Houston media helped spread lies about city's NDO

[PDittie]

Houston media outlets helped spread misinformation about the city's newly enacted non-discrimination ordinance, parroting the talking points of anti-LGBT groups working to repeal the measure.

On May 28, the Houston City Council voted 11 to six to approve the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO), which prohibits discrimination based on categories including race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Opponents of the ordinance, led by the Houston Area Pastors Council, immediately announced a repeal drive and have spent the month of June attempting to collect the 17,000 valid signatures needed to put the measure up for a vote in November.

Anti-LGBT activists, like Texas Values' Jonathan Saenz and Fox News' Mike Huckabee, focused particularly on the measure's protections for transgender people, asserting that the protections will make it easier for sexual predators to sneak into women's restrooms. That myth has been extensively debunked by independent experts in states and cities that have already adopted similar protections.

Many embedded links at source.

http://mediamatters.org/blog/2014/06/30/houston-media-helped-spread-lies-about-the-city/199931

The locals will get an opportunity to redeem themselves in the fall, as it appears that God's Army of H-Town Homophobes has collected enough signatures to place a repeal initiative on the November ballot.

And that might just be a godsend for Harris County Dems, as it could goose turnout from liberals.

[Gothmog]

1. There are some who would not be upset to see this on the ballot in November

There is no way that a city that has elected a gay mayor three times in a row would vote down this ordinance and there are some who want to see an attempt to appeal this ordinance on the ballot http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=61374

PDiddie and I have talked about this before. I’ll say again, I don’t fear this fight. It sucks to have to engage in it, but if they want to bring it, then let’s get it on. I didn’t need any more motivation to vote and engage this fall, but I’m happy for there to be more. Let’s see what they’ve got for their signatures, and let’s get ready to rumble.

See also http://brainsandeggs.blogspot.com/2014/06/hero-continuing-skirmishes-could.html

I just can't see anything that could be better for increasing turnout among liberals and progressives than this. It would in fact be a godsend.

And wouldn't that just be hilarious.