Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Name: Rebel Mariposa Job/Title: Chef-owner of La Botanica Birthplace: San Antonio Years in Industry: 12 Impact: Owns and operates a premier “queer-friendly community venue,” serving up vegan eats and drinks with a side of activism Money Quote: “Just keep asking for change. Keep demanding it.” You’ve been attending…
Young, Gifted and Gay: Queer Rapper BabiBoi’s Confident and Club-Ready Sound
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On a hot July night two years ago, bass frequencies rattled the walls of the Gallery — a former male strip club remade into a music venue — as it held the first of many crowded parties that became a North St. Mary’s Street oasis for LGBTQ-identifying youths.…
Texas Lawmakers Want to Add More LGTBQ Safeguards After U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
A new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court makes clear that it violates federal law to fire an employee on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. Now Texas lawmakers want to guarantee similar protections for LGBTQ Texans in housing, health care and other spheres. by Emma Platoff and Cassandra Pollock, The Texas Tribune…
Texas Progressive Leaders Praise U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on LGBTQ+ Civil Rights
The ruling carries special power in the Lone Star State, which is among those that doesn’t extend protections to workers based on their gay or transgender identities. However, some cities, including San Antonio, have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. Democratic congressional candidate Gina Ortiz Jones, who’s running to represent a border district that also includes a slice…
Florida Rep. Darren Soto Announces Legislation to Designate Pulse a National Memorial
Previously published in the Orlando Weekly. As Orlando pauses for a day of reflection and remembrance on the fourth anniversary of the mass shooting at the gay nightclub Pulse, Florida Democratic Rep. Darren Soto has announced he is filing a bill for the Pulse site to be made a national memorial. The proposed bill –…
University of Texas Researchers Seek Participants for Statewide LGBTQ Covid-19 Survey
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin, with the local participation of Pride Center San Antonio and Texas Pride Impact Funds, are seeking participants for a statewide survey to ascertain the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the LGBTQ community. The survey, which was initiated on May 4, seeks to understand the concerns and…
Progressive Group VoteVets Makes $270,000 Ad Buy for Gina Ortiz Jones
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. VoteVets PAC has snapped up $270,000 in TV advertising to support Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democrat running to represent a swing congressional district that includes San Antonio and a massive swath of South Texas. The spots, which will run in San Antonio during the first half of September,…
Progressive Religious Organizations of San Antonio to Host Virtual Pride Interfaith Service
On June 14, Progressive Religious Organizations of San Antonio (PRO SA) will host an interfaith service, Pride: Claiming our Faiths, a virtual celebration where LGBTQ worshipers of different faiths will come together for music, history, reflections, and a virtual social gathering on Zoom afterwards. PRO SA is a network of clergy and lay people concerned…
Equality Texas: ‘We dragged our feet in prioritizing the work to become an anti-racist organization’
Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, issued the following statement on June 5, 2020. A Promise to Become Anti-Racist As an LGBTQ+ organization we’ve assumed unity among our membership in solidarity of all marginalized groups and have often spoken on behalf of all of our members. But have we stood, fought, and cried loud enough…
San Antonio LGBTQIA+ Community Statement for Black Lives
The following statement was issued on June 3, 2020 by members, leaders and organizations from San Antonio’s LGBTQIA community. It is the beginning of Pride Month. As a community, we must always stand for what is just. Therefore, the undersigned LGBTQIA+ community members and leaders have come together to stand as a community in solidarity…