Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On a quiet Tuesday afternoon, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg is sitting alone at a window table at Tito’s Restaurant in Southtown, typing into his phone. As I walk toward him, I muse on the time our paths crossed in 2013. We were both guests on Chris Duel’s…
‘Rainbow Coalition’ Seeks to Help Re-Elect Mayor Ron Nirenberg
An ad hoc LGBTQ group calling themselves the Rainbow Coalition to Re-Elect Mayor Ron Nirenberg will meet on February 17 to develop strategies to support his re-election. “Please join in on a community effort to discuss our strategy to support and re-elect our Mayor [who] has been very public about his support of equality and…
From the Archives: VICTORY! SA City Council Passes Nondiscrimination Ordinance
Originally published in QSanAntonio, September 5, 2013 (Editor’s note: Today marks the fifth anniversary of the passage of the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance.) Despite loud and vocal opposition from Christian extremists, the San Antonio City Council on September 5 passed a nondiscrimination ordinance that includes protections for LGBT citizens and veterans. The vote was eight in…
2017 in Review: Honorable and Dishonorable Mentions
HONORABLE MENTIONS A mayoral ally: Ron Nirenberg On June 10, Ron Nirenberg defeated Ivy R. Taylor to become Mayor of San Antonio. On June 21, his first day in office, he added his name to the list of Mayors Against LGBT Discrimination and ten days later was Grand Marshal of the Pride San Antonio parade.…
2017 in Review: Top Ten LGBT News Stories
1) Ron Nirenberg elected Mayor of San Antonio In June, City Councilman Ron Nirenberg became mayor after winning a decisive victory over incumbent Ivy R. Taylor. Nirenberg received 54 percent of the vote while Taylor brought in 45 percent. The LGBT community cheered the victory, supporting a politician who during his campaign said, “We deserve…
2017 in Review: A Year in the Life of LGBT SA
A select month-by-month recap of stories about our community reported here and elsewhere in 2017. JANUARY Jeffrey James is Fiesta Cornyation’s King Anchovy LII The board of directors of Fiesta Cornyation, billed as “the raunchiest, cheapest event of Fiesta,” announced in January that this year’s King Anchovy LII was Jeffrey James, the proprietor of James…
Ron Nirenberg: LGBT Ally in the Mayor’s Office
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. It’s been three years since San Antonio’s LGBT community has had an ally in the mayor’s office. During her time in office, former Mayor Ivy R. Taylor did little to recognize the existence of her LGBT constituents, let alone support them. She called 2013’s non-discrimination ordinance — a…
Mayor Nirenberg to Participate in SA’s Pride Parade
Newly-elected Mayor Ron Nirenberg will make history when he becomes the second mayor of San Antonio to participate in the Pride Bigger Than Texas Parade, which this year takes place on Saturday, July 1. James Poindexter, board secretary of Pride San Antonio, told Out In SA Nirenberg has been named a Grand Marshal for the…
After Election, LGBT Allies Fill Majority of City Council Seats
While the defeat of Mayor Ivy R. Taylor by Councilman Ron Nirenberg in the runoff election has been widely cheered by San Antonio’s LGBT voters, there are other reasons for celebration considering the majority of City Council seats will be occupied by allies of the community. In a speech to LGBT supporters on May 21,…
Ron Nirenberg Wins Mayoral Runoff Election
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Councilman Ron Nirenberg unseated incumbent Mayor Ivy Taylor in a heated runoff election for San Antonio mayor Saturday night. “Tonight the voters got it right,” Nirenberg told the crowd gathered at his election headquarters Saturday night. “Tonight the voters rejected the politics of division and false choices. They…