LGBTQ news and entertainment
HUD Secretary, and former mayor of San Antonio, Julian Castro released this message urging Houston voters to support the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), the LGBT protections ordinance currently in early voting.
“Everyone should have a fair opportunity to earn a living, and provide for their families free from the fear of discrimination.”
Castro is often mentioned as a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Last week, Houston Texans owner (and billionaire) Robert McNair made a publicly touted $10,000 donation to the anti-gay group opposing Proposition 1 currently in early voting.
Proposition 1, known as HERO (Houston Equal Rights Ordinance) would provide important LGBT protections in terms of businesses that serve the public, private employers, housing, city employment and city contracting. Religious institutions are exempt.
The ordinance also bans discrimination based on sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy and genetic information, as well as family, marital or military status.
After huge national backlash against the haters, McNair has now made a statement rescinding his donation.
“I recently made a personal contribution to Campaign for Houston because my thorough review of the HERO ordinance led me to believe that a thoughtful rewrite would provide a better ordinance that would provide strong non-discrimination protections for all Houstonians, which I would support, and would be less divisive of our city.
“It was on these principles that I made my personal contribution to Campaign for Houston. To my great dismay, Campaign for Houston made numerous unauthorized statements about my opposition to HERO in print, broadcast and social media – including attributing certain statements of belief to me. Their actions and statements were never discussed with nor approved by me. Therefore I instructed the Campaign to return my contribution.
“I do not believe in or tolerate personal or professional discrimination of any kind. I also believe that we Houstonians should have an ordinance that unites our community and provides a bold statement of non-discrimination. I encourage all Houstonians to vote on November 3. Robert F. Kennedy once said, ‘Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work together to change a small portion of events, and in the total of those acts will be written the history of our generation.’”
Richard Carlbom, campaign manager for Houston Unites, the pro-HERO group, said McNair’s decision makes sense.
“Like Bob McNair, many Houstonians are taking a step back and realizing the opposition’s ads on the Equal Rights Ordinance are intended to raise anxiety with outright distortions and quite frankly lies,” said Carlbom. “When you take a second look, the Equal Rights Ordinance protects all Houstonians from discrimination and makes Houston a place everyone can be proud to call home.”
Houston is the fourth largest city in the country.
Voting continues through October 30.
Folks are a little worried down in Houston as early voting has begun (through October 30th) for the LGBT protections ordinance nicknamed HERO.
One poll shows the issue leading for the good guys 43%-37%. But the error of margin when factoring a whopping 18% of undecideds calls for concern.
A second poll shows support at 45% versus 36%, but 20% undecideds.
The haters are running several anti-transgender ads on TV trying to tip the issue in their favor.
Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S. Considering that size, it’s amazing that the city does not have any LGBT protections.
It’s important that if you can to please make a donation to Houston Unites, who is organizing support for this very important issue.
As early voting begins in Houston regarding the city’s LGBT protections ordinance, the haters at Texas Values Action Pac have begun running the spot below hoping to gin up the anti-transgender vote.
Of course, the ad doesn’t mention that the protections in HERO help not only LGBTs but veterans and other groups.
And seriously, do you really see some straight guy dressing like a woman just to get some locker room peek at women? Who would go to all that trouble when you can see free porn on the internet?
The haters in Texas that oppose the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), which will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, have released their first radio ad.
Here’s the text:
“No men in women’s bathrooms. Let me tell you why. One day, I hope to be pregnant and deliver my beautiful baby right here in Houston, but I’m concerned because the city of Houston is proposing an ordinance that would allow men to use the women’s bathrooms and locker rooms. We are being told the ordinance will prevent discrimination against pregnant women. That makes absolutely no sense. There are already federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination against pregnant women, but this ordinance will allow men to freely go into women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and showers. That is filthy, that is disgusting and that is unsafe. Join me and other women in Houston as we vote ‘No’ on Mayor Parker’s bathroom ordnance. And again, let me make this very clear, on behalf of all moms, sisters and daughters, no men in women’s bathrooms.”
The new website for the haters – CampaignForHouston.com – states:
Mayor Parker’s ordinance is built on deception. It is not about protecting the rights of women, racial minorities, the disabled, elderly or military personnel. There are already important laws on the federal, state and local levels that protect such individuals from discrimination for employment, housing and access to public accommodations. The ordinance’s naming of these groups is a ruse in an attempt to hide the ordinance’s real purpose, which is to make “sexual orientation” and “gender identification” two new protected classes. …
Campaign for Houston is made up of parents and family members who do not want their daughters, sisters or mothers forced to share restrooms in public facilities with gender-confused men, who – under this ordinance – can all themselves “women” on a whim and use women’s restrooms whenever they wish. This “bathroom ordinance” therefore is an attempt to re-structure society to fit a societal vision we simply do not share or can support.
You can listen to the ad here.
The issue here is that HERO addresses the need for transgender folks to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity.
Let me demonstrate for you.
Here’s what you could end up with should the anti-gay folks force a transgender man to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity assigned at birth.
This is Michael C. Hughes, who was assigned “female” gender identity at birth. He would be forced to use the ladies’ room.
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| Michael C. Hughes was assigned “female” at birth. He would be forced to use the ladies’ room. |
Houston Mayor Annise Parker issued this statement via press release regarding the Texas state Supreme Court’s ruling that Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance must be repealed or put to a vote this November:
“Obviously, I am disappointed and believe the court is in error with this eleventh hour ruling in a case that had already been decided by a judge and jury of citizens.
“Nonetheless, we will proceed with the steps necessary for City Council to consider the issue. At the same time, we are consulting with our outside counsel on any possible available legal actions.
“Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance is similar to measures passed by every other major city in the country and by most local corporations. No matter the color of your skin, your age, gender, physical limitations, or sexual orientation, every Houstonian deserves the right to be treated equally. To do otherwise, hurts Houston’s well-known image as a city that is tolerant, accepting, inclusive and embracing of its diversity.
“Our citizens fully support and understand this and I have never been afraid to take it to the voters. We will win!”
The Houston Chronicle reports that the Texas Supreme Court has ruled today that Houston City Council must repeal the city’s equal rights ordinance or place it on the November ballot.
The ruling comes three months after a state district judge ruled that opponents of Houston’s contentious non-discrimination ordinance passed last year failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum.
“We agree with the Relators that the City Secretary certified their petition and thereby invoked the City Council’s ministerial duty to reconsider and repeal the ordinance or submit it to popular vote,” the Texas Supreme Court wrote in a per curiam opinion. “The legislative power reserved to the people of Houston is not being honored.”
The city’s equal right ordinance bans discrimination based not just on sexual orientation and gender identity but also, as federal laws do, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy and genetic information, as well as family, marital or military status.
Houston City Council has 30 days to repeal the ordinance or place it on the November ballot.
More from Project Q Houston:
The state’s highest court also ordered the city to immediately halt enforcement of HERO, which prohibits discrimination against LGBT people in employment, housing, public accommodations, and city contracting.
“But what of the City Council’s complaints of forgery, false oaths, and the like?” the all-Republican court wrote in its 12-page per curiam opinion. “Although these issues were addressed at trial and are now pending before the court of appeals, we note that the City Secretary never claimed the referendum petition was plagued by forgery or perjury. Yet the City Council decided, of its own accord, not to act, disregarding the City Secretary’s certification that the petition had enough signatures.”
Somehow, these folks twist the truth about an ordinance protecting LGBTs into an attack on religious folks.
Which, I guess, could be true if the concern was really about losing your ability to discriminate.
Back story: Last May, Mayor Annise Parker and the Houston City Council approved Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) providing for LGBT protections in the areas of public and private employment, housing and city contracting.
Anti-gay foes hated that. They began a drive to put the ordinance to a vote hoping to repeal the protections. They needed 17,269 signatures, or 10 percent of the ballots cast in the last mayoral election.
After turning in what seemed to be more than enough signatures, it turns out the opponents were 585 signatures short.
The Houston Chronicle reports:
Opponents of Houston’s non-discrimination ordinance failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum, a state district judge ruled Friday, validating city officials’ decision to toss out the petition foes submitted last summer.
After separate rulings from both a jury and state District Judge Robert Schaffer, attorneys for both sides entered dueling counts of the valid signatures, adding and subtracting voters as Schaffer responded to motions. By early this week, the counts were closer together than ever before, fewer than 1,000 signatures apart.
Ultimately, Schaffer on Friday ruled the final count of valid signatures was 16,684, leaving opponents short of the threshold required in the city charter of 17,269 signatures, or 10 percent of the ballots cast in the last mayoral election.
“The jury’s verdict and the judge’s ruling are a powerful smack-down against the forces of discrimination and intolerance,” said Geoffrey Harrison, lead attorney for the city, in a statement. “And maybe, just maybe, they’ll reconsider their misguided ways.”
Opponents, largely conservative activists and pastors whose objections center on the protections the law extends to gay and transgender residents, are expected to appeal the ruling.
A Texas state judge has ordered the city of Houston to stop providing benefits to same-sex spouses of employees, according to Lone Star Q, but the city says a prior federal judge’s ruling trumps the state ruling:
State District Judge Lisa Millard issued a temporary restraining order halting the benefits Wednesday in response to a request from former Harris County GOP Chair Jared Woodfill, who has filed a second lawsuit against Mayor Annise Parker and the city over her decision to extend benefits to same-sex spouses.
In August, U.S. District Judge Sim Lake ordered the city to continue offering the benefits pending a final determination on the constitutionality of Texas’ same-sex marriage ban, likely to come from the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ken Upton, senior counsel at Lambda Legal, told Lone Star Q last week that the federal judge’s decision would override any decision from a state court.
“The US Constitution’s Supremacy Clause clearly provides that a decision based on federal law trumps a conflicting decision based on only state law,” Upton said last week. “This is a foundational principle that every first-year law student learns and is beyond question or doubt.”
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| (via JoeMyGod) |
Last night, the anti-gay Family Research Council hosted a hate rally to raise opposition against openly lesbian Mayor Annise Parker for passing LGBT protections in Houston.
While the haters keep saying their opposition is based solely on their ‘deeply held religious convictions,’ t-shirts made their way around the rally with the saying “We reserve the right to refuse service to homosexuals.”
But remember, it’s not about the gays – it’s about protecting “religious freedoms.”
Riiiiiiiiight.
