Adams Defends Covenant House's Treatment of LGBT Youth

Covenant House Texas is a faith-based homeless shelter that serves young people, ages 18-20, in Houston. LGBT clients of Covenant House have repeatedly reported that the staff make it clear that expressing their sexual orientation or gender identity will result in harsher treatment and that clients who are not willing to be in the closet are denied services. (Covenant House's recent treatment of queer youth is documented at www.covhou.com).

In addition to harassment of clients based on sexual orientation Covenant House makes a practice of refusing to house transgender clients unless they agree to dress as and present the gender that appears on their state ID.

Since last summer leaders of the Trans community in Houston, notably Cristan Williams and Josephine Tittsworth, have attempted to work with Covenant House to address these issues. In doing so they have attempted to enlist the help of Councilmember Wanda Adams, in whose district Covenant House lies. CM Adams also happens to be a former employee of Covenant House.

While other council members (most notably Jolanda Jones) have been helpful, CM Adams has consistently denied that there is a problem, been uncommunicative, and failed to attend a meeting she had not only committed to, but requested.

The conflict has reached new levels now that the city's funding of Covenant House has come up for renewal. (Last year Covenant House Texas received $948,119 in government grants, including funds from the City of Houston.) CM Jones initially "tagged" the funding, delaying a vote on it until a later council meeting. Today it was back on the agenda.

Jones spoke briefly saying that she was concerned about the continued funding of "a certain organization that I think has issues with equal treatment of humans", but explained that since the vote that was being taken was for a large block of homeless agency funding, and since there was no way to separate out the portion that would go to that "certain organization" that she was going to support extending the funding so that other agencies could continue their work. (VIDEO - Jones comments start at 1:01)

Adams then spoke in defense of Covenant House (naming it, despite Jones' demure omission of the agencies name), saying " Covenant House has long history of doing great work and making sure that our homeless youth are protected without any... type of prejudices [sic]". She went on to praise the agency's director: Rhonda Robinson "I know that Rhonda works really really close [sic] with the community and making sure that all policies are followed."

Which gets right to the root of the problem. Covenant House does not have a non-discrimination policy. So when they (or their apparent mouthpiece Wanda Adams) say that they are "following all policies" they are telling the truth, but "following all policies" is not the same thing as "treating all people fairly".

Covenant House actually claimed to have a non-discrimination policy during a meeting with Jones on June 11th (a meeting Adams was scheduled to attend but missed). In her response to Adams today Jones explained that her office was informed recently that Covenant House does not, in fact, have a nondiscrimination policy.

What's more, the claim that Covenant House Director Rhonda Robinson works closely with the community is demonstratively false. Robinson has routinely promised to work with the community, but has gone months without following through on basic commitments or communicating in any way. In an August 24th letter CM Jones expressed her frustration that Robinson had not provided her with copies of Covenant House's intake procedures despite promising to nearly two months ago, giving the agency 7 days to follow through on a commitment from July 6th, a commitment that had initially been made on June 11th.

Without an enumerated nondiscrimination policy that includes both sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, and without a training program in place designed to teach staff to be sensitive to the needs of queer kids, Covenant House will continue to harass, deny services to and discriminate against LGBT clients. For the time being, it seems, they will continue to do so using nearly a million dollars in public funds.

Adams, whose district includes the historic 'gayborhood' of Montrose (and whose office can be reached at 832-393-3001), was criticized earlier this year for her pointed absence from a vote to renew funding for AIDS hospice Marjo House, earning her the moniker "Absentee Adams".

Today, after her full-throated support of an organization that routinely discriminates against LGBT kids, it seems the only thing worse for queer Houstonians than Wanda Adams leaving a room, might be Wanda Adams staying in it.

Houston City Council Renews funding for AIDS Housing

One more dip into the pool of Houston City politics and then I promise we’ll get back to State issues, (for background read Houston Councilmember Johnson tries to cut funding for AIDS Housing ):

After a late night phone and e-mail campaign by the Houston Young Stonewall Democrats and Equality Across America – Houston the Houston City Council, in a 10 to 2 vote (with 2 absent), voted to renew funding for Marjo House, a small residential home providing care to people living with AIDS. [The video of the meeting is available HERE]

There was a lot of debate about renewing the funds but what stood out to me most was a statement made my Councilmember Melissa Noriega, who appeared near tears:

“Separate from all the legal arguments and this and that... what kept rolling around in my head last night was ‘those people’ we don’t want ‘those people’ living in our neighborhood, and I can’t vote for that - so I’m going to vote that these funds are allocated… it’s about ‘those people’ and I can’t do that.”

Councilmember Jarvis Johnson who was trying to block the renewal of funding for Marjo House seemed enraged by Noriega’s statement for inclusion, he bristled at the idea that the social stigma surrounding AIDS was in anyway responsible for objections to funding Marjo House saying “No-one who has spoken to this body has talked about “those people”. So I wanted to fact check that by reviewing the public testimony from yesterday:

“There are stakeholders in Pleasantville who are very concerned about the value of the property, the value of their community, and the value of the people who live in their community.”
-Nicole Turner, president of the Pleasantville Super Neighborhood

“We don’t want the houses to get into our community… We beg of you not to let these houses in our community. We’re doing everything we can to keep our community safe... We don’t want [our community] to be where everything is being misplaced or degraded, so I’m begging of council, mayor – [support] us keeping our community safe.”
-Rosa Harris

“If this particular agenda is advanced it means that you open up Pandora’s box, people are glad to come in and do anything they want to do … I’m proud to stand here and do whatever I can to protect a better life in Pleasantville.”
-Talmadge Sharp

And finally:

“I simply say in those communities that are not deed restricted they don’t have a leg to stand on if they decide that they don’t want a house with people with AIDS next door to them because you don’t live in a deed restricted community, I moved into a deed restricted community because I wanted that protection.”
-Councilmember Jarvis Johnson

So people with AIDS are of low value, degraded, unsafe, a danger to the better life of the community and people that Councilmember Johnson has taken pains not to live next to, but Johnson is correct, no-one said “those people”, so I guess there is no discrimination or stigma at play here.

Later, during comments by Councilmember Sue Lovell, Johnson began loudly muttering and interrupting, prompting Mayor Annise Parker to remind the council of the decorum that is expected of City Council members.

Only Councilmembers Johnson and Bradford voted against renewal of funds for Marjo House.

Councilmember Wanda Adams, whose district includes the historic “gayborhood” of Montrose spoke in favor of funding, but quietly exited the room just before the issue was to come to a vote. I’m told that she was standing in the hall outside the council chambers when the renewal of funds was approved and that she was told that the vote was taking place but remained in the hall.

One wonders why Adams would choose not to vote on an issue that is important to a large number of her constituents.

Houston Councilmember Johnson tries to cut funding for AIDS Housing

I hope my readers will excuse a brief foray into local politics:

A visibly agitated Councilmember Javis Johnson admonished the Houston City Council to protect the “values of the community” by not renewing a grant to Marjo House today.

Marjo House has operated in the Pleasantville neighborhood of Houston since 2002, providing housing for people with AIDS. It’s neighborhood impact is so minimal that the neighborhood association wasn’t aware of its existence until 2006. The neighborhood association has been fighting to close the house since then.

Councilmember Johnson’s rant can be viewed here starting at 37:50

In it the councilmember makes several false claims, calling Marjo House a “For profit organization” and a “business” (it is a nonprofit organization) that houses 15 people (it houses 3-9).

Arguing that the city does not have to renew the grant just because it has been renewed in the past Johnson says “does that mean that two wrongs make a right?” I’m curious how the councilmember figures that caring for the sick is “wrong”.

Later in the meeting Councilmember Jarvis dismissively threw his hands in the air and behaved exasperated as Councilmember Jolanda Jones carefully rebutted his misrepresentation of the facts.

The Houston City Council will vote tomorrow morning (Wednesday, May 19) to extend city funding for this vital program.

It’s hard to believe that the city council would be swayed by such small minded petulance, but just to be safe if you live in Houston please call your council members, or all the council members, tonight and leave a message telling them to “renew funding for Marjo House”.

Brenda Stardig 832.393.3010
Jarvis Johnson 832.393.3009
Anne Clutterbuck 832.393.3004
Wanda Adams 832.393.3001
Mike Sullivan 832.393.3008
Al Hoang 832.393.3002
Oliver Pennington 832.393.3007
Ed Gonzalez 832.393.3003
James G. Rodriguez 832.393.3011
Stephen C. Costello 832.393.3014
Sue Lovell 832.393.3013
Melissa Noriega 832.393.3005
C.O. "Brad" Bradford 832.393.3012
Jolanda "Jo" Jones 832.393.3006

UPDATE: City Hall scuttlebutt has it that the executive director of Marjo House supported Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee during the March primary and that Johnson, who ran against Jackson Lee, is attempting to punish her for it.