The Texas Response

"We invite all Texans to join us as we celebrate and fully explain the new Pastor Protection law & discuss the Supreme Court’s marriage decision. We will also talk about the impact of the Court’s decision on religious freedom and free speech & share what YOU can do to make a difference!"

HOUSTON: LGBT Rights Bill Will Stand

Via the Houston Chronicle:

Opponents of Houston's non-discrimination ordinance failed to gather enough valid signatures to force a repeal referendum, a state district judge ruled Friday, validating city officials' decision to toss out the petition foes submitted last summer. After separate rulings from both a jury and state District Judge Robert Schaffer, attorneys for both sides entered dueling counts of the valid signatures, adding and subtracting voters as Schaffer responded to motions. By early this week, the counts were closer together than ever before, fewer than 1,000 signatures apart. Ultimately, Schaffer on Friday ruled the final count of valid signatures was 16,684, leaving opponents short of the threshold required in the city charter of 17,249 signatures, or 10 percent of the ballots cast in the last mayoral election.

"The jury's verdict and the judge's ruling are a powerful smack-down against the forces of discrimination and intolerance," said Geoffrey Harrison, lead attorney for the city, in a statement. "And maybe, just maybe, they'll reconsider their misguided ways." The law, on hold during trial, is now in effect, according to a city spokeswoman. Mayor Annise Parker released a statement celebrating the verdict. "I would hope that the plaintiffs would not appeal, they lost during a jury trial and today they also lost with the judge's ruling," Parker said. "Now all Houstonians have access to the same protections." But opponents, largely conservative activists and pastors whose objections center on the protections the law extends to gay and transgender residents, say they will appeal the decision. Andy Taylor, attorney for the plaintiffs, said he remains confident they will ultimately take the law to voters.

Stand by for some epic sadz! Read the ruling.

TEXAS: Petition To Repeal Plano LGBT Rights Ordinance Ruled Totally Invalid

From the Dallas Morning News:

A Plano petition drive aimed at the city’s LGBT ordinance is invalid, the city has announced. Last month, opponents of the city’s Equal Rights Ordinance say they turned in petitions containing more than the 3822 signatures required to force the City Council to repeal the measure or put it on the ballot.

Plano officials say the petition contained false information about the ordinance, claiming that it regulates bathrooms. “By making this false representation, the Equal Rights petition asked signees to repeal an ordinance that does not exist,” according to a statement issued by the city.

The petitions did not include a copy of the ordinance, as required by the City Charter, and did not include a a column for the county of voter registration, as required by the Texas Election Code, according to the city. Plano officials say they sent an email to the organizing groups prior to their deadline to inform them of some of the problems, with links to the appropriate websites.

BOOM. Read the full statement from the city.

HOUSTON: Jury Rules That LGBT Rights Repeal Petition Signatures Were Forged, But Case Is Far From Over

Via the Houston Chronicle:

The city claimed victory Friday when the jury in the trial surrounding Houston's equal rights ordinance found that the law's opponents submitted a repeal referendum petition that contained forgery and other flaws. However, it issued a series of decisions that were far from a clean sweep for either side. The ruling is not final, and a judge will now consider the jury's findings about the work of more than 100 circulators of the petition that the city rejected last summer, citing overwhelming notary and signature-gatherer errors. District Judge Robert Schaffer was not present for Friday's ruling after nearly six days of jury deliberation. Attorneys on both sides said he will now begin counting which signatures are valid to see if opponents have reached the needed 17,269-signature threshold.

The anti-gay groups supporting the repeal have not yet reacted on Twitter.  Whatever the final outcome, the losing side is expected to appeal.

Ford Worker Files EEOC Complaint Over Firing For His Anti-Gay Email To Bosses

Via Detroit's ABC affiliate:

A former Ford Motor Company contractor says he was fired because he criticized the auto company for having a policy that is pro-gay, according to a complaint filed with U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Thomas Banks of Ypsilanti, who also filed his EEOC complaint against Rapid Global Business Solutions, stated that the companies violated his civil rights, discriminating against him because of his religious beliefs. Banks was not available for comment. But Liberty Institute, which is based in Dallas, and is representing Banks, issued a press release criticizing both companies for the termination. In a written statement, Liberty Institute says that in July 2014, Banks received a Ford Motor Company newsletter, “…which shared its policy to promote pro-homosexual ideas. In the feedback section, Mr. Banks submitted a single comment, addressed to Ford, disagreeing with Ford’s policy based on his biblical views.”

Here is the text of Banks' biblical views:

“For this Ford Motor should be thoroughly ashamed. Endorsing and promoting sodomy is of benefit to no one. This topic is disruptive to the workplace and is an assault on Christians and morality, as well as antithetical to our design and our survival. Immoral sexual conduct should not be a topic for an automotive manufacturer to endorse or promote. And yes-this is historic-but not in a good way. Never in the history of mankind has a culture survived that promotes sodomy. Heterosexual behavior creates life - homosexual behavior leads to death.”

Both Ford and the contractor have issued statements affirming their anti-harassment policies. (Tipped by JMG reader Scott)

HOUSTON: Court Case On LGBT Rights Repeal Campaign Begins Today

Two weeks ago Houston Mayor Annise Parker was denied her motion that the trial be decided by a judge. Jury selection begins today:

A jury will be tasked with parsing thousands of pages of signatures during a trial that may last as long as two months. The case boils down to this: Did former City Attorney David Feldman rightly disqualify thousands of petition pages that conservative opponents submitted in an attempt to force a repeal referendum? It's not a trial over the merits of the ordinance, which City Council passed last May, banning discrimination. The law applies to businesses that serve the public, private employers, housing, city employment and city contracting. Religious institutions are exempt. Critics largely take issue with the protections the law extends to gay and transgender residents. In August, they sued the city after their petition to send the ordinance to voters failed. The case will touch on other questions, too, including the city's allegations that those gathering signatures knowingly committed fraud and forgery.

The case has become Cause #1 for anti-gay religious and hate groups, who have won several recent battle to repeal local LGBT rights ordinances. LGBT anti-discrimination protections already exist in multiple major Texas cities including Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, El Paso, and San Antonio.

TEXAS: Hate Group Claims Petition Goal Reached To Repeal Plano Rights Law

Via the Dallas Morning News:

Opponents of Plano’s Equal Rights Ordinance say they’ve met the deadline and collected the necessary signatures to force the Plano City Council to repeal the ordinance or place it on the ballot. The group has collected about 7,000 signatures, far more than the 3,822 signatures needed by today’s deadline. “We applaud the citizens of Plano who turned out to have their voices heard on this important religious liberty issue,” said Gregg Wooding, a spokesman for the Liberty Institute, a Plano-based non-profit legal organization. Plano City Secretary Lisa Henderson confirmed today that she received the petitions and now must verify all the signatures. On Dec. 8, the Plano City Council approved an ordinance extending anti-discrimination rights to people regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Texas Values head Jonathan Saenz has released a statement:

The people of Plano have made their voice loud and clear – it is time to repeal this anti-religious freedom ordinance. The heroic effort of the Plano citizens in organizing and collecting signatures well above the required amount, during the Christmas season, only further shows how out of step the Mayor and Plano City Council are with the people they are supposed to represent. These LGBT special rights ordinances are designed to be used as weapons against people of sincere faith, as we have seen in Houston. The people of Plano, just like in Houston, are ready to put an end to government hostility towards our First Freedom.

The Dallas Observer snarks that the Liberty Institute clearly hates military veterans, who were also included in the expanded Plano ordinance.

We could be wrong, of course, but we assume it's military veterans they were talking about today as Plano Citizens United announced it had collected enough signatures to force a public vote in May on the Plano City Council's recently enacted equal rights policy. That ordinance extended anti-discrimination protections in housing, public accommodations and employment to military members and veterans ... among other groups whose names escape us at the moment. Well ... OK. Makes sense, we suppose. Jesus was the prince of peace, blessed are the peacemakers, turn the other cheek and all that. So, yeah, if a bunch of good Plano Christian pacifists don't want to guarantee equal access to housing and employment to warriors and wounded veterans, that's their right. Seems a bit harsh, but if that's what their God wants, the rest of civil society certainly has no call to argue. Obviously, any public goal, any effort to extend rights and dignity under law to marginalized individuals, can only go so far that it doesn't offend the cherished prejudices of even one bigoted believer, let alone a whole 7,000.

(Tipped by JMG reader Tim)

TEXAS: Plano's Just-Approved LGBT Rights Ordinance Has Some Big Loopholes

Some of us listening closely during last night's LGBT rights debate in Plano, Texas picked up on a worrying comment by the city attorney that seemed to indicate that there are "religious freedom" and other loopholes in the ordinance. There are and they are troublesome.

According to the revised ordinance, discrimination based on a resident’s sexual orientation or gender identity is prohibited in regards to public accommodation, employment, housing transactions and city contracting. However, religious and political groups as well as nonprofit organizations are exempt from the ordinance.

City Attorney Paige Mims said the ordinance also includes a waiver process for businesses to be exempt if the owners feel the policy would not allow them to conduct business based on their personal faith. Individuals and organizations found in noncompliance to the ordinance would be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, the least severe class of misdemeanor. While the ordinance does make it illegal to discriminate against gender identity in a public place, Mims said that would not extend to public restrooms and locker rooms which would still be segregated based on physical anatomy.

“We realize that privacy interests need to be balanced with equality interests,” Mims said at the meeting. “We took a lot of care to look at constitutional issues and freedoms that people have that are protected under the law ... We’ve recognized in this ordinance that due process needs to be allowed and if people do have those [religious] defenses, they’re required under law to give the city notification ... and we’re going to evaluate that.”

So. Trans folks still can't use public restrooms. Businesses with a "religious waiver" can still turn away LGBT customers. And all non-profits are exempted. The rest of the bill IS a lovely advance, of course, but we certainly did not get a compete win last night after all. And even with those loopholes, the anti-gay Plano-based Liberty Institute is vowing to sue.

LIVE VIDEO: Plano City Council Debates Proposed LGBT Rights OrdinanceUPDATE: Bill Passes By 5-3 Vote!!!

Some business appears to be going on at this writing, but the official start time for the meeting is 7PM Central. Earlier today anti-gay groups called for opponents to the bill to crowd the chamber. It's not clear if a vote will be taken tonight. Watch the live-stream here.

UPDATE: The session was opened with a performance by the Men Of Note chorus, which somehow is not a gay group.

UPDATE II: The Plano City Council has voted to APPROVE the LGBT rights bill!

UPDATE III: Tonight's victory was brought to you in no small part by Plano Mayor Harry LaRosiliere, who just took office last May. Tweet him your thanks @PlanosMayor, leave a message on Facebook, or email him at mayor@plano.gov.

TEXAS: AG-Elect Signs Letter Opposing LGBT Rights Ordinance In Plano

Texas Attorney General-elect Ken Paxton has signed an open letter to Plano city officials, demanding that they table a proposed LGBT rights ordinance. From the letter:

Honorable Mayor and City Council: As members of the Plano delegation to the Texas legislature and the Collin County Commissioners Court, we are appealing to you to postpone any vote relating to an ordinance to amend Section 2-11 relating to the adoption of a policy based on protected characteristics. We do not believe there has been adequate time for the public and community leaders to be a part of the discussion of such a major, wide sweeping change in law and policy for Plano. As husbands and wives with children, we have concerns that your sexual orientation and transgender ordinance may place women and children at risk and does not consider the moral or religious beliefs of Plano citizens or vendors who do business with the city.

The letter goes on to cite nine ways the bill will repress Christians, including the fabled "men in the ladies room" voodoo. The bill is also opposed, of course, by Texas Values crackpot Jonathan Saenz, whose ex-wife left him for another woman. The virulently anti-gay Plano-based Liberty Institute is threatening to sue should the ordinance be adopted. The Plano City Council meets tonight to consider the bill and local Christian groups are calling on their supporters to pack the chamber. I will post a live-stream if one is available.

RELATED: Similar local ordinances already exist in the Texas cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Brownsville, El Paso, and Waco. The ninth most-populous city in Texas with nearly 300K residents, Plano is home to the corporate headquarters of JC Penney, Frito-Lay, Toyota Motors USA, and Yum Brands - the parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC.