A now-erased provision in Senate Bill 15 explicitly said a potential new state law would not supersede local non-discrimination ordinances. Without that language, many LGBTQ advocates fear Texans could be exposed to some discriminatory employment practices. By Alex Samuels, Texas Tribune What started as seemingly simple state legislation hailed as good for Texas businesses is…
Proposed Texas Bill Gutting Local Sick Leave Laws Would Also Void Non-Discrimination Ordinances
A proposed bill in the Texas Senate (SB 15), which would deny cities the ability to enact paid sick leave ordinances, also contains provisions that would also allow the state to gut the enforcement of non-discrimination ordinances. When it was originally filed by state Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), SB 15 was designed to prevent cities…
State Rep. Eric Johnson Files Employment Nondiscrimination Bill With LGBTQ Protections
State Rep. Eric Johnson (D-Dallas) has filed a bill in the Texas House that would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. HB 850, which was filed on January 16, would add LGBTQ protections to current state law that only covers race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin or age.…
Sheryl Sculley Has Been a Steadfast LGBT Ally During Her Tenure as City Manager
Sheryl Sculley’s November 29 announcement that she will retire after a 13-year tenure as San Antonio’s city manager is a bittersweet development for the LGBT community where she is seen as a steadfast ally. Sculley was the highest ranking city official to ever reach out to the LGBT community when in 2006 she addressed a…
Mayor Nirenberg Says He’s ‘Grateful’ for Proposition A’s Defeat
In a statement issued on November 7, San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg says he is “proud and grateful” for the defeat of Proposition A, which was rejected by 54 percent of voters. If Proposition A had passed, it would have lengthened the amount of time needed to collect signatures for referenda, and reduce the number…
Anti-LGBT Pastor Says San Antonio’s NDO Can Be Repealed If Proposition A Passes
A San Antonio pastor, who for years has fought against LGBT equality, is encouraging his followers to vote “for” Propositon A, saying that if it passes the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance can be repealed. Pastor Gerald A. Ripley, a Christian extremist and the main organizer of the Pastor’s PAC, has been circulating a letter to San…
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…
LGBT Employment Issues Are Focus of Queer Corazones Resource Fair
The Queer Corazones de Esperanza are hosting a resource fair and panel discussion on June 9 which will address issues and topics relating to LGBT employment. According to the press release, the purpose of the event is to facilitate conversations about the conditions and experiences of LGBT individuals at their places of employment. One issue…
What the U.S. Supreme Court’s Masterpiece Cakeshop Decision Means for Religious Refusal Laws in Texas
By Emma Platoff, The Texas Tribune Last year, a dispute over a Colorado wedding cake made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court — and this week, the reverberations of the high court’s ruling made it all the way to Texas. After the high court ruled Monday in favor of a Christian baker…
For Second Year, SA Scores 95 on HRC’s Municipal Equality Index
The City of San Antonio maintained its ranking in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 Municipal Equality Index. Now in it’s sixth year, the 2017 MEI scores 506 cities based on 44 criteria including nondiscrimination laws, the municipality as an employer, municipal services, law enforcement and the city leadership’s public position on equality. “This year’s Municipal…