San Antonio proclaims June 2025 Pride Month; local leaders press council for services and protections

Mayor Ron Nirenberg proclaimed June 2025 as Pride Month in San Antonio on June 5, 2025, citing the 56th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall riots and naming local groups that will host monthlong activities.

At a council ceremony and public-comment period that followed, leaders from local LGBTQ organizations urged ongoing city support for mental-health services, youth housing and community safety. Speakers tied those needs to state-level policy changes they said have harmed LGBTQ youth and families.

The proclamation formalized events that will begin with the raising of the Pride flag at City Hall and lists local partners including Pride San Antonio and the Pride Center of San Antonio. Chris Chan, president of Fiesta Youth, told the council that recent Texas legislation has “attacked our most vulnerable population, our youth,” and cited statistics on suicidal ideation among transgender and nonbinary youth. "Having one space where inclusivity is the norm significantly reduces the suicide ideation percentage," Chan said.

Lex Lauro, interim executive director of Pride Center San Antonio, said the center provides free mental-health services and asked the city to sustain long-term support. “We need your support more than ever,” Lauro said. Justin Holly, executive director of Thrive Youth Center, described his organization as the city’s LGBTQ youth homeless shelter and said homelessness among LGBTQ youth is rising.

Speakers also drew attention to a homicide the previous weekend. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez said the victim, actor and community member Jonathan Joss, was murdered at his childhood home and that, "according to his husband, Tristan, they had been targeted by neighbors for years." McKee Rodriguez asked the council and public to observe another moment of silence and framed the loss as part of a broader crisis affecting LGBTQ people.

Representatives of American Indians in Texas also addressed the council, emphasizing that Joss was a Native person and that resource gaps for Native residents increase vulnerability. A representative from that group asked the council to account for Native populations more accurately when allocating services.

Councilmembers from across the dais echoed calls for continued local support. McKee Rodriguez said Pride should be a demonstration of survival and resistance in the face of statewide and national attacks. Several councilmembers highlighted the recent designation of a Bridal Cultural Heritage District and noted city efforts to expand on-site services in housing projects.

The ceremony concluded with the council urging continued partnerships with service providers and the community. Councilmembers and speakers repeatedly urged that Pride-related work be sustained year-round, not only in June.

Community groups present at the ceremony included Fiesta Youth, Pride Center San Antonio, Thrive Youth Center, Equality Texas, the Bridal Bigger Than Texas parade organizers and the San Antonio Gender Association.

Ending: The council moved from the proclamation and public comments into regular business items. Several councilmembers asked staff and partner agencies to continue coordinating resources for youth mental-health services, housing for at-risk youth and violence-prevention efforts.