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San Antonio proclaims LGBTQ+ History Month as advisers warn of state-level threats to visibility
Summary
Council proclaimed October as LGBTQ+ History Month and city leaders and advisory-board members used the observance to pledge local advocacy after recent state actions targeting LGBTQ visibility. Advisory members and several councilmembers urged continued local protections and community outreach.
San Antonio City Council on Oct. 9 proclaimed October 2025 as LGBTQ+ History Month and repeatedly affirmed the city's support for the LGBTQ+ community amid recent state-level actions that advisory members said threaten local visibility.
Maria Salazar, the mayor's appointee to the city's LGBTQ+ advisory board, told council the month honors "trailblazers and groundbreaking leaders" and warned that some historical markers and visible public signs are under threat. Salazar said the advisory board will advocate to protect visibility "from here on out," and urged council to remain allies.
"We are sitting in history, and we need to value that history and remember it because it's being erased," Salazar said, referencing efforts to remove a rainbow sidewalk and other visible markers. She listed local events and called on councilmembers to get to know advisory-board representatives and community groups.
Councilmember Jalen McKee Rodriguez, who identified himself in his remarks as the city's first openly gay man on the council, called the month a time to honor past struggle and recommit to protections. "To those who are out, to those who can't be, and to those still finding their way, you are seen, you are loved, and your story matters," McKee Rodriguez said during his remarks. He urged the council to turn remembrance into action, including policy efforts that protect students and public safety.
Multiple councilmembers, including Chair Viagran, Councilmembers Villagran and Galvan, said the city must continue to create safe, welcoming spaces for LGBTQ+ residents and to stand against state and federal actions that they said would reduce local protections and visibility. Councilmembers also noted the advisory board's recent creation and the October events calendar organized by Filipino and LGBTQ groups.
The proclamation and comments stressed local protections, outreach, and continued advocacy. Council did not adopt a new ordinance at the Oct. 9 meeting; speakers said they planned follow-up advocacy and community engagement.
