Originally published in the San Antonio Current. It could be argued that Tommy Calvert’s 2014 election as Bexar County Commissioner marked a turning point in local leadership. It wasn’t only that he was both the youngest person and first African American person to be elected to the position, but also because his background in civil…
Political Ironwoman Shirley Gonzales Is All About Going the Distance
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales is sipping her cappuccino under a poster for the 2016 San Antonio Film Festival at Shotgun House Coffee Roasters, a little piece of Oslo in the heart of the West Side. Dressed in a pink sweater and a taffy-colored scarf, she’s a portrait of political…
Justin Rodriguez Is Back and Ready to Focus on Ideas, Not Ideology
Originally published in the San Antonio Current. On January 12, a carefully curated tableau vivant sat behind former San Antonio mayor Julian Castro when he announced his candidacy for U.S. president at the West Side’s Plaza Guadalupe. That multicultural tapestry represented many cultures and walks of life, but it also rewarded the city’s political elite…
2018 In Review: Top 10 Local LGBT News Stories
1) Judge Rules Man Indicted in Death of Trans Woman Can Go Free Mark Daniel Lewis was indicted for manslaughter last year by a Bexar County grand jury for the death of Kenne McFadden, a local transgender woman, after he admitted to pushing her into the San Antonio River and failing to help her, thus…
Stonewall Democrats Make Two Endorsements in Runoff Races
The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio voted two new endorsements at their March 19 meeting in races slated for the May 22 Democratic Primary Runoff. Stonewall gave the nod to Mary Street Wilson in the runoff for U.S. Representative District 21 and to incumbent Paul Elizondo for County Commissioner, Precinct 2. Wilson, a former math…
Bexar County Adds LGBT Protections to EEO Policy
Bexar County Commissioners voted on Tuesday, Feb. 27 to update the county’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy to include protections for LGBT employees and job applicants. The update, which was introduced by Precinct 2 Commissioner Paul Elizondo, was passed by a unanimous vote, making Bexar County the second county in Texas, after Dallas County, to amend…