Haters, as shrill as ever, fire up effort to repeal LGBT non-discrimination ordinance in Plano, TX

You may remember that, back in December, the conservative Dallas suburb of Plano saw a glimmer of progress when it extended limited anti-discrimination protections to LGBT people. In a 5-3 vote (which included the mayor), the city council moved to amend the Non-Discrimination Ordinance (now known as the Equal Rights Policy) to include sexual orientation, genetic information, and gender identity. The ordinance protects residents from discrimination in public accommodation, employment, housing transactions, and city contracting. The news wasn't all good, of course, as there are huge, gaping loopholes in the ordinance that prevent it from having the effect it should:

City Attorney Paige Mims said the ordinance also includes a waiver process for businesses to be exempt if the owners feel the policy would not allow them to conduct business based on their personal faith. Individuals and organizations found in noncompliance to the ordinance would be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, the least severe class of misdemeanor. While the ordinance does make it illegal to discriminate against gender identity in a public place, Mims said that would not extend to public restrooms and locker rooms which would still be segregated based on physical anatomy.

“We realize that privacy interests need to be balanced with equality interests,” Mims said at the meeting. “We took a lot of care to look at constitutional issues and freedoms that people have that are protected under the law ... We’ve recognized in this ordinance that due process needs to be allowed and if people do have those [religious] defenses, they’re required under law to give the city notification ... and we’re going to evaluate that.”

In addition, religious and political groups and nonprofit organizations are exempt from the ordinance. Not exactly a sweeping victory for the LGBT community, but nevertheless a welcome advance, especially given Plano's politics and the fact that the city is home to the right-wing Liberty Institute.

But despite the deep compromise in the ordinance, anti-gay bigots went down screaming, including District 66 Representative-elect Matt Shaheen:

The citizens of Plano are good, decent people and this is more the city council overreach of government. Our citizens in Plano are good people and are welcoming and gracious. This is an insult to the citizens of Plano. There was no consideration to people’s moral values or religious faith. There’s an issue with that. There’s a clear overreach. It was a clear intrusion on the religious rights of citizens that the council did not consider that. There’s significant flaws.

And Jeff Mateer, general counsel to the aforementioned Liberty Institute, who didn't appreciate that thumb in the eye:

This ordinance is unlawful and it is unconstitutional. Suffice it to say, if you pass it, we will sue you.

An overreach! An insult! Overreach! RELIGIOUS RIGHTS! UNCONSTITUTIONAL! You know, the usual ranting. And they're not letting up now that the mayor and city council ignored the whining, temper tantrums, and threats unleashed by the Religious Right and passed the ordinance. In case you're wondering, yes, this opposition is building on the momentum that the Religious Right built here in Houston following the city council's passage of the Equal Rights Ordinance. Many of the same ol' folks are involved, including David Welch of the Houston-based Texas Pastors Council. Like in Houston, the focus is being put on efforts to repeal the ordinance at the ballot box, and petition drives are in force. They failed in Houston, but they're going to do their damndest to kick Plano back into the last century on this issue.

The initiative was launched by an ad hoc group called Plano Citizens United (planoequalrights.com) and the Houston-based Texas Pastor Council.

Supporters hope to gather at least 3,822 signatures by the Jan. 20 deadline to force the Plano City Council to either repeal the ordinance or let voters decide.

If enough signatures are validated, the council must comply or call a special election, according to the City Charter. May 9 would be the earliest date for such an election.

More than 50 churches and a number of elected officials are involved in the effort, said Dave Welch, executive director of the Texas Pastor Council, who is serving as spokesman for the Plano initiative.

[...]

“There’s no proven pattern of discrimination to warrant these policies,” said Welch, who led a similar initiative to overturn Houston’s equal rights ordinance. The city was sued after it invalidated a petition to place the ordinance on the November ballot.

Pastor Jack Graham of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano is also leading the anti-gay campaign, with the church holding an emergency meeting to launch the repeal efforts.

And yesterday, over 100 people gathered at a press conference held by the anti-gay coalition leaders, at which they sought help in gathering the signatures to get the measure on the ballot. And, predictably, they were as shrill and as whiny as ever in their words against the ordinance. A video, which contains some of the most asinine remarks, is available at the link at the beginning of this paragraph--I couldn't embed it, but here is one I found on YouTube:

The aforementioned Jeff Mateer of the Liberty Institute again threatened to sue the city. For what, he hasn't made clear. But damnit, he's gonna sue and waste their time and money anyway! If you watch the video at the link, he almost looks like he's ready to drop to the floor and burst into rage-induced tears.

This ordinance needs to be repealed. If it's not repealed, then we'll go to the courts, and we'll spend and cause the city to incur tens of thousands of dollars.

And Matt Shaheen was back, not failing to disappoint with hyperbolic claims that the city is banning religious expression.

City council took the step of outlawing certain religious expression in the workplace. This was wrong, and this was abuse of government power.

"Certain religious expression." Apparently firing a gay or transgender person is mere religious expression.

And then there's Dave Routzahn, who not only wants the ordinance repealed, but also wants the equality-supporting city council members and mayor ousted and replaced with good Christians.

My ultimate hope is that the five people that voted for it including the mayor are ousted at the next election, and they put good Christian people in there that understand the effect of all this.

Oh, and guess who else made an unannounced appearance at the press conference. None other than Rafael Cruz, who was previously active in the effort to repeal San Antonio's LGBT non-discrimination ordinance, which he lied would result in pastors being fined for preaching from the Bible. Wut? The anti-gay right continues to gasp for air and strive for relevance as they lose time and again in city councils, legislatures, and courts, not to mention the court of public opinion. Now we watch as they try to do as much damage as they can on their way down. We'll see what happens in Plano, but either way, these clowns are history.