Tag Archives: gay rights

I’m just going to say this one thing about the pending evisceration of abortion rights

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Chris Tomlinson gets at the issue but doesn’t take it all the way. The Supreme Court’s apparent decision to allow state lawmakers to make women’s health care choices puts chief executives in a tough spot, forcing them to choose between their employees’ rights … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Air Force aims to care for its families with LGBTQ members

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them, but… The Air Force has issued a reminder to service members that it can help protect them from anti-LGBTQ state initiatives, such as the one in Texas that raised the possibility of child welfare investigations against parents … Continue reading →

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Our new school library standards

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I am casting a gimlet eye at this, at least for now. The Texas Education Agency released statewide standards Monday for how school districts should remove and prevent “obscene content” from entering Texas public school libraries. In the agency’s model … Continue reading →

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Dan Patrick wants a “Don’t Say Gay” bill for Texas

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he does. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Monday he will prioritize passing Texas legislation that mimics the recently signed Florida bill referred to as the “Don’t Say Gay” law. That state’s controversial law prohibits classroom lessons on sexual orientation or gender identity … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Divorce granted in common-law same-sex marriage case

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good result. On March 24, a San Antonio jury returned a verdict in favor of Christopher Hoffman, a gay man who sought to prove a common law marriage existed since 1996 with his former partner, Moises Ortiz. The decision clears … Continue reading →

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When a divorce helps to define a marriage

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting case. A gay San Antonio man has filed for a divorce in which he seeks to prove a common law marriage existed with his former partner of 25 years when federal law prohibited same sex marriage. The law has … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Students against banning books

Posted on March 9, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. For high school senior Gabrielle Izu, Texas’ public school book bans feel personal. The books Texas is targeting — mainly novels that focus on discussions of race, sexual orientation and gender identity … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

It’s mostly about the gay books

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Color me not surprised. While a Texas House committee chairman’s inquiry into schoolbooks has often been linked to new state laws limiting how teachers address slavery and racism, most of the literature he’s called into question deals with a wholly … Continue reading →

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Let’s have us a book burning!

Posted on November 11, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s where we’re headed. Gov. Greg Abbott told the Texas Education Agency on Wednesday to investigate criminal activity related to “the availability of pornography” in public schools, saying that the agency should refer such instances “for prosecution to the fullest … Continue reading →

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Chick-Fil-A and the “heartbeat” lawsuits

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’d forgotten all about this. A case that’s before the Texas Supreme Court this fall could have strong implications for the future of the state’s newly adopted abortion ban, the most prohibitive in the nation. The suit relates to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Anti-gay Waco JP’s lawsuit tossed

Posted on July 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a bit of good news. A Travis County judge has thrown out McLennan County Justice of the Peace Dianne Hensley’s lawsuit against the state panel that sanctioned her in 2019 for refusing to perform same-sex weddings. Judge Jan Soifer … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Dragging Dutton

Posted on May 14, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Richly deserved. Houston area political action groups, activists, and unions gathered outside the office of Democratic state Rep. Harold Dutton Jr. on Tuesday to call for his resignation. “It’s better if he goes now than in the next election,” said … Continue reading →

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Zombie same sex employee lawsuit denied again

Posted on May 2, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Shuffling along like the undead flesh eater that it is. A Texas appellate court struck a challenge Thursday to Houston’s policy giving same-sex spouses of city employees the same benefits as different-sex spouses, saying that the city was immune from … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

More business pushback on more anti-LGBTQ+ bills

Posted on April 20, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

It’s like deja vu all over again. Texas business leaders Monday condemned a slate of anti-LGBTQ bills winding through the Texas Legislature as harmful to Texans and as a threat to the state’s economy, which is still reeling from the … Continue reading →

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LGBT certification for Houston city contractors

Posted on March 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

From last week. Houston on Thursday became the first city in Texas to add a certification for LGBT-owned businesses in city contracting. Mayor Sylvester Turner signed an executive order adding the certification during an event with the National LGBT Chamber … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Endorsement watch: The Susan Collins of Texas

Posted on September 23, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Three things in life are certain: Death, taxes, and certain Chron endorsements. The voters in state House District 134 — a swing district that covers all or parts of River Oaks, Bellaire and Meyerland and includes the Texas Medical Center … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2020 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SBOE updates sex ed curriculum

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

All things considered, especially the past history of the State Board of Education and its shenanigans, this could have been worse. It’s not great, but the potential for disaster was monumentally high. The Texas State Board of Education gave preliminary … Continue reading →

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We still need that equality bill in the Lege

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

That SCOTUS ruling was huge, but there’s still a lot of work to be done. LGBTQ Texans marked a major victory Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that federal civil rights law prevents employment discrimination on the basis of … Continue reading →

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So let’s talk about HERO 2.0 again

Posted on June 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Surely now is the time. In November 2015, 61 percent of Houston voters rejected a city ordinance that would have barred employers from discriminating against people based on their sexual orientation and gender identity, a devastating blow for LGBTQ advocates in the nation’s … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS delivers a win for equality

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Quite a pleasant surprise. In a major victory for gay and transgender workers in Texas and nationwide, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal civil rights law prohibits employers from discriminating against workers on the basis of their sexual … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A bipartisan equality bill

Posted on June 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

I appreciate the effort, but we can’t expect too much to come of this. Five Democratic and two Republican state legislators announced plans Wednesday to file a bill next legislative session that would bar discrimination against LGBTQ Texans in housing, … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton does Ken Paxton thing

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Film at 11. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office is not defending a state agency that is being sued for punishing a judge who refuses to officiate gay marriages. It’s the most recent in a handful of cases in which … Continue reading →

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Anti-gay Waco JP sues for the right to be an anti-gay JP

Posted on December 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. A Waco judge who received a public warning last month for refusing to officiate same-sex marriages filed a lawsuit against the state agency that issued the warning, claiming the governmental body violated state law by punishing her for actions … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Next up for Mayor Turner

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A preview of his second term agenda. Mayor Sylvester Turner said he would seek to enact “transformational” changes in his second term, previewing an agenda that will require city leaders to confront politically difficult issues and vastly expand the use … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

HERO 2.0

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been waiting for this, though in reading this story I’d argue we should wait just a little bit more. Houston’s two mayoral candidates say they support expanded anti-discrimination protections for the LGBTQ community, but would leave it to voters … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Chron on Boykins and Lovell

Posted on October 22, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Time for more profiles of Mayoral candidates. Here’s the Chron piece on Dwight Boykins. “My goal is to use this position as mayor to let people know that there is hope,” [CM Dwight Boykins] said. “I’m trying to help the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Endorsement watch: Mistakes were made

Posted on October 19, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

A swing and a miss. As a city council member, Mike Knox has not been afraid to clash with Mayor Sylvester Turner. He voted against a $650,000 contract to boost participation in the 2020 Census, saying he had reservations about the “missions … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The clown show is coming for Drag Queen Story Time

Posted on October 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The words, they fail me. The group that opposed and defeated Houston’s equal rights ordinance in 2015 announced Tuesday it is launching a petition drive aimed at prohibiting Drag Queen Storytime, the program shuttered earlier this year by city officials … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

The MOB’s message to Baylor

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been a member of the Rice MOB since 1988, when I arrived in Houston as a grad student in math. I’m especially proud to have been part of the MOB this weekend. Rice University’s Marching Owl Band delivered a … Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports, Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Checking in on the Mayor’s race

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Remember the Mayor’s race? Yeah, that. “The candidates have been running for months but were focused on fundraising and defining their message,” said Nancy Sims, a Houston political analyst. “Labor Day is when people tune into the election.” The stretch-run … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

By the way, Commissioners Court updated the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies

Posted on June 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. The Commissioners Court voted 3-2 along party lines to [add sexual orientation and gender identity to the county’s nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies]. County Judge Lina Hidalgo, along with Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia — all Democrats — voted … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A starter agenda for when we have a Democratic state government

Posted on June 16, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been pondering the recent legislative session, which as we have discussed wasn’t great but also wasn’t nearly as bad as some other recent sessions have been. The qualification for all this is that the key defining factor for our … Continue reading →

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Looks like Boykins is in for Mayor

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This had been rumored for some time. Houston City Councilman Dwight Boykins has filed paperwork indicating he will run for mayor, setting up a clash with incumbent Sylvester Turner and at least two other major candidates. Boykins filed a report … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2019 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

How Texas Republicans did not make their case to women this session

Posted on June 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

They did have a not-excessively-misogynist session, but see if you can spot what’s missing in this recap and preview story. Texas could have tried to beat Alabama to become the first state in the nation to ban all abortions this … Continue reading →

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