right thing to do as well, but they, unlike Mr. Vo, chose to do the wrong thing anyway. They were more than willing "to abandon or subdue [their] conscience," ignore the hope of the GLBT community to become full citizens, and allow a divisive piece of legislation to appear on the fall 2005 ballot. The Republican-dominated Texas legislature used the GLBT community's vulnerability in the state to eke out narrow wins in the 2005 elections. And while the GLBT community valiantly fought against Proposition 2, the voices wanting us to remain second-class citizens prevailed.

I wish all legislators were as courageous as Mr. Vo. I wish all legislators had a moral compass like Mr. Vo. I wish we could count on our representatives to include us as part of their constituency. But we can't. Hence, when someone like Mr. Vo does the unimaginable in the Texas legislature, votes to represent all his constituents, we have to celebrate his ability "to follow the path of courage."

Maria Gonzalez serves on the board of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus and is an associate professor of English at the University of Houston. In January 2003, Gonzalez was named to the first OutSmart People To Watch list.