Houston Equal Rights Ordinance Essay

For centuries same sex marriage has been a dispute, especially in Texas because of how powerfully Texas believes in the bible and how extremely “old fashioned” it is. The debate has been over LGBT equality, just like the black civil rights movement and the women’s movement in the 1960’s. Due to the traditional and common law, Texas does not allow same sex marriage. Actually, the state banned same sex marriage a decade ago or more. The issue was during the 2004 presidential election when Missouri and Louisiana voters approved same sex marriage and eleven states placed amendments. Everyone held their word and continued to protect the laws of Texas. The constitutional amendments that banned same sex marriage well-defined marriage as a union between

Texas case served as the tip of the iceberg into advancing the gay rights movement in Texas and nationwide. Without the case as well as the specific decision made by the Supreme Court, Texas would still be majorly intolerant, discriminant, and unrepresented by the LGBT community and supporters. Lawrence and Garner were two men who fought for their love, their privacy, and their rights, and they came out successfully in the end in turn affecting all of society and many events that have taken place since 2003. Considering if sodomy laws were still implemented in Texas, an injustice and unconstitutional hindrance would be in place fostering the traditional culture and conservative views that are voiced as the majority in Texas. In the past few years, Texas Democrats have voiced their support of same-sex marriage, the next step in the gay rights movement. In 2012 their support and advocacy in favor of same-sex marriage began and it would not have been possible without the existence of the Lawrence v. Texas case and its six to three ruling declaring the sodomy laws in Texas unconstitutional. The LGBT community wants what all Americans expect: life, liberty, and property. The pursuit of happiness is the added bonus as to what they strive for, and it was made possible by the ruling of the Lawrence v. Texas case in

In recent years, the United States has been struggling to pass transgender rights, and Texas is of no means of an exception. Some of these include bathroom rights. In Texas, the bathroom bill passed through the Texas Senate, but did not survive through the Texas House, resulting in a temporary halt. Even now, the government still question the rights. It is suggested that Texas may need a bathroom bill, but would probably end in some kind of financial consequence, along with many Americans losing their jobs. The Texas Bathroom Bill, otherwise known as SB6, could also fuel disunity within our nation and cause several riots.

The Equal Rights Amendment was formed to combat legal sex discrimination. The act seeks to end discrimination between women and men in terms of property, divorce, and employment rates along with many other matters. Many supporters of the ERA marched, rallied, and committed acts of civil disobedience just to show awareness, but little did many know they were part taking in a historical continuum in the fight for equality (Francis, Roberta W.).

The equal rights ordinance is now on the ballot for people to vote whether or not they want this ordinance pass and take effect in Houston. Houstonians will be able to vote for or against HERO on November 3, 2015. People have the right to equality and protection from discrimination. It would be beneficial if people would educate themselves on HERO before the making the decision to vote. If people have equal rights under law, then discrimination would not be tolerant. Since the city is dividing into two, this ordinance solely rest in the hands of the people in Houston. Whatever the vote turns out to be will effect Houston

Statement of Facts: A gay right’s activist was arrested for the municipal ordinance of interrupting an officer while performing their duties when officers approached his friend and he tried to sidetrack them by screaming out at them to “pick on someone their own size.” The activist brought the case to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which then was overlooked a panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the women and minority groups of California became extremely confident in their own rights (Osborne, 313). Many white, middle class women focused on their freedom rather than their religious views. Because of this, this also started to happen in other states. They wanted people to listen so these groups made there way to Pat Brown’s office (Osborne, 313). These women would not back down and Browns journey to appreciate ethnic diversity and gender justice was a long one. Brown mocked the homosexuals in San Fransisco and he gave no “thought about women with respect to equal rights” (Osborne, 313). As times changed, so did his views on rights for minorities and women.

Texas has its own laws for employment discrimination but employers who abide by the federal statute will be safe under the Texas state law as well. The reason for this is that the Texas Labor Code Anti-Discrimination Provisions are parallel with the Federal Discrimination guidelines. However, there is a trend throughout cities and counties within America that allow these local municipalities to have their own ordinances. In Texas, local government can and sometimes do establish their own anti-discrimination rules. In the city of Austin, several city ordinances make it unlawful to deny access to public accommodation or discriminate on employment on the basis of gender identity or sexual

In the 2016 Mississippi legislative session, we saw one of the worst pieces of discriminatory legislation in the country pass both houses and swiftly signed by the governor. HB 1523, dubbed the “Religious Liberty Accommodations Act,” allows individuals, religious organizations and private associations to use religion to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Mississippians in some of the most important aspects of their lives, including at work, at school, in their family life and more. The Jackson City Council had to make it clear that everyone is welcome and should feel safe in our capitol city, the largest city in our state. That is why on June 14, 2016, the Jackson City Council unanimously passed a

The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) was intended to protect an extremely broad range of groups, barring discrimination against individuals based on “sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy.” In the brief period last year when HERO was in effect—before the Texas Supreme Court intervened and forced the measure to be put on the ballot—five of the complaints filed under the ordinance were about racial discrimination, five were about LGBT discrimination, and one was about gender

Gender equality is a pressing issue in the United States. The definition of gender, and the rights that accompany them, is constantly being updated and adjusted. The LBGT community is fighting for equality after being repressed for many years. Because of this sudden movement, social issues are sparking outrage and debate on whether a certain law or right for LBGT people is to be initiated. In many instances, these issues dominate the media, and cause for chaos on both sides of the spectrum. The bathroom controversy exemplifies this. The LBGT community argues that anyone should be able to use whichever bathroom that matches with their identified gender. Members of the LBGT community should not be able to use whatever bathroom they please.

In other words, marriage equality has not fix problems such as the discrimination. She argues that in many states gay people and transgenders can be fired from their job just because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. Also, in many states, same-sex couple had been restricted in the fact of been able to adopt children. There are still no laws that prohibit this type of discriminations. Therefore, Sally believes that even though we have made great strides, much more remains to be

According to the Charlotte Observer, the House Bill Two invalidates any local ordinances that exist throughout the state to give more protection to the members of the LGBT Community. What’s wrong with giving those who are discriminated against the most a little extra protection? Apparently enough to make those kinds of rules illegal. As I explained earlier, a lot of supporters for the

Senate Bill 6, also known as the Texas Privacy Act, would override city ordinances that allow individuals to use restrooms according to gender identity, and also bars cities from requiring private businesses to have certain regulations regarding their bathrooms, allowing those businesses to make those rules for themselves instead.

Despite what the law says, protestors still see it as discrimination, which in their eyes is wrong. People have avoided visiting the state, musicians have cancelled concerts and companies began pulling business deals out of the state. “HB2 compounds the discrimination and marginalization of the transgender community, who already have to fight every day for their survival. Our privacy and safety matter too. Our right to feel safe and protected in this world does not infringe on anyone else’s right to the same,” one transgender man commented.