[2] The measure banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, family, marital, and military status.

[3] Opposition to HERO arose because the ordinance protected "transgender residents' ability to use the restroom consistent with their gender expression, regardless of their biological sex.

This requirement was calculated by taking 10 percent of the greatest number of votes cast for mayor in any of the three preceding years.

Feldman announced on December 19, 2014, his plans to resign from his position as Houston City Attorney shortly before the trial began.

He also noted, however, that his decision to resign was related to the lawsuit as well, saying, "Being on the outside, I'm going to be a lot freer to tell the story and to explain it to people and to debunk the myth."

District Judge Robert Schaffer then initiated a recounting process to determine whether or not opponents of HERO had gathered enough valid signatures to satisfy the threshold of 17,296.

A definitive answer, however, did not emerge until Judge Schaffer's ruling on April 17, 2015, when he determined that the opponents of the ordinance had not gathered enough valid signatures.

[20] On November 24, 2015, Jared Woodfill, the lead plaintiff who sued the city, asked the case to be dismissed as moot.

[22] On January 12, 2016, the Court ordered Jared Woodfill to file a brief on the merits by February 8, or the appeal would be dismissed, allowing Schaffer's ruling to stand.

[25] Individuals opposed Organizations On November 10, President Barack Obama officially announced his support for the Equality Act of 2015.

[54] On December 12, 2015, Sylvester Turner beat Bill King and won the 2015 Houston mayoral runoff election.

[55] On November 22, 2015, the National Collegiate Athletic Association said it would reconsider procedures in how it selects host cities for tournaments and championship events to include protections for the LGBT community.

[57] Website Outsports claimed that the outcome of the vote could mean that "Houston is no longer a 'safe place' for LGBT people to visit or do business, as they can be turned away from a hotel or by a waiter or cab driver, simply for 'looking or acting' gay or being trans".