TG Center News: City of Houston ENDA Passed

Posted by admin on Mar 30, 2010 in Community, Education, Outreach | 3 comments

On 8/19/09, the TG Center wrote the community to inform them that Jolanda Jones and the TG Center were working together to address gender identity/expression and sexual orientation workplace discrimination and denial of public accommodations at the City of Houston. In the email, we noted that Councilmember Jones began working on this issue in June of 2009.

The TG Center is very pleased to report that Mayor Annise Parker signed Executive Order 1-8 (Revised) and 1-20 (Revised) barring workplace sexual orientation and gender identity/expression discrimination for City of Houston employees. Order 1-8 will prohibit discrimination and/or retaliation on the basis of sexual orientation and/or gender identity at every level  of municipal government, including in hiring, contracting and/or access to City facilities and program/activities. The order goes on to explicitly state: “It is further the City’s policy to provide each City employee a work environment free of discrimination and harassment based on either sexual orientation and/or gender identity.” Section 3.1.3 addresses access to bathroom facilities, stating that the GLBT community will not experience harassment and/or discrimination concerning “availability of City facilities” in all “City interactions with the public.” Section 9.2 of the Executive Order goes further stating, “It shall be a violation of this Executive Order for an employee to fail or refuse to recommend and contract or purchase for award based upon any contractor’s or vendor’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity; or to fail to make available to any member of the public or employee use of a City facility or receipt of a City service, if that person otherwise would be entitled to such use or receipt, based upon a person’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity; or to impede access by any employee or member of the public to a City restroom facility that is consistent with and appropriate to that person’s expression of gender identity…”

Mayor Parker at the TG Center		Councilmember Jones at the TG Center

Executive Order 1-20 provides a fair and equitable work environment to all employees. This order explicitly covers all GLBT employees. The order bars inappropriate or offensive slurs, connotations, words, objects or symbols from the workplace.

To date, Councilmember Jones is the first and only Councilmember to have a transgender person on staff. Mayor Parker has a long track record of seeking equality for all Houstonians and has regularly supported events such as the Unity Banquet and the TG Day of Remembrance.

Please send your comments, thanks and praise to: HouENDA@tgctr.org Your thanks and support will be forwarded to both Councilmember Jones and Mayor Parker.