MISSOURI CITY, Texas – The Greater Houston Coalition for Civility in Elections (GHCCE) held a news conference Thursday to call for political leaders and candidates in the Nov. 8 election to refrain from election-related hate and to condemn it when it occurs.
GHCCE urged candidates for elected office to refrain from engaging in attacks on an opponent’s race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin.
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“Such attacks have no place in elections and are not conducive to civil discourse,” ADL Southwest Senior Associate Director Dena Marks said in the news release. “When such attacks do occur, we urge candidates for public office and elected officials to condemn these hate-based attacks regardless of political affiliation. Going forward, we will rebuke hateful rhetoric as well as the failure to appropriately condemn it.”
“Everyone has the responsibility to call out hate, whenever and wherever it surfaces,” said ADL Southwest Regional Director Mark B. Toubin. “Hate language has no place in any discourse, particularly political discourse during an election.”
Members of the Coalition include coordinating agency ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Southwest, AJC Houston, The Asian Chamber of Commerce, The Fort Bend Interfaith Council, The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, The Hindu American Foundation - Houston Chapter, NAACP Houston Branch, The Houston Area Urban League Center for Social Justice and Education, The League of Women Voters Houston, Mi Familia Vota, The Minaret Foundation, and OCA-Greater Houston.