New information recently revealed shows that the city of Houston subpoenaed sermons given by local pastors who have been vocal in their opposition of the controversial Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) and who have ties to the Christian activists who have sued the city, reported The Houston Chronicle.
The subpoenas were issued by city attorneys as part of the case's discover phase, and requested specific communication, including, "all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO, the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession."
After vocally expressing their opposition on the HERO law, pastors and religious leaders such as Dave Welch, Hernan Castano, Magda Hermida, Khanh Huynh and Steven Riggle were issued the subpoenas, and the Alliance Defending Freedom (AFP), a Christian legal organization defending the pastors, filed a motion Monday to stop the subpoena, reported the Chronicle.
The AFP's motion claimed the subpoenas are "overly broad" and "cause undue burden or harassment."
After Houston Mayor Annise Parker signed HERO into law in May, opponents began to collect signatures to put a repeal measure on the ballot, and on July 3, more than 50,000 signatures were delivered to the city. The city announced a month later that HERO opponents were "2,000 valid signatures short of the 17,269-signature threshold," and "most of the pages contained mistakes that invalidated the entire pages of signatures."
Then in August, opponents filed a suit against the city with the help of ADF, and HERO was placed on hold. The recent subpoenas were filed in response to that suit.
The city of Houston also wants all information relating to payments and incentives offered to people hired to circulate anti-HERO petitions.
"The city's subpoena of sermons and other pastoral communications is both needless and unprecedented," ADF attorney Christina Holcomb said in a statement. "The city council and its attorneys are engaging in an inquisition designed to stifle any critique of its actions."
"Political and social commentary is not a crime," Holcomb said. "It is protected by the First Amendment."
Opponents of HERO mainly took issue with how the ordinance legally allows transgender residents to use restrooms "consistent with their gender expression," reported the Chronicle.
