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Man removed from bar says he was gay-bashed
KENS5.com, January 21, 2012
A 31-year-old man claims he was beaten by staff at a bar. Henry De La Paz said the men who removed him from Miami Bar used anti-gay slurs. Management at Miami Bar near 410 and Blanco deny the allegations and said De La Paz was removed for tossing a glass that hit a bartender.

S.A. trial for Presbyterian minister who married same-sex couples
QSanAntonio.com, February 4, 2012
Rev. Jane Spahr, a retired minister from San Francisco, will offer a final appeal on charges that she acted against provisions in the Presbyterian Book of Order by marrying 16 same-sex couples in California in 2008. A national church court trial, conducted by the Presbyterian Church (USA) Permanent Judicial Commission, will convene in San Antonio on February 17.

Greg Hinojosa named artistic director of Woodlawn Theater
QSanAnotnio.com, February 4, 2011
Officials of Woodlawn Theater, Inc., this week announced that they hired local actor and director Greg Hinojosa to be the artistic director of the Woodlawn Theater, the iconic Deco District showplace on Fredericksburg Road.

Overtime Theater to stage Dustin Lance Black's "8"
QSanAntonio.com, February 1, 2012
The Overtime Theater in San Antonio announced that it will present a staged reading of Dustin Lance Black's new play "8" that chronicles the federal trial to overturn Proposition 8 which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the right to marry.

In run for congress, Johnson invokes memory of Henry B.
QSanAntonio.com, January 28, 2012
In an interview with QSanAntonio, District 20 Congressional primary candidate Ezra Johnson talks about strengthening Social Security, achieving marriage equality and why he's a better candidate than Joaquin Castro.

Casting call for "Vagina Monologues" benefit performances
QSanAntonio.com, January 28, 2012
Women of all ages are needed to perform Eve Ensler's play, "The Vagina Monologues," which will have three readings in San Antonio at the Guadalupe Theater in March.

Parents fear daughter bullied because she has two mommies
KENS5.com, January 26, 2012
An 8-year-old girl is missing a plug of hair. Her parents think she's being bullied because of their sexual preference. "I don't know if its a hate crime or not," said the child's mother, who did not want to give her name but did allow our cameras to show her face. "It led up to them calling her gay because she has two moms," she added. The child attends Converse Elementary School in Judson ISD.

Castro stumps for marriage equality
San Antonio Current, January 25, 2012
Friday night, after dozens of U.S. mayors declared their support for same-sex marriage equality at a D.C. press event, Major Julián Castro chimed in over Facebook: "Today I proudly joined the mayors of Houston, Austin, New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and more than 60 other American mayors of cities big and small in support of the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry petition for same-sex marriage equality."

San Antonio Mayor in State of the Union spotlight
Texas Tribune, January 24, 2012
Mayor Julian Castro received a formal invitation to attend President Obama’s State of the Union address, with a coveted seat in first lady Michelle Obama’s box — an area reserved for VIPs and other high-profile citizens.

John Knowles
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, Jan. 26, 2012
Our beautiful friend John Edward Knowles passed away last week. We lost him to a massive heart attack that came like a thief in the night on January 16, 2012. We were all incredulous. John got up extra early several times a week to go swim laps. He was the picture of health.

Obituary: John Edward Knowles
PorterLoring.com, January 20, 2012
John E. Knowles passed away on Monday, January 16, 2012. John was a man who lived his life to the fullest. His infectious smile and laughter brought light into the lives of his family and friends.

Mayor Castro joins Freedom to Marry coalition
QSanAntonio.com, January 21, 2012
Mayor Julian Castro was among the 80 mayors from across the country to join a coalition, dubbed Mayors for the Freedom to Marry, that hopes to end "the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage."

Love's Day a Valentine tradition for MCC
QSanAntonio.com, January 21, 2012
When the Metropolitan Community Church of San Antonio holds the annual Love's Day Dinner and Dance this year, it will be following in a tradition started years ago by now deceased activist Jim Isaman.

Joaquin Castro: Ready for his close-up
QSanAntonio, January 14, 2011
Now that State Representative Joaquin Castro is running for Congressman Charlie Gonzalez' seat, many in the LGBT community are wondering what type of ally he is going to be.

H-A-C initiates substance abuse initiative
QSanAntonio.com, January 13, 2011
Hope Action Care (H-A-C), in response to the increase in need for substance abuse services, is implementing a new initiative called Healthy Attitudes Concepts at its Grayson Street office.

Getting Married
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, January13, 2012
Over the course of our relationship, we’ve asked each other several times, "How do you feel about getting married?" And we always agreed that we’d do it when and if it was legal.

Single father dies after removal from Bonham Exchange
San Antonio Express-News, January 11, 2011
Single father Gilbert Garza raised four children, and his daughter's return from serving in Iraq with the Army was occasion to celebrate, his family said. The reunion party at the popular Bonham Exchange nightclub downtown ended early Sunday when security guards detained Garza, 46, for “causing a disturbance in which they had to escort him out of the location,” a police report states. An hour after police arrived to find his condition deteriorating and called EMS, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Fiesta Commission welcomes new CEO
Fiesta San Antonio, January 11, 2011
The Fiesta San Antonio Commission, which coordinates all planning activities to create Fiesta San Antonio, one of the nation’s premier festivals, announced the appointment of John R. Melleky, CFRE, as its new chief executive officer, effective Jan. 17. (Editor's note: Not mentioned in this announcement is that before coming to San Antonio, Melleky also was board chair of the Gay Community Center of Richmond, VA).

Testing changes show a more stubborn, wide-spread HIV in San Antonio
San Antonio Current, January 11, 2011
Here in San Antonio, there is very little public clamor about HIV; unlike many other cities, there are few PSAs encouraging people to get tested or telling them where they can go to do so. Though national organizations like the Ryan White Foundation donate millions in grants to Bexar and surrounding counties for HIV support, the bulk of HIV education in the schools and testing on the streets of SA is done by scrappy local nonprofit outfits.

Family of man found dead at Bonham Exchange seeks answers
FoxSanAntonio.com, January 10, 2012
The family of a man who died at a downtown night club wants answers. Gilbert Garza Senior's family says the 46-year-old was enjoying a night out at the Bonham Exchange with loved ones when he was accused of putting alcohol in a water bottle.

Man detained by security dies outside Bonham Exchange
San Antonio Express-News, January 9, 2012
A man reportedly involved in a disturbance at a popular downtown nightclub died early Sunday after being escorted out of the establishment then handcuffed by security.

Webb Party theme provides French twist on annual event
QSanAntonio.com, January 7, 2012
The opulent trappings of the French court of King Louis XVI, and most especially of his Queen Marie Antoinette, serve as the inspiration and theme of this year's Webb Party which is "Let Them Eat Cake."

GLBT activists seek united presence at MLK march
QSanAntonio.com, January 7, 2012
Activists from around the community are asking that all GLBT groups to march together in unity during the Martin Luther King Day March on January 16. "Let's unite the GLBT community on this important day, at the nation's largest MLK March," said Darrell Parsons from the local chapter of the Human Rights Camaign.

Dear Santa, one disco ball, please
By Michael Quintanilla, San Antonio Express-News, December 22, 2011
Dear Santa -- I haven't written in a while, say, a few decades. But recently, my favorite toy split in half. It smashed to smithereens at a friend's Halloween bash (really, it was worth the sacrifice) - and well, I just had to see if you'd consider my request.

I miss records
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo and the Deli Dish, December 22, 2011
A long, long time ago when I bought the LPs of The Eagles’ "Hotel California" and Linda Ronstadt’s "Prisoner In Disguise," I was able to lie on the bed in my dorm room and listen to the albums while holding the album jacket and the album sleeve. I could read the liner notes and learn who wrote the songs and who actually made the music - I could know who played rhythm guitar as well as who sang backing vocals. I loved that. It’s hard to establish that same sort of closeness or connection to the music in my iTunes library.

Richard Noble hits San Antonio in Walk Across America
LGBTPOV.com, December 14, 2011
SoCal LGBT activist Richard Noble is on the road again for his Walk Across America for Full Equality. On Friday night, Dec. 9, in commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Noble, GetEqual activists and allies from the San Antonio, Texas area marched along San Antonio’s famed Riverwalk “to raise awareness of the need for full legal equality for LGBT people and promote a message of human rights for all.”

Burning Nopal Listening Party online
RainbowWorld.com December 13, 2011
Listen on demand anytime (in the next two weeks) to Rainbow World Radio host Len Rogers as he interviews all three members of San Antonio's Burning Nopal and plays their new CD "Rainbow Revolution" in its entirety.

Human-made situations not addressed in Bible
By Victor Landa, San Antonio Express-News, December 10, 2011
I never thought of it this way, but being transgender can be strangely convenient, in a very inconvenient way. If you're out shopping and you want to try on some clothes and you happen to be transgender, you can use either the men's or women's fitting rooms. That's convenient. You'll more than likely get stares, may even be shunned, and that could be inconvenient.

Macy's dressing room incident sparks debate on transgender rights
QSanAntonio.com, December 9, 2011
A woman who was fired from the San Antonio Macy's store in Rivercenter Mall is claiming that she was exercising her religious freedom when she told a transgender woman that she could not use the woman's dressing room. The incident has garnered national attention and has sparked a vigorous debate here in San Antonio.

Commentary: Macy’s fires employee for “religious beliefs” – or does It?
By Jay Morris, QSanAntonio.com, December 8, 2011
The Macy’s store at Rivercenter Mall in San Antonio, Texas, recently came under fire for its termination of Natalie Johnson, who was employed there until a few days before Thanksgiving. Ms. Johnson refused to allow a transgender woman to use the lady’s fitting room. According to the organization representing Ms. Johnson, Liberty Counsel, she was fired for her religious beliefs. To clarify, they argue she was fired for being Christian.

Firing of Macy's worker pits freedom of religion vs. GLBT rights
San Antonio Express-News, December 8, 2011
A former Macy's employee who said she was fired for refusing to let a transgender woman use the women's dressing room at the Rivercenter mall location is trying to get her job back. The case, pitting freedom of religion in the workplace vs. corporations' growing acceptance for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, has attracted national attention.

‘Threads for Hope’ raises funds for the San Antonio AIDS Foundation
San Antonio Current, December 7, 2011
To benefit the San Antonio AIDS Foundation on World AIDS Day, students from the International Academy of Design and Technology – San Antonio, along with the school’s STITCH Fashion Club, presented their third annual “Threads for Hope” fashion show on December 1 inside downtown’s Hotel Contessa.

Macy's fires S.A. employee after dressing room flap with cross dresser
Houston Chronicle, December 7, 2011
An employee at a Macy’s in San Antonio was fired for not allowing a transgendered shopper to use the store’s women’s fitting room, saying doing so would violate her Christian beliefs, according to the Liberty Counsel, a religious advocacy organization that’s helping her fight the store’s policy.

Restaurant review: Vegeria
San Antonio Express-News, December 2, 2011
Vegeria proudly touts its status as the city's only vegan cafe, and it's going to gain a following from vegans and plenty of vegetarians. But this place raises a crucial question: Is its food good for being vegan or is it just good food? Yes, to both. (Editor's note: Vegeria is gay-owned.)

Cross-country walker brings Rainbow flag to S.A.
QSanAntonio.com, December 3, 2011
It was last spring when Richard Noble says he decided he needed to call more attention to the need for full Federal equality for LGBT people. "When I see the images of innocent young people who have died over the last year and the hundreds of others who at this very moment are contemplating suicide and or taking action on it because they're afraid, I know in my heart for them, I need to pick up my rainbow flag and walk across America."

SAAF takes precautionary steps to protect patients in wake of TB outbreak
QSanAntonio.com, December 1, 2011
Officials at the San Antonio AIDS Foundation say they are taking precautionary steps to protect its HIV positive clients and in-patients after it was discovered that two residents had tested positive for tuberculosis.

Girl in a Coma: 'We're the girls next door, we're your sisters, we're your tias.'
CNN.com, November 30, 2011
Members of the all-girl, Mexican-American rock band Girl in a Coma are unabashed about their tattooed look and hard-edged sound. But they're also childhood friends who grew up in San Antonio, listening to a mix of Tex-Mex, Tejano - and punk.

Rep. Gonzalez will not run again
San Antonio Express-News, November 27, 2011
Rep. Charlie Gonzalez said Friday he won't seek re-election, a decision that will end the congressional tenure of a Democratic family whose name has been synonymous with the city of San Antonio for more than half a century.

Happy Thanksgiving!
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, Nov. 22, 2011
I talked with Mr. Beers this morning about the way this week seemed to be full of extreme examples of beginnings and endings in life - births, deaths, joy, sorrow... He wisely observed that there really is a Circle Of Life. And as trite as it might sound, it’s true.

TDEC gambles away human rights
By Jay Morris, JaySays.com, Nov. 22, 2011
The Texas State Democratic Party bowed to fear this past week when the Executive Committee met to vote on proposed primary ballot referendum. In a move that silenced one of the most staunch populaces aligned with the Democratic Party, the LGBTQ community, Texas Democrats voted 33-22 to exclude a marriage equality referendum on the 2012 Democratic Primary ballot. However, legalizing gambling will be on the ballot.

Transgender Day of Remembrance observed in San Antonio
Texas Public Radio, November 22, 2011
Sunday was a day of remembrance for transgender people in San Antonio. Community members gathered at City Hall for a memorial in the evening and remained overnight. Dozens of shoes like high heels, sneakers, and sandals were placed on the steps of City Hall last night. Each pair anointed with a glow stick to remember a transgender person killed in violence.

Churches should be sanctuary from bullying
By Lu Behr, San Antonio Express-News, November 21, 2011
Bullying and harassment of youth today is unfortunately on the rise. And more tragic is how it often leads victims to the tragic response of suicide. As a Christian, I've asked what my church and the Christian community should do about it.

Webb Party slated for Lambermont Estate
QSanAntonio.com, November 19, 2011
Organizers at the San Antonio AIDS Foundation announced this week that the next Webb Party, slated for April 20, 2010, will be held at the Lambermont Estate which is located just a few blocks east of SAAF's headquarters on Grayson Street.

W.D. Deli has the best soup in San Antonio
WOAI.com, November 10, 2011
This week WOAI-TV asked viewers to vote for the restaurant which they feel has the best soup. The winner was W.D. Deli. “Thank you! I'd like to thank the customers who come in both locally and from out of town,” said W.D. Deli soup chef Michael Grimes. “I'd like to thank everyone for voting.”

Ex-treasurer for Bexar Dems handed 6 years in prison
San Antonio Express-News, November 9, 2011
Former Bexar County Democratic Party treasurer Dwayne Adams was ordered by a jury Wednesday to spend six years in prison for a 2008 embezzlement scheme that has been blamed for helping cripple the organization's leadership and finances in recent years.

Jury mulls ex-Democrat treasurer's fate
San Antonio Express-News, November 9, 2011
Already convicted of embezzling roughly $200,000 from a Bexar County Democratic Party bank account, Dwayne Adams, the party's former treasurer, listened Tuesday to witness after witness describe other shady transactions in his past before a jury began deliberating his sentence.

Billy Bean on meeting one of his heroes, gay serviceman Eric Alva
OutSports.com, November 9, 2011
Over the past decade, I have watched with bated breath as our community fought to repeal the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that would finally allow the members of our armed forces who happen to be gay or lesbian to be honest about who they are as they fight courageously for our freedom. One of the most important people in that fight is an amazing man and former Marine named Eric Alva. (Editor's note: Billy Bean played Major League Baseball and came out after retiring in 1999.)

Democrats' ex-treasurer found guilty
San Antonio Express-News, November 8, 2011
Former Bexar County Democratic Party treasurer Dwayne Adams was escorted to a jail cell in handcuffs Monday after jurors found him guilty of embezzling about $200,000 from the political organization. It took the jury two hours to reach the guilty verdicts for theft and misapplication of fiduciary property between $100,000 and $200,000.

Guajardo to help raise funds for Inner City food bank
QSanAntonio, November 5, 2011
Former City Councilwoman Elena Guajardo is joining with former City Councilwoman Patti Radle on a community project that seeks to raise $35,000 for a local food bank before Thanksgiving.

Prosecutors: Adams faked resume before pilfering Dems
San Antonio Express-News, November 4, 2011
Dwayne Adams provided an impressive resume that included a doctorate in finance and certification as a public accountant when he ran for treasurer of the Bexar County Democratic Party in June 2008, witness after witness said Thursday as his embezzlement trial continued. In reality, he had neither, prosecutors say.

Video: UTSA student says she was a victim of a hate crime
KENS5.com, November 3, 2011
For University of Texas San Antonio student Kristen Cooper, the last few days have been tough physically and emotionally. That’s because she said she was assaulted by two men and claims it was all due to her being gay.

Activist says battles remain for gay troops
San Antonio Express-News, November 2, 2011
An activist who led the repeal of “don't ask, don't tell” praised the military Tuesday for a smooth transition to openly gay service, but said his group wants same-sex couples to receive benefits now given only to heterosexuals. “It's a denial of equal protection under the Constitution,” said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of Servicemembers Legal Defense Network and a one-time Army infantryman, in San Antonio for a fundraising event.

ideo: On the bus at the Scary Fairy Bar Crawl
VJ Gija Ramo, YouTube.com, November 1, 2011
Passengers on the Scary Fairy Bar Crawl on Halloween night were shuttled to gay nightspots in a special van that included its own drag queen hostess.

Man gets 40 years in drag performer's death
San Antonio Express-News, November 1, 2011
A San Antonio man convicted last week of causing what amounted to an officer-assisted murder of a well-known local female impersonator was sentenced Monday to 40 years in prison. It took jurors less than 30 minutes to find Jesse Ramon, 22, guilty of murder Friday in the August 2009 shooting death of James Lee Whitehead.

Assailant goes on trial in death of drag performer
QSanAntonio.com, October 27, 2011
The trial of one of three men accused in the 2009 death of drag performer James Lee Whitehead (a.k.a. Niki Hunter) began on Tuesday with testimony from SAPD Officer William Kaman who accidentally killed Whitehead in an attempt to shoot at one of the assailants

Relief at her hands
Sisters of Charity, October 28, 2011
While traveling near E. Grayson St. in San Antonio on Mondays or Thursdays, one might imagine having seen Mother Teresa toting a carry-on loaded with goodies and headed toward the San Antonio AIDS Foundation building. Well, that would be our own Sister Mary Muldowney, a pastoral care volunteer, who is completing eight years of loving and dedicated service to the suffering patients housed at SAAF. (Scroll down for story.)

Obituary - Seferino (Sef) Amaya
San Antonio Express-News, October 26, 2011
Seferino Amaya JR (Sef), 45, of San Antonio passed away October 5th, 2011 surrounded by his family and friends at home after a courageous battle with cancer.

Drag bingo draws big crowd
SAC Ranger, October 25, 2011
Lady Gaga's "Born This Way" blasted through San Antonio College's Loftin Student Center Wednesday to announce Drag Bingo, sponsored by the Gay and Lesbian Association. Part of Coming-Out Week activities, the games helped increase awareness of acceptance in a diverse community in a fun and colorful way.

The people business
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, October 25, 2011
There are things that people say to you that you remember for the rest of your life. Something about whatever it is whoever it was said resonates with you for some reason and you have one of those "aha" moments, only without Oprah or Gayle, or even the "aha." You just think to yourself, "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."

Girl in a Coma delivers their best album yet
San Antonio Current, October 26, 2011
"Exits & All The Rest," is a triumphant work and the trio’s fourth album. Not surprisingly, the album is dedicated to Ernestine Davis, Jenn’s mom, who passed away in March. But it is also dedicated to San Antonio, “for being our inspiration.”

Girl in a Coma continues maturing on fourth CD
San Antonio Express-News, October 25, 2011
Since Girl in a Coma started getting noticed via its music and hard-to-top work ethic, the SanAntonio band has been heralded as representative of an all-female band, as a Latina band and, with Phanie and Jenn, standard bearers for lesbian rockers. "We didn't realize what we were doing," Phanie said. "It's kind of cool when people come up to us and say we've inspired them.

Grand Hyatt workers reach out to gay community
QSanAntonio.com, October 21, 2011
Workers from the Grand Hyatt stood outside the hotel during the Human Rights Campaign's Gala and Silent Auction on October 15 and distributed an "Open letter to the LGBT community" detailing the grievances they have against their employer.

Bexar Democrats celebrate paying off debt
San Antonio Express-News, October 21, 2011
Jubilant Democrats chanted “Paid in full!” on the courthouse steps Thursday before turning over $142,727.07 in checks to Bexar County officials, satisfying a 3-year-old election debt that went unpaid because of alleged embezzlement. Repayment of the $278,000 original debt was stymied by intramural turmoil, but party leaders pressed for donations this year and capped the fund-raising drive at an Oct. 14 gala.

Bexar Democrats to pay off $136K debt to county
KSAT.com, October 18, 2011
The Bexar County Democratic Party announced they are ready to pay back a debt of $136,000 dollars back to the county from the 2008 elections. Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Choco Meza said the goal was to take care of the 2008 Primary Debt and that on Sunday, they met that goal and will pay the remaining balance of $136,000 this week.

Police accuse man of robbing man he met online
San Antonio Express-News, October 17, 2011
San Antonio police have arrested a 23-year-old man they said robbed a man he met through an online social networking website. Javier Maldonado was charged Friday with aggravated robbery and possession of marijuana. He remained in Bexar County Jail Saturday in lieu of $51,000 bail.

Ceramic animals get frisky
San Antonio Express-News, October 17, 2011
Bunnies are being very bad in “afternoon delights,” the exhibition of 16 new ceramic works by San Antonio artist Wesley Harvey at Joan Grona Gallery. Very bad. Harvey marries two of his overriding interests — kitsch and gay culture — in his art.

Activist infected with HIV as an infant to speak at BEAT AIDS dinner
QSanAntonio.com, October 14, 2011
Brryan Jackson, a young college student from St. Charles, Missouri who was infected with HIV as an infant, will be the special guest speaker at the BEAT AIDS Benefit Banquet on October 21 at the Norris Conference Center.

Mass gay "wedding" planned for San Antonio Saturday
KQXT-FM, October 14, 2011
A mass 'gay wedding' is planned for the steps of the Bexar County Courthouse tomorrow, as local gay couples protest the fact that they cannot legally marry in Texas. Backers of the event say they will highlight the many ways in which gay and lesbian Texans are 'still lacking equal civil rights.'

SAAF plans AIDS Awareness Week
QSanAntonio.com, October 15, 2011
Organizers at the San Antonio AIDS Foundation are launching a new effort to expand HIV/AIDS awareness beyond the annual one-day observance marked by World AIDS Day on December 1. Through AIDS Awareness Week groups and agencies have the flexibility to present more projects and events during the week rather than have them limited to one day.

Outreach a big part of this year's Coming Out Day
San Antonio Express-News, October 12, 2011
National Coming Out Day, an international observance that celebrates and raises awareness of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, is being commemorated this week in San Antonio. Colleges and universities are leading the way with outreach to those keeping their sexuality a secret or living in fear of harassment.

'Una Noche de la Gloria' delivers
San Antonio Current, October 12, 2011
San Antonio’s rising artistic talent was celebrated last Saturday evening at the third annual Una Noche De La Gloria, “Contemporary Art in the Cultural Zone,” in the Guadalupe arts district. Thankfully, the city’s highly anticipated (and much needed) rain stopped long enough for local talent to shine at the outdoor festival which included a fashion show down Guadalupe Avenue.

Missing Bert
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, October 10, 2011
At the very end of August, 2011, a wonderful friend passed away. He was a young man who enjoyed life to the maximum. Bert Lozano loved family and friends and put smiles on the faces of everyone he knew. He was 42. FORTY. TWO. His death was a big slap in the face. A big kick in the gut.

Founder of Peace Officers Training Committee resigns
QSanAntonio.com, October 7, 2011
On September 9, Travis Peterson, the chair of the Peace Officers Training Committee, tendered his resignation citing declining health. For the past four years, the committee has offered GLBT awareness training to cadets at the San Antonio Police Academy.

Departing HRC leader in San Antonio for gala dinner
QSanAntonio.com, October 7, 2011
One special guest who will be in town next week for the HRC San Antonio Gala Dinner & Silent Auction is HRC Executive Director Joe Solmonese who made news last August when he announced that he would be stepping down from his position after his contract expires next spring.

Q&A with Tim Gunn
San Antonio Current, October 5, 2011
Liz Claiborne Inc. and Project Runway’s Tim Gunn chats with the Current about the “Lucky You Runway Contest,” the potent legacy of flip-flops, and avoiding Anna Wintour. Gunn will be in San Antonio on Saturday for a fashion show at the Shops of La Cantera.

Pitman sworn in as U.S. attorney
San Antonio Express-News, October 4, 2011
Confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week, Robert Pitman was sworn in Monday in Austin as the new U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas. “There is no greater honor for a lawyer than to represent the interests of the people of this country, and I will work hard to justify the confidence placed in me by the President and senators,” Pitman said.

Behind the pasties
By Jade Esteban Estrada, Sept. 30, 2011, PlazaDeArmasTX.com
It's burlesque time at the Full Throttle Bar, and I'm about to get my first set of pasties. As backstage begins to bustle with Saturday-night showgirls, I find myself unusually introverted. I feel clumsy and awkward compared to the half-naked women around me. My dressing area is actually in the way of one of the exits so, like the new girl, I'm apologizing constantly.

Senate confirms gay man as U.S. attorney for S.A.
QSanAntonio.com, September 29, 2011
A September 26 vote by the United States Senate has cleared the way for the appointment of Robert Lee Pitman, an openly gay man, as U.S. attroney for the Western District of Texas, which includes SanAntonio, Austin, Del Rio, Midland and El Paso.

Launching a new season at the Overtime Theater
Photos by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com, September 29, 2011
The Overtime Theater, the only theater in San Antonio to offer original works by local and Texas playwrights, held its second annual Theater for the People Party on September 24 at the Blue Star Brewing Company.

Photos: TGRA named HRC Community Service awardee
Animoto.com, September 29, 2011
The San Antonio Chapter of the Texas Gay Rodeo Association has been chosen to receive the Community Service award from the Human Rights Campaign at their gala dinner on October 15 at the Grand Hyatt. In honor of the occasion TGRA compiled a photo essay of the group.

H-A-C awarded HIV testing funds
By Robert Herrera, QSanAntonio.com, September 29, 2011
Hope Action Care was awarded an additional $50,000 to expand their HIV testing under two of their four Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration projects for a one year period.

Constable links 'she-male' porn messages to political rivalry
San Antonio Express-News, September 29, 2011
A Cameron County constable said he's not buying the story that a nearby police chief texted him “she-male” pornography by accident. Constable Robert Lopez on Wednesday said he filed a report with his own department to ensure the photos sent via text messaging from Primera Police Chief Joe Rodriguez don't end up haunting him.

For same-sex homes, numbers — and acceptance — on rise
San Antonio Express-News, September 28, 2011
A family with two moms -- Erika Casasola and Anel Flores -- who live in Olmos Park Terrace is profiled in this Express-News article by Nolan Hicks. Revised figures from the U.S. Census show that over the past 10 years, the number of same-sex households increased by 85 percent statewide, while the number of heterosexual households increased by 13 percent.

Adam McManus responds to City Council DP benefits vote
TakeAStand.net, September 16, 2011
Antigay, former Christian radio talk show host Adam McManus was one of the many who protested the granting of domestic partnership benefits for city employees. In his latest online diatribe, he labels as "traitors" the City Council members who voted for the benefits and mulls over what strategies he and "Christian leaders" might use to extract revenge on those politicians.

Keep an eye on El Paso
By Charles Kuffner, OffTheKuff.com, September 23, 2011
While we celebrate the advancement of civil rights in San Antonio, we must keep in mind that these fights are never truly over. The El Paso City Council voted to extend health insurance to domestic partnerships in 2009, but that was overturned at the ballot box last November.

Man tased outside Sparky's pub
WOAI-TV, September 23, 2011
Police were called out to Sparky's Pub on Main street just north of downtown on Thursday night. The victim told police he came out of the bar there and that is when another man came up to him and demanded his wallet. He told the suspect no that is when the suspect tased him.

Local gay Vietnam veteran speaks out on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" repeal
WOAI-TV, September 21, 2011
Local Vietnam Veteran Robert Weeks is celebrating the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Weeks is the President of the local chapter of American Veterans For Equal Rights.

DADT repeal celebrated in S.A.
Fox29 San Antonio, September 21, 2011
The controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding sexual orientation in the U.S. military is history. Gays and lesbians are now free to serve openly without facing punishment. Dozens of gay veterans gathered at Sparky's Pub Tuesday night to celebrate.

Project Runway's Tim Gunn to host fashion show in SA
WOAI-TV, September 21, 2011
Tim Gunn, co-host and mentor of the Lifetime television program, six-time Emmy-nominated Project Runway, will host a live runway show and open forum on October 6 as part of the Lucky Brand ‘Lucky You Runway Contest’ event at The Shops at La Cantera.

Little pink bridges
By Jade Esteban Estrada, PlazaDeArmasTX.com, September 19, 2011
I'm at the Pride San Antonio Leadership Summit, where about 80 people have gathered to discuss the formation of a new and improved LGBT center. Notice I didn’t say "first" LGBT center.

Budget vote ushers in DP benefits for city employees
QSanAntonio.com, September 15, 2011
After much public input, the San Antonio City Council passed a new budget on September 15 that includes domestic partnership benefits for city employees. The vote was 8 for and 3 against.

Council newcomers recast debate over domestic partner benefits
By Scott Stroud, San Antonio Express-News, September 16, 2011
About halfway through Thursday's marathon throw-down on whether the city of San Antonio should extend benefits to domestic partners, including gays and lesbians, I lost track of all the statements I found offensive. It wasn't until City Council members got their turn to speak that I realized this wasn't about who was offended, or by whom.

Shavonne Conroy is entertainer for HRC gala
QSanAntonio.com, September 15, 2011
Guests at this year's HRC Gala Dinner and Silent Auction on October 15 will be entertained by Shavonne Conroy, an actress and singer who has headlined at New York concert venues, off-Broadway theater, and television.

Female Catholic priest will minister to GLBT community
WOAI.com, September 14, 2011
Women are defying the Vatican and being ordained as Catholic priests. 85-year-old Adele Jones who lives in San Antonio belongs to the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. Jones says she will focus her ministry toward the Gay and Lesbian community.

Photos: Party raises funds for Walk for Life
QSanAntonio.com, September 12, 2011
The San Antonio AIDS Foundation's Walk for Life was the beneficiary of the first annual Cocktails Under the Stars held on September 10 at a beautiful private residence on the far North Side.

Pride Center launches inaugural discussion with community
Photos by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com, September 12, 2011
About 80 GLBT community leaders came together on September 10 to discuss the establishment of the San Antonio Pride Center. The event dubbed by organizers as a Community Leadership Summit was the first major public gathering to discuss the project.

G.I. Joe
By Jade Esteban Estrada, September 12, 2011
It's called the Guerrilla Queer Bar, an event that started in 1970s San Francisco, according to local organizer Joe Wise, who arrives fashionably late to its rotating venue dressed in this month's "sexy cowboy theme."

A matter of workplace fairness
By Richard Farias, San Antonio Express-News, September 12, 2011
Domestic partner benefits account for approximately 0.014 percent of the city budget, yet they have drawn enough discussion to make one wonder: What is the big deal? The answer: It is about workforce parity and economic competitiveness.

Commentary: The Catholic response on DP benefits
By Sam Sanchez, QSanAntonio.com, September 10, 2011
In an August 30 article in the San Antonio Express-News about religious groups opposing domestic partner benefits for city employees, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of San Antonio said the Archbishop was reviewing the policy before weighing in. On Monday of this week the executive director of a local Catholic charity stepped into the fray with an opinion piece in the Express-News harshly critcizing the initiative.

Castroville restaurateur joins Equality Texas board
QSanAntonio.com, September 9, 2011
It was announced this week that Gary Carter, who owns the Castroville Cafe, will join the Equality Texas and the Equality Texas Foundation board of directors. Carter is a native of Georgia, but a longtime resident of South Texas.

Driving while distracted
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, September 8, 2011
Within my immediate family I have a reputation for being a really bad driver. (Are you shocked?) Before I graduated from high school I was involved in several automobile accidents. I even totaled a couple of cars.

Ramirez retrospective includes stunning, if not the artist’s best, works
San Antonio Current, September 7, 2011
Of the four shows at Blue Star Contemporary Art Center that mark Fotoseptiembre this year, no doubt the most anticipated is “Minimally Baroque,” a retrospective of the strangely affecting photography of Chuck Ramirez, the much beloved local artist who died last November in a bicycle accident.

Religious extremists preach against DP benefits at City Council meeting
QSanAntonio, September 1, 2011
In the hours leading up to the City Council's budget meeting on August 31, Pastor Gerald Ripley, the man who's leading the campaign against domestic partnership benefits for city employees, posted on his web site that "Demonic forces are converging over S.A. for the purpose of establishing immorality as a right at the government level."

Tony Award winning actor to be honored at HRC Gala
QSanAntonio.com, September 3, 2011
John Benjamin Hickey, the actor who this year won the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Play for his role in "The Normal Heart" will be in San Antonio on October 15 to receive the Visibility Award from the Human Rights Campaign at their San Antonio gala dinner.

City to ask couples to prove commitment
San Antonio Express-News, August 31, 2011
The city is poised to begin offering benefits to same-sex domestic partners of employees, but before receiving the coverage, the couples will have to prove they're in committed relationships, according to a memo that City Manager Sheryl Sculley gave to council members Tuesday. The memo outlines a policy that would require that couples — both same-sex and opposite-sex domestic partnerships — swear that they're in a “committed relationship” on a city affidavit.

Same sex partner benefits roil SA, but most Texas cities offer them
Q1019.com, August 31, 2011
As activists prepare to shout down a proposal to expand the city budget to provide insurance and other city benefits for the same-sex partners of San Antonio city employees, as well as employees of San Antonio owned utilities CPS Energy and the San Antonio Water System, it turns out that San Antonio is well behind the curve. Several other large Texas cities have already brought same sex partners into the mix.

Religious groups weigh in on domestic partner benefits idea
San Antonio Express-News, August 30, 2011
As city leaders prepare to adopt a $2.2 billion budget that would extend domestic partner benefits to all its employees, two major religious coalitions gathered support Monday for their stances on the issue, with each side debating the moral implications of the proposal.

Activists seek community's help with DP benefits push
QSanAntonio.com, August 27, 2011
GLBT activists are fanning out across the city in a campaign to rouse the community into helping support the push for domestic partnership benefits for city employees, including same-sex couples. The initiative, which is included in the city budget, will have to be approved by the City Council which means that Council members have to be lobbied and contacted to show there is solid support.

Castro brothers featured in CNN documentary
TexasTribune.org, August 31, 2011
A CNN spokesman confirms that the cable network is producing a documentary featuring two rising Hispanic political stars -- San Antonio’s Castro brothers: Joaquin, a state representative, and his twin, Julián, the city’s mayor.

SAPD’s Internal Affairs attacked
San Antonio Current, August 31, 2011
The Austin-based Texas Civil Rights Project, working with a number of local community organizers and victims’ rights groups, released a report last week criticizing the San Antonio Police Department’s citizen-complaint process, claiming the department still suffers from officer misconduct and lax oversight.

Ex-principal arrested for indecent exposure
KSAT.com, August 30, 2011
A former Pleasanton High School principal was arrested Monday morning after exposing himself to an undercover police officer at Olmos Park. According to a police report, 63-year-old Kenneth Whiteker parked his car next to the vehicle of an undercover officer just before noon Monday.

Dignity 35th anniversary vigil in Main Plaza
WOAI-TV, August 28, 2011
The members of Dignity San Antonio celebrated the organization's 35th anniversary on Saturday, August 27 with a vigil in Main Plaza.

Activists seek community's help with DP benefits push
QSanAntonio.com, August 27, 2011
GLBT activists are fanning out across the city in a campaign to rouse the community into helping support the push for domestic partnership benefits for city employees, including same-sex couples. The initiative, which is included in the city budget, will have to be approved by the City Council which means that Council members have to be lobbied and contacted to show there is solid support.

Report cites SAPD mistreatment of women, minorities, gays
QSanAntonio.com, August 26, 2011
A report released on August 26 by the Texas Civil Rights Project titled, "Police Misconduct in San Antonio," describes a police culture where "SAPD officers are quick to protect each other, but are not as responsive to the needs of community members, particularly when those members come from poor, vulnerable, and marginalized populations.

Tell: An intimate history of gay men in the military
GQ Magazine, August 25, 2011
As "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" comes to an end, GQ sent Chris Heath to interview dozens of gay servicemen (including San Antonio's Eric Alva) from the past and present to find out what life was really like as America's military struggled with its last great identity crisis.

It's not easy being green
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, August 25, 2011
I remember when families did not have an appliance called a dishwasher. I also remember when my family got our first dishwasher. It was a pretty big deal - a dishwasher! It was not, however, a built-in.

25 Years of Living SAAF
FoxSanAntonio.com, August 25, 2011
It's a major milestone for a local care center. The San Antonio AIDS Foundation is commemorating its 25th anniversary. This report shows how the foundation has evolved over the past quarter century.

Friends with (and without) benefits in SA
PlazaDeArmasTX.com, August 25, 2011
As budget hearings go, the first hour of Monday’s gathering on the East Side was pretty upbeat, even jovial at times. Then Gerald Ripley walked up to the microphone. Ripley, the longtime pastor of the evangelical Abundant Life Church, brought a touch of gloom to the room by denouncing Sculley’s proposed initiative to offer benefits to domestic partners of municipal employees. Ripley said he was speaking on behalf of a group of 85 local pastors who all adamantly oppose the plan.

McNally play wins; Smithsonian affiliate loses
San Antonio Current, August 24, 2011
An attempt by right-wing religious activists to defund the San Pedro Playhouse because of its production of Terrance McNally's "Corpus Christi" was unsuccessful. However, the Museo Alameda was completely defunded.

We Were Here: The year AIDS struck
San Antonio Current, August 24, 2011
When the San Antonio AIDS Foundation (SAAF) opened in 1986 as an all-volunteer-staffed hospice it served a mere seven clients. Today they serve thousands of HIV/AIDS patients every year — patients that can consider themselves lucky.

Group seeks to establish LGBT community center
QSanAntonio.com, August 20, 2011
A new group, Pride Center San Antonio, is holding a leadership summit inviting LGBT leaders from across the city to offer input about how a community center can best serve the mission of local gay businesses and organizations.

DP benefits proposed in city budget not a sure thing
QSanAntonio.com, August 18, 2011
Last week City Manager Sheryl Sculley unveiled a new budget that included extending domestic partnership benefits to City of San Antonio, CPS and San Antonio Water System employees, including same-sex couples.While this is a historic first for the city's GLBT community, activists warn that the question of domestic partner benefits is far from a done deal. Even thought the initiative is supported by Mayor Julian Castro, it could get derailed in district budget meetings being held across the city.

Doggett and Castro stump for votes at Stonewall Dems meeting
By Dan Graney, QSanAntonio.com, August 18, 2011
Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-Austin) and State Representative Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) appeared before members of Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio on August 15 to pitch their campaigns for the newly created Congressional District 35, which will run from San Antonio’s Southside to the south side of Austin.

Group seeks to establish LGBT community center
QSanAntonio, August 17, 2011
A new group, Pride Center San Antonio, is holding a leadership summit inviting LGBT leaders from across the city to offer input about how a community center can best serve the mission of local gay businesses and organizations.

Success of Vegeria will require serving the underserved … and luring the merely curious
San Antonio Current, August 17, 2011
Vegeria Vegan Restaurant, child of Fred Anthony Garza and David Lee Trevino (8407 Broadway) is now leasing space at the Viva Books building. While an effort to lose weight is what put the two on the path to veganism (the hardcore vegetarianism eschewing all animal products, including honey), they’ve evolved into full-fledged animal-rights activists.

In visit to SAAF, Doggett covers many bases
QSanAntonio.com, August 11, 2011
Congressman Lloyd Doggett was in San Antonio on August 10 for a tour of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation. His visit was billed as an opportunity to speak out for more funding for HIV/AIDS which he did. However, reporters on the scene were interested in other topics including the debt ceiling, the S&P downgrade, Governor Rick Perry and for this reporter, GLBT issues.

City may offer benefits to domestic partners
San Antonio Express-News, August 12, 2011
The city and its largest utilities — the San Antonio Water System and CPS Energy — plan to extend benefits to domestic partners of employees, the city announced in a budget briefing Thursday. Sculley said the policy would apply to both opposite-and same-sex couples.

Citi rally kicks off Walk for Life fundraising
QSanAntonio.com, August 11, 2011
Employees of the Citi call center located on San Antonio's far West Side held a rally on August 10 to kick off their fundraising efforts for the San Antonio AIDS Foundation's Walk for Life which this year is slated for September 17 at Woodlawn Lake Park.

Bexar County census figures illustrate the changing family
San Antonio Express-News, August 11, 2011
While the total number of households in Bexar County grew by 24.5 percent, the number of gay households increased by 69.2 percent and the number of lesbian households almost doubled. The growth in the number of county households identifying themselves as same-sex partners to the census far outstrips the national average.

New, gay-owned vegan restaurant featured on S.A. Living
WOAI-TV, August 10, 2011
San Antonio's newest gay-owned restaurant, Vegeria Vegan Restaurant, was featured on WOAI-TV's morning show, San Antonio Living, on August 9. Fred Antony Garza, one of the new restaurant's proprietors cooked up some vegan corn potato and poblano flautas for program host Shelly Miles.

S.A. Christians ready for Houston
San Antonio Express-News, August 5, 2011
Buses and caravans of local Christians will make the three-hour commute Saturday to Houston, where they'll join the statewide prayer gathering called by Gov. Rick Perry to pray for the nation. Critics see it as a veiled strategy to appeal to socially conservative voters as Perry eyes a presidential bid. And they object to an elected official backing a religious event for an exclusive group, prompting alternative interfaith events on the same day, including one in San Antonio.

Doggett dogged by perceived snub of gay judge
PlazaDeArmasTX.com, August 4, 2011
A well-connected Austin gay activist is openly resentful over Congressman Lloyd Doggett’s unwillingness to support Robert Pitman, an openly gay Austin magistrate judge, for the position of U.S. attorney for the Western District of Texas, which includes San Antonio. The political awkwardness of the situation only intensified in June when President Barack Obama disregarded the recommendations of the Texas Democratic House delegation chaired by Doggett, and nominated Pitman for the post.

Obituary: LGBT Chamber board member Rodric E. "Fitz" Fitzgerald
QSanAntonio.com, August 2, 2011
Rodric Everett Bernard Fitzgerald died on July 31, 2011, after a battle with cancer. He was 42 years of age. Fitzgerald, known to his friends as Fitz, was one of the founding members of the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

Theater review: Orient express
By Jade Esteban Estrada, PlazaDeArmasTX.com, August 3, 2011
This summer, San Pedro Playhouse's "The King and I" invites patrons to walk down memory lane with a production that reminds us that, when set to music, polygamy, slavery, and murder never really go out of style.

Web series based on Agosto Cuellar’s Southtown antics debuts
San Antonio Current, August 3, 2011
A big, ivory-colored dildo hits the concrete floor awkwardly after the owner of Jive Refried Vintage throws it at a Southtown customer. But this isn’t actual Refried owner-cum-fashion designer Agosto Cuéllar in a lather, but a fictionalized version of him acting out in a new comedy web series, JiveTown, which is loosely based on the real Cuéllar’s experiences as a vintage-shop owner.

Angry protesters ask city to defund San Pedro Playhouse
By Elaine Wolff, PlazaDeArmasTX.com, August 3, 2011
The prejudices aired at Monday night's meeting of the Arts and Cultural Advisory Committee were stale – hate the sin, love the sinner boilerplate, with the occasional emotional lapse into words like "perversion." But the pleas to defund a local arts organization at least featured some fresh legal theories. The San Pedro Playhouse's production of Corpus Christi, Terrence McNally's gay interpretation of the story of Jesus, constituted a new religion, argued one self-identified Christian, and the hotel-tax revenue the committee hands out to San Antonio theaters, museums, and the like may not be used to fund a church.

Confront HIV/AIDS, don't shy away from fight
By Kathy Clay-Little, San Antonio Express-News
AIDS is not going away anytime soon. That's why, for the past nine years, Crystal Stone has used her celebrity as a radio personality to gather items to auction at her annual Crystal Stone San Antonio AIDS Foundation Auction.

Ramos says it's his party, and he'll file if he wants to
PlazaDeArmasTX.com, July 21, 2011
The ousted Bexar County Democratic Party chairman stubbornly refuses to accept his ouster. The big fear of Choco Meza and the members of the Bexar Democratic Party’s county executive committee is that Ramos, who is running a kind of shadow party, complete with a fundraising effort on his rogue website, will muck up the waters even further by attempting to file his own slate of 2012 Democratic primary candidates with the county elections office.

And, she's off!
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, July 25, 2011
Sometimes you get to know someone, and right about the time you start really getting to know them and enjoy them, it's time to go. When I was a child, this seemed to happen a lot when we would visit aunts and uncles and cousins. Just about the time you started having a really good time, Mom and Dad would say, "Come on. Time to go."

Photos: HRC 'happy hour' draws crowd
QSanAntonio.com, July 24, 2011
The San Antonio chapter of the Human Rights Campaign held a 'happy hour' reception at the Monte Vista home of Wayne D. Beers and Michael Bobo, proprietors of WD Deli. The event was meant to encourage sales of tickets to the HRC Gala which is scheduled for October 15 at the Grand Hyatt. HRC reports that over 40 gala tickets were sold. San Antonio Express-News society columnist Nancy Cook-Monroe was on hand and said that she would be reporting on the event in her July 31 column.

Arizona state senator is keynote speaker for Stonewall banquet
QSanAntonio.com, July 23, 2011
The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio this week announced that Arizona State Senator Kyrsten Sinema will be the keynote speaker for their annual awards banquet on September 24. Sinema is openly bisexual and author of the book "Unite and Conquer: How to Build Coalitions That Win -- And Last."

Screening of AIDS documentary to mark SAAF's 25th anniversary
QSanAntonio.com, July 23, 2011
The San Antonio AIDS Foundation is sponsoring the local premiere of the documentary, "We Were Here," to mark the agency's 25th anniversary. The film, an official selection at this year's Sundance Film Festival, takes a deep and reflective look back at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco 30 years ago.

The people's party runs afoul of one of its core principles
By Scott Stroud, San Antonio Express-News, July 22, 2011
When it comes to hypocrisy, what's good for the elephant is good for the donkey — which brings us to the dilemma currently bedeviling the Bexar County Democratic Party. You know, the “party of the people.” Party Chair Dan Ramos wouldn't stop saying crazy stuff — culminating this spring when he compared homosexuals, a core constituency of the Democratic Party, to termites.

Photos: New class of SAPD cadets get GLBT awareness training
Photography by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com, July 19, 2011
Since 2007, local activists have conducted GLBT awareness training at the San Antonio Police Academy. The most recent session was held on Tuesday, July 19.

10 arrested at protest of Hyatt downtown
San Antonio Express-News, July 22, 2011
Ten people were arrested at the end of a downtown demonstration Thursday in which almost 200 hotel employees and supporters gathered to denounce what they called unfair and abusive working conditions at local Hyatt properties. Wearing red and white, activists chanted and sang, holding signs as they picketed outside the Grand Hyatt San Antonio on Market Street, part of a national protest.

Shelton ready to show off
San Antonio Express-News, July 21, 2011
David Shelton thought he might run his art business out of an office until he toured a 1,450 square-foot apartment at St. Benedict's, the hospital-turned-mixed-retail/residential complex on South Alamo. The new gallery has large windows facing south that let in gorgeous indirect light through tall live oaks. The Shelton gallery already is a vital part of the tight Southtown community; opening night June 23 was packed, with people spilling out on the street.

S.A.I.S.D. teacher arrested for alleged exposure
FoxSanAntonio.com, July 20, 2011
A local elementary school teacher was arrested on July 11 after investigators say he exposed himself at Olmos Park. S.A.I.S.D. spokesperson Leslie Price says the district has had no prior issues with the teacher and he has no criminal history.

Obituary: Robert Joseph Rodriguez III
San Antonio Express-News, July 18, 2011
Robert Joseph Rodriguez III age 26 of San Antonio passed away on Thursday, July 14, 2011.

A sister's memory spurs Crystal Stone's fundraiser
QSanAntonio.com, July 19, 2011
Crystal Stone remembers back to 1991 when she participated in her first AIDS walk in her hometown of Philadelphia. “I told myself to get involved in something and not wait for it to hit home and then get involved. I walked, made some friends and shed some tears and we raised a lot of money for HIV/AIDS,” she says.

Ex-Party boss still bucking ouster
By Scott Stroud, San Antonio Express-News, July 13, 2011
Like a zombie from a horror movie, Dan Ramos won't go away. Ramos, apparently ousted as chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party in May after he capped off a soufflé of general craziness with a topping of homophobia, continues to insist that he's the head of the local party — and the Secretary of State's office hasn't done much to disabuse him of that notion.

Businesses reflect on difficulty of operating in shadow of King William
San Antonio Current, July 13, 2011
Faced with eviction for what he says was his first-ever tardy rent payment, Agosto Cuellar, owner of Jive Refried Vintage, laments the way neighborhood politics have changed the original character of the strip. In the case of Jive, which will remain open until July 23, Cuellar has also felt the pinch of steadily escalating rent as the area has developed. “I had a really good run here but its come to a point where I can no longer afford to pay the rent that they’re asking.”

Intentionally or not, Political Art Month breeds rabbits and maize
San Antonio Current, July 13, 2011
Gene Elder runs the Happy Foundation GayBLT History Archives housed at the Bonham Exchange, set up as a tribute to his best friend, Arthur P. “Happy” Veltman, the downtown visionary and developer who launched the Blue Star, the Bonham, and many riverfront properties before succumbing to HIV/AIDS in 1988. Seeing a vacuum where Contemporary Art Month lived for over 20 years, Elder last year declared July to be Political Art Month and is campaigning for the cause again this year.

Dr. Paul Boskind to be honored by HRC
QSanAntonio.com, July 9, 2011
The local chapter of the Human Rights Campaign announced this week that they will honor Dr. Paul Boskind with the Chuck Jordan award for lifetime advocacy at their Gala Dinner and Silent Auction on October 15 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

MP complains over San Antonio anti-gay preacher’s UK visit
PinkNews.co.uk, July 8, 2011
A member of Parliament has asked Home Secretary Theresa May why anti-gay San Antonio preacher John Hagee is being allowed into the UK. Labour MP Richard Burden told the Birmingham Mail that people will question why Hagee is allowed into the country while other hate preachers, such as Muslim speaker Sheikh Raed Salah, are banned.

Parade Day 2011
Photos by Antonia Padilla, July 6, 2011
There were horses and marchers. Balloons and banners. Gay nuns and politicians. There was the entire diversity of our community marching down Main Street on July 2.

The wicked stage goes to 'Corpus Christi'
San Antonio Current, July 6, 2011
If the San Antonio Community of Congregations thinks that Corpus Christi is “highly offensive,” they need to see some genuinely offensive theater, and pronto. If anything, the play is too reverential and, to the extent to which it repeats and thus reinforces the major events of the Christ narrative, both conservative and, to be frank, a bit boring.

Coffee flap hasn't cooled
San Antonio Express-News, July 6, 2011
A Twitter post made by the Brown Coffee Co., a small San Antonio coffee purveyor, that has been widely scorned for its perceived homophobic tone continues to make waves almost two weeks later.

Brown Coffee Co. continues to defend controversial tweet
San Antonio Express-News, June 30, 2011
It has been almost a week since San Antonio-based Brown Coffee Co. started getting blasted for a comment it had made on its Twitter page that many considered homophobic in nature. Now the backlash has hit closer to home after a San Antonio restaurant announced on its Facebook page Thursday that it would no longer carry Brown Coffee Co. products.

Guerrilla coffee bar
By Elaine Wolff, PlazaDeArmasTX.com, July 6, 2011
Brown Coffee Co., for its part, couldn't have handled the mess in much uglier fashion, starting with a laughable denial, stumbling through a brief apology, and ending most recently with a blog post that teetered nauseatingly between self-pity and self-righteous vindication. None of it diluted the meanness of the original tweet, since the posts sounded like someone more alarmed about the economic fallout than the human one.

Entire neighborhood electrified by Pride San Antonio
QSanAntonio.com, July 3, 2011
Even though there was a fence around the Pride San Antonio Block Party in Crockett Park it could not contain the sheer size of the celebration. The entire Main Avenue strip, from the Essence Bar on the south to the Silver Dollar Saloon at the northern end, was bursting to the seams with revelers.

Pride San Antonio Videos
By Roland De Leon, QSanAntonio.com, July 3, 2011
Videographer Roland De Leon captures the excitement and crowds at the Pride San Antonio Block Party and Parade.
http://www.qsanantonio.com/multimedia.html

'Celebrating our lives' at S.A. Pride Fest
San Antonio Express-News, June 3, 2011
People of all sexual orientations and genders joined to celebrate awareness, acceptance and understanding of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered community at the seventh annual San Antonio Pride Fest on Saturday. The event, which took place at Crockett Park on Main Avenue, featured live entertainment, food, a high-heeled race and a parade.

Confusion at Haven for Hope over gay donations
QSanAntonio.com, July 2, 2011
The CEO of Haven for Hope says that a miscommunication ended up leaving organizers at Pride San Antonio with the impression that the homeless organization did not want donations from a GLBT group.

Guilt by association
QSanAntonio.com, July 2, 2011
In doing research for the Haven for Hope story, QSanAntonio uncovered an instance in which a local homeless charity did not want to publicly acknowledge donations from a gay business.

Cornyation raises over $120,000 for AIDS charities
QSanAntonio.com, July 2, 2011
Organizers of Cornyation, one of San Antonio's most popular Fiesta events, this week distributed over $120,000 in donations to three local AIDS/HIV charities.

Contributions to SAAF help funding shortfalls
QSanAntonio.com, July 2, 2011
The San Antonio AIDS Foundation this week received three major donations: one from the Royal, Sovereign and Imperial Court of the Alamo Empire; another from Citi, the banking conglomerate that has a call center in San Antonio; and the largest from Cornyation San Antonio.

‘Corpus Christi’ extended
San Antonio Express-News, June 30, 2011
The San Pedro Playhouse has a runaway hit on its hands with “Corpus Christi,” the controversial play that weds the story of Christ to a coming out tale. To accommodate as many people as possible, the theater has extended the show’s run.

S.A. coffee co. starts national brouhaha over anti-gay-tweet
San Antonio Express-News June 29, 2011
The Brown Coffee Co. on the corner of West Kings Highway and North Zarzamora has found itself at the center of a national controversy after remarks posted on Twitter were criticized nationally for being homophobic in nature.

Owner of Brown Coffee says business improved after anti-gay tweet
BrownCoffee.co.wordpress.com, June 30, 2011
I haven’t checked yet, but I think we had our second biggest sales day ever, second only to the last day before Christmas last year. And so I want to say thank you. Thanks to all of you who showed us that while personal beliefs are, well, very personal, they do not have to be buried or compartmentalized; that we are undeniably whole people.

An unofficial history of S.A.'s struggling gay theater scene
By Greg Barrios, San Antonio Current, June 29, 2011
Doing gay theater in this town is damn difficult — and lonely. Only a handful of theaters program shows that directly address the gay community. Even fewer black and Latino theaters seem open to these works. I know. This is Texas. Who watched the Tony Awards when the Mavericks and Heat were battling it out for the NBA crown? No-brainer.

Preteen lightning rod to lead SA’s Gay Pride parade
San Antonio Current, June 29, 2011
A simple act of classroom disobedience turned 11-year-old Will Phillips into one of the country’s youngest — and targeted — gay-rights advocates. Two years ago, despite repeated urging from teachers in his West Fork, Ark., fifth-grade classroom, Will refused to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. “There are those parts about ‘liberty and justice for all,’ and I realized that’s just not true,” Will told the Current last week.

Reality star Mike Ruiz is Grand Marshal of Pride Parade
QSanAntnonio.com, June 25, 2011
Mike Ruiz, world renowned photographer, TV personality, former model, actor and director, will be in San Antonio July 2 to be one of two Grand Marshals for the Pride Parade. Ruiz has appeared on several reality shows including Kathy Griffin's: My Life on the D-List; America's Next top Model and RuPaul's Drag Race.

Video: An interview with Martha Wash
Popnography.com, June 16, 2011
Disco diva Martha Wash will be in San Antonio on July 2 to headline the entertainment stage at Pride San Antonio 2011. Wash's voice has been behind some of the biggest anthems and scandals in music history.

At town hall, Berry details federal employment gains for GLBTs
Photos by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com, June 22, 2011
John Berry, the Director of U.S. Office of Personnel Management, was in San Antonio on June 21 on federal business and made time in his schedule for a town hall appearance sponsored by the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio.

Silver Stars' Inspiring Women contest winner is police veteran
WNBA.com, June 22, 2011
The San Antonio Silver Stars announced that Kathy O’Connor has been selected as the winner of the Q101.9 Inspiring Women Contest. A 25-year San Antonio Police Department veteran, O'Connor was selected out of five finalists. The award was presented at the Silver Stars game against Los Angeles on June 24.

S.A. woman spreads HIV awareness
FoxSanAntonio.com, June 22, 2011
33 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS. San Antonio ranks number three in the state for infections. Mileka Lincoln reports one local woman has made it her mission to spread awareness about testing and early detection.

A holy war in the Cellar
By Jade Esteban Estrada, PlazaDeArmasTX.com, June 22, 2011
Last Saturday night, two very different religious ceremonies took place at the San Pedro Cellar Theater during the second performance of Terrence McNally’s passion play, Corpus Christi. While the actors rose to dramatic heights inside the tiny theater, religious protestors swarmed outside, irritably chanting and waving signs denouncing the production, turning the often peaceful San Pedro Park into a matchless battle ground of pop culture.

San Pedro's production of Corpus Christi sings with passion
By Greg Barrios, San Antonio Current, June 22, 2011
Director Greg Hinojosa brings a profound sensitivity to Corpus Christi. Ditto the extraordinary design team and cast he has assembled. According to McNally, the original NYC production “may well be the definite one,” but I would urge him to reconsider. For the San Pedro Playhouse has honored his work with a magnificent production that rings with veracity and sings with passion.

Woman robbed at The Annex bar
WOAI.com, June 22, 2011
Police say the woman had her purse stolen from the Annex Bar on San Pedro, just north of Downtown, around 1:00 a.m. A bar employee and the woman's boyfriend took off after the suspect.

Catholic extremists descend on opening of 'Corpus Christi'
QSanAntonio.com, June 18, 2011
About 65 Catholic extremists organized by the Archdiocese of San Antonio descended upon the San Pedro Playhouse on June 17 to protest the opening of Terrence McNally's play 'Corpus Christi' which portrays Jesus and the apostles as gay men. With rosaries and crucifixes in hand, the group prayed the rosary, sang hymns and shouted "Viva Christo."

Country-western bar threatens to eject gay men who danced together
QSanAntonio.com, June 17, 2011
Two gay men say they are angry and upset at the treatment they received when they tried to dance together at Wild West, a country-western bar on San Antonio's far North side.

Playhouse opens controversial 'Corpus Christi'
San Antonio Express-News, June 16, 2011
When the folks at San Pedro Playhouse asked Greg Hinojosa to direct “Corpus Christi,” he had some doubts. Terrence McNally's play takes the story laid out in the gospels of the New Testament and sets the events in contemporary Corpus Christi, with a gay Christ figure named Joshua who is followed by 12 gay disciples.

Obama administration official holds GLBT town hall in S.A.
QSanAntonio.com, June 16, 2011
John Berry, the Director of U.S. Office of Personnel Management, is the highest-ranking openly gay official to serve in the executive branch in any U.S. administration. He will be in San Antonio on June 21 for a town hall meeting to discuss the current state and progress of GLBT-related anti-discrimination policies and work place initiatives for the federal and civilian workforce.

Once an underdog, Bernal easily scores D1 victory
San Antonio Current, June 15, 2011
Once considered a long-shot in the race for District 1, Diego Bernal rocketed to front-runner status within the last two months of his campaign. And by Saturday, Bernal, a local civil rights attorney and musician, skated to an easy victory in District 1, winning 63 percent of the vote in his runoff with retired firefighter Ralph Medina.

Photos by Antonia Padilla -- PrideFest 2011
QSanAntonio.com, June 12, 2011
The hot weather did not deter the crowds that came out for PrideFest 2011 at Hemisfair Park on June 11. Non-stop music and entertainment on the main stage and plenty of cold beverages helped revelers enjoy the annual party.

Video by Roland DeLeon -- Pridefest 2011
QSanAntonio.com, June 12, 2011
Thousands showed up for Pridefest in San Antonio on June 11. I had a great time. The only thing I did not like was the Texas heat. Other than that we had a great time. Can't wait til next year.

Boy who stood up for equality is Grand Marshal of Pride parade
QSanAntonio.com, June 11, 2011
Two years ago, Will Phillips was in the fifth grade at the West Fork Elementary School in Arkansas when he gained national attention for his refusal to say the Pledge of Allegiance because, he said, there is no "liberty and justice for all" because GLBT people in his state could not adopt children or marry.

'Corpus Christi' playwright reaches out to local cast
QSanAntonio.com, June 11, 2011
Award-winning playwright Terrance McNally has reached out to the director and cast of the San Pedro Playhouse production of his controversial play, "Corpus Christi" which opens on June 17. "Tell the cast how grateful I am to them," writes McNally in an email. "I won't pretend the next weeks are going to be easy but I am confident they will be rewarding."

Ralph Medina's messy business history
PlazaDeArmasTX.com, June 8, 2011
From the beginning, Ralph Medina has based his District 1 City Council campaign on the idea that no one else in the race could match his level of experience. Experience often comes with baggage, however.

AIDS complacency feared in San Antonio
San Antonio Express-News, June 7, 2011
“While people feel like AIDS is no big deal anymore, we see it is a big deal — because we still have people dying here all year long,” Jill Rips, deputy executive director of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation, said. “In some cases, that's because people found out they were infected really late in the course of their illness and there was nothing to be done for them.”

Proud2BQ -- 2011 Guide to Pride
QSanAntonio.com, June 1, 2011
From music and concerts to parades and fireworks this year's lineup of Pride month events offer the community a chance to get out and celebrate. Our annual guide to Pride lists major and featured events. Also contained are links to our archives including Q's oral history page.

Candidate Profile -- Diego Bernal, City Council District 1
QSanAntonio.com, June 4, 2011
On May 16, the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio endorsed Diego Bernal in the runoff election for City Council District 1 after he came in first in the Municipal Election on May 14. Bernal will face off against opponent Ralph Medina on June 11. Two of Bernal's opponents, Carolyn Kelly and Chris Forbrich, as well as the San Antonio Express-News, have endorsed him in the runoff.

Trial underway in killing of college student
QSanAntonio.com, June 4, 2011
In March of last year, 19-year-old Jasmayne McCollough, a San Antonio College student and member of the school's Gay and Lesbian Association, was killed by a bullet intended for someone else. Calvin Jackson, the man accused of shooting her, is now on trial.

School bullies will face punishment
Editorial, San Antonio Express-News, June 3, 2011
Anti-bullying legislation headed to the governor for signature will not put an end to the tormenting aggressive behavior that has driven some students to suicide, but it gives Texas school officials more effective tools to deal with the problem. The bill approved by the Texas Legislature, sponsored by Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio, and Rep. Diane Patrick, R-Arlington, requires school boards to ban bullying, including cyberbullying.

Exit interview: Dawn LaFreeda
San Antonio Magazine, June 1, 2011
Dawn Lafreeda was just 16 when she took her first job as a hostess at a Denny’s near her home in Southern California. She saw a chance to make a couple of extra dollars in tips if she became a waitress. Living in San Antonio, she now owns owns 58 Denny’s franchises in Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

Esperanza's fight for arts funding downed spectre of political favoritism
San Antonio Current, June 1, 2011
Anytime an organization intentionally wraps itself in the flag of disenfranchised Latinos, blacks, transgendered, queers, and feminists, you know there’s a rocky road ahead. When that organization is coming to life in 1980s San Antonio, you can expect a double-helping of rocks.

Franco's world-changing Botanica
San Antonio Current, June 1, 2011
In March 2000 Franco Mondini-Ruiz became the first SA artist selected for the prestigious Whitney Biennial in NYC. Mondini-Ruiz’ arrival in New York was the culmination of five years of misadventures at his South Flores store, Infinito Botanica, home to a wild assortment of artists including Alejandro Diaz and Chuck Ramirez that were among the first gay Latino artists in SA to gain attention.

District 7 losing candidate Fred Rangel fined by Ethics Commission
QSanAntonio.com, June 1, 2011
Fred Rangel, one of the losing candidates in the District 7 City Council race, has been fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for violating the Election Code. The Commission's findings were outlined in a letter sent to Rangel on May 24.

Lesbian candidate seeks return to city council in San Antonio
Dallas Voice, May 29, 2011
Elena Guajardo faces a runoff for the District 7 seat on the San Antonio City Council. When she was first elected in 2005, she was the first openly gay person to be elected to the council in the Alamo City. After that election, San Antonio’s daily newspaper published the headline, “Lesbian wins council seat.” This year, the newspaper endorsed her.

Waiting for 'That's so Texan'
By O. Ricardo Pimentel, San Antonio Express-News, May 28, 2011
“That's so gay.” It rolled off their tongues so easily at a summer camp where I was volunteering about eight years ago near Prescott, Ariz. The teens directed the comment at anyone perceived to have done or said something odd or different. Translation: Those people are oddly different; they don't belong with us.

Founder of Gay Pride S.A. sees bold changes
QSanAntonio.com, May 28, 2011
Seven years ago, Carlos Vela envisioned a Pride event that would inspire and embolden the GLBT community. Today, Vela's vision, Gay Pride S.A., has grown from a block party festival and street procession to a full-blown Pride organization that hosts over 10 official events each year.

Cornyation!
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & the Deli Dish, May 26, 2011
Last weekend, W. D. Deli was given the distinct honor and special pleasure of hosting the Cornyation 2011 cast party. The occasion gave Mr. Bobo an opportunity to reflect on Cornyations past and present (and future, I guess).

The Guerrilla Queer Invasion needs WOMEN!
San Antonio Current, May 25, 2011
I was recently invited to go to “The Queer Invasion,” and even though I had no idea what I was in for, I loved the sound of it. I imagined a militia of men and women flashing their pride in a local bar, hanging with good friends and meeting some new booty calls. And it was all that, except for the women part…

Religious leaders pronounce playhouse play “vulgar”
LaPrensaSA.com, May 23, 2011
The upcoming San Pedro Playhouse production of “Corpus Christi,” a play that depicts Jesus as gay, has unleashed criticism from religious leaders who say the work is vulgar. In a letter sent to the playhouse, religious leaders asked the playhouse to reconsider showing the play.

Production to offer hope against injustice
By Greg Hinojosa, San Antonio Express-News, May 21, 2011
Initially, when the San Pedro Playhouse contacted me about directing Terrence McNally's controversial play, “Corpus Christi,” I had some reservations. I was familiar with McNally's work. I had read his plays and wondered if the time and energy needed to mount this particular production would be worth the possible controversy. After re-reading the play, I decided it was worth it.

Play deeply offends, shows no new insight
By Jeanne Goodlin, San Antonio Express-News, May 21, 2011
I hadn't heard of the play “Corpus Christi,” by Terrance McNally, until a friend called my office to ask me to read the script and give my opinion. He wondered if he was crazy to be offended by it. Five pages into my own reading of the script, I knew my friend was not crazy. I also knew most people of faith, especially Christians, would be deeply offended.

Interfaith leaders condemn "Corpus Christi"
QSanAntonio.com, May 18, 2011
Members of the San Antonio Community of Congregations, representing the largest religious organizations in the city, held a press conference in Main Plaza on May 17 to denounce the production of "Corpus Christi" which will be staged at the San Pedro Playhouse beginning on June 17.

Religious leaders denounce controversial play
San Antonio Express-News, May 18, 2011
Like-minded interfaith leaders stood in solidarity Tuesday on Main Plaza to denounce a local theater's scheduling of a controversial play that portrays Jesus and his disciples as gay men.

Choco Meza chosen to lead Bexar Democrats
San Antonio Express-News, May 18, 2011
Veteran political activist Choco Meza was elected chairwoman of the Bexar County Democratic Party on Tuesday, replacing a leader ousted for his bigoted comments and clashes with party hierarchy. Victory was sweet for Meza. Last year, she surprisingly lost her heavily favored bid to lead the party to the now-deposed Dan Ramos, who still maintains his removal was improper.

Someone wants to nudge Medina out of the D1 runoff
plazadearmastx.com, May 18, 2011
Faced with a costly and likely ugly runoff battle in D1, supporters of retired firerighter Ralph Medina are rumored to be encouraging him to cede the election to attorney Diego Bernal.

Guajardo in runoff for District 7 race
QSanAntonio.com, May 17, 2011
By a slim majority of only 26 votes, former city councilwoman Elena Guajardo has squeaked into a June 11 runoff against Cris Medina, the frontrunner who lead the City Council District 7 race with 48 percent of the vote.

San Pedro Playhouse stages controversial "Corpus Christi"
QSanAntonio.com, May 17, 2011
This summer, San Antonio will see the first local staging of "Corpus Christi." The controversial play will be performed at the San Pedro Playhouse in a production directed by Greg Hinojosa beginning on June 10. However, local religious leaders are protesting the production.

Religious leaders criticize Jesus gay play
San Antonio Express-News, May 17, 2011
Concerned about a drama that depicts Jesus as gay, a diverse collection of the city's religious leaders has banded together to denounce the play, scheduled to begin next month at the San Pedro Playhouse. “Corpus Christi,” written by Terrence McNally, has ignited controversy in other cities for its coming-of-age story about Jesus growing up in that South Texas city during the 1950s. In the play, Jesus is curious about same-sex attraction, is bullied and later presides over a gay wedding at which he's dubbed the “King of Queers.”

Latino to win again in District 1
San Antonio Express-News, May 17, 2011
District 1 voters have yet to decide who ultimately will represent them on the City Council, but the tradition of electing Hispanic council members will remain unbroken. Civil rights lawyer Diego Bernal and retired firefighter Ralph Medina will go head-to-head in the June 11 runoff election. They emerged from a crowded field that included two strong Anglo candidates — Carolyn Kelley and Chris Forbrich.

Photos -- Spirit of Texas Brunch
QSanAntonio.com, May 16, 2011
Equality Texas announced that it their fifth annual Spirit of Texas Brunch on May 15 at Pearl Stable earned about $50,000 for the Austin-based advocacy group. High profile VIPs, including Mayor Julian Castro and Houston Mayor Annise Parker, were among those attending the fundraiser.

Equality Texas: A fight against lingering hatred
San Antonio Express-News, May 16, 2011
Today's youth are more accepting of gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgendered people, or GLBT, than older generations, but hatred and harassment are still alive and well and must be fought. That was the message at a Sunday luncheon for Equality Texas, an Austin-based nonprofit that advocates the elimination of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.

S.A. activists in Austin for Milk Day observances
QSanAntonio.com, May 14, 2011
Hundreds of young GLBT activists from across Texas, including a large contingent from San Antonio, will be in Austin next weekend for two days of observances in honor of Harvey Milk Day. The weekend includes a conference, a prom and a march on the state capitol.

Pub Crawl: Sparky's Pub
San Antonio Express-News, May 12, 2011
Is it a gay bar? An English pub? A coffee shop? Yes. Sparky’s — under the same ownership as the Heat nightclub next door and Luther’s restaurant across the street — is a spacious, wood-paneled English-style bar that caters to a gay clientele.

Proposal to enable political party chairs' ouster advances
San Antonio Express-News, May 13, 2011
A legislative proposal spawned by a leadership dispute in the Bexar County Democratic Party has won Texas House approval and is pending in the Senate. Although it has statewide implications and bipartisan backing, the proposal came in response to a standoff between Bexar County Democrats and former chair Dan Ramos, who was removed from office last week.

District 1 candidate under fire
San Antonio Express-News, May 11, 2011
A company run by District 1 City Council candidate Ralph Medina has not paid more than $14,000 due in property taxes on a vacant lot it owns. For some of Medina's opponents in the District 1 race, the revelation of the tax issue signals he's not ready to be a councilman.

A quick guide to City Council races
San Antonio Express-News, May 13, 2011
A good lineup of city elections failed to inspire much early voting. If that form holds, a lot of intriguing contests will be decided by not many people. Here's a rundown of what folks who follow this sort of thing are saying about the City Council races.

Council races to watch this weekend
San Antonio Current, May 11, 2011
This weekend marks San Antonio’s biennial changing of the guard. For the first time since the city completed its SA2020 “visioning” process, we’ll get to see which city leaders will have the opportunity to set the first stages of the plan into motion. While it doesn’t take a crystal ball to foresee the outcome of many of the races, some are still wide open as we inch toward Saturday’s election.

Gay Pride S.A. moving to Crockett Park
QSanAntonio.com, May 7, 2011
Organizers of the Gay Pride San Antonio Block Party and Parade announced this week that the festival, which this year is slated for July 2, is moving to the west end of Crockett Park.

Anise Parker to speak at Spirit of Texas, Rackspace to be honored
QSanAntonio.com, May 7, 2011
Houston Mayor Anise Parker will be in San Antonio on May 15 to speak at the fifth annual Equality Texas Spirit of Texas Brunch at the Pearl Stable. Additionally, San Antonio tech company Rackspace will be honored at the event with the Advocate Award.

BEAT AIDS community forum abruptly adjourned
QSanAntonio.com, May 5, 2011
The evening had been planned as a community forum for "clients, neighborhood residents, concerned citizens and community organizations who have questions about what's happening at BEAT AIDS" since Bexar County withdrew federal funding from the organization last year. However, about 15 minutes into the gathering, meeting organizers adjourned the proceedings during a question and answer session while a County official was trying to speak.

The "new" Guajardo in D7
By Gilbert Garcia, PlazaDeArmasTX.com, May 6, 2011
Although Elena Guajardo, 58, is making her fourth consecutive City Council run, the candidate making the rounds of District 7 this year feels like a New Elena. When the former Councilwoman is in the same room with her competitors, she generally sounds like the most thoughtful, engaged, and impassioned candidate in the race. She’s also exuding a level of confidence that was not detectable during her two failed campaigns against Justin Rodriguez.

Bexar County Democrats try to move past Ramos
San Antonio Current, May 5, 2011
In an unprecedented move, the Bexar County Democratic Party voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to kick Dan Ramos from his short-lived post as chair. Amid cheering, many insisted the 104-5 vote to oust the embattled Ramos, just one year after his swearing in, marks the first step in moving the party past its recent rocky history.

Bexar Democrats oust chairman
San Antonio Express-News, May 4, 2011
Bexar County Democratic Party leaders voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to remove ailing and embattled Chairman Dan Ramos for misconduct and neglect of duty. The 104-5 vote by the party's executive committee came despite a desperate attempt by Ramos to call off the meeting.

QSanAntonio Early Voting Guide
QSanAntonio.com, April 30, 2011
Early voting for the May 15 election begins in San Antonio on May 2 and QSanAntonio wants to make sure you have all the information you need to cast your early ballot.

Candidate Profile: Elena Guajardo, City Council District 7
QSanAntonio.com, April 30, 2011
Second in a series of features profiling the GLBT candidates running for office in the May 14 City Council election.

Photos by Antonia Padilla: Melissa Esparzaruiz Rodriguez
QSanAntonio.com, April 30, 2011
Lesbian singer-songwriter Melissa Esparzaruiz Rodriguez, who performs under the name Krumbz, was on stage this week at Salute on North St. Mary's. QSanAntonio photographer Antonia Padilla reports that Rodriguez' set included original songs reminiscent of progressive performers like Bjork.

'Last Call for Truth' effectively blends rap and narrative
San Antonio Express-News, April 29, 2011
“The Push Pens: Last Call for Truth” picks two forms that could be deadly — poetry and dramatic monologues — and adds fresh twists for an entertaining musical outing. The setting is a bar where two friends (Dino Foxx and Manuel “Cros” Esquivel) and the bartender (Billy Muñoz) hang out till closing time, drinking beer and other libations.

If candidate forum any indication, District 1 race is hot
ConcernedInSA.com, April 29, 2011
Tuesday night candidates for the District 1 council seat came together for what is probably the last public candidate forum before early voting starts. Interest was high enough to pull together seven neighborhood associations and almost fill the auditorium at Mark Twain Middle School. Based on public interest and the quality of answers from the candidates, we have ourselves one of the best races in District 1 in a long time.

Embattled Bexar Democratic chairman in hospital
San Antonio Express-News, April 28, 2011
A few days away from his likely removal from office, Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Dan Ramos has been hospitalized with complications of kidney failure, acquaintances said Wednesday. Ramos apparently was working to garner last-minute support for a legal fight when his kidney problems flared up late last week, one longtime friend said.

St. Mary's law school dean to be honored by Equality Texas
QSanAntonio.com, April 23, 2011
Reynaldo Anaya Valencia, the associate dean of the St. Mary's University School of Law, will be honored by Equality Texas on May 15 at its annual Spirit of Texas Brunch. Valencia will receive the Becky Cross Anchor Award.

Famous ex-gay to speak in San Antonio
QSanAntonio.com, April 23, 2011
Marc Adams, the founder of HeartStrong, grew up as the gay son of a fundamentalist minister and was an ex-gay student at Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University before he finally came out. Today he is an author and a speaker and, through HeartStrong, works to give moral support to GLBT students who attend religious private schools. Adams will be in San Antonio on May 26 to tell his story at a presentation to the San Antonio chapter of PFLAG.

Candidate Profile: Chris Forbrich, City Council District 1
QSanAntonio.com, April 23, 2011
The first in a series of two features profiling the GLBT candidates who are running for office in the May 15 City Council election.

Party chair ouster legislation advances
San Antonio Express-News, April 22, 2011
Legislation that would allow the Texas Democratic Party to intervene in the leadership dispute in the Bexar County Democratic Party was approved Thursday by the Texas House Elections Committee.

District 1 race looks wide open
San Antonio Express-News
There's a widespread sense that any of the four strong contenders vying to succeed City Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros will breathe new life into the downtown District 1 seat, a position critical to the future of San Antonio's urban core.

Express-News endorses Guajardo in District 7 race
San Antonio Express-News, April 20, 2011
Former City Councilwoman Elena Guajardo stands out in a crowded field as the candidate most ready and able to effectively represent the people of District 7. Guajardo, who unsuccessfully challenged Justin Rodriguez in 2009, remains dedicated to public service, and she clearly has done her homework, demonstrating a deep knowledge about issues that are of concern to District 7 residents today.

Vamos, Ramos: Committee votes to oust chair of embattled Bexar County Dems
San Antonio Current, April 20, 2011
A small committee of local Democrats sighed, shook their heads, and grimaced as they painstakingly recreated much of the chaos and discord their party had suffered over the past year. Conveniently, that discord has a name: Dan Ramos, elected party chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party. Despite his marked absence, and with no one to speak on his behalf, Ramos was put on trial Saturday afternoon in the basement of the gay-friendly Metropolitan Community Church.

Express-News endorses Bernal in District 1
San Antonio Express-News, April 18, 2011
Five candidates are vying to replace outgoing Councilwoman Mary Alice Cisneros in District 1. The race offers some of the strongest choices in the May 14 election, but only one can win. We recommend that voters cast their ballots for Diego Bernal.

Bexar Dems find Dan Ramos guilty as charged
By Dan Graney, QSanAntonio.com
Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Dan Ramos was found guilty of misconduct and neglect of duty by a 7-member trial committee of the Bexar County Democratic Party. The committee’s verdict was unanimous as was their recommendation that Ramos be removed as County Chair.

Same-sex date welcome at Second Chance Prom
San Antonio Express-News, April 15, 2011
The dance held Friday night in an upstairs banquet room inside the student center at the University of Texas at San Antonio was decidedly unorthodox. Dubbed the Second Chance Prom, it was put on by the school's GLBTQ Club of UTSA. The goal was to give celebrants a chance they might have missed in high school — to kick up their heels with the date of their choice, even if they happened to be of the same sex.

Elena Guarjardo's Fiesta Fundraiser
Photos by QSanAntonio.com, April 15, 2011
District 7 City Council Candidate Elena Guajardo held a fundraiser on April 13 at the King William home of Dr. Paul Boskind. At the event Guajardo spoke about issues that affected not only her district but the community at large and about her experiences having previously served as the first GLBT City Council member in the city's history.

Photos by Antonia Padilla -- Backstage at Cornyation
QSanAntonio.com, April 12, 2011
Tim Campion, King Anchovy XLVI and his Court of Double-Dip Shellacking hit the stage on April 12 at the Charlene McCombs Empire Theater for another sold-out edition of Cornyation. QSanAntonio photographer Antonia Padilla was backstage on the night of the first performance when nervous performers were getting ready to entertain Fiesta audiences. In one dressing room the question, "Does anybody have any glitter?" was answered in the affirmative by several with the response, "What color?"

Photos by Antonia Padilla -- Webb Party 2011
QSanAntonio.com, April 8, 2011
Nearly 3,000 partygoers hit Sunset Station for the 20th annual Webb Party to benefit the San Antonio AIDS Foundation. Attendees were treated to plenty of food, fun and Fiesta spirit. Entertainment includes a future fashion show by designer Agosto Cuellar, the Austin City Showgirls and the Houston Flyboys.

Gay troubadour Tom Goss to perform at scholarship fundraiser
QSanAntonio.com, April 16, 2011
Gay singer-songwriter Tom Goss will be in San Antonio on May 14 to perform a benefit concert for the LEAGUE Foundation's college scholarship program. The garden concert and cocktail reception will be held at the home of Steve Annala, Alan Beckstead and Danny Lerma.

Cornyation dazzles with bawdy humor
San Antonio Express-News, April 14, 2011
Cornyation is not a gay event. It's just happy. And there's a lot of glitter and men wearing makeup and spandex. For those with tickets to Fiesta's “raunchiest, cheapest event,” former participants say it's an “up year” for the spoof revue, which features dancing, tacky costumes, outrageous lampoonery and a halfway decent job of lip- synching.

World-class handiwork inhabits outrageous Fiesta garb
San Antonio Current, April 13, 2011
“I have tried to explain this in Paris, in London, but no one understands. Nowhere in the world is there an event like this,” says Xavier Castillo, San Antonio’s master of haute couture embroidery and beadwork. He is referring to the Coronation of the Queen of the Order of the Alamo during Fiesta.

State Democratic Executive Committee calls for Ramos' resignation
QSanAntonio.com, April 11, 2011
At its Spring meeting in Austin on Saturday, April 9, the State Democratic Executive Committee of the Texas Democratic Party voted unanimously to censure Dan Ramos and to call for him to resign as Bexar County Democratic Party Chair.

Dan Ramos' reaction to trial committee
FoxSanAntonio.com, April 11, 2011
Bexar County Democratic Chair Dan Ramos is speaking out again. This time- he's taking aim at those who decided to form a trial committee-- one which could lead to his removal from office.

In new video Democratic Party chair defends his words
FoxSanAntonio.com, April 10, 2011
In a news video just released this week, the chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party defends his words. Dan Ramos called a news conference on March 17 to set the record straight on controversial comments he made in an interview. Here's his explanation.

Campaign fliers may violate military rule
San Antonio Express-News, April 9, 2011
In his run for the District 7 City Council seat, Cris Medina appears on campaign fliers in a crisp white and blue uniform, a signal to his status as an ensign in the U.S. Navy Reserve. But the mix of the uniform with the candidate's political aspirations troubles at least one military veteran in District 7: Fleet Lentz, a retired Marine colonel who served in Vietnam.

Ramos controversy: Do all Democrats support gay rights?
By Justin Nichols, QSanAntonio.com, April 9, 2011
Much has been said about the chairman of the Bexar County Democratic Party, Dan Ramos. But as things develop, we shouldn’t just write Ramos off as one county chairman gone crazy. Lessons can be learned here about politics, race, and the fight for equality.

Volunteers and skilled craftsmen sought for SAAF renovation
QSanAntonio.com, April 9, 2011
The San Antonio AIDS Foundation put out a call this week for volunteers and skilled craftsmen/women to assist with the renovation of their building on Grayson Street. Phase One of the face lift, which began last week, will bring improvements to the public areas of the facility, the nurses station and the cafeteria.

Push Pens offer hip-hop with a Texas twist
QSanAntonio.com, April 9, 2011
Using a unique blend of theater, spoken word, and original hip-hop music, a trio of local performers known as the Push Pens will take to the stage at the Jump-Start Performance Co. on April 21 in a hip-hop opera dubbed "Push Pens: Last Call for Truth."

Community gears up for Fiesta
QSanAntonio.com, April 9, 2011
Fiesta San Antonio started this week and the city’s gay community is gearing up for two weeks of parties, parades and special events by GLBT organizations. There's a Fiesta Fandango, a Fiesta Frenzy, Cornyation, a gay limo service to and from Night in Old San Antonio and much more. Check out this list of events and plan your party accordingly.

Gay activists confront Dan Ramos face to face
QSanAntonio.com, April 7, 2011
A meeting convened on April 5 by Bexar County Democratic Chair Dan Ramos ended with three GLBT activists confronting him face to face. The activists, from the Direct Action Network of San Antonio, asked Ramos to explain his remarks when he called gays termites and Nazis then concluded by asking him to resign.

Bexar Democrats draft resoluntion to out Ramos
QSanAntonio.com, April 5, 2011
"The Rules Committee of the Bexar County Democratic Party County Executive Committee has reviewed and found credible the following allegations against Mr. Dan Ramos." Complete text of resolution.

Chair Dan Ramos holds gathering as Bexar Dems move to boot him
San Antonio Current, April 6, 2011
As members of the Bexar County Democratic Party voted Tuesday night to put their embattled chair on trial, Dan Ramos and a small group of his supporters hunkered down for their own parallel meeting across town. “I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere,” Ramos declared while continuing to blame the party’s discord on anti-Hispanic racism, and not his own toxic and anti-gay remarks last month.

Bexar Democrats' dueling continues
San Antonio Express-News, April 6, 2011
Battling for control of the troubled Bexar County Democratic Party, a large group of activists voted Tuesday to put Chairman Dan Ramos on trial for rules violations while a small gathering of his supporters backed Ramos' plan to sue the first group as illegitimate.

Retired Marine to talk about serving while gay
HeraldOnline.com
"Justice and liberty for all" is still a dream for many and one worth fighting for. That's the message Eric Alva - a retired U.S. Marine, human rights activist and openly gay man - wants to leave with Winthrop University (South Carolina) students when he speaks tonight.

Chair Dan Ramos holds gathering as Bexar Dems move to boot him
San Antonio Current, April 6, 2011
As members of the Bexar County Democratic Party voted Tuesday night to put their embattled chair on trial, Dan Ramos and a small group of his supporters hunkered down for their own parallel meeting across town. “I’m still here and I’m not going anywhere,” Ramos declared while continuing to blame the party’s discord on anti-Hispanic racism, and not his own toxic and anti-gay remarks last month.

Killer of gay man sentenced to 40 years
QSanAntonio.com, April 1, 2011
On February 24, 2010 22-year-old Cory James Carmichael told police he shot 24-year-old Troy Martinez Clattenburg in the head because the young man had made a pass at him. On Thursday, Carmichael was sentenced to 40 years for the crime.

Rev. Deborah L. Johnson is keynote for Spirit of Texas brunch
QSanAntonio.com, April 2, 2011
Equality Texas announced this week that Rev. Deborah L. Johnson will be the keynote speaker at the Spirit of Texas Brunch on May 15 at the Pearl Stable.

Convicted Killer Sentenced To 40-Year Prison Term
KSAT.com, March 31, 2011
Cory James Carmichael sat silently in the courtroom as pictures of the man he killed, Troy Clattenburg, 24, were shown on a movie screen with music playing in the background. It was part of what is called the victim impact statement, which is allowed by law.

Man who blamed sexual advance for murder gets 40 years
San Antonio Express-News, April 1, 2011
Newly convicted killer Cody James Carmichael wept Thursday as he was placed in a jury box and forced to watch a lengthy photo slideshow depicting a young man he shot execution style a year ago.

Villarreal says GLBT job disrimination is bad for business
Dallas Morning News, March 31, 2011
San Antonio Democrat Mike Villarreal told a House committee Wednesday that discrimination against gays and transsexuals in Texas is bad for business. He was joined by a transsexual who reinforced the message in testimony to lawmakers.

Stonewall Democrats' make endorsements for City Council election
QSanAntonio.com, March 27, 2011
Twenty-three candidates for City Council sought the endorsement of the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio at a forum held on March 27. Nine candidates were endorsed.

Councilwoman Ivy Taylor shirks Stonewall Democrats
San Antonio Current, March 29, 2011
It was no surprise that Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Dan Ramos’ recent bigoted statements became something of a litmus test at Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio’s candidate forum on Sunday, leading to the group that respresents the interests of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals in the city endorsing one incumbent, several newcomers, and two former councilmembers seeking another shot over the weekend.

Agosto Cuellar: Cosmic Vogue and a side of refried
Photos by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com,
QSanAntonio photographer Antonia Padilla dropped in on fashion designer Agosto Cuellar at his Jive Refired emporium in Southtown last week. Cuellar was busily at work on a collection of Cosmic Vogue outfits to be featured in a "Supernova" stage show at the San Antonio AIDS Foundation's Webb Party on April 8.

Voices added to call for Ramos to resign
San Antonio Express-News, March 25, 2011
Twenty top leaders of the Bexar County Democratic Party are demanding the resignation of Chairman Dan Ramos because of his controversial comments about fellow partisans. An open letter to Ramos posted on the party's website is signed by Ramos' four deputy chairs, the party secretary, a Democratic National Committee member, four State Democratic Executive Committee members and numerous committee and precinct chairs.

Stonewall Dems hear plan for Ramos' removal, get praise from Quintanilla
QSanAntonio.com, March 24, 2011
At the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio meeting on March 21, D’mitri Kosub, who serves on the Rules Committee of the Bexar County Democratic Party, explained that although state election law and state party rules do not provide a clear path for removing Ramos from office, there are provisions in "Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised" for doing so.

City Council could grow decidedly younger this election cycle
San Antonio Current, March 23, 2011
As this year’s council races start to rev up, some parts of the city have a chance to push the bar younger. Among the 10 contested City Council races, six districts have candidates under 30, one a sitting council member vying for his second term, and another, should he win at just 19 years old, would help oversee the city’s $2.3 billion budget before even having his first legal drink.

Photos: Stonewall Democrats monthly meeting
Photography by Steve Walker, WalkerReport.net, March 22, 2011
The Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio hosted guest speaker Julia DeGrace on March 21. The agenda included a discussion of the controversial issue of the Bexar County Democratic Party Chair.

Mayor urges Democratic Party boss to resign
San Antonio Express-News, March 22, 2011
Mayor Julián Castro joined the chorus of officials Monday urging Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Dan Ramos to resign because of Ramos' bitter attacks on fellow Democrats.

Gay Dems slam Ramos
WOAI Radio, March 22, 2011
The Stonewall Democrats say they're looking at rules of procedure to oust Bexar County Democratic Chair Dan Ramos. Co-chair of the group Elena Guajardo says Ramos's insults were flung at everyone and everyone should be offended.

In his own words: Dan Ramos on Stonewall, homosexuality
By Greg Harman, San Antonio Current, March 21, 2011
Last week, Ramos suggested at a press conference that his language had been manipulated, according to QSanAntonio.com, that perhaps it wasn’t even his voice on the recording. With that in mind, I thought it best to release the portion of the interview in question.

KTSA speaks to Dan Ramos
KTSA.com, March 21, 2011
Bexar County Democratic Party Chair Dan Ramos is speaking out against statements he allegedly made on March 11th in a blog on the website of The San Antonio Current, a weekly news and opinion publication.

Bexar Democrats' leader likens foes to insects
San Antonio Express-News, March 18, 2011
Calling his detractors worms, jerks, morons, idiots and liars, Bexar County Democratic Chairman Dan Ramos said Thursday that he'd resign “when hell freezes over” despite demands he quit immediately due to his harsh words about fellow Democrats.

Ramos reiterates 'gays are termites' during press conference
QSanAntonio.com, March 17, 2011
Bexar County Democratic Chairman Dan Ramos reiterated that he believed that gays were like "white termites who have infiltrated the party much like termites infiltrate your house," and were co-conspirators with direct involvement in the theft of over $200,000 from party coffers.

Demands grow for resignation of Bexar County Democratic Chair
KSAT.com, March 17, 2011
A spokeswoman for the Bexar County Democratic Party said its chairman, Dan Ramos, will be holding a news conference on Thursday morning after his published statements in the San Antonio Current and increasing demands for resignation.

Ramos should resign Democratic party post
Editorial Board, San Antonio Express-News, March 17, 2011
For the good of the party he claims to serve, Bexar County Democratic Party Chairman Dan Ramos should resign his position. His disturbing comments reported last week in a San Antonio Current blog do immense damage to the Democratic Party and all political discourse. Those comments and his failure to retract them demonstrate his unsuitability to hold any position of leadership.

District 1 is proving to be the race to watch
Randy Bear, ConcernedCitizens.com, March 16, 2011
A friend of mine once told me the best way to get to know someone is to share tacos with them. So, to get a better handle on the candidates of District 1 I shared tacos and other food with the four main candidates. During those meetings I found that this slate of candidates is really providing voters in District 1 with a difficult choice of who will represent them on San Antonio’s city council. But what really came out is how important this race is when looking at the future of San Antonio.

A Bigot in Bexar
By Bob Moser, Texas Observer, March 16, 2011
Talk about covering the bases! In the span of two sentences, Dan Ramos managed to insult not only gay Democrats, but Tea Partiers, Anglos, blue-eyed people and African Americans to boot. Even the creators of South Park would be hard-pressed to top that.

Gingrich to visit Hagee's S.A. church
MotherJones.com, March 16, 2011
When Sen. John McCain accepted the endorsement of Texas megachurch pastor John Hagee in 2008, the result was a PR disaster. After critics pointed to Hagee's incendiary views on gays and Catholicism, McCain called Hagee's views "crazy and unacceptable" and renounced the endorsement. But three years later, Hagee is once more involved in Republican presidential politics. Later this month, he'll host former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a 2012 aspirant, at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio.

Class war and caviar: Franco Mondini-Ruiz
San Antonio Current, March 16, 2011
It’s 10 p.m. the opening night of Ginormous, Franco Mondini-Ruiz’s new show in Alamo Heights. Mondini-Ruiz says his art sales are “run on the Mexican panaderia model, there’s something for everyone, rich or poor.”

Photos: Luminaria Arts Festival
Photography by Antonia Padilla, March 13, 2011
An estimated 300,000 people came to Hemisfair Park on March 12 for the fourth annual Luminaria Arts Festival.

Bexar Dem. Party Chair has insults for gays, whites and blacks
QSanAntonio.com, March 12, 2011
In an March 11 interview with the San Antonio Current, Bexar County Democratic Chair Dan Ramos had some choice words about the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio. “I liken them to the Tea Party — the Tea Party and the fucking Nazi Party — because they’re 90 percent white, blue-eyed, and Anglo, and I don’t give a fuck who knows that. Just like the blacks … they’re American, but you can’t get your way just because you’re black.”

Texas Stonewall Dems plot strategies for 2012 elections
QSanAntonio.com, March 12, 2011
Members of the Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus from all across the state met in Austin on March 5 and 6 to assess the “ass-whipping” Democrats took at the polls last November and to develop messaging and other strategies for winning in 2012.

Cirque du Soliel's 'Dralion' is fusion of East and West
QSanAntonio.com, March 12, 2011
"Dralion" is a signature Cirque du Soliel production acclaimed by more than seven million people since it premiered in 1999 in Montreal. The show comes to San Antonio for a 5-day run at the AT&T Center from March 23 to 27.

Photos -- International Woman's Day March
Photography by Antonia Padilla, March 5, 2011
Approximately between 600 and 1000 people participated in the International Woman's Day March which wound through downtown streets on March 5.

Time is now to sort through District 1 City Council candidates
San Antonio Express-News, March 10, 2011
The caliber of the four main contenders is the best in any City Council race, let alone the district that encompasses downtown, in many years. Any of them would enhance the discourse at City Hall. But there are enough substantive differences to make it worth the effort to choose carefully, as opposed to casting a ballot based on caricature.

S.A.'s Bernard is Mr. Inside in the White House
San Antonio Express-News, March 10, 2011
The odds that the first male White House social secretary — who also happens to be gay and an unbowed liberal — would be from San Antonio and not San Francisco are slim to none, which is all the more reason for San Antonians of a progressive persuasion to bust out the champagne.

Glitter Political: Dashing Diego
By Jade Esteban Estrada, PlazaDeArmas.com, March 10, 2011
It seems like only yesterday Mary Alice Cisneros walked away again with the crown in 2009 after her opponent Chris Forbrich gave her a not-so-funny run for her money. Those were the days. Well, it’s time for new contestants to spin the wheel and the cast of characters couldn’t get any more colorful: A gay activist, a retired firefighter, a nonprofit fundraiser and a hip-hop artist/civil-rights attorney – I smell sitcom.

Magic Johnson talks HIV in S.A.
Video by Roland DeLeon, YouTube.com, March 7, 2011
Magic Johnson, former MVP player for the Los Angeles Lakers, was in San Antonio on March 5 for a rally at St. Phillips College where he advocated for HIV testing and prevention.

Photos -- GetEqual Town Hall
Photography by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com, March 3, 2011
About 40 community leaders and activists attended a town hall meeting organized by the local affiliate of GetEqual on February 26 at Sparky's Coffee Bar. The meeting was hosted by GetEqual national director and co-founder Robin McGehee (photos top row). See related story below.

New affiliate forms to aid Bexar Democrats
San Antonio Express-News, March 3, 2011
A new coalition of local Democrats is planning an event to honor the dozen Democratic judges swept out of office last year and to raise funds to repay their party's substantial debt to Bexar County. The March 17 event is sponsored by the recently formed Proud Democrats of San Antonio, some of whose organizers still hold leadership positions in the Bexar County Democrat Party.

Interview with Lisa Lampanelli (aka the Queen of Mean)
San Antonio Current, March 3, 2011
Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who’s the meanest one of all? Since starting her stand-up comedy career in the early 90s, the answer has always been as harsh as a swift kick in the balls: Lisa Lampanelli.

Queen of Mean really 'super nice'
San Antonio Express-News, March 3, 2011
You can't be the Queen of Mean without a slice of nice. Or so says insult comic Lisa Lampanelli. The four-letter words are not negotiable. The Don Rickles-inspired comedian and outrageously foul-mouthed, Comedy Central celebrity roast star performs at Lila Cockrell Theatre at 8 p.m. Saturday.

How Woman’s Day March places women in positions of power
San Antonio Current, March 2, 2011
Held nearly every March 5 in San Antonio since 1985, the International Woman’s Day March is timed to coincide with Women’s Day marches around the world that have occurred for 100 years.

GLBT group endorses Bernal in District 1 race
QSanAntonio.com, March 1, 2011
A group of GLBT and allied activists will announce today that they are forming a coalition to elect attorney Diego Bernal to the San Antonio City Council District 1. The press release, which follows below, was released early to gay media sources.

Forbrich responds to formation of Bernal coalition
QSanAntonio.com, March 1, 2011
District 1 City Council candidate Chris Forbrich says that a GLBT coalition formed to support one of his opponents, attorney Diego Bernal, will only serve to divide the gay community at a time when unity is desperately needed.

UTSA launches Consortium for Social Transformation
UTSA. edu, March 1, 2011
The University of Texas at San Antonio will launch the Consortium for Social Transformation, an entity within the College of Education and Human Development that will house the university’s African American Studies, Mexican American Studies and Women’s Studies programs. In addition, the consortium will serve as an incubator to aspiring programs like Asian and Pacific Islander Studies, American Indian Studies, and Sexual and LGBTQ Studies.

Obituary: Leroy Jonas
San Antonio Express-News, March 1, 2011
Leroy Jonas entered Eternal Rest on February 27, 2011 at home at the age of 87. He is survived by his lovely wife, Yvonne of 58 years of marriage; daughter, Jennifer and her daughter, Reily. He is also survived by his son Roger and life partner, Tracey Rinehart of Dallas.

Leroy Jonas, husband of Yvonne Jonas, has died
QSanAntonio.com, February 27, 2011
Leroy Jonas, husband of former PFLAG president Yvonne Jonas, has died. An email distributed by the says that Jonas, who had been suffering from leukemia, died at 7 a.m. on Sunday, February 27.

Glitter Political: Carolyn the great
By Jade Esteban Estrada, PlazadeArmas.com, Feb 26, 2011
This week, I made a date with Carolyn Kelley at Luther's Cafe on North Main to chat about her own exciting race to glory. Kelley, dressed in a smart black ensemble and dark sunglasses, is running for the District 1 Council seat.

Photos -- Adelina Anthony on stage
Photography by Antonia Padilla, QSanAntonio.com, February 24, 2011
QSanAntonio photographer Antonia Padilla was invited to the dress rehearsal for Adelina Anthony's three-part performance, "La Hocciona Series -- An Original X-X-Xicana Comedic Triptych of Scandalous Proportions!" which runs at the Sterling Houston Theater at Jump-Start from February 25 - 27.

Blog entry: The Pleasantries Of Politeness
By Michael Bobo, Mr. Bobo & The Deli Dish, February 24, 2011
We are all much busier than ever before. Too many balls in the air. Too much on our plates. Too many plates spinning. And in the rush, sometimes, we sacrifice the pleasantries of politeness.

Beyond bullying: Confronting problem starts at school
By James Munoz, KENS5.com, February 22, 2011
Dr. Roxanne Henkin is a professor at The University of Texas at San Antonio who believes if any place should be a safe hate-free zone, it's the school classroom. While most bullying takes place at the high school level, it can even happen at a day care.

GetEQUAL director to host S.A. town hall meeting
QSanAntonio.com, February 19, 2011
Robin McGehee, the director and co-founder of GetEQUAL, will be in San Antonio on February 26 to host an LGBT town hall meeting. According to the event announcement, McGehee will meet with community organizers and leaders to discuss what issues should take the foreground in the movement; how to build effective coalitions; and how to effectively represent the whole of our community.

Cast of "Wicked" to perform fundraiser for SAAF
QSanAntonio.com, February 19, 2011
When the cast of the Broadway touring company of "Wicked" arrived in San Antonio for a three-week run on February 16 they also had plans to perform on March 3 in another production, "Wicked Webb," a late-night cabaret show and fundraiser for the San Antonio AIDS Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

"Without Borders" is theme for woman’s day march
QSanAntonio.com, February 19, 2011
Organizers of the 2011 San Antonio International Woman’s Day March and Rally point out that, unlike any other in the US, this march has historically addressed a wide range of issues, from violence against women and reproductive rights to development over the Edwards Aquifer, from immigration to war and occupation.

Lampanelli, 'Queen of Mean' comedy, comes to S.A.
QSanAntonio.com, February 19, 2011
Stand-up comedienne and insult comic Lisa Lampanelli will bring her racy and raunchy comedy, which frequently includes taboo subjects like race and homosexuality, to the Lila Cockrell Theater on March 5.

Going straight: Controversial therapy 'treats' homosexuality
By Sarah Lucero, KENS5.com, February 18, 2011
Same sex attraction: Are you born with it, or is it a choice? A little known, controversial therapy claims gay men and women can change their sexual orientation and "go straight." We traveled to Houston to find a therapist to speak to us. All the others we approached said they were afraid of retribution.

Forbrich makes official announcement in City Council run
QSanAntonio.com, February 17, 2011
Chris Forbrich officially announced his run for City Council District 1 on February 15 at Gonzaba's Mexican Restaurant where about 60 supporters gathered for the occasion.

Man arrested in murder of roommate
QSanAntonio.com, February 12, 2011
P olice arrested Jeffrey Brian Spaulding in connection with the murder of Ted Bruno Wildberger, his former roommate. The arrest warrant affidavit says the two men, who lived together until recently, had on on-again, off-again sexual relationship.

Loud-mouthed 'lesbiana' uses comedy as weapon of choice
QSanAntonio.com, February 12, 2011
No one could never accuse San Antonio-born performance artist Adelina Anthony of being demur. On the contrary, Anthony herself describes her work as "salacious, brazen, Spanglish humor that flirts with all kinds of cultural taboos."

"Vagina Monologues" readings to include performance in Spanish
QSanAntonio.com, February 11, 2011
Eve Ensler's play, "The Vagina Monologues," will have three readings in San Antonio starting on February 15, and for the first time one performance will be presented in Spanish. The three readings will benefit the Rape Crisis Center, the Battered Women and Children's Shelter and P.E.A.C.E. Initiative.

Man arrested in weekend slaying
San Antonio Express-News, February 10, 2011
Jeffrey Brian Spaulding, 37, was taken into custody Wednesday and ordered held on $250,000 bail on a single count of murder. He is charged in the death of Ted Wildberger, 49, who was found Monday lying in a pool of blood at his home. The arrest warrant affidavit said the men had maintained an on-again, off-again sexual relationship.

Obituary: Ted Wildberger
San Antonio Express-News, February 10, 2011
Ted B. Wildberger went to be with the Lord on February 7, 2011 at the age of 49.

Bexar County Dems stuck in whirlwind of controversy, bad blood
San Antonio Current, January 9, 2011
If there was a single warning shot presaging the unraveling of the Bexar County Democratic Party, it would have been the June 2009 letter penned by precinct chair D’mitri Kosub warning party leaders that a close look at the books “has revealed a breakdown of the party’s financial underpinnings.”

S.A. activists plan 'artistic action'
Dansa.usfreedomring.com, January 9, 2011
In gearing up for Valentine’s Day, San Antonio activists will be taking pictures for marriage equality on February 12 between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The artistic action, titled “Kiss ME,” will take place at HemisFair Park.

Indecent movie experience angers San Antonio father
KENS5.com, January 9, 2011
A father takes his kids to a PG movie but gets an X-rated show instead. Andres Delgado claims an employee was performing a sexual act in the restroom and the theater did nothing to stop it. Delgado says the incident took place Sunday when he took his family to the Cinemark Movies 16.

Speakers announced for Stonewall Dems statewide conference
QSanAntonio.com, February 5, 2011
Openly bisexual Arizona State Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Phoenix) and national transgender activist Mara Keisling will be the keynote speakers at the Second Biennial Statewide Conference of the Texas Stonewall Democratic Caucus on March 5 and 6 at the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Austin.

Performer finds transgender themes in Bible
QSanAntonio.com, February 5, 2011
Performance artist Peter Toscano will bring his one-man play "Transfigurations --Transgressing Gender in the Bible," to Trinity University on February 28. In the show, Toscano unearths characters "who do not fit in the gender binary and who in transgressing and transcending gender, find themselves at the center of some the Bible's most important stories."

Kourtney Van Wales to perform at Heat
YouTube.com, February 4, 2011
Kourtney Van Wales, the well-known drag impersonator from Jacksonville, Florida will bring her act to the Heat on Thursday, February 10. This video is of Van Wales performing as Dolly Parton at a club in Jacksonville.

America’s most literate cities: San Antonio not one of them
San Antonio Current, February 2, 2011
Mark Twain’s observation that “a person who won’t read has no advantage over one who can’t read” immediately begs the question: if people can read, why don’t they? That question is the crux of Central Connecticut State University’s recent study, “America’s Most Literate Cities.” The findings, which put San Antonio at 62 out of 75, are disheartening to say the least.