In this report on local news in Spanish, the reporter Osvaldo Corral interviewed the evangelical pastors protesting the anti-discrimination ordinance that would be voted on in the legislature as well as a member of the local transgender community Salma Marmolejo. The pastor says that as the result of the calls that out lesbian mayor Annise Parker received, they struck a part of the ordinance that would have allowed people to use public restrooms that were in accordance with their gender. He says the calls against the measure were 10 to 1.
Marmolejo counters by sharing part of her experience with public restrooms and talking about the lack of acceptance in general towards the transgender community.
The council will continue to vote on the rest of the ordinance that will afford the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community protections at work and against discrimination in other aspects of public life.
Local advocate, Elia Chino, one of the founders of the Houston based Fundación Latino Americana Contra El Sida, Inc. (Latin American Foundation AIDS Foundation) said the following when asked why the ordinance is important.
"Es importante que pase la ordinance para proteger a la comunidad transgénero de los abusos y discriminación que ocurren a cada momento en el trabajo, vivienda, y los servicios médicos. También es importante porque a cada momento nos están haciendo daño psicológico, físico y [causándonos] trauma. Es importante también por el crimen y el trato de los policías a esta población. Ya basta de tanto odio a nosotros…"
"It is important that this law passes to protect the transgender community from all the abuse and discrimination that occurs all the time at work, in housing and in accessing health care. Also, it is important because we are being psychologically and physically harmed and traumatized all the time . It is also important because of the crimes and the way that the police is treating this population. Enough of all this hatred directed at us..."