Tag Archives: San Antonio

WATCH: Baptist minister calls gay couples ‘repulsive’ at mass wedding on Valentine’s Day

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The Rev. Joe Sullivan

The Rev. Joe Sullivan, a Baptist minister, has been performing mass weddings on Valentine’s Day on the steps of the Bexar County Courthouse since 1989. After his remarks about same-sex couples this year, he may no longer be welcome, according to the San Antonio Express-News.

After receiving complaints from same-sex couples about the way Sullivan referred to them as repulsive and compared them to animals, County Judge Nelson Wolff called for the county to re-examine Sullivan’s participation in the annual event.

QSanAntonio reported on Valentines Day that Sullivan made disparaging remarks about the same-sex couples but had peculiar views about opposite-sex couples as well.

The LGBT site had this report from activist Julie Pousson who was at the San Antonio mass wedding:

“Minister Joe Sullivan said that our couples were there ‘solely to be repulsive,’ and he threatened them with acts of vengeance on the part of God if they did not leave the courthouse steps. Our beautiful couples stood their ground for more than five minutes of hate speech and contradictory logic from the good minister before he finally relented and performed the wedding. During his sermon, he told new wives to get up at 2 a.m. and bake lemon pies for their husbands, if that’s what they ask for. He told the men to buy their wives new cars if they ask for them . . . demonstrating that his bigotry is as wide as it is deep. This man does not represent our beautiful city. He does not represent any loving God.”

After the jump, video from the mass wedding ceremony:

Continue reading “WATCH: Baptist minister calls gay couples ‘repulsive’ at mass wedding on Valentine’s Day” »

—  David Taffet

Macy’s employee in San Antonio fired for refusing transgender customer service

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The Houston Chronicle is reporting that a Macy’s employee in San Antonio was fired for not allowing a transgender shopper to use a fitting room.

The employee cited her Christian belief as the reason she denied the customer service. Store policy allows transgender people to use either fitting room.

Equality Texas Assistant Director Chuck Smith said, “Go Macy’s! If your religious beliefs prevent you from carrying out the functions of your job for other people — whether that be as a dressing-room attendant, a pharmacist, or a doctor — then you should leave that job. Christianity does not entitle you to oppress others, though you are welcome to oppress yourself.”

Macy’s received a 100 percent rating in the Human Rights Campaign‘s Corporate Equality Index.

—  David Taffet

WATCH: Another hate crime reported in TX

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In the second report of a violent anti-gay hate crime in Texas over the Halloween weekend, a lesbian college student says she was beaten by two men who kidnapped her at a party in San Antonio. Kristen Cooper, who attends the University of Texas at San Antonio, told KENS Channel 5 she was waiting for a ride outside an apartment complex in the northwest part of the city when the men punched her and drug her into their truck, before driving off and continuing to beat her.

The suspects eventually let Cooper go, but she was without a phone so she walked down the roadway until someone spotted her and called 911. Cooper said the only thing the suspects knew about her was that she’s gay, and they yelled anti-gay slurs during the attack. She suffered a concussion and whiplash, and her face is badly bruised and swollen.

Police are investigating the incident as an assault but said they can’t confirm it was a hate crime.

In the other incident, a gay man from Paris, Texas, said he was stabbed with a broken beer bottle and thrown onto a fire at a party in nearby Reno.

Watch Channel 5′s report on the San Antonio case below.

Continue reading “WATCH: Another hate crime reported in TX” »

—  John Wright

YouTube celebrates National Coming Out Day

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Kinda digging YouTube’s efforts at recognizing today as National Coming Out Day. They’ve created a playlist of videos by LGBT bands and artists that is rather impressive. Instead of going with the obvious, they featured an eclectic selection of groups like Xiu Xiu, Hidden Cameras and San Antonio band Girl in a Coma. From YouTube:

In honor of National Coming Out Day, we celebrate bands who make great music…and who also happen to have gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender members. Vive la difference!

Right on! Now finish your day out with the playlist starting with this.

—  Rich Lopez

WATCH: Violent brawl between two transgender women caught on video in San Antonio

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A violent brawl between two transgender women was caught on tape in the parking lot of a San Antonio convenience store early this morning. KENS Channel 5 reports:

San Antonio police had to use a taser on a transgender individual who had been involved in the heated fight in the 800 block of San Pedro early Monday morning.

Investigators said the suspect hurled a shoe at them after their conversation reached a boiling point. They said that individual now faces criminal charges.

The other person in the fight did not cooperate with investigators and left the scene.

The original argument between the two transgender individuals escalated into a fight at about 4 a.m. Monday. The source of the disagreement remains unclear. Witnesses gave several different explanations of what may have prompted the parking lot fight.

The two clashed just feet from a KENS 5 news truck, and most of the incident was caught on camera. Police initially said they would consider issuing citations for the fight.

Watch the video below.

Continue reading “WATCH: Violent brawl between two transgender women caught on video in San Antonio” »

—  John Wright

San Antonio council approves DP benefits amid strong opposition from anti-gay protestors

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Some of the Christian protestors carried signs. Many came with children. (Sam Sanchez)

Self-proclaimed Christians fill chambers, monopolize public comment period, but council votes 8-3 in favor of proposal

SAM SANCHEZ  |  QSanAntonio

After much public input, the San Antonio City Council passed a new budget today that includes domestic partner benefits for city employees. The vote was 8 for and 3 against.

District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan and Councilmen Carlton Soules of District 10 and David Medina of District 5 were the “no” votes.

The vote came after nearly three hours of comments by local citizens. Those against the initiative monopolized the “Citizens to Be Heard” portion of the meeting, with mostly religious and moral objections.

The council chambers were filled with Christian protesters, including some with babies and school-age children. Some held signs that read “Vote for Marriage (I do!). ”

Sometimes the rhetoric got rough. Some speakers threatened political retribution to council members who voted to keep the measure in the budget. Mike Knupke of the San Antonio Family Association said the question of domestic partnership benefits had “awakened the sleeping Christian giant.”

Former Christian radio talk show host Adam McManus went to the podium with his infant son and pregnant wife to say that he did not support giving benefits to “the live-in lovers” of city employees, gay or straight.

Pastor Gerald Ripley, the main organizer of the protests, displayed a picture of his infant grandchild who has only two teeth, saying his grandson had a better bite because the DP initiative was a toothless idea that was fraught with potential for fraud.

One man, Joe Desega, said that he had been in jail 25 times before he found religion. He said he once ministered to “ex-homosexuals” who were dying from AIDS and who, at the time of their deaths, cried out to God for forgiveness.

While most of the Christian protestors spoke specifically about the DP partner line item, others also protested funding for the San Pedro Playhouse because of its production of the gay-themed play Corpus Christi, and against allowing tax dollars to be used for contraception.

Gustavo Garcia Siller, the Catholic archbishop of San Antonio, issued a statement this morning.

“As the shepherd and archbishop of the Catholic Church in San Antonio, I have observed with interest the public debate that is taking place in our city regarding a recent proposal to extend benefits to domestic partners of city employees,” Siller said. “The Catholic Church recognizes as a fundamental human right that all persons have the opportunity to secure adequate health care. I am concerned, nonetheless, by the manner in which the city is proposing to provide health care by giving legal recognition to a new structure that may ultimately result in the undermining of marriage and the weakening of the family unit that is essential to the good of society. ”

Gay activists chose to feature only one main speaker, attorney Eduardo Juarez, co-chair of the Stonewall Democrats of San Antonio, who came to the podium accompanied by a over a dozen community members including Dennis Coleman, executive director of Equality Texas.

The LGBT group presented the City Council with a large plexiglass box filled with almost 3,000 signed cards asking the mayor and council members to support the DP benefits initiative. Former City Councilwoman Elena Guajardo, who’s openly gay, held a large blow-up of one of the yellow cards.

After all the comments from citizens had been heard, Councilwoman Chan made a motion to have the domestic partner initiative pulled out of the budget and voted on separately. This gave an opportunity for each council member to offer their perspective on the issue.

Most of those on the council who were in favor of the benefits said that it was the fair and right thing to do for city employees. Councilman Ray Saldana of District 4 said he would always side with equality.

Chan’s main objections were financial. She feared that the cost estimates would be more than anticipated and questioned the verification process by which couples would qualify for the benefits. Councilman David Medina cited economic factors as well community opposition as the basis for rejecting the proposal.

In endorsing the initiative, Mayor Julian Castro cited the many corporations and cities that offer similar benefits and said,  “This is not a new issue — this should have be done some time ago.”

Chan’s breakout motion was voted down by a margin of 7 to 4 clearing the way for the 8 to 3 vote that approved the final budget.

Just minutes after the vote, Equality Texas put sent out an e-mail news blast that summed up the day’s results: “Today’s vote is an affirmation of the City Council’s belief that all San Antonians should be treated equally, with the dignity and respect they deserve. There was opposition. And, there will likely be negative backlash. As we move forward, let us remember that fairness and justice will always be in the best interests of our diverse communities.”

—  Sam Sanchez

BREAKING: San Antonio approves DP benefits

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San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro

The San Antonio City Council voted 8-3 today to begin offering domestic partner benefits to both gay and straight employees as part of the city’s 2012 budget, according to reports from Equality Texas on Twitter.

The DP benefits, which are expected to cost $300,000 per year, have drawn vocal opposition from anti-gay religious leaders in the Alamo City.

San Antonio, the seventh-largest city in the U.S., will be the fifth city in Texas to offer DP benefits, joining Austin, Dallas, El Paso and Fort Worth.

Council members who voted in favor of DP benefits were Mayor Julian Castro, Diego Bernal, Ivy Taylor, Jennifer Ramos, Rey Saldana, Ray Lopez and Cris Medina. Those who voted against DP benefits were David Medina, Jr, W. Reed Williams, Elisa Chan, & Carlton Soules.

More to come …

UPDATE: Our full story is here.

—  John Wright

ACTION ALERT: San Antonio City Council may be 1 vote short of approving DP benefits

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Anti-gay protesters hold a sign outside San Antonio City Hall last month during a budget hearing where speakers focused largely on a proposal to offer domestic partner benefits.

The San Antonio City Council may be one vote short of the majority needed to approve a proposal to offer benefits to the domestic partners of employees, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The council is slated to vote on DP benefits as part of the city’s 2012 budget on Thursday morning. The DP benefits proposal, which would cost an estimated $300,000 per year, has met with vocal opposition from anti-gay religious leaders.

Both the Human Rights Campaign and Equality Texas have issued action alerts calling on San Antonio residents to contact their council members and urge them to support the proposal. Another LGBT group, the Direct Action Network of San Antonio, is asking people to wear purple to Thursday’s council meeting — as well as to another meeting Wednesday at City Hall — in a show of solidarity.

San Antonio is the nation’s seventh-largest city and would be the fifth in Texas to offer DP benefits to employees, joining Austin, Dallas, El Paso and Fort Worth.

An LGBT source with knowledge of the situation, who asked not to be identified, said this morning in an email that the 11-member council may be one vote short of the six votes needed to approve the proposal. The source also said DP benefits may be broken out of the budget and voted on separately.

“If this happens it will surely lose because it could hurt council members politically,” the source wrote.

—  John Wright

Opponents of DP benefits in San Antonio warn of ‘demonic forces’ and ‘dark cloud of Satan’

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Anti-gay protesters hold a sign outside San Antonio City Hall on Wednesday during a budget hearing where speakers focused largely on a proposal to offer domestic partner benefits.

Speakers from both sides dominate public hearing on budget; council to vote later this month

SAM SANCHEZ | QSanAntonio

In the hours leading up to the San Antonio CIty Council’s budget meeting on Wednesday, Pastor Gerald Ripley, the man who’s spearheading 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.”

The meeting, held in City Council Chambers, was convened expressly to discuss items from the proposed budget, which awaits a vote on Sept. 15.

Even though a few speakers addressed other topics, the majority of those who came to the podium were there to discuss DP benefits.

While Pastor Ripley’s rhetoric didn’t reach the same level when he actually addressed the council, some of his followers appeared to take a cue from his Internet posting.

One speaker said the “evil” of homosexuality is “eating us up.” Another, a woman holding a sign advocating heterosexual marriage, said that San Antonio would be under the “dark cloud of Satan” if DP benefits are granted.

One man said he used to work at a psychiatric hospital where there was a ward just for homosexuals and that giving these people DP benefits was immoral. One speaker admonished the City Council not to do the “politically correct thing but the morally correct thing.”

Activists from the LGBT community, the majority of whom got to speak early in the meeting, stayed on message. That message was that offering these benefits would make the city more competitive in hiring and retaining top talent, and that no employee should be treated like a second-class citizen.

One at time, each of the GLBT speakers made their case in addressing and debunking their foes’ other objections: Cost (less than 1 percent of the total budget); abuse of the program (two forms documentation will be required); and extending DP benefits isn’t an endorsement of same-sex marriage, as some religious extremists have suggested.

“Finally, offering these benefits is the right thing to do for the hundreds of city employees who serve us daily,” activist Randy Bear told the council. “For those city employees who could benefit by this, it’s the right thing to do to be able to look them in the eye and tell them we value them as much as their fellow employees.”

One religious leader who spoke in favor of granting the benefits was Rabbi Barry H.D. Block from Temple Beth-El, who came armed with a letter signed by more than 30 religious leaders.

“All of the undersigned are deeply committed to the sanctity of marriage. We are equally aware that not all members of our society have equal access to state-sanctioned marriage. Like the sanctity of marriage, equal rights and equal opportunity for all human beings and all loving couples are values we all hold dear,” read the text of the letter.

Protestors stood outside City Council chambers while Pastor Gerald Ripley denounced the DP benefits proposal.

Pastor Ripley, who admonished this reporter for trying to take his photograph, came to the podium and began by saying, “It’s been implied that 2 percent of our citizens are treated like second-class citizens. When homosexuals go to the Spurs’ game they can sit on any seat on the bus. They can drink from the same water fountains. They can go into any restaurant or any theater. They can buy a house in any neighborhood. Therefore, I say to you, there are no second-class citizens in our great city.”

Ripley went on to say using the term “second-class citizens” to curry political capital was unfortunate and beneath the dignity of those making the case. He also made the unsubstantiated claim that 70 percent of voters objected to offering the benefits.

What followed in Ripley’s address came almost word-for-word from a fact sheet with 14 talking points that had been posted on his web site in the days leading up to the budget meetings.

Two controversial characters followed Pastor Ripley in speaking out to the City Council against DP benefits.

The first was former talk show host Adam McManus, who was fired for budgetary reasons last year from KSLR-AM, a local Christian radio station. During his time on-air, McManus encouraged his listeners to speak out in 2007 against Police Chief William McManus and in 2009 against Mayor Julian Castro because they served as Grand Marshals for the Gay Pride Parade. In 2006, McManus tried to start a boycott of H-E-B because the grocery chain had contributed $300 to PrideFest.

Also present was Pastor Charles Flowers of the Love Demonstrated Ministries who was arrested in 2007 for dragging a girl behind a van after she failed to keep up during a running exercise at his Christian boot camp near Corpus Christi. In 2006, Love Demonstrated Ministries reported private and government contributions totaling $314,673 to operate the boot camp, with nearly 89 percent of the costs, $278,549, going for salaries.

—  John Wright

WATCH: Anti-gay protesters break out Prop 2 signs to fight DP benefits in San Antonio

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Last week we posted this story from Sam Sanchez at QSanAntonio about how anti-gay forces are fighting San Antonio’s plan to offer domestic partner benefits to municipal workers. On Monday, a group called “Voices for Marriage” held a press conference outside City Hall to oppose the plan. And as you can see above, they broke out their six-year-old signs from the fight over Prop 2, Texas’ marriage amendment. KENS Channel 5 reports:

Extending benefits to city employees in same sex relationships would cost between $300,000 and $400,000 a year — a small fraction of the total $2.2 billion budget which would go into effect October 1.

The move would also put San Antonio in the same category as many other Texas cities and companies, including USAA and Rackspace that currently offer benefits to domestic partners.

However, a local group calling itself “Voices for Marriage” protested the proposed change on Monday outside city hall. The group, citing religious views and current state law, opposes any extension of benefits to domestic partnerships.

Pastor Gerald Ripley issued a “fact sheet” to those in attendance, listing 14 reasons why the group opposes the change. The document said, “We believe marriage is a legally binding relationship between one man and one woman” and “a vote for domestic partner benefits is a vote against upholding the institution of marriage”.

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, who backs the change, said the city needs to extend benefits to domestic partners in order to stay competitive with other cities and companies across the country that already offer similar benefits. The mayor dismissed oncerns by many protestors over the cost of benefits as “a smokescreen for their dislike of gays and lesbians.”

Watch video from the press conference below.

Continue reading “WATCH: Anti-gay protesters break out Prop 2 signs to fight DP benefits in San Antonio” »

—  John Wright