Nine Texas colleges have the dubious honor of being on this year’s list of the Absolute Worst Campuses for LGBTQ Youth, which includes 102 schools that discriminate in “policies, programs and practices.” The compilation, dubbed The Shame List, is published by Campus Pride, “a national nonprofit organization for student leaders and campus groups working to…
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How Would Texas’ Cyberbullying Law Navigate the Murky Waters of Free Speech?
Originally published in the San Antonio Current Senator José Menéndez will have to bridge a tough line in his proposal to make cyberbullying a crime — one that balances the First Amendment rights of students with his attempt to crack down on online harassment. The proposed legislation is called “David’s Law.” It’s named after 16-year-old…
Equality Texas to Honor Google with Award at SA Event
Equality Texas announced yesterday that it will honor Google with the Vanguard Award at the annual Spirit of Texas Brunch on September 25 at the Rosenberg Sky Room in San Antonio. The Vanguard Award is given annually “to an exemplary business which has demonstrated a commitment to LGBT equality in the state of Texas through…
Trial Begins for One of Three Accused in Murder of Texas Gay Man
A trail has begun for one of three men accused in the 2014 murder of a gay Dallas man, who the trio met online and allegedly lured to Beaumont for sex but instead ended up violently murdering him. According to Jefferson County prosecutors, the defendant, Arthur Harmon, and his boyfriend Yiannis Mihail, along with their…
Children’s Shelter to Host Foster Care Discussion for LGBTs
LGBT couples and singles interested in becoming foster parents will have an opportunity to learn more about the process during a special presentation at The Children’s Shelter on August 31. The event, which is co-hosted by Out In SA magazine, will feature a tour of the agency along with a foster care presentation that will…
Top Ten SA Schools With Most Bullying Complaints
A report published on August 22 in the San Antonio Express-News reveals there were 777 claims of bullying and harassment in San Antonio area schools during the 2014-2015 school year. The list was compiled from information the Express-News obtained under the Texas open records law. Seventeen school districts representing almost 200 schools were tallied. While…
Texas Judge Issues Injunction Against Protections for Trans Students
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. A federal judge in Fort Worth ruled late Sunday that conservative states that oppose allowing trans kids in public schools to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity won’t face punishment for maintaining the status quo. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor issued a nationwide injunction stopping…
Inclusive Environment Important to Keeping NCAA Tourney in SA
San Antonio civic leaders are concerned the 2017 session of the state legislature could enact new anti-LGBT laws which would stifle the ability to attract events like the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament which the city is scheduled to host in 2018. The discussion of the effects of such legislation was part of a presentation…
Advocates To Be Honored at Spirit of Texas Brunch
A state senator from El Paso and a judge from Houston will be honored with awards by Equality Texas at the annual Spirit of Texas Brunch slated for September 25 at the Rosenberg Sky Room in San Antonio. State Senator Jose R. Rodriguez (D-El Paso) will receive the Advocate Award, which is given to “an…
Trans Activist Lou Weaver is Keynote Speaker for Stonewall Banquet
The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio announced that transgender activist Lou Weaver will be the keynote speaker for their annual awards banquet on September 24. Weaver, who lives in Houston, is a transgender man who serves as Equality Texas’ first transgender programs coordinator. He is also active in his hometown’s LGBT community and is a…