From the InBox:
For Immediate Release Press Release
Contacts: Jonathan Saenz, Cell: 512-879-7995, Office: 512-478-2220 [email protected]
Effort To Repeal Houston’s LGBT & Transsexual Bathroom Law Enters Final Week
Houston, TX, June 20, 2014 – An important effort is underway to repeal the recently passed Houston LGBT Ordinance through a referendum process. The dangerous ordinance is a threat to religious liberty of every Houstonian and is a threat to the public safety of women and children by allowing men to use women’s restrooms. The ordinance will force private business owners to violate their conscience on matters of faith and could be used to prosecute churches as well.
“If you care about religious liberty and the safety of women and children, you must get involved immediately with this repeal effort in Houston,” said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values Action. “I was born and raised in Houston, and I know Houstonians do not support this ill-advised law and have the courage needed to repeal it. The time to act is now,” said Saenz.
This process allows Houston voters to directly repeal an ordinance passed by the City Council, if an adequate number of qualified signatures are received within the deadline of 30 days after it takes effect or is published. The city council must then either repeal the ordinance or place the measure on the next city election ballot for the vote of the people. A simple majority prevails and if achieved the ordinance is repealed.
A coalition of church leaders and organizations has launched a website at NoUNequalRights.com that has full details on this effort. In short, at least 17,000 signatures by REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON must be collected by Friday, June 27 for the referendum process to move forward. Over 115,000 emails and thousands of calls by Texas Values Action supporters were received by Houston City Council in opposition to Mayor Parker’s LGBT ‘special rights’ ordinance. Reports from council members themselves were that the calls ran from 4 to 1 to as high as 10 to 1 against the ordinance.
With only one week left until the deadline, it is critically important for every church in Harris County to help. Learn how churches can participate in the referendum petition here.
TAKE ACTION: Download the “No UNequal Rights” petition and instructions and help protect Houston.
About Texas Values
Texas Values is a non-profit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org.
I also received a press release from former Harris County Republican Party Chair Jared Woodfill about the petition. Various groups are working hard to obtain the necessary signatures and I wouldn’t bet against them pulling it off.
Assuming it gets on the November ballot, it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Republicans have had a difficult time in City of Houston elections for the past decade. The organizers of the petition drive are doing this independently from the HCRP and new Chair Paul Simpson, who has been very quiet on the issue. I think that he did send out one email opposing the ordinance shortly before the council vote but he hasn’t been a leader against it, which is certainly the direction his supporters wanted him to take the party, away from these types of issues and towards get out the vote organization. If Simpson and the official party apparatus do not support it, I don’t see how the ballot initiative has a chance of passing. If that is the case, with infighting amongst Republicans, it may even affect the Republican ticket as a whole, with moderates refusing to vote straight ticket. And if that happens, what happens to the down ballot judicial and county administration races?
Lane says
Reading between the lines…you suggest we let this creation of new protected classes stand? I cannot, and I would repeal every local, state and fed law, mandate or regulation that sets any group apart as ‘protected’. There are no ‘group rights’, there are only individual rights. No animal shall be more equal than the rest.
Helmet donned, ready for incoming.
David Jennings says
No reading between the lines allowed, Lane. I have been against this ordinance from the start. I’m simply asking what the effect will be in November on other races, and if the party will continue to splinter.
filmmaker01 says
At some point in time the Republican Party is going to have to decide what it is and what it stands for. It’s either gonna stand for some moral absolutes, or it’s simply going to be the Democrats with a smaller budget. Either way there are going to be people that aren’t happy with the results.
Lane says
Given CoH demographic, this will be used to ‘engage’ other permanently aggrieved blocs which can be rolled out by threats that their special protected status will be on the block next. In fact I expect such tactics will be orchestrated by city hall and its allies. Whether this translates to an up and down ballot debacle for local Rs is questionable as this will be the only city question (?) on the line. Even the perpetually aggrieved might need more than one thing to bring them out in numbers sufficient to beat back this effort at restoring rule of law.
I might even enjoy a little close in participation in this contest.
Lane says
And a straight ticket vote will not include the public question, voters will have to make sure they find it and select it…making things a bit tougher for the ‘punch line seven, we all go to heaven’ crowd.
Joan White, in Braes Heights Central says
I think that large operations should have THREE bathrooms. One for men, One for women, and One for folks who would be uncomfortable in either of the first two. I am thinking of a grown woman who needed to care for a dependent father, also grown. She was uncomfortable taking her dad into either the men’s room or the ladies’ room. There may not be lots and lots of good people in her circumstances, but if large organizations could provide THREE restrooms, then folks in her and her dad’s circumstances could be accommodated AND perhaps those folks who are not happy with their gender could also use the special bathroom. Please see if this idea might be acceptable to the citizenry at large!! Pretty Please!!
movingforward says
I am not a transgender, but I am sick of this bigoted religious people taking away the civil rights and other rights passed by lawmakers, if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, stay out of it, by not engaging in it, and leave that people alone for god’s sake! When god judges every single one of us individually, is not going to be pretty.
filmmaker01 says
I totally agree! But I would phrase it a bit differently: I am sick of strange, weird and mentally confused people demanding that society collectively acquiesce to their incessant demands to be catered to and embraced as absolutely normal. If you want to engage in an alternate lifestyle, fine, but please stop insisting that the government force society to treat you as a privileged elite, and leave people alone for God’s sake.
Please note that God will indeed judge every single one of us – individually – and in many cases the results will indeed not be pretty
Mainstream says
My impression is that the effect of the repeal referendum will be to inflame a larger than normal Democrat turnout. I think Harris County GOP judicial candidates should be working extra hard if they hope to hang on.
Manuel Barrera says
Mainstream what makes you thing that homosexuality drives the Democratic Party? I think you are familiar with the makeup of the Democratic Party, lots of African Americans that for the most part are religious and do not support the Sexual Predator Act. There a lot of Latinos that the majority, maybe vast majority, do not support the Sexual Predator Act. Who makes up the Democratic Party?
There was a reason that homosexuality agenda in the State Democratic Party tends to be soften and or not included. I believe the only place that sexual choice is mentioned is in the Diversity section (Democrat platform).
Having stated the above you may be right about more Democrats voting, particularly the African American Community they may come out to vote against Annise Parker’s Sexual Protection Ordinance and once there will vote for Democrats. Without that the African American community and the Latino community do not have much reason to come out and vote this coming November.