Pros And Cons Of Houston

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In May 2014, the Houston City Council passed the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, abbreviated as the HERO bill, which was designed to protect the rights of Houston citizens under fifteen characteristics: sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, and pregnancy. Despite the ordinance’s initial support, in July of the same year conservative opponents who have issues concerning the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity petitioned almost 18,000 signatures to move the bill as a whole to referendum. However, the legitimacy of these signatures was questioned, causing an uproar of lawsuits and subpoenas.…show more content…
The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance should be passed because it accommodates for the diverse population living in Houston, promotes employment prospects for those who would otherwise be denied based on discrimination, and ensures safety and justice for marginalized minorities. The city of Houston, Texas has a large, diverse population that continues to expand and would benefit from the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. The groups of citizens who will be affected the most by this bill are those of different races, colors, ethnicities, and national origins. According to a study by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research and the Hobby Center for the Study of Texas, between the years 1990 and 2010, the percentage of the Anglo population in Houston has decreased by almost 20 percent total, making people of color 60 percent of the total population living in…show more content…
Issues with genetic information has played a part in job discrimination against Houston citizens with inherited health risks. In 2006, according to Aetna senior medical director Dr. Joanne Armstrong, MD, in Houston there was an increase in genetic testing that ultimately cost twice as much of the total medical costs over a period of just three years (Glabman). Although thoroughness in genetic testing may seem like a good idea for families with histories of health risks like breast cancer, some employers use genetic information as an excuse to refuse employment for people with health risks, arguing that investing in health insurance and worker’s compensation would become complicated due to known health issues. With the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 already in place, the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance would strengthen this act and prevent employees’ genetic information from being exploited. Pregnancy is another characteristic that affects employment opportunities for citizens in Houston. The Houston District Office of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received over 3,000 pregnancy discrimination complaints in 2013 (Sixel). Even though there are already laws in place that protect pregnant employees from discrimination, many employers, usually those of smaller businesses, still
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