I can honestly say I’m not surprised by this.
Ben Hall
Mayoral candidate Ben Hall spoke to KUHF this morning and (finally) spoke publicly regarding issues of equality for the LGBT community. Hall not only came out staunchly against introducing and implementing a non-discrimination ordinance in Houston, but also in repealing the Executive Order 150.
Unfortunately for Hall, he had previously sent in the municipal candidate questionnaire to the Harris County Democratic Party in which he answered he would support a non-discrimination ordinance for all Houstonians, including those in the LGBT community.
“If we can’t trust Ben Hall to decide where he stands on issues of fairness and equality on the campaign trail, how can we trust him to make the hard decisions as the Mayor of Houston?” Brad Pritchett, President of the Houston Stonewall Young Democrats, said. “Hall’s inability to take a principled stand on a basic Democratic issue just underscores why Mayor Annise Parker is the right choice for the City of Houston.”
Hall neglected to sit down with both the Houston Stonewall Young Democrats and the Houston GLBT Political Caucus when the organizations were screening municipal candidates.
The audio, from the Houston Matters show, is here. The reason I can say I’m not surprised by this is because in the interview I did with Hall, I asked him (as I asked everyone) if he would support an effort to repeal the 2001 charter amendment that forbids the city from offering domestic partner benefits to its employees. His response was a flat No; if you listen closely, you can tell that I wasn’t expecting that answer. That may be because as John Coby notes, Hall had previously expressed support for a more comprehensive non-discrimination ordinance. I don’t know what prompted Hall’s reversal, but it’s unfortunate whatever the cause. Discrimination is wrong, and you would think Ben Hall would know better. Texpatriate and Texas Leftist has more.
Its unfair and unjust to use peoples lifestyles as a ploy to manipulate a municipal election,people should have a right to be free of being discriminated against,However,for anisse parker and the Houston chronicle to intentially and knowingly use people’s freedoms in “gotcha games”in an attempt to slander a man that is simply running for office, that in his body there is not one bone of discrimination,now is the time for gay and lesbian people of Houston to stand together and show the Houston chronicle and annise parker that your freedom to be whom you are as your own individual ,shall, never be used by the mayor or the chronicle to gain leverage in a mayors race by not showing up at the polls to vote for her,this a low blow by annise,its a new low for the chronicle,lets let annise parker stand our her own two feet.
Joshua ben bullard
On the contrary, it is fair and just to use issues of concern to influence people. Hall once again flip flopped on an issue to cater to what he perceives is a larger voting bloc. No matter how you play it, he keeps coming up short when you look at his statements of the past year. At the rate he’s going, he can forget running for office in two years once he loses this one because a lot of people are going to remember his repeated screw ups from this election.