Human Rights Campaign San Antonio Gala & Silent Auction
October 25, 2008 - Crown Plaza Riverwalk Hotel

County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, (left in first photo) recipient of the Equality Award pictured with his wife Karen and State Representative Mike Villarreal. Travis Peterson (left in center photo), recipient of the Chuck Jordan Award, with his partner Charles Cuneo. David Ewell, Executive Director of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation and Deputy Director Jill Rips accepted the Community Service Award for their agency.

Commedian and actor Jason Stuart was the emcee for the evening. Cuc Vu, HRC's Chief Diversity Officer was the featured speaker. Ryan Messer, the Federal Club Chair from Cincinatti, Ohio spoke about his personal involvement with HRC. Chris Forbrich and Ann Margaret Trujillo were Co-chairs for the San Antonio Gala.

S.A. Gender Association's presence at HRC gala
QSanAntonio.com, updated October 26

Organizers at the San Antonio Gender Association had a visible presence at the Human Rights Campaign’s Annual Gala and Silent Auction on October 25 at the Crown Plaza Riverwalk Hotel.

SAGA’s participation came in the form of an information table where the organization’s members distributed literature about transgender inclusion. They also asked HRC Gala attendees to add their names to a list of people who support a trans-inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that is being considered by federal lawmakers.

For over a year now the Human Rights Campaign has sought to repair what has become a tenuous relationship with the transgender community after it endorsed a non-trans inclusive version of ENDA. Transgender people were included in the original legislation but were removed when Democratic lawmakers advised HRC that the bill would not pass if it included them.

On November 7, 2007, the bill passed in the House of Representatives by a vote of 235 to 184. It has not yet been presented in the Senate.

Since the removal of transgender people from ENDA, HRC Galas have been the target of protests by activists around the country. Some of the protests, like those in Houston, Chicago, Denver and San Francisco became acrimonious and there were instances where police and security personnel ejected transgender advocates from those events.

"To my mind, and to that of most SAGA members, such protests are self-defeating to the transgender community," says Julia DeGrace, a SAGA organizer and member of HRC. "When transgender people picket HRC with signs that say things like ‘HRC is no friend of the transgender community,’ I can't help but wonder what the already misinformed citizens who we are trying to educate must think -- ‘Well if even the gays don't accept them, why should we consider it?’"

Hoping to avoid a confrontational protest, DeGrace worked with local HRC Governor George Page for permission to set up the information table.

"George cleared our request through the local board and also through HRC National. Both were naturally quite concerned about there being a boisterous protest or distribution of negative literature about HRC. I gave my word that SAGA's presence would be a positive one," says DeGrace.

"I think that many HRC members don't participate in monthly HRC activities; but just go to the annual Gala and contribute money," DeGrace adds. "Those members likely don't think about transgender issues one way or the other. Those are the people we wanted a chance to speak with, to educate, and to sign on as allies for a trans-inclusive ENDA."

County Commissioner Adkisson to be honored at HRC Gala
QSanAntonio, October 11

Tommy Adkisson, Bexar County Commissioner Precinct 4, will be honored on October 25 by the Human Rights Campaign at their annual San Antonio Gala and Silent Auction. Commissioner Adkisson will receive HRC’s Equality Award.

From the beginning of his involvement forty years ago to the present, Commissioner Adkisson is dedicated to both getting and giving the best possible government from Bexar County. To do that, he has recruited a staff of not just motivated but inspired individuals to serve the residents of Precinct 4 and beyond.

Commissioner Adkisson has raised or allocated over $300,000 for San Antonio HIV/AIDS providers and has been instrumental in raising community awareness about this disease.

Commissioner Adkisson’s office was a sponsor of "Lead by Example", an HIV testing event held on Worlds AIDS Day in 2007. Together with other Bexar County elected officials, business and community leaders, Commissioner Adkisson was tested for HIV at that event.

In January of 2008, Commissioner Adkisson received an Honorable Mention from QSanAntonio in its end of the year review for his Civil Service in helping the San Antonio AIDS Foundation obtain a $100,000 grant from the county for its transportation and hot meals program.

In May of this year Equality Texas presented Commissioner Adkisson an Advocate Award at their annual Spirit of Texas Brunch.

Human Rights Campaign Gala and Silent Auction, on October 25, 2008 at the Crown Plaza Riverwalk Hotel located at 111 East Pecan Street. The Silent Auction begins at 5:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m. The After-Party kicks-off at 10:15 p.m. Tickets are $175 and can be purchased at http://www.hrc-sa.org or Box Office Tickets (800) 494-8497. For more information please contact Christopher Forbrich at 210-843-5766 or email chris@hrc-sa.org.

Local activist to be honored at HRC Gala
QSanAntonio, August 23

Travis Peterson, a San Antonio social worker and psychotherapist, has been chosen to receive the Chuck Jordan Award at the Human Rights Campaign's Silent Auction and Gala scheduled for October 25 at the Crown Plaza Riverwalk Hotel. The award is presented annually to an individual who has dedicated great time, energy and effort in advancing the cause of GLBT equality.

"Throughout his professional career, Travis Peterson has worked hard our community," George Page, a local HRC Governor, told QSanAntonio. "When we read his resume, we knew that he was a perfect fit for the Chuck Jordan Award." Jordan was a longtime GLBT activist in San Antonio.

In 1975, Peterson become the first openly gay social worker in Texas manifested by his opening a private practice in psychotherapy, with a specialty in GLBT issues, in Houston and San Antonio. He advertised in gay publications and made presentations to GLBT groups.

"I was in the right place at the right time to be successful in this practice, coming right on the heels of the American Psychiatric Association's decision to erase homosexuality from its list of mental diseases," says Peterson. "GLBT persons were eager to see a counselor who would not assume they were sick because of their sexual orientations."

Peterson has also been a GLBT activist and an educator, providing training and learning opportunities for mental health professionals and the general public. He says that of over 300 presentations he has made in his career, 100 of them dealt with GLBT issues.

Peterson has been a member of the Houston Lesbian and Gay Political Caucus. He was the founder of the Association for Lesbian and Gay Mental Health in Houston. In 1992, he was named Houston Social Worker of the Year by the Houston branch of the National Association of Social Workers.

In 1984, Peterson was the first openly gay social work lobbyist sent to the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, to lobby for social work and GLBT issues. He was an openly gay delegate to the 2006 Texas Democratic Convention. Locally, he is the secretary of San Antonio Democratic Precinct 501 and a member of the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio.

In 2006, Peterson was a founding member and chairman of the Peace Officers Liaison Committee, a group that developed the first curriculum on GLBT issues, delivered by GLBT persons at the San Antonio Police Academy. That training continues today and relations between the GLBT community and the SAPD have improved greatly because of it.

Human Rights Campaign Gala and Silent Auction, on October 25, 2008 at the Crown Plaza Riverwalk Hotel located at 111 East Pecan Street. The Silent Auction begins at 5:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7:30 p.m. The After-Party kicks-off at 10:15 p.m. Tickets are $175 and can be purchased at http://www.hrc-sa.org or Box Office Tickets (800) 494-8497. For more information please contact Christopher Forbrich at 210-843-5766 or email chris@hrc-sa.org.

HRC Night at Rivercenter Comedy Club
QSanAntonio, June 2

The San Antonio chapter of the Human Rights Campaign held a fundraiser on May 23 at the Rivercenter Comedy Club. According to HRC member Cynthia Benton, the event was very successful and everyone had a rousing good time. The comedians, Bob Gautreau, James Oakes and Carey Moore kept the audience laughing. Gautreau (top row, right photo) performed one especially hilarious skit where he imitated his Italian grandmother.

HRC bowling event a perfect score
QSanAntonio, March 16

The Human Rights Campaign San Antonio chapter’s "Bowling for Equality" fundraiser attracted 100 participants to the Bandera Bowl Funplex on March 15 for an afternoon of ten-pin sports augmented with pizza and beer. Chad Reumann (in blue shirt, first photo, top row), the main organizer for the event, told QSanAntonio that 16 teams were formed taking up almost half of the bowling alley’s available lanes.

Sponsorships were also high said Reumann. They included Keller Williams Real Estate, Darrell Parsons, Lone Star Medical Billing, Robert Kuffel of Century 21 Real Estate, the Metropolitan Community Church, the HRC Steering Committee and the Candlelight Coffeehouse.