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Since Manuel Rodriguez launched his anti-gay attack on his opponent, the story has received attention both locally and elsewhere. News outlets as far away as Canada and publications that have worldwide reach have picked up on the story. While it is wonderful that we are able to get the word out about an incident like this, it is sad that Manuel Rodriguez’s anti-gay rhetoric reflects on the city of Houston and the Houston Independent School District. Below you can find some of the various stories about this incident.

But in large red letters the flier says, “Vote NO for my opponent.” It lists his opponent as having “spent years advocating for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender rights…not kids.” It also points out that his candidate is a “54-year-old man with no children” and that he has a “male partner.”

KHOU 11 News reached Rodriguez by phone Sunday morning. He declined a request for an on-camera interview, but did make a statement over the phone.“It’s the truth,” he said. “I don’t understand why people are so offended by the truth.”

- WFAA-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth, Nov 7th

Most notably, the Houston Chronicle retracted its endorsement of Manuel Rodriguez after he sent out the anti-gay attack piece. It is difficult to recall an incident where a candidate for office had an endorsement pulled because of an action taken on the campaign trail – which only goes to show how unacceptable his actions were.

The first of many protests calling for the resignation of Manuel Rodriguez

Houston Chronicle Blog Nov 5^th

“Manuel Rodriguez is assuming the voters of District III share the same bigoted, hateful views he holds,” caucus president Noel Freeman said. “Houstonians have proven time and time again that such views are not welcome in our City, and have consistently rejected candidates who espouse such hateful views.”

Rodriguez said in an interview that he didn’t see anything offensive in his ad.

Texas WatchDog Nov 5^th

“It’s the truth,” Rodriguez said during a phone interview, adding that he is not anti-gay. “I am not bashing gay people.”

“It’s inexcusable that a member of the school board would do the same thing that many students to do gay students,” Pronin said. “The flyer is vicious. It specifically makes it sound like it’s perverted to be gay and highlights multiple times that being gay is not ‘normal.’”

Houston Chronicle Retracts Endorsement, Nov 6^th

A last-minute campaign flier for Rodriguez displays appalling homophobia. The flier urges recipients not just to vote for Rodriguez, but to vote against his opponent, Ramiro Fonseca, because he has been endorsed by the Houston GLBT Caucus, “the South’s oldest civil rights organization dedicated solely to the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.” The flier further states that Fonseca has “spent years advocating for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender rights … not kids,” and winds up with a pair of bullet points noting that he’s 54 years old with no children and has a male partner.

That’s obvious gay-bashing, of the kind that HISD rightly prohibits on the playground. It has no place on HISD’s board.

Houston Chronicle Nov 6^th

The Chronicle on Sunday afternoon took the rare step of retracting its endorsement of Rodriguez, posting on chron.com that the ad was “obvious gay-bashing, of the kind that HISD rightly prohibits on the playground. It has no place on HISD’s board.”

Rodriguez said he didn’t see anything offensive in his ad. On Sunday, Rodriguez said he had received “calls of encouragement. They were glad someone had the courage to take a stand and tell the truth,” he said. “This was not done with malice or hate. It was just to inform the voters of their choice of candidates for this office.”

Texas Watchdog Nov 6^th

[HISD] Trustee Juliet Stipeche has demanded Rodriguez issue a public apology. Stipeche also requested that HISD Superintendent Terry Grier issue a statement that HISD won’t tolerate any form of discrimination.

Rodriguez said yesterday that the brochure isn’t anti-gay.“It’s the truth,” Rodriguez said and added that he is not anti-gay. “I am not bashing gay people.” Rodriguez said that the flier emphasized the endorsement of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus to “indicate who (Fonseca) represents.” The incumbent said he underlined the words, “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights” “to make sure parents know who’s going to make policy for their children.”

The Dallas Voice, Nov 6^th

Houston Independent School District Trustee Manuel Rodriquez Jr. is under fire for an anti-gay flyer attacking his opponent, Ramiro Fonseca. Both seek the HISD District III seat held by Rodriquez. Rodriquez’s flyer attacks Fonseca for his history of advocating for LGBT people, and his endorsement by the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. The flyer also suggests that Fonseca being 52 and unmarried is a reason that Houstonians should not trust him to make decisions affecting children, and points out that he has a “male partner.”

America Speaks Ink, Nov 6^th

A campaign advertisement by HISD Trustee Manuel Rodriguez Jr. that highlights his opponent’s support of gay rights is generating criticism days before the election. The ad also points out Fonseca’s endorsement by the Houston GLBT political caucus and underlines the words “gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.” Rodriguez describes himself in the flyer as a “family man” who is married to his high school sweetheart and is the father of four and the grandfather of five. The ad says Fonseca has a male partner and no children.

Rodriguez said in an interview that he didn’t see anything offensive in his ad.“He (Fonseca) will be responsible for making policy for HISD, and I as a parent, as a grandfather, as a person who has probably more understanding of what a child’s needs are, just want to give the voters information so that they can make their own choice,” Rodriguez said.

BayAreaHouston, Nov 6th

Manuel Rodriguez, HISD Trustee, has joined forces with Dave Wilson, a pretend candidate for Mayor, in distributing anti-gay campaign literature.

Maybe if Rodriguez would have spent more time advocating for all the kids in HISD, he wouldn’t have drawn a challenger… You have to wonder if he is advocating for kids, or just the kind of kids and families who share his bigoted views.

Off the Kuff, Nov 6^th

I figured there was going to be more anti-gay stuff in this election. I just wasn’t expecting it in an HISD Trustee race.

This is just sad on so many levels. It’s sad that an incumbent feels that running on his record isn’t enough. It’s sad that Trustee Rodriguez doesn’t recognize what he’s done. It’s sad that he thinks not being a parent is a disqualification for being a Trustee – would he advocate a vote against his colleague Juliet Stipeche on the grounds that she hasn’t reproduced, too? It’s a multi-faceted fail.

WestUNews, Nov 6^th

“His records show he spent years advocating for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender rights… not kids,” the campaign brochure says about Fonseca, Rodriguez’s opponent in Tuesday’s election for the District III seat of Houston school system’s Board of Trustees… Rodriguez said yesterday that the brochure isn’t anti-gay.

The Advocate Magazine, Nov 7^th

Manuel Rodriguez Jr., running for reelection as a Houston Independent School District trustee, put out a flier suggesting his challenger, Ramiro Fonseca, is unfit to be on the school board because he has a male partner, and saying Fonseca has “spent years advocating for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender rights … not kids.” It also noted that Fonseca is backed by the Houston GLBT Political Caucus.

Rodriguez had earlier told a Chronicle reporter he saw nothing offensive in the flier. “I as a parent, as a grandfather, as a person who has probably more understanding of what a child’s needs are, just want to give the voters information so that they can make their own choice,” he said.

WFAA-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth, Nov 7^th

But in large red letters the flier says, “Vote NO for my opponent.” It lists his opponent as having “spent years advocating for gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender rights…not kids.” It also points out that his candidate is a “54-year-old man with no children” and that he has a “male partner.”

KHOU 11 News reached Rodriguez by phone Sunday morning. He declined a request for an on-camera interview, but did make a statement over the phone.“It’s the truth,” he said. “I don’t understand why people are so offended by the truth.”

The Houston Press Nov 7^th

The Houston Chronicle endorsed him for re-election.But apparently he was nervous about his chances, or he just really, really hates gays.A flyer sent out in the last week of the campaign has done little but alert Democrats that Rodriguez is, apparently, more right-wing bigot than non-right-wing bigot.

The Daily Cougar, Nov 7^th

HISD trustee Manuel Rodriguez is running for reelection in HISD District III against Ramiro Fonseca. Fonseca is gay, and Rodriguez made several mentions to that in one of his campaign fliers.It is entirely inappropriate that Rodriguez decided to ridicule his opponent because of his sexuality. And, in a city as gay-friendly as Houston, Rodriguez should have realized that his attack would not float under the radar.

Rodriguez claimed in an interview with Houston Chronicle that because Fonseca does not have any children, he is not as qualified for the position. But that is far from the truth.