Actor, playwright and humorist Jaston Williams is bringing his holiday-inspired, one-man show, Blood & Holly, to San Antonio audiences for a series of performances in early December. Best known for writing the quartet of Greater Tuna plays, Williams describes his childhood Christmases as a “warped hybrid of Toyland and Franco’s Spain.” The idea of fascist nutcrackers…
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San Antonio ‘American Idol’ drag performer Ada Vox will compete on new ‘Queen of the Universe’ series
After slaying her way into the top eight of American Idol a few years back, many predicted big things for San Antonio native Ada Vox, the long-running singing competition’s first drag queen contestant. And they were right. Vox has joined a cast of 14 international drag performers competing for a $250,000 prize on the new…
Citing LGBTQ-themed books, Gov. Greg Abbott demands removal of ‘pornography’ from Texas schools
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has fired off a letter asking Texas education agencies remove books from schools he described as “pornography,” specifically citing a pair of memoirs about LGBTQ+ characters that include frank descriptions of sex. Abbott’s letter to the Texas Education Agency, Texas State Library and Archives Commission and State Board of Education comes…
Transgender stand-up comedian Joan Riviera Simoncelli explains what Dave Chappelle got wrong
As a stand-up comedian, Joan Riviera Simoncelli wants fellow comics to have the freedom to entertain audiences however they see fit. To her mind, nothing should be off limits. People need to laugh. “The week after my mom died, I went on stage and made jokes about her death,” the San Antonio-area comedian told the…
City Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez seeks expansion of San Antonio’s non-discrimination ordinance
On Thursday, October 28, District 2 City Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez filed a Council Consideration Request that seeks to expand the reach of San Antonio’s non-discrimination ordinance to include private businesses with 15 or more employees and to establish a “uniform enforcement mechanism that will ensure fairness and opportunity for all people within San Antonio.” Despite…
How Texas Republicans moved beyond a bathroom bill to successfully ban transgender athletes from school sports
In 2017, conservative lawmakers failed to pass legislation targeting transgender Texans. Things were different this year. By Allyson Waller, The Texas Tribune For state Rep. Celia Israel, the priority issues for the Legislature this year seemed quite obvious as the legislative session got underway in January. She expected lawmakers to grapple over the state’s response…
Texas bill restricting transgender students’ participation in school sports headed to governor’s desk
A bill that marks the Texas GOP’s fourth attempt to pass legislation targeting the participation of transgender student athletes is headed to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature. The bill, which would bar transgender youths from playing on school sports teams that align with their gender identity, cleared a final hurdle as the Texas House…
Texas bill restricting transgender student athletes’ sports participation sent back to the House with amendment
The bill is one step closer to the governor’s desk. If it becomes law, Texas will join at least five other states that have passed such legislation. By Allyson Waller, The Texas Tribune In the final days of this year’s third special session, Texas lawmakers advanced a bill that would restrict transgender student athletes from…
Dallas man sentenced to 23 years in federal prison for using Grindr to assault and rob gay men
A 22 year-old man from Dallas was sentenced on October 13 to 23 years in federal prison for his participation in violent crimes committed against gay men using the Grindr app. Daniel Jenkins was the last of four defendants to plead guilty. He admitted to one count of conspiracy to commit hate crimes, kidnapping, and…
State agency removed online resources for LGBTQ youth after complaints from a Republican challenging Gov. Greg Abbott, emails show
Democratic state senators want the webpage reinstated. The resources were removed after Don Huffines, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, criticized their inclusion on a state website. By Allyson Waller, The Texas Tribune Texas’ child welfare agency removed a webpage that offered resources to LGBTQ youth following complaints by one of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s GOP primary…