Former State Senator Leticia Van de Putte announced she is endorsing Gina Ortiz Jones in the Democratic primary for the Texas 23rd Congressional District. “Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t mince words – Gina is exactly the type of leader we need to win back TX-23,” Van de Putte said in her announcement.…
After Three Months in Office, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg Ratifies His Commitment to LGBTQ Rights
On June 10, Ron Nirenberg did the unthinkable: After two terms as a Councilman for the Northside District 8, he defeated Mayor Ivy Taylor by a convincing 54.59 to 45.41 percent margin (the first time in 20 years that a candidate defeated a San Antonio mayor seeking reelection), and he did it his way: neither…
Most Influential 2015: Justin P. Nichols
Many readers may recognize Justin P. Nichols as the cover model for last year’s inaugural issue of this magazine. However, it is his advocacy as an attorney that brought him to local prominence. In January 2014, Nichols filed the first complaint under the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance claiming AT&T fired his client, Matthew Hileman, because of…
Most Influential 2015: Marsha Warren
Mayor Ivy Taylor lost the support of SA’s gay community in 2013 when, as a councilmember representing District 2, she voted against expanding the NDO to include LGBTQ protections. She doubled down on that position in this year’s mayoral race, but she won the election nonetheless, and it wasn’t without the help of her LGBTQ…
Why I don’t want to take down my Leticia yard sign
By Christine Bishop I have always paid attention to politics and I have always voted. It’s important to me to stay informed and involved. Over the past several months I spent a significant amount of time on the sidelines of the Leticia Van de Putte campaign as the girlfriend of someone working for Leticia. In…
San Antonio elections 2015: by the numbers
From Sophia Parafina, data janitor and geographer, who’s been putting her map-making skills to use in the wake of Saturday’s election: Above: Side-by-side comparison of early voting and election day turnout. Quite a number of high turnout precincts flipped. Mike Villareal took territory from Taylor and Van de Putte, and Taylor also took precincts from…
CAUSA to support Saldaña’s local control resolution
Updated: April 16, 2014, 11:57 a.m. CAUSA (Community Alliance for a United San Antonio) is endorsing City Councilman Rey Saldaña’s Resolution of Support which would be sent to the Texas Legislature with the message that the San Antonio City Council has a “steadfast commitment to the people of our city by promising to uphold and…
Mayor Taylor: NDO was a ‘political stunt’
In April 1 article in the Rivard Report, managing editor Iris Dimmick reports that Interim Mayor Ivy R. Taylor says she thinks the passage of the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance, which added protections for LGBT citizens and veterans, was a “political stunt.” Taylor’s remarks came during a March 31 mayoral candidate forum moderated by Rick Casey…
Taylor will most likely snub Stonewall candidate forum
With less than 48 hours before the event, it appears that Interim Mayor Ivy Taylor will not be attending the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio’s candidate endorsement forum slated for Sunday, March 22. Mark Porter, chairman of Stonewall’s endorsement committee, confirmed to Out In SA that of the four major candidates for mayor, Taylor is…
Taylor and SA corporations AWOL on marriage equality briefs to SCOTUS
San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor and the city’s business community are not among those who signed amicus briefs asking the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down state laws that make same-sex marriage illegal. On March 6, 225 U.S. mayors, including six from Texas, signed an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to strike down states laws…