Nondiscrimination law faced public comments and councilmember amendments this week that will be discussed at next week’s meeting
Houston Mayor Annise Parker
HOUSTON — While some Houstonians voiced concerns about Mayor Annise Parker’s proposed nondiscrimination ordinance, the City Council didn’t face the rancorous protests that accompanied passage of San Antonio’s ordinance last fall.
On Tuesday, the Houston City Council heard public comments about the proposed ordinance that will cover employment, housing and public accommodations and create a human rights commission to monitor complaints.
Among those speaking against the proposal was Houston Community College Trustee Dave Wilson who won his seat in a minority district by insinuating he was black in his campaign literature. He is known in Houston for the anti-gay literature he had sent during each of Parker’s campaigns. Parker is lesbian.
Wilson introduced himself to the council as president of Houstonians for Family Values.
“This ordinance is not about equal rights,” Wilson told the council.
He called it payback by Parker to her constituency.
“Homosexual behavior is immoral and unnatural,” he said and claimed it will lead to the collapse of society.
One person who applauded when he finished was told public displays of approval or disapproval are inappropriate in the council chamber.
Most of the comments were more like those of January Leo, who works at Legacy Community Health Services, one of Houston’s AIDS Service providers. She talked about her daughter, who was bullied at school.
“It’s not easy being an ally for what’s often an unpopular belief,” Leo said.
When the council met on Wednesday, Parker accepted amendments to the ordinance from councilmembers.
Among the amendments was a change in number of employees. The draft ordinance covers employees of companies with 50 or more. The amendment would reduce that number to 25 in one year, and in two years, all companies with 15 or more employees would be covered. That would bring it in line with the Dallas ordinance.
Another amendment would clarify restroom usage for transgender people. One council member wanted to eliminate criminal penalties for a first-time offender under the ordinance.
As Parker ended discussion on the ordinance, she said amendments would be debated at the next meeting.
The Houston City Council meets on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Houston is the largest city in the U.S. without any nondiscrimination ordinance and the only major city in Texas without those protections. Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso have had nondiscrimination ordinances in place for more than a decade. San Antonio put those protections in place last year.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition May 9, 2014.
