LGBT voters in San Antonio were stunned on May 21 when they learned of an email being circulated by former County Commissioner and mayoral candidate Tommy Adkisson saying he would endorse Mayor Ivy Taylor in the runoff election. The email was brief and to the point in announcing the mid-day press conference on the steps…
An ‘Out Loud’ fashion event
The City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and Sanford Brown College are putting on a unique fashion show on May 29 at La Villita to create awareness around HIV testing and knowing your status. The show, titled Fashion Out Loud, was created in partnership with the City of San Antonio and Sanford Brown College…
With budget vote, mayor’s NDO proposal passes
Mayor Ivy R. Taylor’s proposal to create a Department of Diversity and Inclusion and hire a human relations liaison to run it became reality on May 14 when the City Council approved the measure as part of the city budget. The proposal, designated Item 16 in the budget, was among other items on the consent…
City’s human relations liaison is named at council budget meeting
City Manager Sheryl Sculley has named the person who will run the mayor’s proposed Department of Diversity and Inclusion. The announcement came during a budget discussion at the City Council’s B Session on May 13. The position of human relations liaison will be filled by Claryssa Cortez who, according to Sculley, currently works in the…
Equality Texas issues call to action on mayor’s NDO proposal
A call to action has gone out from Equality Texas to San Antonio’s LGBT community asking for support of Mayor Ivy R. Taylor’s proposal to establish an Office of Diversity and Inclusion and to hire a human relations liaison to run the new department. “Since the passing of the updated Non-Discrimination Ordinance in September 2013;…
Gay couple, state rep to receive Spirit of Texas awards
A gay couple from Plano who championed LGBT relationship rights and an out state representative will receive awards from Equality Texas at the ninth annual Spirit of Texas Brunch on May 17 at the Pearl Stable in San Antonio. This year’s Equality Texas Anchor Award will be presented to Jason Hanna and Joe Riggs, and…
SA attorney files ethics complaint against Ivy Taylor
A local attorney has filed an ethics complaint against Mayor Ivy R. Taylor for her failure to report income she received from her husband’s bail bond business on financial statements she filed with the city. On May 4, the San Antonio Express-News reported that since 2009, Taylor failed to include income from Marshall Bail Bonds…
Southwest H.S. allows lesbian student to wear tuxedo to prom
The parents of a lesbian student, with help from a representative from the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce, were able to convince the principal of Southwest High School to change the school’s prom dress code so the student could attend the event wearing a tuxedo. Samantha Arielle Lopez, an 18-year-old senior, was told by…
Dr. Delia Bullock to SAAF board: Explain why David Ewell was fired
Dear San Antonio AIDS Foundation Board Members, My name is Delia Bullock and I am a local internal medicine doctor and HIV specialist. I work as the Medical Director of the University Health System FFACTS Clinic and I am on the faculty in Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San…
SAAF appoints interim executive director
The San Antonio AIDS Foundation announced the appointment of an interim executive director via a posting on the home page of their web site on April 30. The SAAF board gave no reason for firing former executive director David Ewell on April 20, other than to say in a letter to employees, “In order to…