Democratic state Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. of Brownsville announced at a press conference on March 6 that he will vote in support of Senate Bill 6, the so-called bathroom bill being championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. SB6 bars transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity and would prohibit local ordinances…
HRC Opens Field Office in SA
The Human Rights Campaign officially opened a field office in San Antonio on Sunday, March 5 with scores of activists on hand for the occasion. The office, located at 315 9th Street in San Antonio, is one of four field offices HRC is opening in the state. The others are located in Austin, Houston and…
SA Already Losing Business Because of Texas Anti-Trans Bill
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. The big business argument against the anti-trans bill brewing at the Texas legislature has been that businesses and organizations will stop coming to a state whose leaders openly discriminate against a whole group of people. While Lieutenant Gov. Dan Patrick, the bill’s main pusher in Austin, has called…
SA Town Hall to Address Texas Bathroom Bill
A local television broadcaster is sponsoring a town hall discussion about Senate Bill 6, also known as the bathroom bill, which is currently under consideration by the 85th Texas Legislature. The Sinclair Broadcast group, which own local stations Fox 29, News4 San Antonio and the CW35, is organizing the town hall at the Tobin Center…
Texas Conservatives Are Still Fighting Marriage Equality
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On Wednesday, March 1, the Texas Supreme Court will hear arguments over a lawsuit that not only targets the rights of married gay couples in the state but also seeks to blunt the impact of the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that granted marriage equality nationwide in the…
SA Activists Set to Protest Reversal of Protections for Trans Students
A decision by the Trump administration to rescind protections for transgender students has hit home with San Antonio LGBT activists who are ready to take to the streets to protest the decision. The rescinded policy originated with the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice. It emphasized there is no “medical or mental health diagnosis or…
Richard Linklater Directs Ad Targeting Texas’ Anti-Trans “Bathroom Bill”
Originally published in the San Antonio Current Fear is at the heart of Texas conservatives’ push for a bill that would block transgender Texans from using the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity — a baseless fear that equal rights for transgender people will endanger women and young girls in public restrooms. So in…
Abbott Mocks NFL for Opposing Anti-Trans Bill
Originally published in the San Antonio Current Governor Greg Abbott decided to attack the NFL over Twitter this weekend for its threat to halt future Texas Super Bowls if Abbott signs an anti-transgender bill into law. In a brief Friday email, NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press that a discriminatory law like Texas’…
Musicians and Actors Sign Letter Opposing Anti-LGBT Bills in Texas
Over 140 musicians and actors including Jennifer Lawrence, Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper and Lady Gaga have signed a letter opposing the bathroom bill and other anti-LGBT measures currently under consideration by the Texas Legislature. “Please know that the creative community is watching Texas, with love for all of its people and for its contributions to…
Dan Patrick Says Economic Concerns Over Anti-Trans Bill Are “Bogus”
Originally published in the San Antonio Current According to Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, passing a bill that allows business owners to discriminate against transgender Texans won’t have any economic impact on the state. “I don’t know of any business that hasn’t moved to Houston because of the issue,” said Patrick at a Monday press…