During Mayor Annise Parker's State of the City address she gave to a crowd of 1600 members and guests of the Greater Houston Partnership on Wednesday, she outlined many of the issues that she'll be tackling during her final term as Houston's leader. She also addressed the one question that has been on the minds of TBLG Houstonians ever since San Antonio's contentious passage of their trans inclusive human rights ordinance last September made Houston the largest city in the state and the only one of the top five population US cities that doesn't have one: What's up with the LGBT inclusive non-discrimination ordinance she's been talking about for months now and even mentioned in her third inauguration speech back on January 2?
You know as a native Houstonian I believe it's past time we do so, and have already spoken to Houston City Council twice urging them to pass such an ordinance.
That's why she discussed during the GHP speech and in the press conference afterward the long needed Human Rights Ordinance, which will prohibit discrimination in city employment, contracting, housing and public accommodations. It will also add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes of people and will create a seven person Human Rights Commission that hears complaints and refer them to the proper authorities
Mayor Parker is expecting that ordinance to be rolled out sometime next month, and as you probably guessed, the usual H-town conservahaters in Dave Welch and the Houston Area Pastor Council are already trying to scuttle it.
But we are just as determined in liberal progressive H-town to pass it, and the fun will begin when we finally see the initial draft of the proposed ordinance next month.
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