The Texas Supreme Court issued a blow to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) Act, an ordinance passed in 2014 that protects people in Houston from discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, military service, sex, race, ethnicity, age, marital status, disability, and other categories. The court ruled that the Houston City Council must either repeal the HERO Act or put the ordinance on the ballot for a November 2015 vote. The Court also immediately suspended enforcement of the HERO Act.
he ruling comes three months after a state district court judge found that HERO opponents failed to gather enough valid signatures to qualify for a repeal referendum.
Freedom for All Americans campaign manager Matt McTighe issued the following statement:
“It’s disturbing that the Texas Supreme Court is moving so aggressively to halt enforcement of an ordinance that protects so many people. This isn’t just an ordinance that protects LGBT people – it also covers discrimination based on military service, sex, race, ethnicity, age, marital status and disability, among others.
