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…
Marriage Equality Pioneer Mark Phariss to Run for Texas Senate
Plano attorney Mark Phariss, who in 2013 was a plaintiff in the successful Texas marriage equality lawsuit, announced his candidacy for Texas Senate District 8, which covers portions of Collin and Dallas counties. The District 8 seat has been held by Republican Van Taylor who is vacating the office to run for Congress. Phariss will…
Anti-Cyberbullying Activists Wanted a Texas Law With “Teeth.” They May Have Gotten One.
By Kirby Wilson, The Texas Tribune Just months after her son David took his own life, Maurine Molak began to organize. She and her husband, Matt, who live in San Antonio, founded David’s Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to cyberbullying victim advocacy. Maurine said they met with lawmakers, law enforcement officials, district attorneys, school administrators,…
Thousands of Young LGBT Immigrants in Texas DACA Program Face Deportation
There are approximately 6,000 LGBT immigrants among the 134,000 individuals in Texas who enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, according to a study by the Williams Institute. All of these people now face deportation after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Tuesday that the DACA program is being terminated. The…
Students and SA City Leaders Take Anti-Bullying Pledge
San Antonio City leaders, along with scores of local teens, stood on the steps of City Hall on August 16 and took a pledge against cyberbullying. Among those present at Wednesday’s press conference were San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, State Sen. José Menéndez, Police Chief William McManus, City Councilwoman Ana Sandoval and City Councilman Clayton…
Sen. Menéndez: Bathroom Bill Is ‘Assault Against Basic Human Dignity’
State Sen. Jose Menéndez issued a statement denouncing the bathroom bill which passed in the Texas Senate on July 25 in a 21 to 10 vote after an 8-hour debate. “I have voted against this bill time and time again and will continue to condemn this offensive legislation in the name of respect and decency…
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…
David’s Law Ready for Governor’s Signature
A law aimed at preventing and combating cyber-bullying is headed to Texas Governor Greg Abbot’s desk after receiving a majority of votes in the House of Representatives and an unanimous vote in the Texas Senate. The new measure, Senate Bill 179, is dubbed David’s Law after David Molak, a 16-year-old Alamo Heights High School student…
Texas Senate Passes Anti-Bullying Bill Named for SA Student
The Texas Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 179, legislation that cracks down on bullying in the state’s public schools. SB 179 was introduced in the Senate by State Senator Jose Menendez. In January, Menendez called for the passage of the bill saying, “Cyberbullying is a crisis in Texas and across the nation. Families need our…
Texas Senate Approves Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill
In what is called a “third reading,” the Texas Senate voted on March 15 to approve Senate Bill 6 which bars transgender people from using the bathroom that matches their gender identity and would prohibit local ordinances from protecting trans citizens from discrimination in public accommodations. The 21-10 vote include support from one Democrat, Sen.…