'The People' Includes LGBT Houstonians, Too

Over the entrance to the city council chambers in our art deco designed Houston City Hall are the words 'The People Are The City'.

It's a reminder to the councilmembers and the mayor sitting at that curved desk with those nice green leather chairs who they are ultimately accountable to.

And the people in that slogan also includes the Houston TBLG community.

We trans, bi and SGL people are part of the 2.2 million denizens who live, work and play in the 628 square miles of Texas soil we call Houston.

It is past time our human rights are respected and protected in the city we love just as much as the haters.  I and my fellow LGBT Houstonians want the same first class human rights you demand for yourselves with no excuses, no obfuscations and no delays.   We've waited long enough.   Your specious religious beliefs do not trump my human rights. 

This Houston Equal Rights Ordinance is needed and long overdue. to combat the discrimination we face as LGBT people.   That discrimination is even more pronounced for trans people, and worse for trans, bi and SGL people of color who face anti-LGBT discrimination combined with racism.

Yes, the people are the city of Houston.  As we will continue to emphatically point out as our opponents resort to fear and smear tactics to oppose the HERO, 'the people' includes trans, bi, lesbian and gay Houstonians, too.