The board of Pride Center San Antonio announced on December 18 that starting next year, it will annually bestow five Icon Awards “to exemplary members of the community for their outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.” The honors will be presented during Pride Month at an Icon Awards Brunch to be held on June 2,…
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Chuck Smith is Leaving Equality Texas; Interim Executive Director is Named
Equality Texas announced on December 17 that its executive director, Chuck Smith is leaving and being replaced with an interim executive director. No reason was given for Smith’s departure. “For 15 years, Chuck Smith served our organization, establishing Equality Texas as a credible, successful, and relentless advocate in Texas state politics,” Elizabeth Myers, president of…
State Rep. Celia Israel Submits Bill Banning Conversion Therapy
State Rep. Celia Israel (D-Austin) of Texas House District 50 has filed a bill banning conversion therapy for consideration during the next session of the Texas Legislature which begins in January. Conversation therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is psychotherapy aimed at changing a person’s homosexuality, based on the view that homosexuality is a mental…
Jade Esteban Estrada Premiers New One-Man Show ‘A Sign from the Taco Gods’
San Antonio actor, playwright, director and choreographer Jade Esteban Estrada premiers a new, autobiographical, one-man show that highlights his childhood, his family, and a career that has taken him around the world. The production, titled A Sign from the Taco Gods, is being presented by the Overtime Theater and the TacoTown Theatre Company from December…
Julián Castro Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee, Sets Jan. 12 Announcement
The former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor took another step toward a 2020 presidential run Wednesday. By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune SAN ANTONIO – Julián Castro is taking another step toward a 2020 presidential campaign. The former housing secretary and San Antonio mayor announced Wednesday that he has formed an exploratory committee,…
S.A. Family Association Leader Opposes Appointment of Lesbian Business Woman to Mayoral Commission
Patrick Von Dohlen, president of the anti-LGBT San Antonio Family Association (SAFA), issued an action alert to his members urging them to oppose the appointment of a lesbian business woman to a mayoral commission. “Here we go again…,” the December 11 alert reads. “SA City Council this Thursday, December 13, will appoint what appears to…
LGBT Holiday Events Make San Antonio’s Season Brighter
There is no shortage of holiday cheer in San Antonio’s LGBT community with fundraisers, mixers and seasonal concerts. If you’re looking to hit the town to celebrate, the following list offers a bit something for everyone. December 8 – Concert: Once Upon a December The Pride San Antonio Showband presents its final concert of the…
SA Film Commission Grants Include Two to Directors With LGBT-Related Films
Two of four grants bestowed on December 6 by the San Antonio Film Commission were made to local directors who have created films with LGBT-related content. Allison Herrera, Nathanial “Than” Niles, Justin A. Rodriguez, and Dave Sims all received $5000 Local Filmmaker Grants meant to assist them with production costs on their films. However, of…
State Rep. Diego Bernal Files Two Pro-LGBT Bills Ahead of Next Legislative Session
State Representative Diego Bernal of San Antonio has filed two pro-LGBT bills ahead of the 86th session of the Texas Legislature which convenes on January 8, 2019. Bernal has so far authored 26 bills covering a variety of issues. The first of the two LGBT bills, HB 188, relates to the “prohibition of housing discrimination…
Judge Expunges Record of Wrongly Convicted ‘San Antonio Four’
A Bexar County judge on Monday signed papers erasing the criminal histories of four women wrongly convicted in 1994 of sexually assaulting two girls, according to a WOAI-TV report. Elizabeth Ramirez, Kristie Mayhugh, Cassandra Rivera, and Anna Vasquez — known as the “San Antonio Four” during coverage of their high-profile case — were wrongly convicted…