Fayetteville, AR Passes Trans Inclusive Rights Law!

Good news coming out of Fayetteville, AR last night.

In the reverse of what happened last December no thanks to the Duggars, the citizens of that city passed Ordinance 5781!

“Today the people of Fayetteville voted for acceptance over fear and showed that cities can ensure religious freedom while protecting the rights of each and every citizen,"  the Northwest Arkansas Center for Equality said in a statement. "People from all walks of life chose to lead Fayetteville and Arkansas toward a more inclusive future. History will remember this as a proud moment when businesses, religious leaders and everyday citizens worked together to unite our community, grow our economy and finally move Fayetteville forward.

Wooo Pig Sooie!   According to the final but unofficial results from the Washington County Election Commission, the vote was  7,666 in favor,  6,860 against  with 29% of  the electorate voting in this special election.

And unlike last time, the Duggars noses weren't in Fayetteville human rights business since they have their own problems they have to deal with besides hating on trans people .

Hope we in Houston can report similar good news in November

Houston Unites Sponsored HERO Press Conference Tomorrow

TransGriot Note: The battle to defend our hard won Houston Equal Rights Ordinance has begun!   A statement from the Houston Unites coalition group to keep HERO.

They will have a press conference that will take place tomorrow, August 12 at the Hilton Americas Hotel in downtown Houston at 10 AM CDT. to launch what we hope will be the successful effort to defend this much needed human rights ordinance.

***
 
Tomorrow, concerned citizens, members of civil rights groups and representatives of the faith and business communities will gather to launch Houston Unites, the campaign in support of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). On November 3, Houstonians will vote on this critical ordinance that protects Houstonians from discrimination based upon 15 categories that include race, age, military status, pregnancy status, gender identity and sexual orientation..

Those of us who supported HERO and advocated for its passage last year are in agreement that NO Houstonian should be discriminated against.  That’s a core value a majority of Houstonians share, and that's why HERO's passage a year ago was supported by more than 80 current and former elected officials, community and non-profit organizations, major corporations and more than 70 local faith leaders.

In America’s most diverse city, we believe that everyone should be treated fairly no matter who they are.

Houston Unites is the coalition working to elevate the diversity of voices supporting HERO. The leading coalition partners include: ACLU of Texas, Equality Texas, Freedom For All Americans, Human Rights Campaign, NAACP Houston Branch and Texas Freedom Network.

First Post-HERO Suspension Council Meeting Today

Should be a hot time in the Houston City Council chambers later this afternoon, and I'm not talking about the weather that will bring us our first 100 degree day of the summer.

The Houston City Council has a 2 PM session on Tuesdays for public comment on whatever issue you wish to bring to their attention.   And with the suspension of the HERO happening no thanks to the Texas (Republican) Supreme Court, this first public comment session since the unjust ruling will probably be a lot more contentious than usual.

People in LGBT Houston are highly pissed off about what happened to a human rights ordinance we fought tooth and nail last year to get passed, have been mobilizing for action in defense of it, and will be there to let their voices be heard.  

And I don't doubt the out of town faux faith based opposition and their kneegrow useful fools will also be in attendance urging City Council to kill HERO.

And unfortunately due to some other pressing matters, i won't be at City Council for the fun, but will be there in spirit and catching the replay of the session on cable TV later.

To all the peeps signed up to speak in defense of our human rights law, give the haters hell for me and I'll see y'all at the next Tuesday session.

Malala Opens School On Her 18th Birthday

Do you remember what you did on your 18th birthday?   On mine I was prepping for my test to get my Texas driver's license and preparing for my last month of high school.

So what did Malala Yousafzai do on her 18th birthday which was yesterday?   She was in Lebanon opening a school for Syrian refugee girls living there in the Bekaa Valley on Lebanon's eastern border with Syria. 

Because of the ongoing fighting in Syria, 4 million people have fled to neighboring countries to escape the conflict.   Lebanon is home to 1.2 million of them, with around 500,000 school age children among them, but only a fifth of them are in formal education.

"I decided to be in Lebanon because I believe that the voices of the Syrian refugees need to be heard and they have been ignored for so long," Malala told Reuters in a schoolroom decorated with drawings of butterflies.

Hard to believe that it was in 2012 when a Taliban gunman boarded a school bus Yousafzai was traveling on in her native Pakistan and shot her for advocating in a clandestine blog the rights of girls to have an education.    She became the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

After surviving the attack, she has moved to England with her family and become a powerful international advocate for children's education.

The school that was opened in Lebanon was paid for by the Malala Fund, a non-profit organization that invests in local education projects, and can accommodate up to 200 girls ages 14-18.

"Today on my first day as an adult, on behalf of the world's children, I demand of leaders we must invest in books instead of bullets," Malala said in a speech.

Would be nice if they did so Malala, especially in my own country.

Happy 18th birthday, Malala.   May you celebrate many more of them in your so far amazing life.

Don`t Spend Your T-Bills Where You Aren`t Respected

I`ve been busy the last few days moving to the new Casa De Monica, and just started catching up with all the trans news that I need to comment on.

One of those issues I felt the need to comment on is a trans dignity and respect.

I was perusing my Facebook feed and noted a comment from a well known activist who was recounting a transphobic experience she`d had at her local hairdresser.

She was getting her hair done when a conversation started in the shop about last week`s  SCOTUS marriage ruling.   She was stunned and pissed off to hear the beautician working on her hair express a negative reaction to it, and then take a potshot at guys and girls like us by adding that she couldn`t stand people who `changed their sex.`

Little did the transphobic hairdresser know that she was working on the tresses of one of those people she hated.

The person in question didn`t elaborate on how far along she was in the process of getting her hair done at the time the transphobic comment was uttered.   But having been in a similar situation back in the late 90s when I was getting my hair done and another beautician not working on my hair at the time made several derogatory comments about Black Americans (she was Nigerian), I ripped her a new anus.

So what is Moni`s moral in this story?   The bottom line is that if you are so inclined and the situation calls for it, we need to call out disrespectful commentary and negative treatment of trans people.   I understand it`s a judgment call as whether or not you feel safe to do so, but if you are in a reasonably safe space,  put them in check.

How you do it is your call.

Now why am I saying this?  Because the odds are that transphobes aren`t going to let their negative commentary loose unless they think they will have majority support in whatever venue this is happening in.  

If we let transphobic comments slide for whatever set of reasons, then it will happen again to someone else until the transphobe finally gets checked on their nekulturny behavior.

Maybe missing out on some service fees plus tips or getting checked by their supervisor after you have a chat with them will speed up that process

Neither should we trans peeps spend our precious T-bills with people or companies who don`t respect our humanity.  

We Trans Peeps Are Just Like You Cis Peeps

Now that our right wing opponents have lost their war on marriage equality, I expect them to shift their time, effort and prodigious funding to attacking the transgender community`s humanity and human rights on a full time basis.

It is the historical nature of conservatism to always find an enemy to organize and rally their troops around to hate.

Once their enemy du jour they pick on grows strong enough to fight back and repeatedly win againsst them, they`ll move on like the bullies they are to pick on somebody else they perceive to be politically and numerically weaker than them to in their minds oppress.

But despite the upturned volume of the Right Wing Noise Machine and their increeasing efforts via FOX Noise and right wing hate radio to demonize trans people, what Americans and the world are beginning to understand is that we trans peeps are part of the diverse mosaic of human life just like cisgender people are.

The right wing will also find out as they engage with us and attempt to halt our human rights progress that we have allies, family and friends who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us to help us fight back against the oppression they wish to impose on us.

We trans people have the same characteristics and personality traits as many of you Homo Sapiens.   We come in all shapes, sizes and ethnic backgrounds.   We live on every inhabited continent on Planet Earth,   We are people who love and wish to be loved by others.  We are gay, bisexual, pansexual, straight and whatever other sexual orientation possible in our species.  

We are beautiful, intelligent, funny, thoughtful and multitalented.   We are writers, doctors, lawyers, athletes, models, teachers, politicians and parents raising kids.

We are proud of the communities and nations we inhabit, and we transpeeps want the best for our kids that we raise.   We want to live our lives to the best of our ability in careers that we love.   We want to be able to fully participate in the  political systems of our nations and create the laws that govern us.   We want to contribute our talents to bulding our societies.  We want to work, pay our fair share of taxes, join a union and get paid a fair wage while doing so.

We transpeople want to be able to worship a higher power in the manner we choose or not attend a church at all without being falsely labeled by demagoging religious leaders as `dangers to mankind`.

And speaking of bearing false witness against trans people, frankly we are tired of right wing adherents of all denominations pushing transphobia from the pulpit and it needs to stop.

We trans people want affordable trans culturally competent health care  that not only features medical practitioners that treat us with dignity and respect, but also realizes that sometimes we come to the doctor to be treated for other medical issues besides trans oriented ones.

And yes, just like in Cisworld, Trans World has people in it who are selfish jerks, mean azzholes , jealous, vindictive....well you get the drift.   Just as you don`t want us broad brush judging you for being transphobes based on the actions of a few nekulturny individuals, we demand the same level of respect from you.

Don`t start no drama with us, won`t be no drama in return.

The bottom line is that trans peeps are just like cis peeps in terms of just wanting to be the best people we can be while we are spending whatever time we have on this space rock.

And what we want in TransWorld is for you in Cis World to acknowledge our common humanity, accept our right to exist, respect our human rights across the globe, and be left alone by you folks who irrationally hate on us so we can get to the daily business of being the men and women of trans experience we are.

Fayetteville, AR Passes New Civil Rights Protection Law

Was wondering if in the wake of the exposure of the Duggar hypocrisy, that Fayetteville, AR would revisit the marrow repeal of the previous TBLG inclusive law and work on passing a new one.

They have and did.

After almost four hours of discussion last night that favorably commented on it by a 32-20 margin, ,Fayetteville City Council members voted 6-2 to pass the Uniform Civil Rights Protection Ordinance and send it to the voters for a September 8 special election.   The new ordinance won't go into effect until it passes at the ballot box.

Work on the new ordinance started immediately after the controversial repeal vote in December that featured Michelle Duggar's transphobic robocall.  The new ordinance incorporates several existing laws like the Arkansas Anti-Bullying Act and the Fair Housing Act. It also borrows language from the Arkansas Civil Rights Act of 1993, which defines “employer” as a person who employs nine or more employees in the state.

Besides the citizens that spoke favorably for it, it also has the support of one of the groups who initially worked to defeat the original law, the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce.

If passed, the new law will prohibit business owners and landlords from firing or evicting someone because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It will also provide protections for use of public accommodations, including restrooms.  

City Attorney Kit Williams believes that he can defend it, despite the passage of Act 37, the deceptively named  Intrastate Commerce Improvement Act .  It bans cities and counties from enacting or enforcing “an ordinance, resolution, rule or policy that creates a protected classification or prohibits discrimination on a basis not contained in state law.”

And as usual (boo hiss)  Churches, religious schools, daycare facilities and religious organizations of any kind are exempt from it.

We'll have to stay tuned to see what the next chapter brings in terms of whether this stays on Fayetteville's law books. 

Because Fayetteville is the home of the University of Arkansas, not having a human rights law on the books is bad for business and recruiting, especially with the Razorbacks being  a member of the SEC, I'm betting it will.

Happy Birthday HERO!

On this day last year, after a long combined Houston City Council meeting that saw over 200 speakers spend one minute each pro and con debating it, on an 11-6 vote the HERO was passed to the joyous cries and cheers of all of us who busted our butts to make this day happen.

And yeah, as you know, a certain blogger had been hounding Houston City Council since January to make sure her hometown human rights ordinance was trans inclusive.

Our HERO covers 15 categories, but the HERO Haters were only concerned about two, sexual orientation and gender identity, and demonized trans folks in the month long contentious debate to passage.

We didn't get to celebrate our 30 years in the making win for long, because we immediately had to shift to defend it mode.   Thanks to unbridled arrogance, fraud and stupidity on the haters side as they collected the recall petitions, they discovered on August 4 didn't gather enough signatures to force it on the 2014 ballot for a recall.

The HERO Haters kept trying, and tried to get in the courts what they failed to get in the petition process they screwed up, and still lost twice in a jury trial and with the judge..

They just recently had another motion denied in which they tried to get an expedited trial in the 14th Texas Court of Appeals.   In order to get a HERO repeal on the ballot, they have to get a ruling overturning Judge Schaffer's decision before the August deadline to get ballots for November 2015  elections in Texas printed.

Tick, tick, tick , tick...

Meanwhile the HERO is in effect and being implemented by the city of Houston, so for the first time in Houston history we have a local remedy for discrimination that happens in the Houston city limits.

But what I was most proud of as a native Houstonian was that we sent the message to the state, the nation and the world that discrimination's time had expired in the fourth largest city in America.

So happy birthday HERO!   May you be around to celebrate many more!

LA State Senator Rips Jindal A New One

In 2005, after the Texas Legislature passed that unjust constitutional marriage ban, Texas State Rep Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston) let loose with a memorable floor speech excoriating it.

Ten years later, east of the Sabine River in Baton Rouge, State Senator Karen Carter Peterson (D-New Orleans)  took to the Louisiana Senate floor to rip Governor Bobby Jindal (R) for his unjust executive order intended to do an end run around the Louisiana Legislature to institute HB 707, a 'right to discriminate' law the Legislature rejected and the Louisiana business community didn't want.

But since Piyush is running for president on the GOP side, in his attempt to pander to Iowa social conservafool voters, he decided to unilaterally issue this executive order.that all the states competing with Louisiana for Super Bowls, Final Fours and other convention business are saying thank you very much for your stupidity.

Here's Senator Peterson's floor speech.

Eureka Springs Votes To Keep Trans Inclusive Non Discrimination Ordinance

Last night was election night in Eureka Springs, AR  and it resulted in another loss for the Forces of Intolerance.

The Eureka Springs City Council unanimously and quickly passed Ordinance 2223 on February 9,  a non-discrimination ordinance that covers gender identity and sexual orientation in advance of the GOP controlled Arkansas Legislature passing the unjust Act 137 law that bans local jurisdictions from doing so that takes effect July 20..

Ordinance 2223 prohibits discrimination against anyone in Eureka Springs based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and provides anti-discrimination protection in employment, housing and public accommodations.

Eureka Springs wanted that ordinance in effect so they would have standing in a court challenge to Act 137.   However the local haters, including former Chamber of Commerce President Mike Bishop some clergy and AR State Rep. Bob Ballinger (R) who filed Act 137 in response to  Ordinance 2223, wanted it to die. 

So they dusted off the Conservative Noise Machine, their debunked trans predator lies and set out to repeat in Eureka Springs what they had done in Fayetteville and overturn a passed non-discrimination ordinance.   However, the fear and smear campaign in Eureka Springs ran into a huge PR problem when Rev. Acra Lee Turner,  the kneegrow spokesellout they were using to bear false witness for the repeal effort was revealed to have been convicted of sexual assault in Oklahoma.

The karmic wheel also turned on Mike Bishop, who was fired from the presidency of the local chamber of commerce for getting politically involved in encouraging the repeal of Ordinance 2223 without board approval

Yesterday the repeal referendum election happened, and by a nearly 3-1 margin, the people of Eureka Springs voted to keep their ordinance 579-231.

“This is historic, this is so exciting, historic not just for Eureka Springs but for all of Arkansas,” Mayor Butch Berry said to the Eureka Springs Independent  on receiving the tally. “We’re part of this! The feelings of joy here at campaign headquarters are contagious. It reminds me of when Bill Clinton was elected the first time.”

Lamont Richie-Roberson, the Carroll County JP who crafted the ordinance, was also happy about the positive outcome.

“We won! I’m blown away by the margin. It’s almost three-to-one.” Richie-Roberson said he thought the reason the margin was so significant was because the For 2223 camp ran a positive campaign and got people to the polls. “This validates the Eureka Springs welcome sign,” he said.

It also sends the message around the world that Eureka Springs doesn't discriminate.

H-Town Discrimination, Your Time Has Expired

With the rapid approach of the one year anniversary on May 28 of the passage of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), I've been going down a pleasant memory lane about that struggle to pass it.

I was proud to have fulfilled one of my civil rights dreams and be part of the team that fought tooth and nail, endured long council sessions, and did the  work that got  HERO passed.

For me, it began with the first of a series of TransGriot post I wrote starting in September 2013 in which I stated that I wouldn't accept any HERO that wasn't trans inclusive.  

But I wasn't just sitting behind my computer.  I was also taking my unapologetically Black trans behind to City Council starting in January 2014 to repeat what I said on the blog. 

Then it was being present for several packed and contentious hearings in late April and May with plenty of drama, ups and downs, two coming outs and the amazing feeling of joy when the 11-6 City Council vote for passage of it happened.

O course the haters tried to gather signatures for a repeal referendum, fubared that badly, then tried to sue their way towards getting that referendum.  

Never mind the fact their lack of reading comprehension about the clearly laid out rules for collecting signatures is why their riddled with fraud petitions were rejected by the city on August 4 and they failed in court.twice.

The HERO is finally being implemented, and note to Steve Riggle, we still haven't had ANY Houston bakers being forced to bake swastika cakes.  Neither have we had epidemic levels of cross dressed predators invading Houston feminine bathrooms.

If you're looking for sexual harassers and child predators, you need to look in your own pastoral ranks.   I'm sick and tired of you children and grandchildren of pointed hood wearing segregationists hiding behind the Bible to express your deep seated need to oppress people you don't like.

The people I have major  contempt for are the cookie chomping ministers and their sheeple who opposed the passage of HERO simply because it included sexual orientation and gender identity as two of the 15 categories it covered, and sold us out to kill your conservaazzes.

It was also hurtful to see people who share my ethnic heritage regurgitate right wing talking point and collude with the same individuals in the Texas conservafool movement that oppress the entire Black community

The bottom line is contrary to the lie you, Dave Welch and your kneegrow sellouts kept trying to pimp during the HERO fight, the fraud ridden collection of signatures for a ballot initiative and the runup to the trial is that we already had an election concerning HERO, and it was in November 2013. 

Guess y'all had selective memory about the fact the then proposed ERO was an election issue not only in the mayoral race that Mayor Parker won, but at the city council level races.   The candidates who supported implementing a non-discrimination ordinance won at the ballot, and the ones like Ben Hall who opposed it (and still does) lost.

But what we do have is a local remedy to address any discrimination happening in the Houston city limits in 15 categories, and if you faith based oppressors and your kneegrow auxiliaries don't like that because it covers the Houston TBLG community, too bad.

H-town discrimination, your time has expired, and I'm glad that my hometown has a human rights ordinance that covers me and all Houstonians.

Marjorie Silva & Azucar Bakey Under Attack From Sore Loser Wingnuts Again

Marjorie Silva in Denver was just victorious in a recent loud and wrong racist human rights complaint in Colorado filed against her and her Azucar Bakery by right winger Bill Jack over a hate cake he wanted her to bake. 

Unfortunately she's going to have to defend herself again from another copycat filing by a second white male right wing troll who wouldn't know discrimination if it slapped him in the face multiple times, but does know how to oppress people.

Robert Mannarino filed his 'discrimination' complaint March 6 with the Colorado Civil Rights Commission claiming he is the 'victim' of 'religious discrimination'.

Ordering a wedding cake with hate speech on it is NOT discrimination.  Too bad your dumb azz wasn't paying attention when Jack lost his case.

He's also attacking her five star reviews by leaving nasty messages on the wedding sites TheKnot.com. WeddingWire.com, and MyWedding.com that people use to find bakers for their special day.

I'd be laughing my azz off if it weren't so serious for Ms. Silva, or the fact that these racist trolls keep trying to attack this Latina bakery and ruin her business to prove a failed point. 

Business is booming since they attacked her, and let's ensure it stays that way.   After Ms. Silva wins again, hope she civilly sues Mannarino and Jack for damages.

I hope that peeps on our liberal-progressive side will continue to support Ms. Silva because she stood up for us as an ally, and we need to make sure we continue to stand and deliver for her as the wingers continue to demonstrate and do what they do best:

Oppress people that don't look like them.

I'm One Of Those Proud Texans That Supports TBLG Non Discrimination Laws

As many of you TransGriot readers are quite aware of, I am a proud Houstonian and Texan who absolutely hates the GOP dominated government that has mismanaged it over the last 20 years.

Instead of our state government doing what they are supposed to do and pass laws that benefit all Texans, they are basically working to oppress anyone that isn't a conservative white male.

LGBT Texans love this state, and as much as y'all would like us to either leave it or go back in the closet so you can go back to pretending we trans, bi and SGL peeps don't exist, neither one of those thing is happening any time soon.

The Lege back in January was hellbent on passing legislation to remake our bipartisan passed in 1999 RFRA into an Indiana style bill until they witnessed the backlash Indiana got for trying to legislate discrimination.

And may I remind the legislative conservafools and the FOX Noise bamboozled sheeple that support them that the 2016 NCAA men's Final Four and 2017 Super Bowl are scheduled for Houston's NRG Stadium.  

And as business leaders in this state are increasingly opening their mouths to say, discrimination is bad for business.

If  you and these fools wish to continue to see NCAA men's and women's Final Fours and Super Bowl coming to San Antonio, Dallas and Houston along with major corporate relocations and conferences, the Tea GOP needs to back the hell off of those unjust bills you're proposing.

And yeah, despite your best efforts to keep me from doing so with your unjust voter suppression laws, I vote

I'm a proud Texan that supports nondiscrimination laws that protect LGBT Texans, and I'm in the majority on this issue.   All I or any other TBLG Texan wants is to live our lives without micromanaging from our government or having our existence criminalized based on a debunked lie.

Houston Anti-Trans Charter Amendment Petitions Turned In

You TransGriot readers are aware that we Houston TBLG peeps and our allies are still fighting to get the passed ten months ago Houston Equal Rights Ordinance implemented.

It is being litigated, .and we are awaiting the ruling from a judge about whether the much needed HERO will be immediately allowed to take effect, or be placed on the November ballot for a repeal vote.

Today Dave "I Pretended I Was Black To Get Elected' Wilson submitted six boxes of what he claims are enough signed petitions for an amendment to the Houston City Charter that seeks to enshrine discrimination against Houston transgender people.

I repeat what I said back in January about this: Not no but hell no.  Besides, why would we trust a guy who deliberately misrepresented himself as Black to get elected to the Houston Community College system board? 

But one of the things I'm pissed off about is the local media, led by FOXNoise26  that continue to pimp the discredited bathroom predator narrative instead of telling the truth and calling it what it is, a blatant attack on the human rights and humanity of trans Houstonians.

I'm also irritated about the failure of local media to interview trans Houstonians or local trans leaders about these repressive human rights proposals that will negatively impact us.

I left this comment in a KTRK-TV story which framed it once again around bathrooms and failed to interview ANY local trans leaders to rebut the haters.

Let's tell the truth ABC13 This petition by a longtime gaybaiter is all about enshrining bigotry and hatred of transgender people into the Houston city charter. This is not about 'safety'. I am sick of Houston media perpetuating a predator lie that has been thoroughly debunked and not talking to the people who will be deleteriously affected by this.
 
The good news is that a charter amendment requires 20,000 signatures to be placed on the ballot, and they failed (so far) to get on the ballot with a HERO repeal referendum with a lower signature threshold.

Will be anxiously watching this to see if I need to make another trip to City Hall to call some crap out.

TransGriot Update:  Mayor Parker announced that Dave Wilson's attempt to add hatred of transgender people to the city charter has failed because he didn't collect enough signatures.  He only collected an alleged 19,700 signatures and he needed to collect at least 20,000 valid signatures to place it on the November ballot.

'Discrimination In Disguise' Event At UHD Tomorrow

With the overwhelmingly negative attention that the Indiana RFRA drew when their GOP dominated state government tried to pass it, this timely panel discussion on the University of Houston Downtown campus brings attention to our GOP dominated state government''s attempts in Texas to pass RFRA bills that are even more odious.

There are currently 20 anti-LGBTQI bills being proposed that disguise themselves as religious freedom restoration acts, and a panel sponsored by the Texas Freedom Network UHD chapter will discuss them.

It will be on the UHD campus at 1 Main Street in Room N1099 starting at 5:30 PM, so come and join the discussion, the free food, and get educated about the attempts of the Texas GOP to legislate discrimination in disguise..

Colorado Civil Rights Division Rules In Favor Of Marjorie Silva!

Remember Marjorie Silva, the Latina baker in Denver who the right wingers tried to troll with a civil rights complaint for refusing to write anti-gay slogans on two Bible shaped cake she agreed to bake for conservafool activist William Jack?

Before Creating Change 2015, I asked that we support Ms. Silva by buying any baked goods we needed for CC15 from her bakery in a show of solidarity with her, and people did exactly that.

Well, the verdict is in concerning the religious discrimination  complaint Jack filed with the Colorado Civil Rights Division.



They ruled that Ms. Silva did not discriminate against Jack when she refused to prep two Bible shaped cakes with anti-gay imagery and write derogatory phrases like 'God Hates Gays' in icing on the cakes.

The Colorado Civil Rights Division noted in its decision that Silva is Catholic, and her refusal to complete the customer's requests was based on "derogatory language and imagery" rather than their religious nature.

Boom.

So happy to hear that Ms. Silva won and the trolling Christohater lost    Of course Jack is going to appeal the ruling, and it will probably result in the same finding.

Hope you Denver LGBT peeps will continue to support her Azucar Bakery when it comes times to buy your wedding cakes, but cakes of all kinds and for all occasions.

HERO Protects You!

Since some of you or your friends and relatives may be going to church services this morning in which the lying sack of feces  pastor isn't being truthful about what the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance actually covers, here's this handy graphic that you can show peeps the 15 categories the much needed human rights law covers.

Remember, only you can prevent sellout pastors from bamboozling you into believing a human rights law doesn't cover you.

And once again Steve Riggle, no bakers in the Houston city limits have been forced before or since the May 28 passage of the ordinance to bake a swastika cake.

Upcoming Know Your Rights With The Police Event

I missed the first one, but definitely plan to be in the house for the second in a planned series of trainings organized by Ashton Woods that are in the current climate of mistrust between the police and the community vitally needed.

For many of us, the idea of getting stopped by the police can be intimidating. One reason is that many of us do not know our rights and how to properly respond to police. This Know Your Rights training series is intended to teach you how to respond to police, and know your rights during your interactions with police.

The trainings are being taught by attorney and former Houston city councilmember Jolanda Jones and this next event will take place on Saturday, January 24 from 12:30-2:00 PM.

Location of the training will be at Resurrection MCC's The Gathering Place.   Resurrection's address is 2025 W. 11th St.  Hope to see you there.

Plano, TX Passes Problematic TBLG Inclusive Ordinance

With Houston becoming in May the most recent Texas city to enact  an inclusive non-discrimination law with the passage of HERO, Lone Star TBLG Texans were waiting to see what Texas city would step up to the human rights plate next.

Turns out it was Plano, TX with a population of 274,000 peeps. The Plano City Council on a 5-3 vote Monday night expanded its non-discrimination ordinance that has been in effect since 1989 to include gender identity and sexual orientation in front of a standing room only City Council chamber.

Note to all you folks considering the same thing for your cities and towns.  Draft the strongest ordinance you can and bump the haters because you only get one shot to do it right.  The Plano ordinance problematically excluded bathrooms, and the expanded ordinance is STILL getting hated on.

The Plano Equal Rights Policy that takes effect in January affords equal rights to individuals regardless of “U.S. military/veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

It prohibits discrimination in places of “public accommodation, employment practices, housing transactions and city contracting practices.”

City contractors must agree to comply with the equal employment opportunity clause but may apply for a waiver “based on a conflict with federal or state law.”

Exemptions are provided for religious organizations; political organizations; nonprofit organizations, except those receiving city grant money; educational institutions; private clubs; and state and federal agencies.

The Plano ordinance does not require employers to provide benefits to an employee’s domestic partner

Plano is not only the sixth Texas city to do so, it is the first suburban Texas one to take that human rights step. “Providing equal rights for everyone is the right thing to do,” Mayor Harry Rosiliere said during the contentious meeting as the haters once again tried to deploy their patented  fear and smear tactics and failed.

The expanded policy has the support of large Plano employers such as Frito-Lay, Toyota and PepisCo, and the North Texas Gay and Lesbian Alliance.    Jeanne Rubin, vice president of the North Texas Gay and Lesbian Alliance said after the affirmative council vote was tallied .“I’m glad the Plano City Council did the right thing,”

But there are people gearing up to do the right wing hate thing.  There was opposition from Texas Values, Collin County GOP (surprise, surprise) state legislators like Jodie Laubenberg, Pat Fallon, Jeff Leach, Rep-elect Matt Shaheen and (indicted) Attorney General elect Ken Paxton.   The Plano based ''christian" advocacy group the Liberty Institute is threatening to file a lawsuit.

There were also threats by the sore bigot losers of recalls against the five councilmembers who voted for it and the mayor.

In big cities like Houston that have sizable progressive populations, we laugh that off, but in GOP leaning 'Collin County, it's stay tuned time to see if they make that threat happen.

Hearing that trans folks in North Texas hate the cave on the bathroom.   I'm going to be interested to hear from Nell Gaither and other peeps in the Dallas metro area to find out if they were even consulted in terms of crafting the language on this.

But congrats to Plano for trying doing the right thing.. 

Dallas Adds TBLG Protections To City Charter!

There was actually some good news out of Texas in the wake of an abysmal night for Team Liberal Progressive.

One the ballot in the City of Dallas was  a proposed addition of a nondiscrimination proposition that would add several classes to its city charter.

Proposition 4 if passed would add in addition to sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, color, age, marital status, genetic characteristics, national original, disability, and military or veteran status

Dallas already prohibited discrimination against city employees based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in its equal employment opportunity policy.

When all 430 precincts reported in, 77% of the city voted to pass Proposition 4.

Congrats Dallas!