The Fight To Keep HERO-August 31

Labor Day is the traditional start for Houston civic campaigns, but this 2015 election cycle is not any normal electoral cycle.  The politics have been as hot as the August weather, and it revolves around the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.   

Since I`m getting e-mails and phone calls from around the country and my friends around the world concerning whats happening in our Houston human rights fight to keep the HERO, it`s time to start doing regular update posts from now until November 3.

We H-town trans peeps and our allies can breathe one sigh of relief in that Dave Wilson`s odious attempts to enshrine anti-trans bigotry into the Houston City Charter has failed.and will not be on the ballot.

Hallelujah!

However, no thanks to partisan Texas (Republican), Supreme Court rulings, the HERO is on the ballot as Proposition 1, and the final ballot language now sets it up as a simple YES or NO vote.

The ballot language for Proposition 1 was approved by Council last week, and it reads as follows:

"Are you in favor of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, Ord. No. 2014-530, which prohibits discrimination in city employment and city services, city contracts, public accommodations, private employment, and housing based on an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy?

For those of you in the Houston city limits,  voting YES on Proposition 1 keeps the HERO in effect, voting NO kills it and as the head of the Houston Sports Authority warned, potentially puts next year's Final Four, the 2017 Super Bowl and hosting future sports events, corporate relocations and convention business in jeopardy.

Question for you folks irrationally opposing the HERO because of two of the 15 categories it protects.  Is your hatred of LGBT Houstonians so strong you'd risk our city's economic future?

The Houston Unites coalition to keep the ordinance has already been busy along with HOUEquality and other groups with volunteer trainings, phone banks,  and canvassing over the last two weekends to get the truth out about the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance protecting ALL Houstonians

And right on cue, the anti- HERO haters started running ads bringing up the discredited bathroom scaremongering on several radio stations including the conservative leaning talker.

Houston unites responded quickly with their own radio ad to counter the disinformation.

Speaking of radio, on Majic102.1  yesterday, HERO supporter Fran Watson jousted with HERO Ron Jackson and shut down the one trick pony lies on Sunday Morning Live.   Majic102.1 is one of the most listened to radio stations in the Houston African-American community, and this conversation is significant because during the fight to pass HERO last year, Majic102.1 was guilty of anti-HERO fearmongering..

On August 20 HERO supporter Ashton Woods went on FOX26's The Isiah Factor to confront anti-HERO Councilman Michael Kubosh, who declared last year at a Steve Riggle hate rally that 'God put me on City Council to oppose the HERO'

Here's the clip of that debate here.

But yet CM Kubosh laughingly tries to claim he's isn't in favor of discrimination.   Your multiple anti-HERO votes say otherwise.

The Houston Chronicle finally published a better late than never article that took on the bathroom predator meme.   They have also been guilty along with FOX26 of lazy, one sided transphobic reporting and it's about time they got the facts out there.

It's going to be a long contentious few weeks until November 3..  But it's a human rights fights we Houstonians who love our diverse city and value human rights for everyone must win.