Tag: LGBT protections

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Houston Texans Owner Rescinds Donation To Opponents Of Houston’s LGBT Protections Ordinance

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.

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Houston: Polls Very Close On Proposition One LGBT Protections Ordinance

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.

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Houston Haters Launch New Attack Ad On LGBT Protections Ordinance

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?

(h/t JMG)

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Sen. Rand Paul: It’s Ok To Fire LGBTs Because “Plenty” Of Place” Will Hire You

GOP White House hopeful Rand Paul, while campaigning at Drake University in Iowa, was asked whether an employer should be able to fire an LGBT person just because the employee was LGBT?

Paul worries that if it were illegal for employers to fire gays it would lead to lawsuits and that’s not good.

Paul also indicated that even if gays are fired for being who they are, no worries because there are “plenty” of other places that LGBTs can get a new job.

“I think really the things you do in your house, if you could just leave those in your house, they wouldn’t have to be part of the workplace, to tell you the truth,” Paul replied.

“I don’t know that we need to keep adding to different classifications to say the government needs to be involved in hiring and firing,” Paul said. “I think society is rapidly changing, and if you are gay, there are plenty of places that will hire you.”

I’m not sure what “things you do in your house” Paul is talking about. Does he mean leave your wedding ring at home because it’s no one’s business if you’re married? Is that shoving your “lifestyle” down someone’s throat? Does that include straight people?

In addition, the senator from Kentucky says most major corporations already have LGBT protections in place, so the government shouldn’t get involved. That said, the federal government currently protects folks on the basis of gender, religion, race, age, familial status, disability or citizenship.

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White House Not Ready To Endorse The Equality Act

White House press secretary Josh Earnest

The Obama Administration is not yet ready to endorse The Equality Act, which would expand civil rights protections to the LGBT community.

Chris Johnson from The Washington Blade reports:

“I’m not prepared to say that yet,” Earnest said. “This is a piece of legislation that the White House does continue to review. There’s significant consequences to this bill going into effect. It has an impact on housing law and a variety of other policies in the federal government, so it’s something that’s still being carefully reviewed by the administration.”

But Earnest said even without explicit support for the bill, Obama believes “we must ensure all Americans are treated equally under federal law” and is still behind the idea of enshrining comprehensive non-discrimination protections for LGBT people.

“The president believes the passage of comprehensive legislation that protects LGBT Americans from discrimination would mark an important step toward that outcome,” Earnest added. “So, we would applaud the efforts of members of Congress to try to advance that goal, but when it comes to this specific piece of legislation, it’s something that is still under review by the administration.”

Both Hillary Clinton and Vice-President Joe Biden have signaled they support the legislation.

That being said, I would put the idea that the bill would move substantially in the current GOP controlled Congress pretty close to zero.

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Anchorage Assembly Passes Important LGBT Protections Ordinance By Wide Margin

Good news from the Anchorage Assembly which passed, by a vote of 9-2, important LGBT protections making it illegal to discriminate over sexual orientation or gender identity.

From the Alaska Dispatch News:

The new local civil rights ordinance, the first of its kind in Alaska, will take effect as soon as it is signed by Assembly Chair Dick Traini, with the Assembly rejecting an amendment to require a public advisory vote in April.

Mayor Ethan Berkowitz said he does not plan to veto the ordinance, which was co-authored by Assembly members Bill Evans and Patrick Flynn and passed shortly before midnight Tuesday. The ordinance adds protections to Anchorage equal rights laws for gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual people in housing, employment and public accommodations and includes exemptions for religious groups and those with ministerial duties.

In a joint statement released immediately after the Assembly vote, the organizations Alaskans Together for Equality, the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, the Pride Foundation and the Human Rights Campaign praised the ordinance and the efforts of Evans and Flynn. Evans usually votes with the Assembly’s conservative bloc, and Flynn usually votes with the liberal bloc.

“With today’s passage of a strong and fair nondiscrimination ordinance through the Anchorage Assembly, we have taken yet another step toward living up to the Alaskan values of fairness and treating others as we would want to be treated,” the statement said. “We have joined the vanguard of over 200 cities that say you should not be fired or lose your home simply based on who you are or whom you love.”

You may recall that in August of 2009 the Anchorage Assembly passed a similar LGBT protections bill but it was vetoed by then Mayor Dan Sullivan days later.

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Houston: Opponents Of LGBT Protections Ordinance Call LGBT Rights “Filthy” And “Disgusting”

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.

Michael C. Hughes was assigned “female” at birth.
He would be forced to use the ladies’ room.

(h/t Towleroad)

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Donald Trump Supports LGBT Workplace Protections But Not Marriage Equality

GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump told NBC’s “Meet The Press” yesterday that private companies should not be allowed to fire employees if they are LGBT.

“Well, it’s a big discussion and I guess it’s getting a lot of negative rulings right now… and I’m willing courts to go with what the courts are saying. I don’t think it should be a reason, no.”

Don’t put The Donald down the “LGBT Ally” category just yet though.

Earlier this year, Trump went on record as opposing marriage equality: “I live in New York. New York is a place with lots of gays, and I think it’s great but I’m not in favor of gay marriage.”

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Houston Mayor Annise Parker Responds To Texas Supreme Court Ruling On Equal Rights Ordinance

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!”