The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance - 1371 Words

In order to be on the same page as other major cities across the United States, motions were made over a year ago in Houston to pass an equal rights, anti-discrimination ordinance known as the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). At last a decision was made, and on November 3rd, 2015, HERO was struck down by 61 percent of the voters by referendum (Fernandez). The premise of the anti-discrimination ordinance is similar to those of other cities across the nation; to prevent discrimination on the bases of 15 different classes including race, age, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Houston’s mayor Annise Parker, who identifies as gay herself, was a strong supporter of the proposition for equal rights, and as all supporters in the Houston area agreed, it would put Houston on the map of inclusive and tolerant cities (Fernandez). On the other side of the argument is the conservative population of Houston. With the majority of political opinion in the Houston area being that o f highly conservative leaning, HERO proved to be a controversial ordinance for many of these individuals. In an effort to increase support for opposing HERO, conservative politicians in the Houston area therefore took advantage of conservative ideals to promote a counter-position to the anti-discrimination laws (Ura). Two major contributors to the opposing opinion were Republican state leaders Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (Ura). Both individuals heavily supplied the funds and theShow MoreRelatedThe Houston Equal Rights Ordinance1536 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction HERO, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, according to the City of Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (2014), covers nondiscrimination against sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, and pregnancy. The ordinance lists sections of protection within city services and employment, contracting with the city, public accommodations, private employment, andRead MoreHate Speech Should Be Made Illegal1351 Words   |  6 Pagesthe person or group speaking out of hatred. This type of rhetoric has taken many forms and had many sources over the years. Other examples include public anger towards Muslims after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, much of the debate about the Civil Rights movement in the ‘60s, and even comments by current presidential candidates all can be considered hate speech. As much as this type of hurtful language is instantly and historicall y detested it is still protected by the 1st Amendment to the US ConstitutionRead MoreOverview Of The LGBTQ Community914 Words   |  4 Pagesdisturbance or Gender dysphoria. Although, things have changed for the greater good, much work is yet to be done to increase inclusion and recognition for the LGBTQ community. â€Å" In November 2015, voters in Houston, the fourth most populous city in the United States, rejected an equal rights ordinance that would have protected citizens against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, among other classes (Hoy-Ellis, Ator, Kerr Milford, p. 56, 2016). although some discriminationRead MoreThe Liberties Of The Aclu1639 Words   |  7 Pagesweek of the arrest. Travis’s traumatic interaction with SFPD highlights the civil rights and liberties violations that Black Americans and other people of color face every day at the hands of local law enforcement in California and across the nation. We must demand equal protection in the face of economic inequality. The rights we fight for every day are only meaningful when they are accessible to everyone. Equal protection under the law is not contingent on one’s ability to pay. Yet all over theRead MoreThe Struggle Of The Civil War1492 Words   |  6 Pagesother southern states that supported slavery, had a vested interest in preserving the institution at all costs, which is why they risked their lives over it. Moreover, Texans may argue that the civil war was about states’ rights or defense of the southern â€Å"way of life.† States’ rights, though part of the equation, played a diminished role as a whole in prompting the Civil War. Furthermore, because it revolved mostly around slavery, the southern â€Å"way of life† became an indirect cause of the war. The CivilRead MoreThe Constitution And The United States1483 Words   |  6 Pagesthe power to recall which gives the ability to remove elected members. The power of initiative in which voters can approve measures drafted by a citizen to become law. The power of referendum, which includes the approval of the certain existing ordinance. According to home-rule is the practice of self-government and proper use of power that must be exercised to maintain the operation of local government†, (McDonald, pg. 13). There are ways to reduce and stop the three powers despite the fact thatRead MoreSlavery During The Civil Rights Movement Essay1649 Words   |  7 PagesMichael Anderson Steven Watson HIST 2111/16 Date How Slavery led to Mass Incarceration and the â€Å"#BlackLivesMatter† Movement When slavery was created because some people felt that blacks were less than human and not worthy of rights that were given to indentured European citizens it started a way of thinking that some still feel today. This way of thinking has been taught to both sides of this ongoing battle even showing up in the Presidential election with the words of Donald Trump on February 22Read MoreGender Presentation : Gender And Gender2100 Words   |  9 Pagesdefined. Today, we observe more subtle forms of this type of treatment. In fact, in 2015, in response to a proposed equal rights ordinance that would include gender identity, the Campaign for Houston group launched an advertisement campaign that used propaganda to link the ordinance to sex offenders gaining access to women’s bathrooms (2015). This campaign was so effective that the ordinance failed to pass, and similar campaigns are starting to crop up in other states. This type of group-serving biasRead More Hate Crimes and The Mit chell v. Wisconsin Decision Essay example5764 Words   |  24 PagesHate Crimes and The Mitchell v. Wisconsin Decision The American Heritage Dictionary defines hate as intense dislike or animosity. However, defining hate as the basis for a crime is not as easy without possibly jeopardizing constitutional rights in the process. Hate crime laws generally add enhanced punishments to existing statues. A hate crime law seeks to treat a crime, if it can be demonstrated that the offense was a hate crime differently from the way it would be treated under ordinary criminalRead MoreThe Low-Paid and Living Wage Movement: To Get the Labor’s Right1819 Words   |  8 Pagesknow what kinds of situations low-wage people are facing. In a book, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich reports the low-wage people’s lives that stay in deep poverty. She frankly expressed lives of them who are in place where there are no human rights. Barbara Ehrenreich explains working environments of low-wage people in her book. She stayed in three different states and worked as one of low-wage people, such as waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing–home aide, and Wal-Mart associate. There