A select month-by-month recap of stories about our community reported here and elsewhere in 2016. JANUARY Rev. Mick Hinson to leave MCC SA Reverend Mick Hinson, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Antonio announced he was resigning his position. Candidates line-up to speak at Stonewall Dems endorsement forum The Stonewall Democrats of San…
Gay Dads Proud of Son’s Ice Skating Achievements
When Austin Borjas-Ewell began taking ice skating lessons at the age of 10, his parents, Mario Borjas and David Ewell, never thought that within five years the young man would become a top competitor with the U.S. Figure Skating Association. Now a 15-year-old sophomore at Churchill High School, Borjas-Ewell recently placed third in the Southwestern…
Moving Forward: Cynthia Nelson’s Vision for SAAF
“I’m happy to be out there and say that SAAF is alive and well.” As the San Antonio AIDS Foundation prepares for its 30th anniversary in 2016, the organization announced in October the appointment of its new president, Cynthia Nelson. Founded in the back of a gay bar by Robert “Papa Bear” Edwards in 1986,…
San Antonio AIDS Foundation at a Crossroads
Nearly 30 years ago, Robert “Papa Bear” Edwards started the San Antonio AIDS Foundation (SAAF) in the back of a gay bar. From those humble beginnings, the organization has flourished, and now appears to be ready for another growth spurt under newly hired president Cynthia Nelson. However, for Edwards and some supporters, that growth has…
2015 in Review: Top ten local news stories
1) San Antonio celebrates marriage equality There was joyous celebration in the Alamo City on June 26, the day the Supreme Court made marriage equality a reality. There were church nuptuals and downtown wedding parties jammed the halls of the Bexar County Courthouse. There was a rally in Main Plaza and a block party on…
SAAF appoints new president
Seven months after they fired their executive director, the board of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation announced on October 9 that they hired a replacement who will now hold the title of president. The appointment of Cynthia Nelson as president of SAAF ends a months-long search to replace former Executive Director David Ewell. Nelson has…
Council members express concern over SAAF leadership
Updated: August 11, 2015, 3:30 p.m. Three members of the City Council expressed concern over recent management changes at the San Antonio AIDS Foundation during a discussion last Thursday about the distribution of funds to provide housing for homeless people with HIV. As reported in the Rivard Report, Rebecca Viagran, Cris Medina and Shirley Gonzales…
SAAF executive director issues statement on “up yours” comment
Jack Downey, the interim executive director of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, issued a statement today in response to a report yesterday on KSAT-TV where he is shown responding to a volunteer with the expression, “up yours.” According to KSAT, “Downey uttered the words during a heated confrontation with Anthony Medrano, whose cousin died at…
Ewell issues statement on departure from SAAF
David Ewell is speaking out for the first time since the board of directors of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, under the leadership of President Anne Marie Simmons, terminated him from his job as executive director on April 20. Ewell’s firing was first made public by SAAF founder Robert “Papa Bear” Edwards, who forwarded Out…
Dr. Delia Bullock to SAAF board: Explain why David Ewell was fired
Dear San Antonio AIDS Foundation Board Members, My name is Delia Bullock and I am a local internal medicine doctor and HIV specialist. I work as the Medical Director of the University Health System FFACTS Clinic and I am on the faculty in Infectious Diseases at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San…