On November 3 2015, the fourth largest city in the USA voted against human rights. Discrimination against a person based on 15 attributes such as race, sexual orientation, and gender identification remained when voters in Houston, TX decided against the controversial Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO).

HERO failed by a large margin. The 62 percent to 38 percent vote should serve as a wake up call to Americans that people’s rights should be automatically implied, rather than be subject to popular vote.

Supporting a law that bans discrimination in the workplace and public may sound logical in the most ethnically diverse city in America that has also elected the country’s first openly-gay mayor. However, it seems as though the battle for equal rights will continue if decisions are unfortunately heavily influenced by conservative right-wingers, like those who opposed the HERO law.

HERO has been a hot, controversial matter since it was introduced in April 2014, by Houston’s openly-gay mayor Annise Parker. Hero states that,

“ [T]he City of Houston seeks to provide an environment that is free of any type of discrimination based on sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or pregnancy”

Sexual orientation and gender identity seems to be the most contentious attributes of HERO. The law even became known as the “bathroom bill” because there was a section that stated a person should be able to go to a bathroom they felt best fit their sexual identity.

Shortly after, the section was removed, yet Houston’s transphobic community continued to rally against HERO, coined the phrase “ No men in women’s bathrooms”, ran opposition ads on Houston TV stations, and claimed young girls would feel threatened in public restrooms. Many believe that the actions from the HERO opposers only adds to the “conservative, narrow-minded, diehard republican” southerner stereotype.

Is Houston not only homophobic but transphobic too?

Over a year later, in a country where gay marriage is now legal, Houston,TX is still stuck in the 1900’s. Equality means much more than a national decision when local levels are not doing their part as well. One supreme court decision does not simply erase years of unfavorable attitudes towards gays and transgender individuals. The United States still has a long way to go.

The LGBT community in Houston will continue face legal discrimination, and minorities will continue to live in a white man’s world. Is it unfortunate that other large cities in Texas like Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio have passed non-discrimination laws, yet Houston refused. It is simply heartbreaking that people must put on a facade to be accepted and can legally be denied a job or service because of their orientation or status.

This is a disgusting decision that needs voices and people to speak up in order to be broken. HERO must not end here and equal rights must prevail.