A select month-by-month recap of stories about our community reported here and elsewhere in 2018. JANUARY MCC SA Pastor Resigns From Denomination’s Board After Firing of Black Female Elder Rev. William of H. Knight, pastor of MCC SA, resigned from the governing board of the Universal Federation of Metropolitan Community Churches after the firing of…
In Texas, the “Rainbow Wave” Outpaces the Blue One
Fourteen of 35 LGBTQ candidates won their races Tuesday night, and activists say the 2018 election will carve a path for a future “rainbow wave” in Texas. by Hannah Wiley, The Texas Tribune Fourteen of the 35 gay, bisexual and transgender candidates who ran for office in Texas during the midterms claimed victory Tuesday night…
Record Number of LGBTQ Texans on November 6 Ballot
No matter what the outcome, the November 6 election will be notable for the record number of LGBTQ Texans on the ballot this year. An estimated 33 Texas candidates are running for national, state and local seats. Depending on what part of town they live in, voters in San Antonio will see up to four…
Your Ballot is Your Voice: Early Voting Begins on October 22
Early voting for the November General Election begins on Monday, October 22 and ends Friday, November 2. Voters can cast ballots at the Bexar County Elections Department and at numerous other locations around the city. This year’s election presents a challenge to Bexar County voters who must decide scores of races including governor, U.S. Senator,…
During Debate, Gov. Abbott Says Bathroom Bill No Longer on His Agenda
During the first and only gubernatorial debate with his opponent, former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said passing a bathroom bill was “not on my agenda,” marking a change from the position he held during the last session of the state legislature. Valdez, the first openly LGBT major party candidate for…
Valdez Agrees to Debate Abbott on Sept. 28 in Austin
By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune Lupe Valdez, the Democratic candidate for governor, has agreed to debate the Republican incumbent, Greg Abbott, on Sept. 28 in Austin, ending weeks of uncertainty over whether the two would face off. Earlier this summer, Abbott announced his RSVP for the Austin debate, which is being hosted by Nexstar…
Gubernatorial Candidate Lupe Valdez to Appear at Rally and Drag Show This Week in SA
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez will be in San Antonio on Thursday, August 16 at Luther’s Cafe for an event which will be a combination political rally and drag show. The evening is being organized by SATX for Beto. “We primarily work to help Beto O’Rourke’s senate campaign,” Nicole Dahlquist, an organizer with the group…
Abbott Agrees to Debate with Valdez, Who Says, “Call Me, Maybe?”
By Patrick Svitek, The Texas Tribune Gov. Greg Abbott has accepted an invitation from a TV station group to debate Democratic opponent Lupe Valdez on Sept. 28 in Austin — and she says she’s “in” but doesn’t sound sold on the specifics yet. The Republican governor’s campaign made the first move Wednesday evening, announcing it…
After Runoff, Three LGBT Texans Will Run for Congress
Three LGBT Congressional candidates from Texas scored victories in the Democratic Party runoff on May 22 and will now advance to face Republican challengers in the November election. Lorie Burch from Plano, Gina Ortiz Jones from San Antonio and Eric Holguin from Corpus Christi easily won their races with large majorities. One candidate, Mary Street…
Lupe Valdez Becomes First Openly Gay and First Latina Candidate to Win a Major Party Nomination for Texas Governor
By Patrick Svitek and Brandon Formby The Texas Tribune, May 22, 2018 After a tight race throughout much of the evening Tuesday, Lupe Valdez pulled ahead late to comfortably defeat Andrew White in the Democratic runoff for governor, according to unofficial returns. Valdez goes into the November general election as the first openly lesbian and…