Tag Archives: Houston LGBT news

Houston Politics

Sides Weigh In on Houston NDO Debate

Leave a comment

Back on October 3rd, I published the questionnaire response from Council Member Cohen, and she not only confirmed full support for the Non- Discrimination Ordinance, but gave valuable insight into how to move it through Council…

TL: With the exception of city government and some other select businesses, Houstonians can still be fired for being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender because we do not have a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance for general employment. This lags behind other Texas cities such as Dallas, Austin, and Ft. Worth. Do you support a comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance for the city of Houston? If not, please explain why. If so, please explain how you would work to pass such a measure.

EC: I absolutely support a comprehensive non-discrimination measure a consider it to be a major civil rights priority. Demonstrating community support and dispelling misconceptions will be critical in getting such a measure passed.

Not sure whether that last statement is more politics or prophecy, but whichever the case, it’s certainly coming true. In the short time since the Ordinance’s public debut, declamatory shots have been fired by all sides. Here’s more on that from Mike Morris of the Houston Chronicle…

The City Council is expected to discuss the measure at a committee hearing next week and to vote on the proposal next month, the mayor said.

Parker, the first openly gay mayor of a major American city, said she is aware most of the debate will focus on sexual orientation and gender identity – two groups not covered by federal law – but stressed that the proposal, Houston’s first nondiscrimination measure, is comprehensive.

“It has been surprising to me how many people in the African-American community I have heard from in recent months talking about still having problems getting equal access to the hottest clubs in the evening or restaurants, bars, music venues,” she said. “It gives the city of Houston an opportunity to weigh in and try to help smooth a path for those who want access to those facilities.”

Churches’ criticism

Dave Welch, of the Houston Area Pastor Council, said Parker is imposing onerous rules on businesses for a problem that does not exist.

“She is using anecdotal examples of discrimination, which may or may not occur, based on race and veterans’ situations as a front for her promises to ‘her people,’ as she described them in her inaugural address, the GLBT community,” he said. “It’s dishonest.”

Parker initially had talked of creating a human rights commission to hear complaints, but that idea was left out of the proposal announced Monday.

Contrary to what the article implies, not all churches are against equality. As Texas Leftist readers know, many faith-professing congregations around the Bayou City are proud to support this Non- Discrimination ordinance, and others like it. But from people like Dave Welch, this response was to be expected. After all, he and the Houston Area Pastor Council have led the charge against Parker since before she was even elected, and have opposed her every step of the way. In summation… Haters gonna HATE.

But if a couple of enraged pastors and irate bloggers is the best that the anti-equality side has, then this vote really should be a no-brainer for Council. And in case anyone needed a reminder, equality is not a right vs. left issue. Many Conservative Houstonians are willing to support this Non- Discrimination ordinance as planned, and some, like the Log Cabin Republicans of Houston have been working behind the scenes towards its passage. Here’s what LCR had to say on the group’s Facebook page…

The Log Cabin Republicans of Houston applauds Mayor Parker’s plans to introduce the upcoming Equal Rights Ordinance. The ordinance is a significant step to promote the economic development of Houston. The great city of Houston is currently experiencing an economic highpoint, and it would be well served by protecting its workforce from incidents of discrimination. This proposal is good policy which will move Houston forward into the 21st century.

The history of the Republican Party has been one of supporting equal treatment of all people before the law, including supporting the civil rights movement for Black Americans, women suffrage, and the 1964 civil rights act. It is in this same vein that we today urge all city council members and citizens of Houston to support this important step for our city.

As Cohen stated above, dispelling misconceptions about this ordinance is just as key as anything else. Thanks to groups like LCR, we can put one more to bed… Houstonians on both the Left and the Right support equality, and want to see this ordinance move forward. Hopefully Council Members will keep this in mind as they consider their vote.

 

Uncategorized

Creating Change 2014 in Houston

Leave a comment

It’s sufficient to say that Houston is full of surprises. In recent past, it shocked the rest of the United States by becoming the largest American city to elect an openly gay mayor, and of course we’ve gone on to reelect her twice now. This event put the Texas city on the “national radar” of the LGBT movement. It’s pretty clear that with Annise Parker’s election, the city of Houston created change in the country’s political landscape.

That’s a singular event, but so much has happened and continues to happen for equality throughout Texas everyday. But this week, Houston becomes the national epicenter of the LGBT political and social justice movement. Creating Change— The 26th National Conference on LGBT Equality has landed in the Bayou City, happening now through February 2nd.

The Conference, produced by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, is itself a tour-de-force of networking, strategy and development opportunities. Here’s more information directly from the Creating Change Website…

Creating Change (as it’s affectionately known) is the nation’s pre-eminent political, leadership and skills-building conference for the LGBT social justice movement. Since 1988, Creating Change has been the opportunity for thousands of committed people to develop and hone their skills, celebrate victories, build community, and to be inspired by visionaries of our LGBT movement and allied movements for justice and equality.

At the 26th National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, we’ll celebrate 26 years of building the grassroots power of our people and families. Over 40,000 people have attended Creating Change to learn, grow and expand their skills and confidence to create change in their communities, their states, this country and the world. For each Creating Change attendee, our annual skills-building and training event is a life-changing experience.

The five day program will feature over 350 workshops led by activists, politicians, public figures from all over the country. Tonight’s keynote speaker for the conference is critically acclaimed actress Laverne Cox.

If you can’t get to Houston this week, be sure to check the Creating Change livestream to watch some of the main events, and on Twitter the #CC14 hashtag is the central hub for social media action.

Uncategorized

Houston: City Employees Granted Full Benefits for Same-Sex Spouses

Leave a comment

Today is a big day for Houston’s LGBT community… an emotional day as well. Directly from the Mayor’s Office, here’s the press release…

Mayor Annise Parker today announced that the city will begin offering benefits to all legally married spouses of city employees. This will apply to same-sex couples who have been married in a state where same-sex marriage is legal. The mayor’s decision is based on a city legal department interpretation of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions and other relevant case law from the around the country.

A 2001 voter-approved City Charter amendment has previously been relied upon as the basis for prohibiting the granting of same-sex benefits. However, the amendment specifically permits benefits to be provided to “legal spouses” of employees. After a careful review of recent case law, the city legal department believes continued application of the charter amendment so as to deny same-sex spousal benefits would be unlawful because it treats employees differently on the basis of sexual orientation.

“Based on the right to equal protection under the law, it is unconstitutional for the city to continue to deny benefits to the same-sex spouses of our employees who are legally married,” said Mayor Parker. “This change is not only the legal thing to do, it is the right, just and fair thing to do.”

The city of Houston is following actions already taken by several federal agencies, including the Internal Revenue Service, which announced in August that all legally married same-sex couples will be recognized as married for federal tax purposes, even if those couples reside in states that do not recognize same-sex marriage.”

As a result of this policy change, same-sex spouses of city employees will now be eligible for the same health care and life insurance benefits previously offered only to heterosexual married couples. It is unclear at this time as to how many employees will take advantage of the change because there is no way to know how many have legally recognized same-sex marriages. The new policy will not extend to domestic partners; it applies only to legally married couples.

The move notes some significant progress for Texas’ largest city, and provides a great example of something other municipalities in Conservative states can do to aid legally married same-sex couples. Under the current charter amendment passed in 2001, Houston is still unable to offer domestic partner benefits to unmarried same-sex couples. Houston

This is a proud moment for the Parker administration… something expected, but maybe not so soon after her reelection. I take it as a signal that she is serious on the advancement of equality for Houston. The issue’s bottom line is all about fairness. At yesterday’s Press Conference, Mike Morris of the Houston Chronicle asked an important question regarding the state-level Defense of Marrige Act…

Morris: “What would you say to a critic who might view this as your administration choosing not to enforce provisions [of state law]?”

Parker: “I’ll read you the exact language in the City Charter.

‘Except as required by state or federal law, The City of Houston shall not provide employment benefits, including health care, to persons other than employees, their legal spouses, or dependent children…’ It’s very clear… employees, legal spouses and their dependent children. The plain language [of who can and cannot be covered] is in the charter.

Morris: “Except as required by state law.”

Parker: “State or federal law, and federal law trumps state law.”

As our state’s Conservative leaders continue to hope pray that LGBT equality will go away, Houston continues to make progress towards a more equal society for it’s citizens.

In the wake of this important step, another fact deserves to be discussed. He may not have expected yesterday’s announcement, but I can guarantee you that fellow blogger Charles Kuffner of Off the Kuff had something to do with it. Through interviews with 35 Houston municipal candidates, including 10 currently elected officials, Kuffner was consistent in putting the candidates on record for their stance about domestic partner benefits. Thanks to his tireless work, this and other equality issues were kept at the forefront of the 2013 elections.

For more coverage on this topic, check out Off the Kuff, Texpatriate, and Brains and Eggs.