El Paso Officials Will Not Be Recalled For Giving Benefits To Same-Sex Couples

El Paso! First, the city council decided to extend health benefits to the domestic partners of city employees. Then the city's godcrazy gayloathers were so offended that they got the council's decision put to a public referendum, at which point 55% of the city's voters decided that, no, domestic partners should not get benefits. And so the city government decided the voters were idiots and domestic partners should get benefits anyway. Then the godcrazy gayloathers decided to recall the officials involved. (And how many gay couples were sucking up those sweet government bennies? Two. Two!)

This venal drama concluded Friday. From The Dallas Voice:

In a victory for supporters of LGBT equality, a Texas appeals court has rejected an effort to recall El Paso Mayor John Cook and two other council members over their support of domestic partner benefits for unmarried city employees.

Texas’ 8th Court of Appeals ruled unanimously on Friday that recall organizers, led by anti-gay Pastor Tom Brown, broke the law in gathering petition signatures for the recall election, which had been scheduled for this spring.

That's Tom Brown, above right, who last year accused the bennies-giving council of "rewarding fornicators." Can't wait to hear what he has to say about the appeals court.

El Paso City Council Restores Domestic Partner Benefits in Tie Vote, Broken by Mayor

Last November, El Paso, Texas voters approved a referendum denying health benefits to unmarried partners of city employees.

Last night El Paso's City Council voted to restore those benefits, the El Paso Times reports:

After hearing spirited arguments from members of the public on both sides of the issue, the council split 4-4. Mayor John Cook, who proposed the ordinance restoring benefits, broke the tie in favor of it despite a ballot initiative in November ending them.

...Pastor Tom Brown, who helped organize the November ballot initiative, on Monday said he would organize recall petitions against Cook and city Reps. Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega, who voted in favor of the benefits. Brown said he would wait until September before gathering the signatures needed to support a successful recall.

The language in the anti-gay, voter-approved initiative was so broad that instead of cutting out the benefits for just gays and unmarried partners, it cut out benefits for approximately 100 other people as well.

Read much more about last night's vote here. Folks were praying outside the building that gays would not get benefits. Sick: 

Just before Tuesday's vote, dozens, including some clerics, huddled outside the council chamber and prayed they would be successful in ending city health benefits for gay and unmarried partners of employees.

City Restores Domestic Partner Benefits [el paso times]

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El Paso City Council to consider ordinance that would restore gay benefits: "The El Paso City Council on Tuesday will hold a public hearing on a measure that would reverse an initiative passed by voters in November. The council is considering an ordinance that would restore health benefits to 19 gay and unmarried partners of city employees. It also would restore benefits to more than 100 others who lost them because of the way the initiative was worded."

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El Paso Police Arrest Suspect in Beating Near Gay Club, Say Assault Was Gang-Related, Not Hate Crime

A 16-year-old has been arrested in the brutal beating of a straight man outside a gay nightclub in El Paso last week, the El Paso Times reports:

The assault, police said, was gang-related and did not meet the criteria of a "hate crime," which upset the victim's family and gay-rights activists who said Lionel Martinez was targeted only because he was near the Old Plantation nightclub frequented by gays and lesbians.

Police arrested the teen gang member Thursday afternoon on suspicion of aggravated assault. More arrests are expected. The teen's name was not released because he is a juvenile.

Martinez, 22, remained hospitalized in critical condition Thursday and has yet to regain consciousness after early Saturday attack, said his sister Deanne Martinez.

Martinez says her brother is not part of a gang and insists her brother was targeted because he was outside of a gay nightclub.

Man In Critical Condition After Attack Outside Of Gay Club In Texas

A 22-year-old man is in critical condition after a brutal attack outside of a gay nightclub in downtown El Paso. San Diego Gay & Lesbian News is reporting the incident as a likely gay bashing because the victim was waiting outside of the club for a ride.

From KVIA's report:

Police said the victim, only described as a 22-year-old Hispanic man, was involved in a verbal confrontation with six other men. The fight escalated to punching and kicking and police said one of the six men even used a bat to hit the victim. A friend of the victim tried to intervene, but was stopped by one of the six men when he struck her Jeep with a bat and damaged the windshield, according to police. The victim was transported to University Medical Center in critical condition.

The club, The Old Plantation, is known locally as "The OP."

The six men reportedly drove away in a van. Anyone with tips on the identity of the suspects is encouraged to call the El Paso Police Department at (915) 832-4400.