Tag Archives: gay rights

Churches and recall elections

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Are Texas churches prohibited from campaigning to recall politicians? The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals [weighed] that question Thursday in a case set to clarify if and how a church as a corporate entity … Continue reading →

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Houston Unites’ first ad

Posted on September 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Not bad: The story: Supporters of Houston’s equal rights ordinance released their first official radio ad Friday, countering opponents’ claim that the law presents a public safety threat and seeking to reframe the debate before voters consider the issue in … Continue reading →

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The anti-HERO horde

Posted on September 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of them out there, though many of them claim their mostly last-minute filings didn’t really have to do with HERO. Members of the anti-HERO campaign and other prominent conservative activists disputed suggestions of a widely-coordinated effort, saying … Continue reading →

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Does your JP still do marriages?

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some do and some don’t. Last Wednesday, Judge Dale Gorczynski, a justice of the peace in Harris County, heard 19 eviction cases, sent 147 traffic and misdemeanor cases to trial and presided over five weddings: Three for same-sex couples and … Continue reading →

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Wilson denied by Supreme Court

Posted on August 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news that came in late Friday. Anti-gay activist Dave Wilson’s attempt to amend City Charter and bar men “who perceive or express themselves as women” from entering women’s restrooms will likely not appear on the November ballot after … Continue reading →

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HERO ballot language set

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. City Council on Wednesday approved the language that will appear on the November ballot for voters to decide the fate of Houston’s equal rights ordinance, one week after the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the original wording … Continue reading →

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First anti-HERO radio ad airs

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Here it comes. In the ad, a young woman talks about the perceived threat to public safety the ordinance presents. Critics have long asserted that the broad non-discrimination law, which includes protections for gay and transgender residents, would allow male … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Supreme Court requires HERO ballot language change

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever. The Texas Supreme Court has again overruled Mayor Annise Parker’s administration in connection with the legal fight over her signature nondiscrimination ordinance, ruling Wednesday that the mayor and City Council erred in choosing the language that will appear on … Continue reading →

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The cost of defying the law on same sex marriage

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Nearly $44K in attorneys’ fees, and it could have been worse. It has been a month since Joe Stapleton and Jim Cato finally got the marriage license Hood County Clerk Katie Lang denied them because of her religious beliefs. It … Continue reading →

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The contours of the HERO fight

Posted on August 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how this goes. When City Council sent Houston’s embattled equal rights ordinance to the November ballot two weeks ago, the vote raised the curtain on dueling campaigns that had been bracing in the wings for a political showdown … Continue reading →

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State issues new guidelines for birth and death certificates

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

That was quick. The state has issued new guidelines for filing and changing vital records to recognize same-sex marriage status, as ordered by a federal judge in San Antonio In a court advisory filed late Wednesday, the Texas Attorney General’s … Continue reading →

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Houston Unites

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The pro-HERO campaign has been launched. Supporters of Houston’s nondiscrimination ordinance launched a formal campaign Wednesday urging voters to defend the measure this November. ACLU of Texas Executive Director Terri Burke urged Houstonians to “send a message that this is … Continue reading →

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City appeals Wilson petition order

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

No surprise. The verdict on whether anti-gay activist Dave Wilson collected enough valid signatures to force a vote to amend the city charter and bar men “who perceive or express themselves as women” from entering women’s restrooms will have to … Continue reading →

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And now we have a lawsuit over HERO repeal ballot language

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, for crying out loud. Last month the Texas Supreme Court suspended the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, more commonly known as HERO, and ordered City Council to either repeal the non-discrimination measure or put it up for a public vote. … Continue reading →

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State Health Services department finally amends that death certificate

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Complying with a federal court order, Texas has issued an amended death certificate acknowledging a Conroe man as the husband of a same-sex spouse who had died in January. The men had been married in New Mexico in 2014, … Continue reading →

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HERO affirmed by Council

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s official – HERO will be on the ballot this fall. City Council voted to affirm Houston’s equal rights ordinance Wednesday, a move that will send the law to voters in November per a Texas Supreme Court ruling. City Council … Continue reading →

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There’s more to complying with SCOTUS than issuing marriage licenses

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like Ken Paxton may get to learn that the hard way. A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Texas must recognize the same-sex marriage of a Conroe resident by naming him as the surviving spouse on his late husband’s death … Continue reading →

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Pastors file a lawsuit over HERO

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Organizers of the anti-Houston Equal Rights Ordinance petition have filed suit against Mayor Annise Parker, saying she and unnamed “conspirators” unconstitutionally rejected valid petition signatures and “smothered the Citizen Referendum Petition in … Continue reading →

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Defending HERO

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a big job, but we can get it done. “We’re going to do everything we can to win HERO at the ballot box,” [Houston GLBT Political Caucus] president Maverick Welsh said. It would be Houstonians’ third time voting on … Continue reading →

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Hall for all the haters again

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Enjoy the attention while it lasts, dude. Already a staunch opponent of the nondiscrimination law, Hall has become more vocal in the wake of last week’s Texas Supreme Court ruling that City Council must repeal the ordinance, known as HERO, … Continue reading →

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Bridal Extravaganza happily adjusts to a same-sex marriage world

Posted on August 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Love is love, and business is business. Vendors in the industry, from florists to caterers, are seeing a bumper crop of same-sex Texas weddings. “I think there’s going to be some pent-up demand, and that’s exciting,” said Laurette Veres, Bridal … Continue reading →

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Harris County will have a bond issue on the ballot

Posted on August 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

More things to vote on this November. Commissioners Court voted unanimously Tuesday to put four bond measures totaling $848 million on the November ballot to address tremendous population growth in Harris County during the past two decades. “When you consider … Continue reading →

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If HERO then no other ballot items

Posted on July 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Makes sense. With her signature nondiscrimination law likely to appear on the November ballot, Mayor Annise Parker left in doubt Wednesday whether she will ask City Council to also place before voters long-discussed changes to term limits and the city’s … Continue reading →

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Judge rules Wilson petitions must be counted

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Thanks, Supreme Court. Thanks a hell of a lot. City of Houston officials must count the signatures on a petition filed by anti-gay activist Dave Wilson, who is seeking a vote to amend the city charter and bar men “who … Continue reading →

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

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

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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TOP/SEIU Mayoral forum report

Posted on July 28, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From David Ortez: After the dust settled, the forum commenced with the hosts explaining the four pillars of their platform. It boiled down to: 1) Good Jobs; 2) Neighborhoods of Opportunity; 3) Infrastructure; and 4) Immigrant Rights. At the end … Continue reading →

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Hall for all the haters

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

He is who we thought he was. Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall said Thursday he signed a petition seeking to define gender identity and prevent men “who perceive or express themselves as women” from entering women’s restrooms because he wants … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 27 Comments

Supreme Court rules HERO must be repealed or voted on

Posted on July 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ugh. The Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday that Houston City Council must repeal the city’s equal rights ordinance or place it on the November ballot. The ruling comes three months after a state district judge ruled that opponents of Houston’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2015 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 45 Comments

Paxton concedes FMLA lawsuit

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent. Almost a month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage bans are unconstitutional, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quietly conceded a case against the federal government over medical leave benefits for certain same-sex couples. Paxton and the … Continue reading →

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We don’t want to share marriage with those icky gay people

Posted on July 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Ed Kilgore detects a new trend. Now that the Christian Right has been reduced to the sputtering defiance of Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal or to the sullen silence of many others, one can hope that conservative acceptance of same-sex … Continue reading →

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Boy Scouts rescind ban on gay adults

Posted on July 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

About time. The executive committee of the Boy Scouts of America has unanimously approved a resolution that would end the organization’s blanket ban on gay adult leaders and let individual Scout units set their own policy on the long-divisive issue. … Continue reading →

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Revisiting birth certificates

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This is one of those next steps that needs to be taken. After the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, some gay and lesbian couples in Texas have raised questions about another legal document – birth certificates. They want Texas … Continue reading →

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Rusk County Clerk sets an example

Posted on July 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I respect this. The Rusk County Commissioners Court on Monday formally accepted the resignation of County Clerk Joyce Lewis-Kugle, apparently the first Texas elected official to quit office rather than abide by the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage. … Continue reading →

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There will be more lawsuits

Posted on July 12, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The lawsuit filed in Hood County to force County Clerk Katie Lang to issue a marriage license to a same sex couple won’t be the last one like it. “We hope and expect that county clerks across Texas and the … Continue reading →

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