Originally published in the Orlando Weekly. Vandals have defaced a Pulse memorial mural on the walls of local LGBTQ+ aid organization The Center on Mills Avenue in Orlando, Florida, likely the work of white supremacists. A poster on Reddit’s r/Orlando forum noticed the sticker had been placed recently right in the center of the mural,…
Dear Straight People: A Pride Manifesto
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. June 12, 2016. It’s Sunday and I’m driving around getting ready for the second Queers & Beers – a live music showcase I started a year prior featuring San Antonio musicians that identify with the LGBTQ community. All day I had been listening to news of the Pulse…
2016 In Review: A Year in the Life of LGBT SA
A select month-by-month recap of stories about our community reported here and elsewhere in 2016. JANUARY Rev. Mick Hinson to leave MCC SA Reverend Mick Hinson, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Antonio announced he was resigning his position. Candidates line-up to speak at Stonewall Dems endorsement forum The Stonewall Democrats of San…
Benefit Concert for Orlando Victims Planned at UIW
Over 40 classical musicians will participate in an August 13 concert at the University of the Incarnate Word Concert Hall to benefit the victims of the Orlando shootings. Proceeds from the donation-only performance will be sent to The Center Orlando. The Orlando San Antonio Tribute Concert includes the participation of musicians from San Antonio and other…
Gay Bar Mass Murder Documentary Slated for SA Film Fest
Forty-three years before the mass murders at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, there was another tragedy that left 32 people dead after an LGBT bar in New Orleans was set on fire by an arsonist. A documentary chronicling that event will be screened at the San Antonio Film Festival on July 28. The documentary, “Upstairs…
Pride on the Strip Raises $22K for Orlando Victims
Proceeds from a block party held during this year’s Pride festivities, along with donations from local businesses and community members, raised over $22,000 for the Pulse Victim’s Fund for those who died in the Orlando shootings. The announcement of the funds raised by the July 2 party, dubbed Pride on the Strip, was made on…
Interfaith Service for Orlando Victims Planned at Unity Church
Unity Church San Antonio and several other faith communities will come together for an interfaith service on July 12 to commemorate the tragic deaths of 49 people at the Pulse dance club in Orlando. Unity will be joined by Awakening Spiritual Collaborative Events, Celebration Circle of San Antonio, San Antonio Peace Center, Compassionate San Antonio…
Equality Texas Commemorates First Anniversary of Supreme Court Ruling
On June 26, Equality Texas will host events in Austin and Dallas to commemorate the one year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on same-sex marriage and to honor those whose lives were lost in the Orlando tragedy. The year since the ruling on equal marriage has been filled with highs and lows. There…
Stonewall Dems to Host Safety Panel in Wake of Orlando
In the wake of the tragic events at the Pulse Dance Club in Orlando, the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio will convene a panel discussion regarding safety issues for the LGBT community. The panel will include Police Chief William McManus, Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau and Mark Forsythe, a veteran who served in the Navy’s…
Mayor Jeered by Protesters at Vigil
San Antonio Mayor Ivy R. Taylor was jeered by about a dozen protestors while she gave the opening prayer at a June 16 vigil in Crockett Park for the victims of the Orlando shootings. The screams of “Shame on you Ivy” and “You’re part of the hurt Ivy” as well as other insults drowned out…