• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Towleroad Gay News

Gay Blog Towleroad: More than gay news | gay men

  • Body
  • Daily Resist
  • POLITICS
  • Travel
  • Music
  • Theatre
  • Film
  • TV
  • Sports
  • Business
  • Men
  • Marriage Equality
  • Space
  • Trans Rights
  • Books
  • Science
  • Gay Iconography
  • TowleREAD

LISTEN: Houston Minister Delivers Powerful Response To Disgusting, Anti-LGBT Radio Ad

August 28, 2015 by John Wright Leave a Comment

Reed

The other day we told you how opponents of Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) released a disgusting, transphobic radio ad. The ad featured a young female narrator who said she hopes to get pregnant and have her baby in Houston, but she’s concerned about the impacts of HERO. She said the ordinance will allow men to enter women’s restrooms, which she called “filthy, disgusting and unsafe.”

Today, the coalition supporting HERO — which will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot as Proposition 1 — responded with its own advertising spot, in which a Houston minister tackles head on the transgender bathroom myth.

YesOn1From Project Q Houston:

Houston Unites’ response features the Rev. Will Reed, pastor of Servants of Christ United Methodist Church, who emphasizes that in addition to sexual orientation and gender identity, HERO prohibits discrimination based on 13 other characteristics, including race:

“As Christians, my wife and I believe in treating others the way we want to be treated, that’s what we’ve taught our children.

“Recently, we’re hearing about HERO – Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance, and concerns some have raised about privacy in public bathrooms,” Reed says in the ad. “What’s being lost is that it’s already illegal to go into a bathroom to harm or harass someone. This law won’t change that.

“We looked into it, and HERO is actually about providing a needed local tool to protect Houstonians from discrimination based on their race, religion, age, gender, military status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability,” Reed says. “And Houston is the only major city in Texas without these protections against discrimination in jobs, housing and public places. In most cases, without local protections, Houstonians literally have to make a federal case out of it to get legal help with discrimination. That’s why we’re voting ‘yes’ on (Proposition 1), to keep Houston’s equal rights ordinance. We’re all God’s children and we should all be protected from discrimination.”

The two ads represent the first media battle in what is expected to be a multi-million dollar war over LGBT protections in the nation’s fourth-largest city.

According to the pro-HERO Houston Unites, its ad will air on seven stations for at least two weeks. The coalition notes in a press release that more than half of the discrimination complaints filed under HERO thus far were based on race:

“Pastor Reed makes clear that the Equal Rights Ordinance includes all Houstonians, no matter one’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or pregnancy,” said Fran Watson, faith outreach director for Houston Unites. “Most of us in this city want to treat everyone fairly and equally and voting ‘yes’ on Prop 1 is a way to do just that.”

Also this week, the City Council voted to approve the final wording for Proposition 1, which will state:

“Are you in favor of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, Ord. No. 2014-530, which prohibits discrimination in city employment and city services, city contracts, public accommodations, private employment, and housing based on an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy?”

WelchThe anti-LGBT Texas Pastor Council responded to the council’s vote in an email:

Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Rev. Dave Welch stated, “Recognizing that Mayor (Annise) Parker has attempted every possible means of silencing the voters of the city, repeatedly violating the law while doing so, we are pleased that ‘We the People’ will finally have the opportunity to speak on whether Houston should criminalize people of faith, suppress religious freedom and allow men in women’s restrooms.”

He added that, “We believe that this ordinance reflects only a personal agenda by Mayor Parker and “my people” as she describes the LGBT community and not what is good, just, decent and best for Houston.  However, we have been willing to put it before the people to decide and we will do all we can to make sure those who revere and  respect our founding principles, God’s design of marriage and family and simply basic freedom get out and vote.”

Listen to both ads below.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: discrimination, HERO, houston, houston equal rights ordinance, LGBT Rights, Proposition 1, Texas, Transgender

Recent Posts

  • Seth Rogen and Ted Cruz Go Round 2 in Twitter Brawl, Over Disney’s ‘Fantasia’

    Seth Rogen and Ted Cruz Go Round 2 in Twitter Brawl, Over Disney’s ‘Fantasia’

    10 mins ago
  • ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    19 hours ago
  • Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    21 hours ago
  • Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    21 hours ago
Previous Post: « Here’s Anti-gay Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis’s SCOTUS Emergency Stay Request: READ
Next Post: WATCH: Focus on the Family Highlights Anti-gay Rally for Lawless Kentucky County Clerks »

Primary Sidebar

  • Seth Rogen and Ted Cruz Go Round 2 in Twitter Brawl, Over Disney’s ‘Fantasia’

  • ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

  • Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

Recent Posts

  • Seth Rogen and Ted Cruz Go Round 2 in Twitter Brawl, Over Disney’s ‘Fantasia’

    Seth Rogen and Ted Cruz Go Round 2 in Twitter Brawl, Over Disney’s ‘Fantasia’

    10 mins ago
  • ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    ‘Drag Race’ Serves Rom-Coms, Drama and Murder on the Runway [RECAP and RANKINGS]

    19 hours ago
  • Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    Lesbian Mom Who Made Bernie Sanders’ Viral Mittens Overwhelmed with Requests

    21 hours ago
  • Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    Teen YouTuber JoJo Siwa and ‘Dance Moms’ Star Comes Out as Gay

    21 hours ago
  • Dr. Anthony Fauci Describes ‘Chilling’ Resistance to Science in Trump Administration, Tells Rachel Maddow They Blocked Him from Her Show: ‘It Was a Tough Situation. It Really Was’ — WATCH

    Dr. Anthony Fauci Describes ‘Chilling’ Resistance to Science in Trump Administration, Tells Rachel Maddow They Blocked Him from Her Show: ‘It Was a Tough Situation. It Really Was’ — WATCH

    21 hours ago
  • Talk Show Legend Larry King Dead of Complications from COVID-19 at 87

    Talk Show Legend Larry King Dead of Complications from COVID-19 at 87

    23 hours ago
  • Billie Eilish, Diet Coke Button, Fleet Foxes, Jane Krakowski, Faultline Bar, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus: HOT LINKS

    Billie Eilish, Diet Coke Button, Fleet Foxes, Jane Krakowski, Faultline Bar, Dave Chappelle, Miley Cyrus: HOT LINKS

    2 days ago
  • Visit Key West Like a Queen: Drag Icons Give Their Tourist Tips

    Visit Key West Like a Queen: Drag Icons Give Their Tourist Tips

    2 days ago
  • Chuck Schumer Grimaces After Saying Donald Trump ‘Incited the Erection’ — WATCH

    Chuck Schumer Grimaces After Saying Donald Trump ‘Incited the Erection’ — WATCH

    2 days ago
  • GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn Lied About Training for Paralympics

    GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn Lied About Training for Paralympics

    2 days ago

Most Commented

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • About Towleroad
  • Towleroad on Social Media
  • Privacy Policy

Footer

Copyright © 2021 · Log in