Aug 15, 2015 the 152nd district court in downtown houston, where the houston equal rights ordinance trial was heard. Nov 04, 2015 houston s controversial equal rights ordinance failed by a wide margin tuesday, with voters opting to repeal the law that offered broad nondiscrimination protections, according to incomplete and. Locke lord understanding houstons new equal rights ordinance. The greater houston partnership works to make houston the best place to live, work and build a business. Municodenext, the industrys leading search application with over 3,300 codes and growing. By their own count, petition gatherers submitted approximately 35,000 signatures, which were invalidated by a houston jury and a state district judge due to forgeries. Houston approves equal rights ordinance with lgbt protections the ordinance will prohibit discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations in the city. Lgbt caucus statement on houstons equal rights ordinance. Houston voters reject equal rights ordinance jurist. This map shows the different council districts in unique colors. Aug 05, 2015 city council voted to affirm houston s equal rights ordinance wednesday, a move that will send the law to voters in november per a texas supreme court ruling. Houston equal rights ordinance fails by wide margin. Click to share this page click for pdf click to print this page hero prohibits private employers from discriminating against persons based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other traits and statuses. On may 28, 2014, the houston city council passed the houston equal rights ordinance hero which was authored by parker, by a vote of 11 to 6.
The greater houston partnership works to make houston the best place to live, work and build a. Nov 04, 2015 houstons equal rights ordinance hero, designed to protect the rights of gay citizens and others, has failed by a wide margin after a hardfought campaign in which opponents warned it. No houstonian should be discriminated against based on race, age, pregnancy, religion, military status, sexual orientation or gender identity. For immediate release november 4, 2015 lgbt caucus statement on houstons equal rights ordinance. A referendum on the antidiscrimination ordinance known as the houston equal rights ordinance hero was on the ballot for houston voters in harris county, texas, on november 3, 2015. Opponents gatherers submitted more than 50,000 signatures in their e orts to repeal hero. Its been a bit of circuitous journey for the ordinance designed to protect the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender. Its been a bit of circuitous journey for the ordinance designed to protect the rights of. Dallas and other cities in texas stepped into the breach and adopted laws similar to houstons equal rights ordinance. Houston passed its equal rights ordinance last night.
Houstons equal rights ordinance, explained texas monthly. The list of acronyms and abbreviations related to hero houston equal rights ordinance. The ordinance focused on protection in employment, housing, city. Aug 05, 2015 the houston city council is set to vote again on mayor annise parkers signature law. Houston equal rights ordinance by mayor annise parker addeddate 20141017 10. The 152nd district court in downtown houston, where the houston equal rights ordinance trial was heard. After a muchanticipated and longawaited roll call vote, the houston equal rights ordinance hero passed 116, with council members brenda stardig district a, oliver pennington district g, michael kubosh atlarge 3, dwight boykins district d, jack christie atlarge 5, and dave martin district e voting no. The houston region is home to nearly seven million residents and over,000 business establishments. Houston, texas could soon pass hero, the houston equal rights ordinance, which would cover employment, city contracting, housing, public accommodations and private employment at businesses with at least 50 employees on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity. City of houston antidiscrimination hero veto referendum. The thin silver lining to houstons awful vote against lgbt rights. Ad celebrates gay son posthero tue, jan 19, 2016 joan wilson, drakes mother, said tuesday that she placed the ad in response to the defeat of houstons equal. May 29, 2014 houston approves equal rights ordinance with lgbt protections the ordinance will prohibit discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations in the city. Sacramento, ca the california legislative lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lgbt caucus expresses its disappointment in the results of last nights election in houston.
Houston equal rights ordinance rejected by voters known as hero, the measure would have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, race and a dozen other categories. Sign the pledge now to protect houstons equal rights ordinance. Opponents gatherers submitted more than 50,000 signatures in their e. In a 61 percent to 39 percent split, houston voters chose to strike down equal rights. Nov 03, 2015 equal rights activists were dealt a blow on tuesday night as voters in houston resoundingly rejected an antidiscrimination ordinance that was the subject of a fierce battle that garnered national.
The houston equal rights ordinance reflection and choice. Houston equal rights ordinance the only upside to the vote. Houston passed its equal rights ordinance last night texas. Hero prohibits private employers from discriminating against persons based on sexual orientation and gender identity, among other traits and statuses.
Nov 03, 2015 a referendum on the antidiscrimination ordinance known as the houston equal rights ordinance hero was on the ballot for houston voters in harris county, texas, on november 3, 2015. But most of all, i love that houston is a city that welcomes everyone with open arms. Whether you agree with the hero houston equal rights ordinance or are against it, the people have the right to have a say in what laws are passed in their communities and sometimes these differences have to be settled in a court of law. Houston approves equal rights ordinance with lgbt protections.
Apr 30, 2014 equal rights ordinance summary chapter 17 article i general familial status, genetic information and pregnancy added to protected characteristics, which already include, in various portions of the code, race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, disability and military service. Houstons equal rights ordinance hero, designed to protect the rights of gay citizens and others, has failed by a wide margin after a hardfought campaign in which opponents warned it. Opponents claim that men will be able to assault women in restrooms. Ultraconservative lawmakers there introduced a socalled religious freedom restoration act that legalized discrimination based.
Pdf may not load in some browsers, which farright antilgbt groups have depicted as a license for male predators posing as women to invade public rest rooms. Equal rights activists were dealt a blow on tuesday night as voters in houston resoundingly rejected an antidiscrimination ordinance that was the subject of a fierce battle that garnered national. The devastating repeal of houstons equal rights ordinance clearly demonstrates that securing full equality for lgbt texans is about much more than. Sermon subpoena request was overbroad, houston mayor. Jun 04, 2014 after a muchanticipated and longawaited roll call vote, the houston equal rights ordinance hero passed 116, with council members brenda stardig district a, oliver pennington district g, michael kubosh atlarge 3, dwight boykins district d, jack christie atlarge 5, and dave martin district e voting no. Residents of the city of houston filed a referendum petition requesting the city council to reconsider and repeal its equal rights ordinance and, if it did not repeal the ordinance, to put it to popular vote.
This map shows the city of houston s full and the limited purpose city limits along with the roads and waterways. On may 28, 2014, the houston city council passed, by a 116 vote, the houston equal rights ordinance hero, which generally prohibits discrimination within the city limits of houston on the basis of certain protected characteristics in private employment, public accommodations, housing, and city employment, services and contracting practices. Houston equal rights ordinance the only upside to the. Pro bono lawyers representing the city of houston used overly broad language when they subpoenaed sermons by pastors who opposed the citys equal. Indiana provides a lesson on the equal rights ordinance. Houston rejects hotly contested antidiscrimination ordinance. The ordinance was intended to improve antidiscrimination coverage based on sexual orientation and gender identity in houston, specifically in areas such as housing and occupation where no antidiscrimination policy existed. Houston equal rights ordinance rejected by voters wsj. Equal rights ordinance case decision will be close. After more than eight months of legal drama, a lawsuit surrounding the houston equal rights ordinance hero is set to go before a jury, a somewhat unusual move for a lawsuit of this kind going. The city council refused, claiming the petition was invalid. Pdf may not load in some browsers, which farright antilgbt groups have depicted as a license for male. Mayor parker had certified that there exists a public emergency requiring that this ordinance be passed finally on the date of its introduction.
Hero takes a contentious social issue and does nothing but immerse it in an absurd brew of unintelligent definitions and unresolved tensions. Houston equal rights ordinance fails by wide margin houston. Herothe houston equal rights ordinancepassed last night. Antilgbt groups ramp up transphobia before houston vote. The houston equal rights ordinance has been at the center of a political battle for close to two years and it appears that houston voters could make it the law of the city. Equal rights ordinance heads to voters in november houston. Lulac councils call for support of houston equal rights. Lulac councils call for support of houston equal rights ordinance hero october 28, 2015 houston, texas in 2014, the houston city council passed the houston equal rights ordinance hero, which prohibited discrimination against houstons 2. Clifford last week, the houston city council passed the houston equal rights ordinance hero, affording municipal legal protections for the first time to gay and transgendered citizens and visitors. Houston equal rights ordinance nbc news houston kprc channel 2 august 15, 2014.
The journey of houstons equal rights ordinance has been long and full of plot twistsbut it could all be over soon. Houston voters reject equal rights ordinance jurist news. When voting on the houston equal rights ordinance, remember indiana. That chapter 17 of the code of ordinances, houston, texas, is hereby amended in its entirety to read as set forth in exhibit a, attached hereto. Houston gets poor marks on lgbt equality report card. Houston voters rejected the houston equal rights ordinance on tuesday by a margin of 61 to 39 percent. Houston equal rights ordinance faces opposition through. Houston s controversial equal rights ordinance failed by a wide margin tuesday, with voters opting to repeal the law that offered broad nondiscrimination protections, according to incomplete and. Houston mayor, annise parker, has announced that the city along with a broadbased group will ardently defend the houston equal rights ordinance hero from being repealed. Opponents of the bill have submitted 30,000 verified signatures, passing the 17,269 required signatures to place the referendum on the november ballot.
Additionally, there is no protection against discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Houston equal rights ordinance khou cbs 11 news august 4, 2014. Last week, the houston city council passed the houston equal rights ordinance hero, affording municipal legal protections for the first time to gay and transgendered citizens and visitors. Equal rights ordinance summary chapter 17 article i general familial status, genetic information and pregnancy added to protected characteristics, which already include, in various portions of the code, race, color, national origin, marital status, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, disability and military service. The houston city council passed an equal rights ordinance in may 2014, that would. Houston equal rights ordinance khou cbs 11 news august 4, 2014 duration. Today the houston chronicle urged us to read the houston equal rights ordinance hero, which will be on the ballot in houston this november. Houstons controversial equal rights ordinance failed by a wide margin tuesday, with voters opting to repeal the law that offered broad nondiscrimination protections, according to. It was defeated in may 2014, with mayor annise parkers backing, the houston city council passed the ordinance targeted by this veto referendum in an 116 vote. Proposition 1 was a referendum held on november 3, 2015, on the antidiscrimination ordinance known as the houston equal rights ordinance hero. After the jury announced its verdict late friday afternoon, lawyers for both sides were. Proposition 1 was a referendum held on november 3, 2015, on the anti discrimination ordinance known as the houston equal rights ordinance. Mayor parker and city council passed the houston equal rights ordinance hero, starting the fight anew. May 29, 2014 herothe houston equal rights ordinancepassed last night.
The houston city council is set to vote again on mayor annise parkers signature law. Understanding the houston equal rights ordinance outsmart. Hero the houston equal rights ordinance reflection and. Those cities have seen zero cases of men entering womens bathrooms to commit.