Texas Freedom Network student activists are hard at work getting young voters to the polls for the November 3 election, particularly in support of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance. We just sent out the following press release:
Members of the Texas Freedom Network chapter at the University of Houston-Downtown will join student government and other groups at the school on Oct. 29 in a joint effort to get young people to the polls for the November 3 election.
“Walk 2 Vote” is an annual event sponsored by UHD’s Student Government Association and designed to boost voter turnout among students. Voters this year will be deciding city government races as well as whether to approve the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) and other ballot propositions.
HERO protects all Houstonians from discrimination based on race, age, gender, orientation, pregnancy, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, military status and other characteristics.
“Young people as a group are among the least likely to vote in Texas,” said Ali Gorczynski, TFN’s outreach and field coordinator in Houston. “But our votes could be critical in deciding whether Houston remains the only major city in Texas without a comprehensive civil rights ordinance that protects everyone from discrimination.”
“Walk 2 Vote” is set for noon on Oct. 29. The event will be the conclusion to months-long voter outreach efforts and will feature musical performances and speakers from the Houston area. Students will walk together to an early voting location at 2 p.m. to cast their ballots.
According to the Student Government Association (SGA), UHD in 2012 started an initiative aimed at empowering students by registering them to vote and encouraging them to take action. From August to October of that year, the SGA registered 2,500 students to vote. More than 300 students marched to the polls together after the Walk 2 Vote rally. SGA has continued to sponsor the event since then.
Who: University of Houston-Downtown Community
What: Walk 2 Vote #W2V
When: Thursday, October 29
Rally: Noon, with a group walk to the polls at 2 p.m.
Where: Rally at the UHD South Deck at 1 Main Street. Walk will be to 1001 Preston Street
Guest List: Houston Mayor Annise Parker, Inspirational hip-hop artist Rocko Steady, Dr. Lawrence Paine, President Bill Flores, Billy Duncan, Volunteer Houston CEO Cameron Waldner
Check here for more information about the campaign to support the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.
Unfortunately, the whackos working against HERO are going to win no matter what the vote is—and they know it. If the vote is in favor of their position, they will win. If the vote is against their position, they will all sit in a circle, wail, moan, and cry about how they are the only righteous people left in a sinful world and that the voting public is persecuting them for their religion—indicating that the end times are near—and in the meantime between now and when Jesus comes back, why don’t you send us a one-time gift of $50 or $100 to help us recover from this great loss that we have waged for our fundie faith—that loss being our God-given civil right to persecute gay sinners in the name of Jesus.