On November 3, 2015, the voters of Houston, Texas overwhelmingly rejected the city's new equal rights ordinance. Due to this result, Houston will remain the largest city in the nation with no anti-discrimination protections in regards to sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, familial status, marital status, military status, religion, disability, genetic information and pregnancy.

Houston is currently scheduled to host Super Bowl LI, the NFL's championship game, on February 5, 2017. By pulling the game from Houston, the NFL can demonstrate its commitment to equality, freedom and justice in a truly meaningful way.

It should be noted that this move would by no means be without precedent. In 1991, the NFL revoked the 1991 Super Bowl from Tempe, Arizona after that state's voters rejected a proposal recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day. After that result was reversed in another referendum on the 1992 general election ballot, Tempe was awarded the 1996 Super Bowl.

The NFL now faces another opportunity to make a profound statement, and it should not hesitate to do so.