Houston—The following is a statement from the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas regarding the City of Houston’s recent subpoenas to pastors opposed to the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance:
“Freedom of conscience is a core American value. At the ACLU of Texas, we fight every day for the principle that each of us is free to pursue our faith without fear that government will query us about our beliefs or target those who hold disfavored points of view.
“While a lot of things are fair game in a lawsuit, government must use special care when intruding into matters of faith. The government should never engage in fishing expeditions into the inner workings of a church, and any request for information must be carefully tailored to seek only what is relevant to the dispute. We are glad that Mayor Parker has acknowledged that subpoenas issued in ongoing litigation were too broad and that there is no need to intrude on matters of faith to have equal rights in Houston. There was no need to include sermons in the subpoena in the first place.
“The ACLU of Texas strongly supports HERO, and looks forward to the day it is implemented in Houston. Every resident of our city deserves to be protected from unfair discrimination, whether on the basis of sexual orientation, race, gender, or religion.”
Read why the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance preserves religious liberty:
May 23, 2014, Op-Ed, by Rebecca L. Robertson, Legal and Policy Director, ACLU of Texas, Houston Chronicle:
http://m.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Robertson-Proposed-ordinance-doesn-t-create-5501302.php
