Houston Equal Rights Supporters Raise Over $3 Million – Five Times More Than Anti-LGBT Activists

HRC, ACLU, Gill Action Fund Kick in Hundreds of Thousands Each

Groups supporting Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance have raised more than $3 million, almost five times as much as opponents, according to the latest campaign finance reports. 

The pro-HERO haul includes hundreds of thousands each from the Human Rights Campaign, the ACLU of Texas, the Gill Action Fund and the American Unity Fund, underscoring the perceived national significance of the Nov. 3 vote on LGBT protections in the nation’s fourth-largest city.

However, the main PAC supporting the ordinance, Houston Unites, reported that more than 85 percent of its 1,500 donors were from Texas, more than two-thirds were from Houston, and that more than $100,000 was raised online from more than 1,000 donors. 

By contrast, HERO opponents had raised a total of only about $660,000. One anti-HERO PAC’s latest campaign finance report had not yet been posted online, but the estimate is based on a report from The Houston Chronicle. 

“Compared to the handful of wealthy opponents funding the rollback of needed protections for African-Americans, Latinos, women and veterans, we have put together a massive, diverse grassroots coalition backing Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance,” Richard Carlbom, campaign manager of Houston Unites, said in a statement. “We anticipate this to be the closest of races, so these final days are critical for HERO supporters to keep investing in the campaign.”

Indeed, despite the lopsided fundraising totals, polls indicate the HERO vote may be tight. One recent survey from KPRC 2 News found that 45 percent of respondents backed HERO (or Proposition 1), 36 percent opposed it, and 20 percent were undecided.

With one week to go before Election Day, the main anti-HERO PAC, Campaign for Houston, listed only $2,700 in cash on hand, and has a $50,000 outstanding loan. Houston Unites reported $267,000 in cash on hand.  

The largest anti-HERO donor is believed to be longtime anti-gay activist Dr. Steve Hotze, who reportedly has kicked in hundreds of thousands. GOP Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick spent $70,000 from a campaign account on an anti-HERO TV ad. 

The Chronicle notes that a large chunk of the money raised by the two sides, more than $1 million, has been spent on TV ads. Opponents have flooded the airwaves with ads promoting the debunked transgender bathroom myth.

In an amusing side note, Texas Outhouse Inc., which provides portable toilets, contributed $5,000 to the anti-HERO campaign. (Last we checked, portable toilets are unisex.)

The latest pro-HERO ad, released Tuesday, features former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who now serves as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Castro supported a similar ordinance that passed in San Antonio in 2013. 

“Texas is a great place to live and raise a family, but we can always make it even better. Sadly, too many Texans still face discrimination,” Castro says in the ad. “In Houston, 56 percent of discrimination reports filed in the last year were based on race, and 14 percent were based on gender or pregnancy. That’s why Houston needs Proposition 1, the Equal Rights Ordinance. It’s a local tool that helps protect everyone; regardless of race, religion, gender, military status and more. Without local protections against discrimination, people can’t get the legal help they need when it happens. It’s wrong and it hurts families and our whole community.”

HERO would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity and 13 other characteristics in employment, housing and public accommodations. 

After the City Council approved the ordinance in May 2014, officials rejected a petition seeking to repeal it, saying it didn’t have enough valid signatures. Anti-LGBT activists filed a lawsuit, but a district judge upheld the city’s decision, saying the petition contained widespread forgery. However, HERO opponents eventually obtained a decision from the elected, all-Republican Texas Supreme Court, ordering the city to repeal the ordinance or place it on the ballot. 

Watch the ad featuring Castro below. 

 

Image via Houston Unites/Facebook