Tag Archives: gay rights

Texas Monthly long read on transgender issues

Posted on March 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Mostly about someone I know, as it happens. Boy. Girl. Man. Woman. These terms reflect a binary view of gender. Our language doesn’t allow for the in-between. And yet there are girly girls and tomboys; fey men and macho ones. … Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Get ready for more “religious freedom” bills

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Gird your loins. The next Texas legislative session is almost a year away, but Senate Republicans are already zeroing in on proposals to bolster legal protections for religious opponents of same-sex marriage after its legalization by the U.S. Supreme Court … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hotze gets official hater status

Posted on February 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations, I guess. After more than 30 years of anti-gay activism, Steven Hotze picked up the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) on Wednesday. The Alabama civil rights group labeled Hotze’s Conservative Republicans … Continue reading →

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Checking in on Garcia v Green

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

An update on how the biggest primary fight in the county is going. U.S. Congressman Gene Green has taken Texas’ 29th District Democratic primary to television, leveraging his substantial financial advantage over challenger Adrian Garcia to pour more than $240,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2016 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Transgender people can now get correct birth certificates

Posted on January 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. Last week, Texas began giving trans people the option of sealing their old birth certificates and issuing new ones, according to Dallas attorney Katie Sprinkle. Previously, Texas issued amended certificates and those were only issued with a surgeon’s … Continue reading →

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The challenges transgender children face

Posted on January 2, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

At least now we’re starting to talk about those challenges openly. One month after voters in Houston rejected an equal rights ordinance that proponents say would have protected transgender people from discrimination, Ben and his parents, Ann and Jim Elder … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mayor Annise Parker

Posted on December 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We are in the last few days of the administration of Mayor Annise Parker. Having served three terms each as Council member and Controller, she is finishing up eighteen years as an elected official in the city of Houston. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

More HERO public information requests

Posted on December 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The bullying continues. Does President Barack Obama regularly drop a line to Houston City Council members? Probably not, but we could soon find out, thanks to a public records request that opponents of the city’s equal rights ordinance, known as … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Garcia to challenge Green in CD29

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This will be interesting to watch. Former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia is challenging 23-year Democratic Congressman Gene Green in the 29th district, he told the Chronicle Monday, a risky intra-party challenge of a popular incumbent. The move comes less … Continue reading →

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Council members complain about open records requests

Posted on December 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, please. Councilmen Michael Kubosh and Dave Martin on Tuesday blasted a records request from a D.C.-based nonprofit to those council members who voted against the Houston equal rights ordinance, known as HERO, last year. The Campaign for Accountability’s request … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Just leave already

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously. State GOP leaders, in a predictable but closely watched vote, have defeated a proposal to ask Texas voters whether they favor secession. In a voice vote Saturday afternoon, the State Republican Executive Committee rejected a measure that would have … Continue reading →

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A new HERO will be up to the next Mayor

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

As it should be, whether we like it or not. Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who championed the city’s ill-fated equal rights ordinance, HERO, said she no longer plans to try to revive it before leaving office at the end of … Continue reading →

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Leave a new HERO to the next Mayor

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I hate having to say this. Opponents of Houston’s repealed equal rights ordinance haved placed 300,000 calls and will release a new TV ad next week warning about a possible City Council revival of the controversial non-discrimination law. All that … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Precinct analysis: Did HERO hurt Juliet Stipeche?

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s one theory. In the Houston Independent School District, trustee Juliet Stipeche on Tuesday became the first sitting HISD board member to lose since 1997. At that time, retired educator Larry Marshall defeated Clyde Lemon, a supporter of then-Superintendent Rod … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Dallas Equal Rights Ordinance

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Buckle up. Chapter 46 of the Dallas City Code, which was passed in May 2002, makes it illegal to discriminate against someone based on sexual orientation. The ordinance, which applies to everything from employment to housing, has defined sexual orientation … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: City propositions

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not really much to see here, but here’s what things look like for Prop 1. Dist Yes No Yes% No% ======================================= A 6,271 13,110 32.36% 67.64% B 6,265 14,435 30.27% 69.73% C 26,781 19,544 57.81% 42.19% D 9,871 16,775 37.04% … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Back to the business angle

Posted on November 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure we’ll hear more of this in the next few weeks. Business and tourism leaders worried Wednesday that voters’ rejection of a citywide anti-discrimination ordinance has hurt what had been one of their best recruiting tools: Houston’s emerging reputation … Continue reading →

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Weekend HERO reading

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few links of interest on matters pertaining to HERO. Read ’em as you see fit. From Think Progress, a reminder that the past is never dead: Four decades ago, the Equal Rights Amendment — which would have required … Continue reading →

Posted in Other punditry | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

What next for HERO?

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Before I get into some thoughts about how to approach a second attempt at passing a non-discrimination ordinance for Houston, let me begin by dispensing with this. 2. HERO Will Be Back The lopsided defeat of the Houston Equal Rights … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Initial day-after-election thoughts

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

– We now have two cycles’ worth of data to suggest that having more good candidates in a Council race does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. Following in the footsteps of At Large #3 in 2013, a handful of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Omnibus election results post

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to take the easy way out here, because it’s been a long day/week/month and I’m hoping to get some sleep tonight, and just hit the highlights. There will be plenty of time for deeper analysis later, and of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Election Day: Get yourself to the polls

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From County Clerk Stan Stanart: Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart strongly encourages citizens who plan to vote on Tuesday, Nov. 3 to be prepared before voting on Election Day. “It is very important for voters to know the answers to … Continue reading →

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Day 12 EV 2015 totals: Final turnout projections

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The last day was another big one: Year Early Mail Total Mailed ======================================= 2015 164,104 29,859 193,963 43,280 2013 87,944 21,426 109,370 30,572 The running 2015 totals are here, the full 2013 totals are here, and for completeness the full … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The pessimism of the poli-sci profs

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A trio of academic pundits thinks things aren’t going well for the pro-HERO forces. Turnout is up sharply from previous Houston municipal elections, with the largest increases occurring in predominantly Republican and African-American precincts, where a majority of voters are … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A further look into anti-HERO financing

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Regular commenter Mainstream has been investigating the complex money trail of the various anti-HERO factions and documenting it in the comments for the 8 day finance reports: Pro- and anti-HERO post. I’m putting his two most recent entries here to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An Election 2015 threefer

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Three links of interest that weren’t quite worth a post on their own. Cort McMurray deconstructs Bob McNair: It’s not easy, being Bob McNair. Back in the old days, being a Houston billionaire was fun: Whether you made your fortune … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The animus that drives HERO opposition

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have often spoken of my contempt for the leaders of the HERO opposition, for their lying and their willingness to demonize their fellow man. There are a number of people who deserve that scorn, but this guy belongs up … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

8 day finance reports: Pro- and anti-HERO

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

First, from the inbox: Houston Unites has raised nearly $3 million in support of Proposition 1 from late August through last Saturday, according to the campaign’s finance report submitted to the city today. Almost 75 percent of all donors were … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

What about the trans men?

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

ThinkProgress asks a good question. Opponents of HERO, identifying themselves as the “Campaign for Houston,” have blanketed the city with billboards, radio ads, television ads, and other forms of messaging, all of which focus on the singular message: “No men … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

McNair rescinds anti-HERO contribution

Posted on October 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Well, what do you know? Earlier this month, billionaire Bob McNair, owner of the Houston Texans NFL team, donated $10,000 to the Campaign for Houston, a coalition working to defeat the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO). That campaign has repeatedly … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Dan Patrick buys airtime for anti-HERO ads

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of course he does. With the start of early voting Monday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick began lending his voice and his pocketbook to radio and TV ads urging Houston voters to reject the city’s embattled equal rights ordinance. At a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

My sense of where things stand right now

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an aggregation of the polls we’ve seen so far: Candidate HAR HRBC KHOU KPRC Avg ======================================== Turner 19 24 19 20 20.50 Garcia 19 14 9 13 13.75 King 10 18 9 14 12.75 Bell 10 11 6 12 … Continue reading →

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KPRC poll: Turner 20, others close together

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Yet another poll with Sylvester Turner in the lead. As of Oct. 15, State Representative Sylvester Turner finishes just ahead of the rest of the pack of 13 candidates with 20 percent of the vote; attorney Bill King gets 14 … Continue reading →

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The phony “bathroom” issue

Posted on October 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I am so tired of this. Although Houston’s 36-page equal rights ordinance makes no mention of public restrooms, access to restrooms has become the focus of a raging public debate with the law set to go before voters on election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments