Mark Richter, the founding artistic director of the Alamo City Opera, died on April 28 at the age of 51. Over the course of his career, Richter produced over 100 operatic productions in San Antonio. During his life he led the Pocket Opera, the Lyric Opera of San Antonio, the Opera Piccola and the Alamo…
The QSA
Rep. Garnet Coleman Seeks to Add Gender Identity to Texas Hate Crimes Law
State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston) held a press conference at the State Capitol on April 29 to announce he is introducing a bill to add gender identity to the list of protected classes in the state’s hate crimes law. The James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act was passed by the State Legislature in 2001. The…
Gene Elder, San Antonio Artist, Writer and Activist, is Dead at 69
San Antonio artist Gene Elder who had a long career as an artist, writer, activist and most recently as the archivist at the Happy Foundation, died on April 28 at the age of 69 after a months-long battle with cancer. Elder revealed his cancer diagnosis to his friends in an email last September and kept…
Three Republican Bills Which Threaten Local NDO’s to Receive Hearings in Texas House
Three bills that prohibit cities from regulating how an employer distributes benefits, healthcare, and paid leave, and which also contain provisions that could threaten the enforcement of local nondiscrimination ordinances, are slated to be heard by the Texas House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday, May 1. The three bills (SB 2485, SB 2486, and SB…
Victory Fund Endorses Trans Candidate Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe for City Council District 8
The LGBTQ Victory Fund, the only national organization dedicated to “electing LGBTQ leaders to public office,” has endorsed trans candidate, Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe for the San Antonio City Council’s District 8 seat. Gonzales-Wolfe was one of 17 openly LGBTQ candidates who the Victory Fund endorsed during this election cycle. The endorsements represent the Victory Fund’s commitment…
Screenwriter Dustin Lance Black will be in San Antonio for Screening of ‘Milk’
Dustin Lance Black, the Academy Award winning screenwriter of Milk, will be in San Antonio on May 6 for a special showing of the movie and the launch of his new book, Mama’s Boy. Milk chronicles the story of of San Francisco gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, the first openly LGBTQ person to…
Early Voting Starts Today — Are You Ready?
Early voting for the May 4 municipal election begins on Monday, April 2 and ends Tuesday, April 30. This year’s election includes races for mayor and all ten City Council districts. There are nine candidates running in District 1; eight in District 2; seven in District 3; two in District 4; four in District 5;…
LGBTQ Events Are Part of Fiesta Celebrations
Now in its 128th year, Fiesta San Antonio is an annual festival featuring ten days of parties and parades which this year began on April 18. The celebration started in 1891 as a parade honoring the memory of the heroes of the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto. It has evolved into one of…
UT Student Loses ROTC Scholarship as a Result of Trump’s Transgender Troop Ban
A trans student from San Antonio who attends the University of Texas at Austin has lost his three-year Army ROTC scholarship as a result of President Trump’s newly-instituted policy banning transgender people from serving in the military. UT freshman Map Pesqueira’s scholarship was voided by the Department of Defense on April 12, the day the…
Texas House Schedules Hearings for Two ‘Extreme’ Anti-LGBTQ Bills
The State Affairs committee of the Texas House of Representatives has scheduled hearings on April 17 for what Equality Texas is calling “the two most extreme anti-LGBTQ bills filed this session.” The first bill, HB 1035, which was introduced by Rep. William Zedler (R-Arlington), grants special rights to discriminate for people who hold the belief…