After nearly an 18-month legal battle that drew national attention, Houston voters on Tuesday rejected an ordinance that would have established nondiscrimination protections for the gay and transgender community. Voters opted to repeal the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, which not only offered nondiscrimination protections for gender identity and sexual orientation, but also banned discrimination against sex, race, disability, age, religion, and other categories protected under the federal law. The measure was first approved by the city council in May 2014, but opponents launched a lawsuit to demand that residents vote on the ordinance. The case eventually made it to the Texas Supreme Court, which ordered the city to either repeal the measure or put it on the ballot.
