Opponents of LGBT rights are looking to expand on their victory in Houston by blocking passage of a similar bill in Jacksonville, Florida.

Houston voters earlier this month repealed the city's LGBT-inclusive anti-bias law that prohibited discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on more than a dozen characteristics. Opponent who forced the law onto the ballot succeeded with the misleading message that it would give sexual predators pretending to be women access to women's restrooms. Many politicians, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, repeated the false claim.

“No men in women's bathrooms,” he said in a tweet calling on Houston voters to repeal the law.

As Jacksonville begins debate on whether to extend its existing Human Rights Ordinance to include sexual orientation and gender identity, echoes from Houston's debate can be heard.

“It's a fact of life that predators attack women and children in bathrooms; it happens everywhere,” Roger Gannam, a lawyer and former resident, said during the first of three “community conversations” organized by Mayor Lenny Curry's office on the proposed bill. Such laws, Gannam added, “will make that easier.”

Houston Mayor Annise Parker called such claims “fear mongering.” More than 200 cities and 17 states have enacted similar protections without any evidence of an uptick in such crimes, proponents say.

A second forum, which will focus on religious freedom, will take place on Thursday.