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…
Kickin’ In 2017 at the Pride Center’s Kiki
If you’re looking for way to ring in 2017, you’ll find no better celebration than Pride Center San Antonio’s second annual New Year’s Eve Kiki on December 31, at the Hilton Palacio Del Rio Hotel. The event will be headlined by RuPaul Drag Race All Star Yara Sofia. Music for the Kiki will be provided…
Texas Man and Partner Among Victims of Berlin Terror Attack
A man from Texas was seriously injured and his partner was killed during the deadly truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday, December 19. The family of Richard Ramirez of San Benito, Texas told local reporters that he had moved to Germany 10 years ago to live with his partner, a German…
Main Ave. Businesses Collect Record Number of Toys for Blue Santa
Three officers from the San Antonio Police Department came to Sparky’s Pub on Tuesday, December 20 to pick up a record amount of toys collected by businesses from the Main Avenue Strip on behalf of the Blue Santa Program. Scott Lee-Ross, the marketing director for Luther’s Cafe, Knockout Sports Bar, Sparky’s Pub, and Heat Nightclub,…
The Diversity and Inclusion Office Is Hiring
Kiran Bains, who heads up the city’s Diversity and Inclusion Office, announced that the department, which Bains currently runs alone, is hiring a special projects manager. “As an office of one, I have deeply appreciated your support in ensuring the success of the Diversity and Inclusion Office. As the year comes to a close, I…
Pride Center Creates New Peer Support Groups
Since it was first established in 2012, Pride Center San Antonio has sought to offer resources to those who need support, whether they are coming out or want to connect with the LGBT community. One way the Center reaches out is through its community programs like the Peace Officer’s Training Committee, which conducts LGBT awareness…
Trans Woman Released on Parole from Texas Men’s Prison
A transgender woman named Passion Star was granted parole on December 6 after serving 14 years of a 20 year sentence at all-male detention facilities, most recently at the Telford State Prison in Bowie County, Texas. “Passion’s experience in custody has been punctuated by acts of interpersonal and institutional violence,” Demoya Gordon, an attorney with…
Judge Denies New Trial for Man Who Assaulted Lesbian Couple, Killed One
A judge has denied the motion for a new trial for a convicted killer who sexually assaulted a lesbian couple, shot them, killing one of them and leaving both for dead in Violet Andrews Park overlooking Corpus Christi Bay in Portland, Texas. On December 8, visiting Judge Philip Kazen from San Antonio denied the motion…
SAAF Closing Its Nursing and Hospice Care Unit
Thirty years after it began providing medical care to those who were sick and dying of AIDS, the San Antonio AIDS Foundation announced on December 9 that it will close its nursing and hospice care unit at the end of the year. It was in 1986, at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic in San…
Dan Patrick Continues His Bathroom Bill Tap Dance
Despite warnings from companies across Texas that a “bathroom bill” would be bad for business, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick remains steadfast in his plan to support the proposed law in the upcoming legislative session. The bill would prohibit transgender people in Texas from using bathrooms that match their gender identity. Dubbed the Women’s Privacy and…