Celebrate Pride, support human dignity

June is Pride Month, reminding us of how far we've come but also of the work that lies ahead. While Texas state government is antagonistic for people who are LGBTQ+, thankfully, San Antonio is a welcoming and inclusive city. In 2013, our city finally passed a landmark nondiscrimination ordinance, aligning its policies with other large cities in our state.

It was a proud day when then-san Antonio Mayor Julián Castro tweeted: “Today we passed non discrimination protection for LGBT. Whether you're white or black, Christian or Jew, straight or gay, SA belongs to you.”

Five years later, San Antonio installed a vibrant expression of community support: the rainbow crosswalk at Evergreen Street and Main Avenue, in the heart of the LGBTQ+ district.

But not all discrimination is in our rearview mirror. In ruby-red Texas, it's normal for conservatives to target LGBTQ+, especially vulnerable transgender youth and their parents. Gov. Greg Abbott's directive in February equating gender-affirming care for transgender youth with child abuse and indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's opinion on the issue are

inhumane and undermine the very family values they espouse.

Voters can continue to speak out against these policies with their voices and at the ballot box. And when it's time to celebrate Pride, the public should do that, too.

Pride San Antonio, a local nonprofit, will kick off a week of events Friday with a “Night Out at the Zoo.”

In a news release, the organization asks: “Pride San Antonio invites all community-minded organizations with a desire to celebrate, PRIDE, HOPE, and DIVERSITY to become a Pride Week San Antonio Partner.”

Although we can't all be official partners, we hope our community will be allies. Supporting people who are LGBTQ+ is rooted in freedom and human dignity.