Roy Exum
Houston Mayor Annise Parker makes no secret she is a lesbian and, after being elected to her third term, that doesn’t seem to matter much to the 2.16 million people who live in America’s fourth largest city. But yesterday afternoon she found herself right in the middle of the biggest mess in America besides ebola after word leaked she had subpoenaed the sermons of some of the city’s most notable pastors.
It seems the city council passed what is called the Houston Human Rights Ordinance in June at Parker’s urging.
It effectively bans anti-gay discrimination of any business that serves the public, all private employers, in city housing and in city employment and city contracting. Among the items in the ordinance is a clause that allows a transgender person to use whatever restroom – men’s or women’s -- they feel most comfortable and, if barred, any can file a discrimination complaint.
“The bathroom bill,” as it is being called, doesn’t sit well in Texas. Vocal opponents of HERO – what the ordinance is called by proponents – immediately launched a petition where 17,269 valid signatures were needed to ask the ordinance be repealed on the November ballot. Over 50,000 signatures are now on file but the city attorney and others have questioned the validity of the signatures.
A group of Christian leaders then sued the city and this week it was learned Mayor Parker and City Attorney David Feldman struck back with a handful of subpoenas delivered to the pastors of some of the largest churches. According to the Houston Chronicle, the legal request demanded “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you that are in your possession.”
The nation’s Christian community, as well as millions of Americans, are aflame over the incident. “The separation of church and state means that we will render unto Caesar which is Caesar’s, and we will,” said Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, “but the preaching of God does not belong to Caesar and we will not hand it over to him. Not now. Not ever!”
Erik Stanley, legal counsel for The Alliance Defending Freedom, immediately challenged the subpoenas, telling reporters, “City council members are supposed to be public servants, not ‘Big Brother’ overlords who will tolerate no dissent or challenge. In this case they have embarked on a witch-hunt, and we are asking the court to put a stop to it.”
As the outcry rose into a roar, Mayor Parker and the city attorney appeared to “back off” the brazen demands Wednesday afternoon, with the mayor telling reporters the subpoena request may have been over reaching. “There is no question the wording was overly broad but I think there was also some misinterpretation on the other side."
She also said, “Let me just say that one word in a very long legal document which I know nothing about and would have never read has vilified me coast-to-coast … It’s just a normal day at the office for me,” the 58-year-old mayor quipped.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz issued a statement yesterday saying the mayor “should be ashamed” but lawyer Feldman told TV cameras, “It is unfortunate that the (subpoenas) have been construed as some sort of effort to infringe on religious beliefs.”
Damon Rango, who has a church about an hour from Houston, doubts he will be served a subpoena but left no doubt about his feelings on his blog:
“Now I realize my church is an hour away from the Houston border, and so I probably won't have to answer this ridiculous subpoena. But I hope my brothers and sisters in Houston will stand with me in giving the following Biblical response: Come and take them, if you can.
“Mayor Parker, you are welcome at our church anytime. You can come and listen to the preaching,” he wrote, “all you wish (although you will be denied membership until you repent of your sin of homosexuality). You will be treated with dignity and respect. But in regards to answering a subpoena from the civil authority, to hand over copies of our sermons so that you and the oppressive police state you are operating can attempt to exert some sort of civil penalty on us, I say:
“You can have our sermons when you pry them from our cold, dead hands.”
Don’t mess with Texas.
royexum@aol.com