In 2009 the El Paso Texas City Council voted to offer health benefits for unmarried and same sex partners of municipal workers. The policy took effect in 2010. As soon as council members approved the measure, some religious groups began trying to repeal it. They gathered enough signatures to put the issue on the November ballot. Ever since then this has been a ongoing battle between traditional values and defining who is classified as a couple. The whole Re-call issue is an ordeal between El Paso’s Mayor John Cook and city representatives Susie Byrd and Steve Ortega and Pastor Tom Brown, who currently runs Word of Life church. Mayor Cook and city representatives felt this petition to override the health benefits sets El Paso back as being progressive and equally diverse and thus, made the decision to overrule the ordinance voters had approved. Cook’s defense to proceed with this overruling was because he argues that Brown and supporters gathered signatures in the church and at local businesses, a practice that Cook argues is prohibited under state law.

This issue is very complex because of the Mayors decision not to listen to voters ordinance and attempt to stop the petition, But this decision is based off the fact that people are losing their health benefits for their sexual orientation. El Pasoan’s need to voice out there opinion to show city council and Pastor Brown supporters what the people think is most reasonable. There has not been much visible support for Cook and the representatives who seem to be getting targeted by the Re-Call supporters. This issue is controversial because churches want to define who is married and who can get benefits. We as a new generation of young open minded people who don’t agree with backwards traditional moral values controlling peoples personal life and want equality for all, We need to make awareness of this issue and help make El Paso a city that welcomes all people regardless of their status.

The Texas Tribune in the New York Times posted an article about this ongoing policy issue and makes it out as a pursuit of our liberalism. This article describes this ordeal as
“dividing a city that prides itself as a liberal Democratic stronghold. For some, it is a symbolic struggle over El Paso’s identity. For others in this deeply religious and largely Latino city, the fight is one that city leaders brought upon themselves and have badly bungled.”

This is true because El Paso has a unique cultural that has very different viewpoints, such as a college town full of young people who define their own lives and then there are the traditional family lifestyle that has the moral basis of our city’s identity. A diverse life style can happen and people may live in accordance if they can have leaders who make equality available for everyone and not define someone “not worthy” of getting rightfully due benefits.

This article also points out that “Ms. Byrd said the move stemmed from a conversation she and other council members had with a gay high school student who said he did not feel welcome in El Paso.” With a positive outlook from our city leaders and a town where their university has much pride in supporting diversity and high school students being concerned about the same issues make this town more prone to progressive change.

As part of the CAMI Texas Freedom Network student chapter at UTEP, it is a big goal for my organization to voice our opinion and make awareness of Cook's decision and explain to people why overruling the people's petition was a brave and rightful thing to do. In the near spring (when the next hearing will be happening) the TFN student chapter plans on hosting events and assemblies to advocate equality for LGBT and unmarried couples.

Here is the link to the NY Times artice: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/02/us/in-el-paso-a-storm-over-benefits-for-gay-partners.html