Houston, TX, May 28, 2014 – Today, the Houston City Council and lesbian Mayor Annise Parker, by a vote of 11-6, approved the controversial LGBT ordinance that has dogged the Council for weeks. The Council was forced to delay action on the issue due to a flood of opposition amongst a diverse group of citizens and local leaders, mass confusion over the language and fear over the impact of enforcement on public safety and the local economy. The last City Council meeting revealed that important Houston leaders had been left out of the original discussion on this issue.

Today, leading local African American pastors walked out of the council chambers after homosexual advocates were given priority placement for testimony at the beginning of the meeting, while the Mayor and some council members voted to keep the pastors further down on the list.

Mayor Parker has conceded that the ordinance would still apply to men who seek to use women’s bathrooms. The City attorney has also admitted that the ordinance can be used to prosecute photographers and private business owners who choose not to participate in same sex ceremonies, when doing such causes them to violate their conscience and/or religious beliefs.

“Today the Houston City Council voted to have homosexual conduct trump religious liberty and free speech with this ordinance,” said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values Action. “This ill-advised power grab by Mayor Parker will be used a weapon to attack people of Christian faith, and that’s a shame.”

Supporters of Texas Values Action sent over 110,000 email messages in opposition to the ordinance have already been sent to the Council members in a matter of weeks, more than the 98,000 votes Mayor Parker received in her re-election in 2013.

About Texas Values Action

Texas Values Action is the new advocacy arm of Texas Values, a non-profit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvaluesaction.org.