Mayor Julian Castro agreed to serve as Grand Marshal of San Antonio’s Pride Parade this July 4th, becoming the first San Antonio mayor to ever serve in this role. Prior Grand Marshals have included SAPD Chief William McManus, Bexar County Sheriff Ralph Lopez, US Congressman Charlie Gonzalez and former Marine Eric Alva. In doing so, Castro has drawn attacks from conservative talk show host Adam McManus who has encouraged his listeners to oppose Castro’s action. McManus has leveraged his radio program to promote conservative and right-wing positions regularly, including opposition to a proposed change to the city’s non-discrimination employment ordinance to include sexual orientation in 1998.
Please take the time to express support for Mayor Castro’s decision and outrage to Adam McManus for opposition to such action. At such an early time in his career Mayor Castro has taken a bold action to show that San Antonio is an inclusive city and rejects divisive and repressive acts by people like McManus.
Gay Pride SA is planning to attend city council on June 11th at 5pm in a show of support for Mayor Castro. More info at the Facebook event page.
I can accept the idea that there’s a principled argument made by people of good faith against gay marriage. I think it’s a ludicrous argument that falls apart at the barest scrutiny, but I don’t believe that buying into that argument necessarily makes you a bigot. Needless to say, that ain’t the case here. Please show your support for Mayor Castro. I know it’s weird, maybe a even a little annoying, to have to rally behind a politician for doing something as ordinary and mainstream as leading a Pride parade – I mean, what century are we in again? – but precisely because this is such a normal thing for Mayor Castro to do is it important to speak out against idiots like this. It’s the Adam McManuses that are out of step with the world, and he needs to know it. Stace has more.