Newly-elected Mayor Ron Nirenberg will make history when he becomes the second mayor of San Antonio to participate in the Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade, which this year takes place on Saturday, July 1. James Poindexter, board secretary of Pride San Antonio, told Out In SA Nirenberg has been named a Grand Marshal for the…
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T-Shirt Sale Raises Funds to Fight Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill
Omaze, a company that raises funds for nonprofits, and Equality Texas are teaming up on a fundraiser to help fight the anti-trans bathroom bill, which will be considered during the special session of the Texas Legislature, by selling t-shirts that read, “You can pee next to me.” The t-shirt sale is part of a campaign…
UT/TT Poll: Texas voters weigh in on importance of “bathroom bill”
By Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune June 19, 2017 The “bathroom bill” that preoccupied the Texas Legislature for the first half of the year is important to only 44 percent of the state’s voters — and “very important” to only 26 percent, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. During the regular session,…
Texas Governor Signs Bill Denying Adoption to Same-Sex Couples
Texas Governor Greg Abbot signed House Bill 3859 on June 15, allowing faith-based adoption agencies to deny placement of foster children with same-sex couples, Jews, Muslims and others based on “the provider’s sincerely held religious beliefs.” The bill was authored by Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls), vice chairman of the House Human Services Committee. According…
Festival and Parade Promise Day Filled With Pride
Organizers and volunteers at Pride San Antonio are busy putting the final touches on the full day of events which constitute the Pride Bigger Than Texas Festival and Parade, slated for July 1 along the Main Avenue Strip. This year’s theme is “Living Now – Forever Proud.” The parade and festival are part of a…
After Election, LGBT Allies Fill Majority of City Council Seats
While the defeat of Mayor Ivy R. Taylor by Councilman Ron Nirenberg in the runoff election has been widely cheered by San Antonio’s LGBT voters, there are other reasons for celebration considering the majority of City Council seats will be occupied by allies of the community. In a speech to LGBT supporters on May 21,…
Speaking Out: Comedian Joan Riviera Emerges as a Trans Activist
“I am your mother! I am your sister! I am whatever you want!” On a recent evening at Main Plaza, around 70 members of San Antonio’s LGBT community had gathered to speak out against the Trump administration which, just a day earlier, had rescinded Obama-era guidelines meant to accommodate transgender students in public schools. Organized…
#beHuman: A Mother’s Campaign to Bring Together Parents of Transgender Kids
“Mom, let’s go for a drive.” Those were the words that forever changed Belinda Treviño Cantu’s life three years ago. On this car ride, her teenage daughter revealed that after years of mixed feelings and internet research, she was transgender. She wasn’t just a tomboy — she was supposed to be a boy. Cantu…
Ron Nirenberg Wins Mayoral Runoff Election
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Councilman Ron Nirenberg unseated incumbent Mayor Ivy Taylor in a heated runoff election for San Antonio mayor Saturday night. “Tonight the voters got it right,” Nirenberg told the crowd gathered at his election headquarters Saturday night. “Tonight the voters rejected the politics of division and false choices. They…
Texas lawmakers, “bathroom bill” opponents prepare for round two
By Alexa Ura, The Texas Tribune June 6, 2017 Among the Elder family’s dinnertime conversations last year was nailing down which sports their son Ben wanted to try out over the summer. This summer, another conversation topic — whether their 11-year-old transgender son will lose the right to use the boys’ bathroom at school —…