HERO ("Bathroom") Ordinance in Houston

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HERO is the equal rights ordinance that was proposed in Houston. The purpose was to end discrimination based on race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. (though this was mainly to include the LGBT community), but vague wording in the ordinance and a vigorous campaign against it led many to think it would allow people to go into the restrooms of the opposite sex by claiming to be transgendered, in order to commit sex crimes.

HERO failed 61-39, which surprised me, because despite being in a very conservative state, Houston is very liberal. In no way do I condone discrimination of any kind, but I think it would have passed if the wording about the bathrooms was more crystal clear.

I couldn't vote on it because I don't live within the city limits, but I would have voted for it (and this is coming from someone who usually votes GOP or Libertarian).

I don't think wording would have made a difference. The whole bathroom campaign was based on fear mongering and horse s**t.

We had a similar ordinance here (liberal college town in the south). It passed the city council, repealed by popular vote. Then the state assembly voted to outlaw city civil rights laws. Then the city council passed the law AGAIN and it was affirmed by popular vote...

Expect to see this tested in the supreme court soon.

Subjecting civil rights laws to popular vote is CRAZY. If the general population respected minority rights, we wouldn't need the laws...

^^^ Yeah, but that takes an actual leader to persuade people... Here in the states, LBJ was the major politician with the balls to be a leader.

Modern politicians pander and appeal to our worst impulses (I'm looking at you, Mr. Trump). They don't lead.

I wonder how much scope there is for it inside existing political structures practically. It probably has to come from outside party politics or in hybrid alliances.

LBJ still escalated the Vietnam war. So he was not perfect. he also benefited from being catapulted into office. However he took to the leadership role unlike Gordon Brown who flunked out.