POLL: Houston Voters Would Reject LGBT Rights Ordinance Even Without “Bathroom” Issue

Houston Public Media reports:

Experts agreed that HERO lost on Nov. 3 because voters were convinced by the opponents’ message that it would lead to men dressed as women going into women’s bathrooms. The ordinance protected 15 different characteristics from discrimination, including gender identity. A reasonable conclusion then could be that the ordinance would have passed if you only take out that part. But according to the News 88.7/KHOU 11 News Runoff Election Poll, that is not the case.

“We specifically took that off the table and said, ‘Would you still support or oppose if you knew that sexual identity, as opposed to sexual orientation, would no longer be a protected right,’” says Rice University’s Bob Stein, who conducted the survey of 469 Houstonians who are likely to vote in the Dec. 12 runoff. “And still almost a majority, 49 percent, would oppose it. Only 35 percent would support it.”

The anti-LGBT Campaign For Houston says that they will still oppose any LGBT rights ordinance, including one that does not include transgender rights. According to the above-linked report, neither mayor candidate has expressed interest in putting any version of HERO back into play.