Just one day before the veto referendum on the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) in Harris County, Texas, Governor Greg Abbot decided to join the voices opposing the ordinance by using this tired old canard:
HOUSTON: Vote Texas values, not @HillaryClinton values. Vote NO on City of Houston Proposition 1. No men in women's bathrooms.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 2, 2015The ol' "men in women's bathrooms" story has become the rallying point of anti-HERO activists, despite the fact that the bill itself covers a wide range of anti-discriminatory language, including the prohibition of "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." Abbot and his ilk are indulging in fear-mongering at the expense of thousands of Houstonians who risk discrimination because of their gender, race, sexual orientation, or a variety of other traits.
There's only one way for Houstonians to fight the hate: go to the polls.