Honorable & Dishonorable Mentions | Year in the Life of Gay San Antonio

Hundreds of GLBT San Antonians assembled in Main Plaza on November 15 to protest the passage of the anti-gay marriage Proposition 8 in California.

1. $150,000+ raised in S.A. to ban gay marriage in California
An amazing total of $153,873 was raised in San Antonio to support Proposition 8, the successful California ballot measure that banned gay marriage in that state. Most of the money came from 14 San Antonians who donated approximately $10,000 apiece. A report in the San Antonio Express-News later identified those high value donors as Mormons.

2. Sexual orientation added as protected class in city’s employment policy
Thanks to the efforts of City Manager Sheryl Sculley working with city attorneys and a committee of citizens from every City Council district, the City of San Antonio’s anti-harassment and discrimination policy now includes sexual orientation as a protected classification. City employees can no longer be fired if they are gay.

3. Gay tourist assaulted by cab driver then arrested by SAPD
A gay tourist in town for Fiesta Week last April told QSanAntonio a harrowing story of being assaulted by a cab driver who kept calling him a "faggot" as he beat him. Frank Baez, a 40-year-old hospital administrator from Los Angeles, was seriously injured, mocked by police on the scene, and arrested because officers incorrectly assumed he initiated the assault. Baez stood trial and was found not guilty. Later, SAPD Internal Affairs refused to investigate Baez’s claims that police on the scene and at the SAPD jail mistreated him because he is gay.

4. Agreement puts Park Police under command of SAPD
An agreement reached on July 23 transferred authority over the Park Police and the Airport Police to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus. The move was hailed in the GLBT community as positive development given the Park Police’s reputation for the entrapment and physical abuse of gay men in recent years.

5. S.A. minister endorses McCain then is rejected by nominee
James Hagee, the pastor of the Cornerstone Church in San Antonio who endorsed John McCain’s presidential bid, made statements in 2006 that blamed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina on the "level of sin" by gays in New Orleans. In the past, Hagee also made disparaging remarks about women, blacks, Muslims and Catholics. McCain eventually rejected Hagee’s endorsement. Shortly thereafter, Hagee withdrew his endorsement of the presumptive Republican nominee.

6. Rights advocates in S.A. protest California vote
Hundreds of people gathered November 15 to show solidarity in the protest against California's Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in that state. Gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight people rallied at downtown's Main Plaza in one of at least several such events happening simultaneously in Texas and in more than 100 cities across the nation.

7. SAPD appoints a new GLBT liaison
Chief William McManus appointed a new liaison for the GLBT community. Captain Jose Banales was tapped to be the point-person within the SAPD who helps GLBT citizens address problems and concerns they may have with their interactions with local police.

8. Hate crimes targeting sexual orientation, ethnicity up in S.A
Hate crimes in San Antonio decreased last year, despite an upward trend in crimes targeting gays and people of different ethnicity, according to federal statistics released October 27. San Antonio's figures were in line with the rest of the nation, which also saw a slight decline overall, but an increase in those two categories: sexual orientation and ethnicity.

9. Alva testifies at Congressional hearing on ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Retired Marine Sergeant and San Antonio native Eric Alva testified at a congressional hearing in July on the U.S. military’s "Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell" policy. Alva was invited to participate by Rep. Susan Davis (D-Calif.), chair of the personnel subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee.

10. Grant for AIDS services grows
The Ryan White Planning Council, the San Antonio group that distributes federal funds for local HIV/AIDS medical services got good news from the federal government. The Council was bracing itself for as much as a 15 percent cut in funding this year. Instead, leaders found themselves "pleasantly surprised" because the grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration increased by almost $300,000.

More 2008 Year in Review

Honorable & Dishonorable Mentions | Year in the Life of Gay San Antonio