THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
(apologies to Keith Olbermann)
Bob McNair
Houston Texans owner Bob McNair donated $10,000 this week to opponents of the city’s embattled equal rights ordinance, entering the political fray over the law headed to voters in November. McNair, a frequent GOP donor, mailed the $10,000 check to opponents earlier this week, according to Campaign for Houston spokesman Jared Woodfill. He said the donation “was very exciting for us.”…. Critics of the law, largely Christian conservatives, object to the non-discrimination protections it extends to gay and transgender residents — the law also lists 13 other protected groups.
You don’t have to like the idea that the LGBT community believes they deserve quality of opportunity, access, and treatment, but the reality is that the world’s heading in that direction. There are really only two choices available: 1) Hold your nose and learn to live with the “unpleasant” reality, or 2) Continue to rage against the dying light. In this case, the “dying light” would be your “right” to treat those whose lifestyle and/or sexuality disgust you as “less than.” Houston Texans owner Bob McNair seems to have chosen door #2, which is truly unfortunate for the owner of a business dependent on the goodwill of the general public for its profit margin.
By aligning himself with the haters and homophobes and those who believe themselves to be better, more worthy, and infinitely more godly human beings than the LGBT community, McNair has opened himself up to all manner of backlash from those who support equality and who believe Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) to be a fair and decent thing. Large segments of Houston’s business community is firmly behind HERO. They know that failing to guarantee equality to ALL Houstonians means it will be more difficult to recruit and train talented employees. Many people- and not just those who happen to be LGBT- are very likely to determine that a city that sanctions hatred and discrimination is not a place they want to be…and who can blame them?
McNair has aligned himself with “Christian Conservatives”- who truly are neither- in their effort to turn back the clock to the days when gays and lesbians could be fired without recourse simply for being who they are. Houston’s “Christian Conservatives” are appalled that Houston has an open and unapologetically lesbian mayor- Annise Parker, who’s actually demonstrated herself to be competent and effective. Parker’s competence and effectiveness inspires the disgust and efforts of “Christian Conservative” to battle her at every step. Parker’s taken an active role in the campaign, and has called out former Houston Astro Lance Berkman for his vocal, strident opposition to HERO. Berkman’s peddling of the same old Right-wing scare tactics is merely the latest attempt to paint hatred and homophobia as mainstream is as tiresome as it is out of step with the world as it is. Someday the haters will accept that they’re an ugly, objectionable minority trafficking in fear and stereotypes. Sadly, today isn’t that day, and so here in 2015 we’re dealing with those far too concerned with the private sexual practices of others…practices that ultimately will have no deleterious effect on them.
Richard Carlbom, campaign manager for supporters of the law, released a statement saying the “vast majority of Houston business interests taking a position on Proposition 1 support it.”
“They know discrimination is bad for business and bad for the city’s image. Over time, companies, including sporting franchises, will stop wanting to come here.”
The fact that Houston has elected- and re-elected- Parker can and should be taken as proof that Houston is not the reflexively Conservative bastion so many “Christian Conservatives” believe it should be. Though surrounded by areas that can only be described as majority White, Christian, and very Conservative (Yeah, I’m talking about you, Fort Bend County), Houston itself has a very diverse population with sizable African-American and Hispanic population. Neither community is known for reliably voting Republican. As a whole, the city of Houston is far more tolerant and accepting that many outside Texas might realize. That this is taken by haters as evidence that God has turned away from Houston should be viewed for what it is- these are people who believe those who are different are a threat and worthy only of being treated as “less than.”
The sad truth is that McNair is wasting his money. Not only is he supporting a group fighting the tides of history, morality, and the teachings of Jesus Christ (you know- love, tolerance, acceptance, etc.), his relatively small financial gesture of support runs the very real risk of alienating local football fans who love his Texans. McNair is a smart businessman. He would never have been able to bring an NFL team back to Houston after the Oilers left if he wasn’t…which makes it so difficult to understand why someone so normally business-savvy would be willing to do something so stupid and divisive.
Ultimately, the haters will lose regardless of the outcome of the vote. If they carry the day, they will return Houston back to the days when gays and lesbians had no rights and no protections- the could be fired simply for being who they are. In the long run, it will become harder for businesses in Houston to attract and retain talent, because what sort of person with talent and available options will want to live and work in a city which sanctions hatred and discrimination?
If they lose, history will continue marching toward equality, and they’ll be forced to the sideline as those they hate and despise are granted full rights and citizenship. They’ll continue stoking the fires of bitterness and hatred as they drive their freshly scrubbed families to church on Sunday mornings in their SUVs. They’ll continue proclaiming their love for and devotion to the teachings of Jesus Christ even as their blackened hearts and the strident self-righteousness of their day to day lives betray no evidence of those claims.
Bob McNair has chosen to align himself with those who hate…which, for a man who runs a very public business, is an incredibly stupid and short-sighted decision. One can only hope that, as with the rest of the haters, McNair will one day come face to face with karma. If there’s any justice in this world, McNair will find a reserved parking space waiting for him in Hell.
