Gov. Greg Abbott, Hillary Clinton spar over Houston's 'bathroom ordinance'

Hillary Clinton has evolved significantly from the days when she believed that marriage was “a fundamental bedrock principle that … exists between a man and woman, going back into the midst of history, as one of the founding, foundational institutions of history and humanity and civilization.” She’s now campaigning as a long-time champion of gay rights, and today inserted herself into the debate over a Houston ordinance that is of particular concern to transgender individuals.

Yesterday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged voters to reject the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance and say no to “men in women’s bathrooms.” HERO is known casually by many as the “bathroom ordinance” because in challenging discrimination on the basis of race, sex and a dozen other factors, it would require public accommodation of transgender citizens; hence the proliferation of “No men in women’s bathrooms” signs and T-shirts.

HOUSTON: Vote Texas values, not @HillaryClinton values. Vote NO on City of Houston Proposition 1. No men in women's bathrooms.

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 2, 2015

@GregAbbott_TX @HillaryClinton seriously Abbott are you that ignorant or Just flat out despicable?

— ?Carly Lehwald (@CarlyELehwald) November 3, 2015

https://twitter.com/skorpyos/status/661211599886135296

@GregAbbott_TX @HillaryClinton how can u bear false witness like that and call yourself a Christian, Gov. Abbot?

— Holy Bullies (@holybullies) November 2, 2015

@GregAbbott_TX You should be ashamed for perpetuating a lie, and for not joining with many Texans who support nondiscrimination.

— Bob Witeck (@Bob_Witeck) November 2, 2015

@GregAbbott_TX if discrimination against trans people is a Texas value, then count me out

— dominic hernandez (@dom_solo) November 2, 2015

Houston, as you vote today, remember @GregAbbott_TX wants to inspect your genitals if you ever need to poop outside your own home.

— Blue Heron Farm (@BlueHeronFarmTX) November 2, 2015

If that seems like a unanimous backlash against the governor, rest assured that plenty of Texans support him as well. Attention to the HERO ordinance has spread far beyond Houston, though, with publications like The New York Times throwing their support behind it. Oh, and Hillary Clinton also stepped in, seeing as she was named in Abbott’s tweet.

.@GregAbbott_TX is right about one thing: equality is one of Hillary's values. Houston—vote #YesOnProp1 today. https://t.co/AI0IWnqhB7

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 3, 2015

https://twitter.com/USA_Benghazi/status/661628473908310017

Stepping in to clear things up is the Free Press Houston, which clarifies that HERO “does not make it legal to harm someone in a bathroom. It does not protect sexual predators, it does not allow men to freely use women’s bathrooms or locker rooms, and it does not let rapists off the hook.” The Free Press adds, “The last time we checked, rapists and abusers are going to behave as you would expect them to behave – without regard for the law, with or without an equal rights ordinance.”

That’s almost like arguing that simply owning a gun is no crime, and that additional “common sense” gun control measures aren’t going to stop criminals from using firearms without regard for the law — a point not lost on Abbott.

.@HillaryClinton – so America can expect your #2A values to change like your equality values https://t.co/srN0L51mNJ https://t.co/409tM4wrt2

— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) November 3, 2015

What do you know? The link points to video of Clinton arguing for the fundamental bedrock principle of marriage.

@GregAbbott_TX @Just_a_Texan @HillaryClinton Truer words were never said Guv. Hillary has no moral center.

— Carl Gottlieb (@c_cgottlieb) November 3, 2015