Tag Archives: Noel Freeman

Maybe this is finally the end of that zombie same sex employee lawsuit

I dream a dream. The Texas Supreme Court has declined to consider a challenge aimed at preventing the city of Houston from offering benefits to employees’ same-sex spouses. The ruling is the latest blow to two Houston residents’ prolonged fight … Continue reading

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Zombie same sex employee lawsuit denied again

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

Same sex employee benefits lawsuit tossed again

This is great, but as always that’s not the end of it. The lawsuit dates back to 2013, when pastor Jack Pidgeon and accountant Larry Hicks sued the city to end the policy. In 2015, after the U.S. Supreme Court … Continue reading

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Woodfill and Hotze take their next shot at same sex employee benefits

Here we go again. Anti-LGBTQ activists are again asking a Harris County judge to halt benefits for the same-sex spouses of Houston city employees, according to a recently filed motion. The motion for summary judgment in Pidgeon v. Turner, a … Continue reading

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Anti-same sex employee benefits lawsuit moved back to state court

On and on we go. Nearly three years after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the city of Houston continues to battle for the rights of its gay workers. On Tuesday, a judge struck down Houston’s attempts to … Continue reading

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

Jared Woodfill never stops never stopping

Here we go again. Fifteen months after the U.S. Supreme Court made marriage equality the law of the land, anti-LGBT groups in Texas are still fighting the decision. Jonathan Saenz, president of the right-wing lobby group Texas Values, and Houston … Continue reading

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State Supreme Court declines to hear lawsuit over city’s same-sex partner benefits

I had totally forgotten this was still a thing that was happening. The Texas Supreme Court has declined to hear a case challenging Houston’s extension of health and life-insurance benefits to same-sex spouses of married employees, calling an apparent end … Continue reading

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Woodfill is still pursuing his anti-same-sex benefits lawsuit

From the inbox and the febrile mind of Jared Woodfill: Last year Houston Judge Lisa Millard granted a temporary injunction and ordered Houston Mayor Annise Parker and the City of Houston to immediately stop recognizing same-sex ‘marriages’ and stop providing … Continue reading

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Paxton drops another same sex marriage appeal

Another step forward. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton plans to dismiss an appeal challenging a Travis County judge’s February ruling that found the state’s ban on gay marriage to be unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26 decision declaring gay … Continue reading

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Decision on validity of HERO-repeal petitions coming today

Get ready for the fireworks. City of Houston officials plan to announce Monday whether a petition submitted by opponents of the city’s new nondiscrimination ordinance contains enough valid signatures to force a vote on repealing the measure this November. Opponents … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2014 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

City benefits for same sex spouses back on

For now, at least. A federal judge ruled Thursday that same-sex couples legally married in other states can keep health and life insurance benefits that were extended to spouses of city of Houston employees in November. […] [Noel] Freeman’s husband’s … Continue reading

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The truth is out there on the Ministers for Keryl email

In response to my previous post about the homophobic “Ministers for Keryl” email, a couple of commenters said that we didn’t have enough evidence to determine whether or not the email was genuine or spoofed. So, based on that feedback … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Douglas denies sending anti-gay email

Keryl Douglas held a press conference Thursday afternoon to discuss the Willie Howard email, and she sent out this statement regarding the matter. Let me begin by stating immediately and unequivocally that I did not write, nor cause to be … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Non-discrimination ballot referendum coming

I’ve been waiting for this. Activists are preparing a petition to put a referendum on Houston’s November ballot, calling for a ban on discrimination against gays and permission for the city to grant health insurance benefits to the unmarried partners … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

More pushback on Perry’s choice of prayer partner

Glad to see it. Gov. Rick Perry’s Aug. 6 day of prayer and fasting at Reliant Stadium is generating significant heat nationwide, with critics protesting the exclusively Christian focus of the event and Perry’s partnership with the controversial American Family … Continue reading

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Judge rules against Nikki Araguz

This is unfortunate. A judge has ruled that the marriage between a Wharton fire captain killed in the line of duty and his transgender wife was not legal, an attorney in the case said Tuesday. Frank Mann III, one of … Continue reading

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Who’s got a treasurer?

Noel Freeman, in a note on his Facebook page takes a look at who has filed a proper treasurer appointment for a City Council race, and who has not. (He did a “who’s in so far” report in 2009, too.) … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2011 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Unfinished business

One thing that stood out to me from the Chron’s Q&A with Noel Freeman, the newly-elected president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus: Q. What has changed about Houston’s GLBT community in past three decades? A. We have branched out. … Continue reading

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Precinct analysis: City Council At Large races

Moving on to the At Large City Council races. I’m going to look at each of them here. First up, At Large #1: Dist Cook Litt Alls Cost Derr Rodr Perk Batt ============================================================ A 1,521 1,629 397 4,806 4,144 2,087 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Eight days out: Spending on voter outreach by At Large candidates

As with the Controller’s race, I took a look at spending on voter outreach for At Large candidates in the 30 day out report. Given that some large number of people have no clue about who is running for these … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

We’ve got mail

Campos observed the other day that he’d hardly received any campaign mailers so far this year. That’s largely been true for me as well – before this week, I’d gotten the Peter Brown pieces, an Anna Eastman mailer, and maybe … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Correction!

Now that everyone has had a chance to look over everyone else’s campaign finance reports, a number of candidates have made some corrections to their reports. Former City Attorney Gene Locke and City Controller Annise Parker received money from donors … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Endorsement watch: SEIU and HOPE

The Houston Organization of Public Employees (HOPE) and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 members have made their endorsements for the November elections. From the press release: Mayor – Annise Parker At Large 1 – Karen Derr At Large … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Freeman and Bradford spar over SEIU endorsement

Last night, Noel Freeman sent out this press release: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1 confirmed Tuesday during a screening interview with City Council At-Large Position 4 candidate Noel Freeman that his opponent, C.O. Bradford, has falsely claimed to … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

At Large action

We’ve certainly got a fascinating Mayor’s race going on this year, with three viable candidates that can all plausibly claim a path to victory, but it seems to me that there’s a lot of interesting stuff happening in the At … Continue reading

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Interview with Noel Freeman

Continuing with the At Large candidate interviews, today we hear from Noel Freeman, who is running in At Large #4. Freeman was a candidate for the At Large #3 special election of 2007, finishing seventh in the field of 11. … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2009 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Neil talks to Noel

Neil Aquino wrote a post last week about At Large #4 candidate Noel Freeman, whom he had just met, and asked him a few questions about his campaign and vision for the city. Noel’s responses are here, and they’re worth … Continue reading

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Bradford announces for At Large #4, Pennington announces in G

We know he had been contemplating the possibility, but now former HPD Chief C.O. Bradford has made it official: He’s going to run for the open At Large #4 City Council seat. From his email: Chief Bradford has been a … Continue reading

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A list of who has actually filed treasurer’s reports so far

Noel Freeman did us all the public service of trooping over to the City Secretary’s office and compiling a list of people who had filed treasurer’s reports as of Monday for election to a municipal office in 2009. As I … Continue reading

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Derr files, Bradford contemplates

Karen Derr made her treasurer’s report filing on Thursday last week, becoming at least the second candidate for District H to do so. I know that Maverick Welsh has filed his report, and I know that as of Friday, Ed … Continue reading

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Filing report: Noel Freeman

Noel Freeman, who had been a candidate for the At Large #3 position in the May 2007 special election that was eventually won by Council Member Melissa Noriega, has sent out a press release saying he’ll officially file his Treasurer’s … Continue reading

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