San Antonio-based filmmaker Cedric Thomas Smith thought he wanted to be an actor when he graduated from Judson High School in 1991 and relocated to San Francisco. “I told myself I was going to move to California to be the next Tom Cruise,” said Smith, now 46. “But Will Smith beat me to it.” Along…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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 –…
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…
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,…
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…
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…