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CURRENT | June 17 â€“ June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

in this issue San Antonio Current

Issue 20-13 /// June 17 – June 30, 2020

‘Something Resembling a Revolution’

Publisher: Michael Wagner Editor-in-Chief: Sanford Nowlin

Editorial

Multi-faceted musician Polly Anna Rocha talks about the meaning of Pride in 2020

Digital Content Editor: Kelly Merka Nelson Contributing Arts Editor: Bryan Rindfuss Food and Nightlife Editor: Nina Rangel Contributors: Ron Bechtol, Chris Conde, Daniel Conrad, James Courtney, Jade Esteban Estrada, Dan R. Goddard, Lance Higdon, Steven G. Kellman, Hannah Lorence, Kiko Martinez, M. Solis, Gary Sweeney, Leah Thompson Editorial Interns: Brianna Espinoza, Trevor Flynn, Steven Hargis, Katie Hennessey

Coda

San Antonio Symphony Lands National Endowment for the Arts Grant

Advertising

Advertising Director: Michael Wagner

Marketing and Events

Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni Events Manager: Chelsea Bourque

Creative Services

Graphic Designer: Samantha Serna Production Interns: Pedro Macias, Gabriela Rivera

Circulation

Circulation Manager: Justin Giles

Euclid Media Group

Chief Executive Officer: Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers: Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services: Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator: Jaime Monzon Senior Marketing and Events Director: Cassandra Yardeni www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising: Voice Media Group (888) 278-9866, vmgadvertising.com San Antonio Current 915 Dallas San Antonio, Texas 78215 sacurrent.com Editorial: (210) 227-0044 / Fax - (210) 227-7755 Display Advertising: (210) 227-0044 Fax: (210) 227-7733 Classified: (210) 227-CLAS / Fax - (210) 227-7733 The San Antonio Current is published by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member San Antonio Distribution – The Current is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Get listed 1. Visit sacurrent.com 2. Click “Calendar” and then “Submit an Event” 3. Follow the steps to submit your event details Please allow 48 hours for review and approval. Event submissions are not accepted by phone. Copyright: The entire contents of the San Antonio Current are copyright 2019 by Euclid Media Group LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions: Additional copies or back issues may be purchased at the Current offices for $1. Six-month domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $75; one-year subscriptions for $125.

Darian Thomas

14 Feature

Pride & Protest

25 LGBTQ+ San Antonio creatives on celebrating Pride and boosting Black voices during a tumultuous time

06 News

The Opener News in Brief

Glitter Political

Activist María Salazar Journeyed From Migrant Farm Life to Uplifting San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ Community

Current Events

Real Police Reform in San Antonio Means Facing Down a Union That Protects Rotten Cops’ Conduct

10 Calendar Calendar Picks

22 Screens All the Feels

Gay, Black filmmaker Cedric Thomas Smith speaks to the human experience through his dramas

24 Food

Venturing Out

As a critic and as a diner, returning to a dine-in restaurant felt unfamiliar — at first

Here for Highballs

No shaker required to add these classic cocktails to your repertoire

The Take Away

Rebel Mariposa Serves Up Activism and Vegan Cuisine

28 Music

Young, Gifted and Gay

Queer rapper BabiBoi’s confident and club-ready sound is drawing national attention

On the Cover: Photo illustration by Tom Carlson using source images from Flickr users Marco Verch and Juanedc/Creative Commons.

That Rocks/That Sucks

H H H

As both San Antonio and Texas experienced spikes in COVID-19 infections, Gov. Greg Abbott defended his full-speed-ahead reopening of the state’s economy, telling a Tyler TV station he’s not worried because “we have so many hospital beds available to anybody who gets ill.” The San Antonio Symphony last said it’s received $17,500 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to partially fund its A Midsummer Night’s Dream Young People’s Concert for the next two years. An arbitrator’s decision whether to uphold the second firing of San Antonio cop Matthew Luckhurst — this one for leaving an unflushed turd in a women’s bathroom and smearing a brown substance on the toilet seat as a “prank” — has stretched into its fourth month. Feces-obsessed Luckhurst successfully overturned an earlier termination via the same process, that one for giving a homeless man a sandwich smeared with dog doo. Days after the NBA board of governors voted to restart the 2019-20 hoops season in Orlando with 22 teams, including the Spurs, reports surfaced that the Silver and Black will be without power forward LaMarcus Aldridge. The starter will still be recovering from surgery he had during the league’s pandemic-forced down time and unable to play. — Sanford Nowlin

YOU SAID IT!

“The attorney general’s letter was simply trying to score cheap political points, which is something he has been doing his entire career.” — San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, to CBS’s 60 Minutes. The mayor was referring to a letter by Texas AG Ken Paxton threatening to sue municipalities for enacting public health rules stricter than those of the state.

ASSCLOWN ALERT

Sid Miller There’s outrage to spare when it comes to the dozen Texas GOP county chairs who recently shared racist memes and conspiracy theories online, such as the widely debunked claim that Jewish billionaire George Soros is paying Black people to riot. Maybe some of that anger should be directed higher on Texas’ Republican food chain. Namely, at Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who not only joined in the recent Soros dogpile but also has a history of online buffoonery long as the drive from El Paso to Beaumont. A post from Miller posted at the end of May showed a photo of Soros and included text reading, “Climate change didn’t work. Impeachment didn’t work. The virus didn’t work. Start the race war.” Not exactly the kind of discourse becoming of someone twice elected to statewide office. But when it comes to Miller, that’s just another day of Facebookin’. The ag commissioner has repeatedly used his page, which boasts 800,000 followers, to propagate demonstrably false conspiracy theories and doctored photos, often with racist undercurrents. A 2015 post advocated using nukes to incinerate the “Muslim world.” The following year, in a tweet, Miller referred to Hilary Clinton as a “cunt.” After first claiming his account had been hacked, the commissioner later threw one of his staffers under the bus for the message. And, in November, Miller had a Facebook meltdown after he read that a Confederate group had been excluded from a Veteran’s Day parade in his hometown of Stephenville. “Who told them to leave?” he posted. “Get a rope.” Now seems as good a time as any to remind read-

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff last week fired off a letter to Gov. Greg Abbott saying he wants the governor to reverse the order blocking municipalities such as Bexar and San Antonio from fining people for not wearing masks during the pandemic. Abbott didn’t budge, however, saying in a statement that stopping the spread of COVID-19 comes down to Texans’ “individual responsibility.” The leader of San Antonio’s tourism marketing arm made a last-ditch play to secure a city bid to host the Republican National Convention. In a letter sent last week, Visit San Antonio’s CEO said the gathering would resuscitate SA’s failing hospitality industry. Never, mind of course, that council last year declined to chase the RNC gathering, citing costs and security concerns. The point’s now moot, however: the GOP picked lucky Jacksonville, Florida, to host its four-day Donald Trump Show.

Wikimedia Commons / USDA

ers that Miller, who pulled out a five-point victory over his last Democratic challenger, is up for reelection in 2022. Maybe instead of giving Cowboy Sid a rope, Texans should gift the assclown with a trip to the unemployment line. — Sanford Nowlin

A new analysis of U.S. Census data shows that both San Antonio and Texas have emerged as millennial meccas. Texas is the No. 1 state for attracting relocations from people between the ages of 25 and 39, while the Alamo City is the nation’s fourth-most popular millennial relocation destination. More than 192,200 people between the ages of 25 and 39 moved to Texas in 2018, compared to just 138,700 in that age group who fled. Meanwhile, San Antonio gained 12,400 of those millennials that year. In other words, count on rents to keep rising. — Sanford Nowlin

Screen Capture / KSAT

CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

Activist María Salazar Journeyed From Migrant Farm Life to Uplifting San Antonio’s LGBTQ+ Community BY JADE ESTEBAN ESTRADA

t’s noontime Sunday when the signature smile of María R. Salazar, one of San Antonio’s most notable LGBTQ activists, pops up on my screen. Between the growing debates about COVID-19 and the civil unrest that’s erupted across the nation after the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died in custody of Minneapolis Police, we both agree these past three months have left a mark on San Antonio. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen next month,” says Salazar, 55, as she adjusts the volume on her device. “July is usually hurricane season.” And June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month, which has been largely overshadowed by the pandemic and the ongoing protests. Salazar, a family law attorney who specializes in child abuse custody suits, is also president and a founding member of Orgullo de San Antonio LULAC Council, an organization dedicated to uplifting LGBTQ+ Latinos and recognizing their contributions to the San Antonio community. As the eldest child of migrant farm workers, Salazar first learned about community-driven values while on the apple and potato trails of Washington, Idaho and Oregon. “I was born in Idaho, but I was raised by Tejanos,” she says proudly. However, growing up, Salazar began to feel she was living “a fractured life.” At home, she was the perfect daughter. But on the weekends, she would make the trip to San Francisco with her gay Latino friends. They would revel in gay nightlife, singing Juan Gabriel songs in the Mission at the top of their lungs. “In that group, it was like ‘Oh, my God! I can be queer and [speak] Spanish!” she recalls. Salazar’s father died when she was 17. She still remembers her last moments with him. “I had a girlfriend at the time, and I think my dad knew. We were in his truck and he asked me, ‘So that’s a very special relationship that you have, right?’ He was talking to me in English. And I said, ‘Yeah.’ There was a long silence after that. And then he said, ‘Whatever you do in this life, I want you to be

Jade Esteban Estrada

happy.’ That was the last thing he said to me,” she says. About five years later, Salazar’s mother died after suffering through a painful illness. “She finished raising three children in a wheelchair,” she says. “I think that is such incredible strength.” What Salazar remembers most about her mother was her faith. Though her mother was a devout Catholic, her creed wasn’t so rooted in religion as it was a “faith in that outcome of goodness.” Shortly after she lost her mother, Salazar moved to San Francisco. Amid the warm glow of the Golden Gate Bridge, she gained sapphic empowerment through the voices of ’90s-era out comics including Lea DeLaria and Marga Gomez. “For me, seeing these dyke entertainers and comedians [who were] also very political was very affirming,” she remembers. “They were saying ‘You better say the word lesbian! Say the word dyke! This is who we are!’” Gomez in particular taught Salazar that she could bring all of her worlds together. “Looking at Monica Palacios and Marga Gomez, they were such symbols of owning your sexuality and your desire.” Salazar eventually stopped wearing dresses to work, opting instead for loafers and slacks. “San Francisco taught me to really value and appreciate and love beauty in all beautiful things,” Salazar adds. “The fog coming in in the evening, that [was] just a beautiful feeling on your skin.” After relocating to San Antonio and living here for about six years, Salazar attended CUNY School of Law in New York. “What New York taught me is that we are citizens of the world,” she says. In 2018, Salazar married her partner, Jo Ann Castillo. The ceremony was officiated by Justice Rebeca Martinez. This year, they’re celebrating 22 years as life partners. I ask Salazar, who identifies as a feminist, what she’d like Anglo lesbians to know about the Latina lesbian experience. “What I would say to White lesbians is

news

GLITTER POLITICAL

[that] our sexuality as Latinas comes out of a cultura that, yes, has a lot of machismo, but it also informs our sexuality,” she says. “For me to come out as a Latina lesbian, a lot of my latinidad was affirmed by queer Latino men who helped me to see that I didn’t have to separate my sexuality [from] my cultura. The relationships that we have with Latino men and particularly Latino gay men is absolutely vital to our health and well-being.” For Salazar, pride is about authenticity. “I think being out is a call to be honest and authentic,” she says. “And being out with our convictions and our values. I think right now to be out and stand with Black Lives Matter, not as a Black person, that’s gonna take a level of courage, and it’s demanded of us because we cannot be silent when there are such great injustices happening in front of our eyes.” I ask if she saw the video of George Floyd’s death. When she confirms she has, I ask her what it made her think. “The first thing I thought was ‘I am watching a man being murdered,’” she says. “There’s no doubt in my mind. I was horrified. How can anyone deny that we’ve got a problem? I felt like we were watching a modern-day version of the Ku Klux Klan taking a ride at night, and something needed to be done. “But then my other thought was, ‘How? We’re in the middle of a fucking pandemic!’” Salazar participated in a couple of protests earlier this month, explaining that it’s important to put words into action. What is the message you would like to get across to queer Latinos in San Antonio? I ask. “I think for the Latino queer community, I would say that we are present and that we are here, and we shall be seen though all our generations,” she replies. And, for those gay Latinos who feel they’re living the same kind of fractured life Salazar once did, she has faith they too will be made whole. “There’s a world for you to be received completely as you are,” she says.

Find more news coverage every day at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

news CURRENT EVENTS

Real Police Reform in San Antonio Means Facing Down a Union That Protects Rotten Cops’ Conduct BY SANFORD NOWLIN Editor’s Note: The following is Current Events, a column of opinion and analysis

sk former city councilman Rey Saldaña what the biggest obstacle is to meaningful police reform in the Alamo City, and without flinching, he’ll say it’s the San Antonio Police Officers Association. In 2016, Saldaña was one of just two members of council to vote against renewing the union’s current collective bargaining contract with the city. His objection was that the pact — the result of a drawn-out fight primarily focused on health care benefits — included no provisions for disciplinary reform. Now, with the city and union poised to start new contract negotiations next year and San Antonians joining international street protests demanding police accountability, he’s hopeful issues of discipline and accountability are front and center. “Back then, there wasn’t a grandstand full people who were on fire about the issue,” said Saldaña, who now heads national education advocacy group Communities In Schools. “Now, they’re not only on fire about the issue, but they’re also very specific about what they want. It’s going to be different this time, but it’s still going to be very hard.” If you’ve been following the concerns raised by San Antonio’s Black Lives Matter protesters, you’re likely familiar with the statistic — more than two-thirds of San Antonio officers fired over the past 10 years ended up back on the job thanks to the arbitration process included in the police contract. Chances are you’re also aware of the reprehensible conduct of cops allowed to return through that process. • Officer Tim Garcia was caught on video calling a suspect a “fucked-up n—r” during an arrest at a local mall. • Officer Matthew Belver challenged a handcuffed man to a fist fight, telling the suspect that’s how he could win his release. It was the second time Belver managed to overturn a firing.

James Dobbins

• Office Matthew Luckhurst tried to feed a sandwich containing dog feces to a homeless man. He’s now awaiting an arbitrator’s ruling on whether he can keep his job after a second firing for an unrelated incident also involving fecal matter. The process works in the favor of bad cops, critics charge, because the union gets a say in selecting which attorneys can serve as arbitrators. That means there’s a built-in incentive for the lawyers not to hand down decisions that piss off the union. But an unfairly tilted arbitration process is only part of the problem. In many cases, the union contract prohibits prohibits evidence of previous bad conduct from appearing in officers’ arbitration hearings, and it also includes provisions that seal records of past misconduct from the public and media. What’s more, officers charged with civil infractions get 48 hours before being interviewed by investigators, during which time they can review any evidence against them. Under the rules, SAPD administrators have just six months to administer discipline against accused officers. That countdown starts the instant the department becomes aware of a potential criminal charge. But when it comes to civil matters, managers can only act within 180 days of the incident itself. Taken together, those protections embolden bad actors, who realize “terminated” in many cases really means “suspended for 30 days.” Beyond that, the high bar to fire lousy cops tells good officers there’s no incentive to call out misconduct. After all, why risk the hassle and potential ostracization if it only results in a slap on the wrist? But the rage right now about officer conduct is powerful and palpable. And it’s something the union brought upon its own membership. “During the past collective bargaining, I thought offi-

cers were overplaying their hand and jeopardizing their good will with the public,” said Gerald Reamey, a St. Mary’s University Law School professor who tracks policing issues. “You always need to work to win the public’s support. If they turn against you, all hope is gone.” Indicative of that lack of trust, San Antonio activist group FixSAPD is calling for a public vote to overturn Chapters 143 and 174 of Texas’ Local Government Code, both of which strengthen the ability of police and their unions to thwart disciplinary reform. The group’s objective is worth support, but it’s in for a tough fight against well-funded adversaries. In the meantime, it’s incumbent upon city officials to listen to those calling for reforms and be ready for the ugly street fight it will take to address those concerns during bargaining. Combative SAPOA President Mike Helle recently announced his retirement and won’t be at the table this go-round, but that doesn’t mean an easy battle, Saldaña warns. “My crystal ball tells me the next person to head the union will be just as obstinate, if not more so,” he said. “The membership won’t be looking to pick someone who’s open to thoughtful collaboration. They’ll look for someone who’s going to throw hand grenades.” To be sure, SAPOA’s political clout runs deep. It’s spent decades learning how to use both campaign contributions and the door-knocking power of its membership to bring members of both council and the Texas Legislature in line with its agenda. The union’s spending to unseat Mayor Ron Nirenberg — who, as a councilman, cast the other vote against the 2016 contract — is evidence of its willingness to play hardball. Clearly, San Antonians are tired of being afraid of their own police force, tired of knowing how hard it is to strip badges from bad actors. The question is whether the mayor and council will defend their constituents or back a union that’s shown a lack of regard for the same residents its members took oaths to protect and serve. sacurrent.com | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | CURRENT

EVEN THOUGH LIVE EVENTS HAVE RETURNED, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IS STILL WITH US. CHECK WITH VENUES TO MAKE SURE SCHEDULED EVENTS ARE STILL HAPPENING, AND PLEASE FOLLOW ALL HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDELINES.

WED | 06.17

THU | 06.18

TH EATER

LIVE MUSIC

DRAGONS LOVE TACOS

After a pandemic-forced delay of the Magic Theatre’s Dragons Love Tacos, the San Antonio playhouse has brought back the family-friendly production. The rescheduled play, inspired by the New York Times bestselling children’s book of the same name, will run through June 21. The production debuted at the Magik this spring but was postponed by the stay-at-home order. In keeping with state rules for reopened performance venues, the 579-seat Magik will only allow 200 audience members per show. Attendees will also need to agree to a temperature check, wear a face mask inside the theater and sanitize their hands prior to entering. They’ll also be required to purchase tickets in advance since none will be available at the door. “Simple joys like enjoying a show can be especially meaningful right now — Magik has carefully considered how we can provide quality family entertainment for our audiences while still practicing social distancing,” Magik Theatre CEO Frank Villani said. $12-$15, 10

CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

LETTY FEA Y LOS CORAZONES NEGROS

For those who didn’t get enough of Chicana punk

Courtesy Photo / Magik Theatre

10:30 a.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Magik Theatre, 420 S. Alamo St., (210) 227-2751, magiktheatre.org. — Kayla Padilla

Facebook / Fea

Courtesy Photo / Fernando Rover Jr.

Woodlawn Pointe and Pride San Antonio are hosting the event, which aims to both celebrate and entertain. It’s also two shows for the price of one. First, Drag Me Out will serve as a viewing party of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, hosted by actors playing Blanche and Dorothy from the SA Theater Company’s Golden Girls Parody. Then, it transforms into a live drag show with all the risqué fun that entails. Tickets to the event are limited to promote social distancing, so act fast if you plan to attend. $15, 8-10 p.m., Woodlawn Pointe, 702 Donaldson Ave., (210) 468-2787, facebook.com/WoodlawnPointe. — Deanna Wilson

SAT | 06.27

WORDS

‘DAEDALUS’: A POETRY READING BY FERNANDO ROVER JR.

Courtesy Photo / Magik Theatre

quartet Fea during its recent live-streamed tribute to riot grrrl groundbreakers Bikini Kill, fret not. The SA-based band’s got another tribute performance on the way — and, as with the previous, it will deliver the lyrics en español. Fea will perform via the StageIt online platform, billing itself as Letty Fea y Los Corazones Negros. By now, those with even a rudimentary grasp of Spanish have likely figured out the group’s performing a Spanish-language tribune to Joan Jett. It’s also scheduled to play some of its own tunes, hold a Q&A and pay a birthday tribute to members Phanie Diaz and Sofi Lopez. “You don’t want to miss the show!” Fea teases on Facebook. “Who knows who will be there?” Does that mean Jett herself? Consider it a possibility. After all, the legendary rocker has not only been a source of inspiration for the band but also a mentor. Fea released its sophomore album No Novelties late last year on Jett’s Blackheart Records, and Jett championed Girl in a Coma, the outfit the Fea spun off from. $5, 9 p.m., StageIt, stageit. com/Fea210. — Sanford Nowlin

Celebrating Father’s Day with one of the most recognizable fathers in literature and Greek mythology, Daedalus, Fernando Rover Jr. will host an online reading session to honor papas everywhere. The reading will include selections from Rover’s award-winning poetry collection Labyrinth, which takes its name from the Greek architect’s famous maze built for King Minos — you know, the one that held a Minotaur within its walls. The collection focuses on Black masculinity and the Black male experience in America, as Rover utilizes the theme of pilgrimage to offer a connection between male figures, their fathers and people of color. An RSVP is required to receive the Zoom meeting link, and there’s also an opportunity to purchase an autographed copy of the poetry collection. In a time when Black voices need to be heard, it’s up to the individual if they want to listen. Free, 4 p.m., Zoom, facebook.com/fernandoroverjr. — Brianana Espinoza

FRI | 06.26 DRAG

DRAG ME OUT OF QUARANTINE

Prepare to see an array of talented drag queens live at Drag Me Out of Quarantine.

Courtesy Photo / Woodlawn Pointe

calendar

SAT | 06.20

Julián P. Ledezma

PRIDE Bigger than Texas 2020’s livestream will capture the spirit of 2019’s IRL Pride festivities.

SPECIAL EVEN T

PRIDE365: A VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

A little virus isn’t going to stop Pride San Antonio from throwing the biggest, glitteriest and safest party the Alamo City’s ever seen: it just means that instead of gathering in large groups, the festivities have moved online. Streaming on Pride SA’s Facebook and YouTube channels, PRIDE Bigger than Texas 2020’s Pride365 online event will include all of our favorite traditions, from the Peace…Love…PRIDE mass wedding to the Krystal Kelly “Running of the Queens” High Heel Race, plus a virtual parade featuring videos submitted by locals. Hosted by Autumn Summers, Eryca Daniels and George Perez, the night’s lineup includes appearances by the Cover Girls, Tejano legend Shelly Lares and RuPaul’s Drag Race alums BebeZahara Benet and Cynthia Lee “How’s Your CuCu” Fontaine. As a tip of the hat to the online medium, the livestream will showcase makeup tutorials à la viral beauty YouTubers — and take it to the next level by throwing SFX tutorials in the mix. Free, 6-9 p.m., Facebook and YouTube, pridesanantonio. org. — Kelly Merka Nelson

feeling safe, listening to each other & making decisions together.

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CALL 211 or CALL/TEXT 911 if it’s an emergency.

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CURRENT | June 17 â€“ June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

arts

Pride & Protest 25 LGBTQ+ San Antonio creatives on celebrating Pride and boosting Black voices during a tumultuous time BY BRYAN RINDFUSS

his year marks half a century since the Christopher Street Liberation Day March commemorated the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots — the New York uprising that birthed the gay rights movement and LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations around the world. Sadly, Pride in the modern era frequently focuses on hedonism and rainbows while neglecting to recognize Stonewall’s history as a violent protest over police routinely raiding gay bars and harassing the community. With the world entangled in both a global pandemic and protests over racial injustice and police brutality, we reached out to 40-plus LGBTQ+ San Antonio creatives to ask them how Pride should be observed this year, how identity shapes their work and what role they see artists playing within the realm of politics. Twenty-five people responded to our questionnaire, which asked participants to answer at least three questions from a series of six. In addition to this condensed collection of responses, a more complete version can be found at sacurrent.com.

Aamori Olujimi is a trans activist and skincare enthusiast who loves Thai food and ’80s music. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Events and organizations should face the issue of needing to be more mindful of exclusion of trans and Black people … Treat us as people and not charity cases … Avoid treating a Black trans woman such as me similarly … Don’t treat us as less-than … If some of us need help and you wish to help, do so — but do it because you want to help … not to look good for the media.

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Remem-

bering that people debated, fought, talked and suffered — while finding the joy within that struggle — so we can openly celebrate pride and wear rainbow capes and … publicly hold hands with our partners. Many who paved the way were trans women, other trans people and gays, lesbians, bisexuals [or] queer … many of those people were Black and other people of color.

Darian Donovan Thomas

Agosto Cuellar is a San Antonio-based fashion designer who creates “rasquachic” garments and showed his 2020 collection “Barrio Folk Baroque” at New York Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week.

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Does it spark visuals or memories beyond parades and rainbow flags?

spark visuals or memories beyond parades and rainbow flags?

Pride is a defiance — a constructive anger, a visibility. Pride is the opposite of shame.

Ana Fernandez is a San Antonio-based painter who creates enigmatic street scenes exploring the diverse landscapes of Latino communities of South Texas. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Pride originally started as a protest march, and so joining the current nationwide protests over racial injustice is a great thing. I support people celebrating pride in any way they wish, but I’ll be thinking of the BLM movement and supporting in any way I can.

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Does it

Brooklyn-based San Antonio native Darian Donovan Thomas created this self-portrait to embody the Aztec “flower prince” Xochipilli.

I attended the 1993 March on Washington for LGBTQ rights during the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” era. We demanded AIDS funding, an end to government-sanctioned discrimination [and] legalization of gay marriage. We have come a long way since then, but not fast enough considering that gay marriage only recently became legalized in 2015 in Texas. Pride for me is less about celebrating LGBTQ per se, but more about exercising our First Amendment rights.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics?

The most noble thing an artist can do is to tell the truth. Some of my favorite works of art have been made by artists who were speaking out against the injustices and social issues of their day: Diego Rivera, Picasso, Guerilla Girls, Banksy, Henry Taylor.

Find more arts coverage every day at sacurrent.com

arts

Anel I. Flores

From left: influential LGBTQ+ San Antonio artists Anel I. Flores, David Zamora Casas and Polly Anna Rocha.

Anel I. Flores is a “lesbiana” author and “artivist” who creates work infused by transfeminism, intersectionality, queer politics and resistance. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Even if it’s in your yard, in the street or in your kitchen, dress up in the most colorful, exciting, glittery get-up you can find … break as many limits as possible in your fashion aesthetic, honey, because one of the million wonderful things about being in the LGBTQIA+ community is that we can break rules, y’all — all of them. Rules are mostly racist, heteronormative, sexist ideals that we obviously do not have to follow … Second, and most important, read! Read of worlds and people we have forgotten or who have been left out so that we can make space for our stories to shake up sleeping hearts and awaken the rage we need to fight the system.

Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

My play Empanada, which debuted in 2002 at the Esperanza, [was] the first production on their stage to showcase a live girl-on-girl kiss and [was] all produced, performed, directed and written by queer people … Empanada toured around the U.S. for 10 years and soon after was published as a full collection being studied today in a range of places.

Anthony Dean-Harris is a writer, artist and radio personality who is currently focusing on text-based visual art and — much like Tai’s description of Cher from Clueless — is a virgin who can’t drive. 16

CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

Erik Gustafson

Has quarantine affected your work in any surprising ways?

This quarantine hit me in an odd time in my career, as I have been moving away from mostly writing about jazz music to focusing my writing on more broad literary nonfiction and moving into more text-based visual art. It’s slow going, but I have been making a point of discovering who I want to be — as an artist, as a writer, as a queer person, as a Black man — when we all fully emerge into a new world.

Antonia Padilla is a trans journalist, photographer and Air Force veteran who has worked for nationwide newspapers and magazines and exhibits her photography at Studio Light SA in the Lone Star Art Space. Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

Being trans has allowed me to see who people really are. This impacts my fine art photography through loss of sales when a buyer sees my work before they see me. During our monthly studio open house, people will see my work and ask to speak to the artist. I’ll walk up and introduce myself, only to have them back away when they realize, “You’re a man.”

Chris Sauter is an internationally exhibiting artist and educator who also decorates cakes and designs for Cornyation. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

We should observe pride by joining with our brothers and sisters of color who are still fighting the same issues that were rioted over at Stonewall. Injustice for some is injustice for all.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics?

Polly Anna Rocha

My role as an artist is to delve deeply and critically into the world around me to make some sense of it … With the election of Donald Trump, I have felt an obligation to understand how people could believe and be manipulated by obvious falsehoods and hold such cognitive dissonance.

Daiquonne Lanier is a San Antonio-based artist and fashion designer currently focusing on personal projects and work that highlights Black queer stories. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Gay Pride has almost always centered around and championed the narratives of cisgender White gay men. As a gender-nonconforming Black queer individual, I’ve always found myself underrepresented, even in what should be the most inclusive of celebrations surrounding queerness. We need to acknowledge that there is no gay culture without the monumental contributions of Black people and most importantly Black trans women. In the thick of riots and protests fueled by the longtime suffering and inequality of Black people, it is necessary for people with privilege to do their part in dismantling White supremacy. The LGBTQI+ community is not exempt from this call to action. With a global pandemic altering the way we celebrate pride this year, I believe it’s a great time to turn the conversation away from White gays in underwear at bars and focus on providing aid for our trans sisters who are so valuable but also constantly in danger of losing their lives.

Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

Monumentally. … In my most recent project “Boy in A Dress” … I [broke] down the constructs of masculinity that are so present even in the Black queer community. From that work, I was able to really embrace the beauty and complexity in the duality of being Black

are in an ideal position to spread relevant, critical conversations into communities. To avoid political topics is to avoid the reality of the world we’re in — which is to create inauthentically.

David Zamora Casas, aka Nuclear Meltdown, is a San Antonio native who employs painting, performance and installation to explore sexuality, politics and the environment. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Aamori Olujimi

Local activist Aamori Olujimi hopes LGBTQ+ Pride events will become more mindful of including Black trans women such as herself.

and femme. I really believe it will shape the way I create forever.

Darian Donovan Thomas is a San Antonio-born, Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary artist who uses violin and electronics to discuss racism, uphold ancient indigenous stories and create abstract naturescapes. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

If we could make strong headway on undoing the whitewashing pride has undergone, I would be happily surprised. But if ever there were a time to remember to center BIPOC voices and to really reckon with the damage whitewashing has done, it would be amid the global protests occurring right now.

Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

A lot of my work in [San Antonio music duo] Saturn Skies was LGBTQIA+ focused … When curated into a gallery to represent the mixed Afrofuture and Azteca futura, I used Afrofuturist aesthetics and research to become the flower prince Xochipilli: an Aztec deity and patron of homosexual men. I wanted to show that queer culture has been accepted and revered, and I want us to continue to emerge from the backwards thinking that has plagued our new societies for so long.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics?

Artists already have a platform and audience, so they

I have cultural currency when I say these two pandemics (AIDS and coronavirus) in addition to the global awareness of anti-racism and police brutality are helping me reflect on surviving as well as continuing to make a life through art. Hate and uncertainty are strengthening my love and emotional bonds with family, lovers and friends … For me the Pride never stops!

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Does it spark visuals or memories beyond parades and rainbow flags?

Pride is everyday self love. Pride is a couple who has been together for over 50 years. Pride is young non-binary relationships giddy with novelty. Pride is the memory of friends’ lives lost to AIDS. Pride is a big, juicy, intact cock. Pride is profound lesbian love. Pride is a sincere feeling of self, true humility and satisfaction of being you.

Diana Kersey is a visual artist and educator who works in clay to create small studio pieces and large architectural installations, and lives in Olmos Park Terrace with her spouse Christina Palafox, their two spoiled dogs and a ridiculous cat. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

I think it is a moral obligation for us queers to observe Pride this year by showing up and fully supporting the protests, and then to commit ourselves to help do the hard work of dismantling the systemic racism that these protests have brought to the forefront in our country. LGBTQ folks are also Black and Brown … I plan to spend the month by showing up, listening to BIPOC, reading more about systemic racism and learning/thinking about how I can best use my talents and unearned white privilege to help instigate long-term change.

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Does it spark visuals or memories beyond parades and rainbow flags?

Christina and I met (and quickly moved in together, of course) in 1998. We just saw each other at a Women’s march and pretty much immediately fell in love! … On June 26, 2015, when marriage was declared legal … we went to the Bexar County courthouse and exercised that right along with an amazing cross-section of San Antonio. … It was the best day in June I think I

will ever experience for the rest of my life. Love won!

Ernesto Olivo is a Mexican immigrant, visual artist, educator, community organizer, toy collector and sci-fi nerd who enjoys biking and spending time outside with his dog Chongos. What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Does it spark visuals or memories beyond parades and rainbow flags?

Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson immediately come to mind when it comes to Pride. I celebrate and honor them for not only for the Stonewall Riots, but for their work in finding shelter and support for queer homeless youth and fighting for transgender rights as well as the rights of gender-nonconforming people.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics?

Nina Simone once asked, “How can you be an artist and not reflect the times?” I’ve created work to reflect on immigration issues, LGBTQ awareness, Black Lives Matter and youth empowerment. I still struggle to express myself, especially during this coronavirus experience and all this social unrest. Just getting to the point of creating work to talk about social justice is a journey in itself. We live in this day and age where people will tell you what they believe in, but in reality, they should be showing you what they believe in.

Golden Skyy is a San Antonio-based Native American fashion designer and educator specializing in traditional tailoring, futuristic couture and digital textile design. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

The LGBTQ community has fought for its civil rights and is still battling discrimination and racism, [as has] the African American community … the Hispanic and Latino community … [and] the Native American community. The Native Americans have been fighting since day one when our land was taken from us. So, the real conundrum is not a matter of “what” Pride should do or observe, but [that] the world’s minorities [are in] synchronicity. Why are we not helping each other? … How about a dynamic permanent change to finally use our pedestal for greatness?

Heyd Fontenot is a multimedia artist and filmmaker who fell in love with San Antonio as an Artpace resident in 2017, returned last fall as a Casa Chuck resident and has since claimed the Alamo City as his home. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year? I have been invited by Ruby City to make a series of videos highlighting LGBTQ artworks in their collecsacurrent.com | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | June 17 â€“ June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

arts tion … [Late founder] Linda Pace was exemplary in her support of artists from diverse backgrounds. So, if I can simply talk about her life’s work in this video series, we’ll literally be celebrating people of color, queerness, creative and feminine power, just as she did.

Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

I’ve never been precious about trying to be only male or female. I’m greedy. I want it all. I wanna be femme, and I wanna be masculine. I don’t want gender boundaries with my performing art.

Jesse Mata is a longtime Cornyation agitator, King Anchovy LV, avid supporter of local arts and nonprofits, and caretaker for an elderly Great Dane, a middle-aged pug and a backyard farm in Tobin Hill.

Jose Villalobos is a San Antonio-based visual and performance artist who has exhibited his work internationally and finds peace and joy strolling at the pulga looking for a great bargain.

With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

This Pride, I’m listening and learning. I want to be the best ally I can be for the BIPOC community. For me, that means conscientious study of the Black Lives Matter movement and its goals, boosting Black voices and putting my money where my mouth is through support of Black-owned businesses and community organizations, especially those whose focus is protecting trans lives.

Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

Every sentence I write, costume I design, or stage prop I conjure of hot glue and glitter is suffused with LGBTQ identity. Authors like Gore Vidal and Armistead Maupin set fire to my adolescent brain with the power of weaponized queer wit. Later I was blessed to witness and even get to know drag artists like Donna Day, Tommie Ross and Whitney Paige, who taught me the power of presence, visual punch and a perfect side eye.

Jimmy James is a Laredo-born, San Antonio-raised singer-songwriter and voice impressionist who rose to fame as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator and landed on the Billboard chart with his club hit “Fashionista.” With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Let’s have solidarity with Black Lives Matter. … If some of us are not free, then none of us are free. … Sometimes I just cry with pride seeing all those passionate young people of all races protesting the injustice against humanity. I think the future looks bright.

I think this year we should observe pride through a different lens. We should combat injustices and inequalities that exist amongst our own queer communities.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics? As artists, we have the power to project our voices even louder through the use of our creativity … Through my work, I protest the toxicity of machismo through the use of objects that carry a history, specifically within the Norteño culture, by deconstructing and altering them … I demonstrate the battle between the acceptance of being maricón and assimilating to cultural expectations.

Kristy Perez is a multidisciplinary artist who works in a variety of media — from drawing and painting to poetry and installation — and lives in Southtown with her partner and collaborator Britt Lorraine and their chihuahua Anjou. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Queer people of color are some of the bravest people in the world and it should be recognized. Perhaps the protests and action that is taking place right now will lead to some change, so that this celebration of the life of people of color becomes more persistent in the minds of all of us on a daily basis.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics? An artist’s political impact is certainly direct as long as one is offered an op-

Daphne Villanueva

portunity to show their work. … Unfortunately, that voice that needs so much to be heard is often silenced by the very institutions that should be advocating that voice to a greater audience. … We have a constant situation where White men are still offered the greater reach and the greater pay for their work. With the rise of BLM and the current political state, those running the artworld institutions are scrambling right now to recall their “Black” artists to display and “celebrate” their life and work, and to profit from them too, all the while continuing to financially back the careers of the privileged.

Nicki Lucio is an SA-based artist who has exhibited her paintings on trans life and gender identity at the McNay, frequently travels with her boyfriend and spends way too much time playing video games. Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

My trans identity has definitely had an influence over my work, as much of it explores my experiences, thoughts and emotions as a trans person maneuvering in modern society. As someone who does not fully “pass” as female, I am constantly made aware of the reality of who I am, and what I represent to a lot of people, for better and worse.

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Does it spark visuals or memories beyond

Fashion designer Daiquonne Lanier’s new project “Boy in a Dress” aims to break down stereotypes that persist in the Black queer community.

parades and rainbow flags?

Pride, to me, is another way to celebrate and embrace the differences that make us who we are. Gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual … each of us is a living result of a very modern history that is filled with violence, rebellions, hard-fought victories and stories that deserve to be remembered.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics? Art will always be the tool in which artists engage with politics. It is a voice that persists when your own cannot … Artists will always have a seat at the political table, whether politics likes it or not.

Nina Donley is a San Antonio-based visual artist who specializes in abstract works inspired by indigenous cultures. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year? Pride should be more inclusive with welcoming other minority groups for awareness and change. … We need to be proud to stand up for those who

sacurrent.com | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | CURRENT

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CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

arts

Darrell Roberts

are weakened or those who have been hurt. We need to walk together in an understanding that we are genuinely one race, the human race.

Polly Anna Rocha is a San Antonio musician, writer, performance artist and comedienne who recently released the self-produced album Ladybug and is set to publish a poetry collection exploring periods in her transition. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

I think any celebration of Pride needs to honor the radical roots that brought forth queer liberation, including the contributions made by Black and Brown trans women and by the lesbian community. Oftentimes, Pride events are sponsored by corporate giants, which make little to no contributions to LGBTQ+ causes outside of surface-level rainbow washing. Furthermore, all the official Pride events I’ve attended have had a heavy police presence, which feels incredibly uncomfortable when Pride began as a response to unjust policing.

Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

My personal identity is at the core of my poetry and inspires many of my critical essays, so my experiences as a bisexual trans woman of color are crucial to my creative output as a writer. My music is less informed by my gender or sexual orientation, but I have written songs, like “Princess Charming,” that center on queer femme romance.

Where do you see the role of artists within the realm of politics? Art and politics are inherently linked — I think it’s difficult to try and divorce the two. … When I write poems about transphobia or intolerance I’ve dealt with firsthand, my hope is that they not only connect with others who’ve gone through the same thing, but I wanna wake up my cis audience to what queer and trans people put up with. Art can change hearts, and that’s my hope.

René Paul Barilleaux is the McNay’s Head of Curatorial Affairs and shares his home with his husband Tim Hedgepeth and their one-eyed beagle Pippin. Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

While gay men and lesbians have played a huge role in shaping the arts both historically and today, it has not been until recently [that] LGBTQ+ visual artists began to openly identify as such. LGBTQ+ identity now shapes the work of not only artists but museum directors and curators, art dealers and critics alike. It is impossible for me to think that my conceiving the McNay’s 2019 exhibition, “Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today” was not influenced by me being a gay man.

Rick Frederick is a San Antonio-based actor, designer, producer and the Tobin Center’s Director of Resident Company and Community Engagement. With Gay Pride month coinciding with

Antonia Padilla

nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

For myself, I am moved to reflect on how far we have come and how far we need to go. But, above all, avoid comparing our experience with the current status of injustice. Now is the time to look inward. … Check your own privilege and Marie Kondo that shit.

What does LGBTQ+ Pride mean to you? Does it spark visuals or memories beyond parades and rainbow flags?

From left: Award-winning San Antonio painter Ana Fernandez captured in her studio by Darrell Roberts; a self-portrait by trans journalist, photographer and Air Force veteran Antonia Padilla.

Has LGBTQ+ identity influenced your creative output in any way?

Theater is, for me, the highest art form because of its overwhelming sensitivity to life and the human condition, as experienced by LGBTQ+ artists since the beginning of time. The Oresteia, The Trojan Women and Medea are among the greatest drag shows ever written: brilliant, classic, high-pitched melodrama plus men dressed as powerful women. Who could ask for anything more?

I sometimes joke that pride is a sin, therefore, I try not to have any. Seriously, I did have to work at feeling proud. … I grew up in Detroit where both straight and gay like a good fight. Standing up and shouting felt a lot like pride for a long time. … [Now pride] for me is standing next to my legally recognized husband [Chris Sauter] … unflinchingly and unapologetically strong.

Tim Hedgepeth is a theater artist and educator who directs and acts for the Public Theatre and the Woodlawn, and is married to René Paul Barilleaux. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

The recent passing of the great Larry Kramer in tandem with what I feel to be a renewed and passionate support of Black Lives Matter has me reading again about ACT UP and the necessity of political protest (peaceful and otherwise). Kramer’s fem remains, for me, a harrowing and heartbreaking account of the AIDS crisis and the civil disobedience it inspired.

Wesley Harvey is an Atlanta-based visual artist and educator who lived in San Antonio for six years and has exhibited his homoerotic ceramics internationally. With Gay Pride month coinciding with nationwide protests over racial injustice, how should we observe Pride this year?

Even with the cancelations of Gay Pride events across the world, I feel that it will allow us to take a step back and remember that [they] all started with a trans Black woman who refused to be silent. Celebrating gay pride this year means that no one should be silent about the racial injustice that continues to happen. It is time for every single person, gay or straight, to no longer be silent.

sacurrent.com | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | CURRENT

CURRENT | June 17 â€“ June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

screens

All the Feels

Gay, Black filmmaker Cedric Thomas Smith speaks to the human experience through his dramas BY KIKO MARTINEZ

an Antonio-based filmmaker Cedric Thomas Smith thought he wanted to be an actor when he graduated from Judson High School in 1991 and relocated to San Francisco. “I told myself I was going to move to California to be the next Tom Cruise,” said Smith, now 46. “But Will Smith beat me to it.” Along with his dream of big-screen stardom, Smith also chose San Francisco — the “gay mecca,” as he calls it — to find himself. “I had a friend who told me, ‘You really need to go there,’” he said. “I think she knew I was gay before I fully figured it out myself. So, I moved, and it was the first time in my life where I felt it was OK to be free.” Smith would eventually come out to his mother in his early 20s. He flew her out to visit him and took her to a drag show. “That’s when the lightbulb flashed for her,” he said. “I mean, everyone in my family always knew, but it was one of those things we never discussed. But it was important, because growing up going to church, homosexuality was frowned upon, yet the piano player was homosexual.” Everyone’s coming-out story is different. Smith, for instance, does not necessarily consider it a big moment in his life. “My mother was fine with it, but one of the reasons I moved to San Francisco was so I didn’t have to worry about what people would say,” Smith said. “I think moving there instilled in me the idea that it’s OK to be who you are and that you don’t owe anyone an explanation.” After 20 years on the West Coast, Smith returned to San Antonio and his focus shifted from acting to work behind the camera. He fell into the industry when he adapted one of his unfinished books into a screenplay. The short Unimaginable, which he later directed as a feature, won an audience award in 2011 at FilmOut, an LGBTQ film festival in San Diego. The movie explores domestic violence within a same-sex relationship. Since then, Smith started his own production company, Well Ced, and has written, produced and directed several other shorts. Those include The Symphony of Silence and Melissa — both on the negative impact of bullying — and Hollowed, about an estranged married couple who find love again after one of them is diagnosed with cancer. The running joke within Smith’s Well Ced

Mike Ahlers

family is that when he presents a new script, his producers ask, “Does anyone die in this one?” Grief and pain connect human beings because we all experience them, Smith said. “My films are about the human psyche,” Smith added. “I always gravitate to stories that are going to touch people.” Well Ced producer Pat Whitfield considers Smith an actor’s director. “Cedric’s storytelling is honest and thought provoking,” said Whitfield, who’s also co-director of the San Antonio Black International Film Festival. “His words carefully reveal each character’s strength to overcome, endure and love. He continually inspires to create with truth and courage.” In his newest short Retirement Day, selected to screen at a handful of festivals this year before the COVID-19 outbreak, Smith tells the story of Joe Johnson (Bill Hass), a new retiree who’s looking forward to spending more time with his wife Eva (DeAnna Brown) — before tragedy strikes. Like his past films, Retirement Day aims to pull at viewers’ heartstrings. Smith said he chooses to explore themes that can help

people work through their own issues — barriers that might be keeping them from living their best life. “I think film can heal,” said Smith, who makes a living as a quality control consultant with Aetna. “That’s why I am proud to be a filmmaker. People have thanked me before for making a film because it helped open their eyes to different issues like gay domestic violence. Hopefully, my films connect so people can feel something.” Smith doesn’t make gay-themed or Blackthemed films exclusively. And it’s only been in the past few years that he’s learned to embrace being labeled for his sexual and racial identities, saying he wanted to be known as a filmmaker, not a gay or Black filmmaker. But, as time progressed and he completed more shorts that were accepted into gay and Black film festivals, Smith realized it was something he could no longer deny. “It’s part of the package of who I am,” he said. “I am a Black, gay filmmaker. I would like to believe my work speaks for itself.”

Find more film stories at sacurrent.com

Venturing Out

As a critic and as a diner, returning to a dine-in restaurant felt unfamiliar — at first BY RON BECHTOL

mask might just be the perfect accessory for a restaurant critic preferring to remain incognito. One could even modify it to cover more of the face and not stand out too much. However, any disguise but a wig and false moustache is out the window when it comes time to actually eat. Turns out pandemic precautions offer no benefit — other than the obvious community health factor. Beyond the face-covering considerations, when it comes to restaurant dining, my biggest consideration is the same as everybody else’s: when do I feel comfortable doing it again? I would still be waiting if I hadn’t been invited to the soft re-opening of seasonal American fare restaurant Clementine by its owners, John and Elise Russ. It’s worth a disclosure here that in my un-masked life as an architect, I designed the space, and being intimately acquainted with it vastly increased my comfort factor. Even so, I expected a certain awkwardness due to all the rules and regulations now required of food-service businesses during the pandemic. I won’t be commenting on the food during my visit, except to say the kitchen kept its skills honed during closure by turning out take-out meals. That aside, here’s how the evening went. Of course, Clementine required reservations — and, since I know the owners, there was no point in making them under another name as I often do. In order to avoid crowding at the entry, we were required to call from the parking lot to announce our arrival, at which time staff would ask us either to wait or enter. The system isn’t designed for parties coming from different locations, though, and I was the first to arrive as my small group of dining companions were still on their way. This gave me a little extra time to observe how Clementine had reconfigured the seating to conform to spacing requirements. The change wasn’t as jarring as I had feared. Normally, when laying out a restaurant, the intent is to maximize seating while still maintaining an uncrowded feeling. More seats make for more revenue — or they once did. At Clementine, part of that solution included a large, community table. With big groups discouraged under new rules, the community table was taking up valuable space and had to go. Along with the whole concept of communal seating, it may be gone for a long time. My earlier arrival also allowed me to watch the wipe-down process for my group’s table-to-be. Although considered easy to clean, the custom, whitewashed oak tabletops — newly refinished during the shutdown — were never actually designed to be sanitized between seatings. Fortunately, they should hold up. The chairs weren’t selected with constant sanitizing

CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

Sanford Nowlin

in mind either, although they also appeared conducive to the wipe downs. All-metal, they have no nooks and crannies, and the server easily cleaned every exposed surface but the seat bottom. Restaurants with upholstered seating will have a harder time of it. Clementine and other restaurants with outdoor seating, on the other hand, also have another perceived safety advantage, even in hot-as-hell Texas, since there’s no worry of air conditioning blowing around infectious particles. We were required to wear masks to enter the restaurant, but once at the table, they could come off — except when heading to the bathroom. Clementine chose to provide a small paper packet to put your mask in while dining, “in case you didn’t want to put it on the table.” Servers, as well as everyone in the kitchen, also wore masks and gloves, and they changed the latter frequently. Another design-trend observation: all kitchens can’t be made open to public view, but where they are, it’s reassuring to be able to see that

your food is being carefully prepared. The masked and gloved servers weren’t as off-putting as I had imagined. It’s amazing how quickly we all adapt. They only set out napkins and serving ware only after parties were seated. They also changed plates and utensils after every course and printed and delivered single-use menus to us more than once during the course of the evening. The entrées arrived on individual plates, but we were perfectly happy serving ourselves from common platters of vegetables and sides that came with large serving spoons. As our initial misgivings melted away, the evening ended as they often did pre-pandemic. Lingering over desserts and wine, we were among the last to leave. So, the lesson learned may be this: venture out if you feel ready, but choose your companions and restaurants wisely — and in the case of the latter, follow their rules and guidelines. When we critics can get back to our jobs, under whatever criteria may evolve to suit the new normal, we’ll be able to help you with 50% of that equation.

food Ron Bechtol

Here for Highballs

No shaker required to add these classic cocktails to your repertoire BY RON BECHTOL

ere’s a little quiz for you: Which came first, the Scotch and soda, the gin and tonic or the Cuba Libre? Actually, it’s kind of a trick question, but don’t panic. The answer isn’t really all that important to this article, though you’ll find it, with qualifiers, embedded below. What’s important is that all three are a subset of a category known as built drinks — cocktails that are composed in their serving glass. No fancy shakers required. Let’s call this subset highballs, though there are further distinctions, such as cobblers, but we won’t get into that here. Essentially, these cocktails are any drink served in a tall glass that combines liquor and water or a carbonated beverage. I’m confident most of you are familiar with the gin and tonic, a drink invented in the mid-1800s to get British troops occupying India to take their quinine as a hedge against malaria. Ice, gin, a wedge of lime, tonic water poured on top, a slight stir. That’s it. The Spanish have recently popularized more elaborate versions, served in “balloon” goblets, often with added botanicals and fruits. Tonic and gin play well together, but they aren’t monogamous. Try tonic with rum too — say 2 ounces of your rum of choice — or a mix of grassy, cane-based agricole with a

classic Bacardi — and accessories such as an orange wheel and a sprig of mint. If you have some star anise, toss in one of those pods too. While the Bacardi’s out, let’s talk Cuba Libre. The original drink, a symbol of Cuban fighters and their struggle for freedom from Spain, was likely a much rougher concoction made from sugar cane distillate with honey sweetener — no Coke (another colonizer) involved. Today’s drink had to wait for rum and coke to get together after Bacardi’s founding in 1862 and Coke’s invention in Atlanta in 1886. Lime came to the party even later. Here’s the result: 2 ounces rum — Bacardi Superior or Gold to be correct — plus 6 ounces Coca-Cola (Mexican to be incorrect), ice and a couple of wedges of lime squeezed and dropped into the glass. Stir. Drink while shouting “Por Cuba Libre!” FYI, the first commercial carbonated water was produced in 1783 by the Swiss amateur scientist John Jacob Schweppes — sound familiar? We don’t know exactly when fizzy water and Scotch whisky first made contact, but the Scotch and soda’s debut appearance in the US is said to have occurred in 1895 when an English actor requested “a Scotch highball” at the Manhattan bar of one Patrick Duffy. One part Scotch, three parts soda, lemon wedge and ice: Bang! Variations include ginger ale, bitter lemon and, again, tonic. The Japanese, utilizing their own whiskeys,

have recently gone the other, more purist direction. A one-to four ratio of spirit to soda is likely, the size and shape of both glass (chilled, please, to reduce dilution) and ice are critical, a slow pour of soda and an equally slow stir — so that less gas escapes — are essential, and lemon is definitely considered optional. A reverential air in the stirring and sipping also helps. Both tonic and soda waters make an appearance in the Gin Sonic, a drink said to have evolved from the gin and tonic and the whiskey highball. Take 1 ½ ounces gin, 2 ¼ ounces each of tonic and soda water, stir in a highball glass over ice and garnish with a lemon twist. Because it’s prettier. If it were up to me, I’d also add a couple drops of Angostura bitters — because it’s sexier. And because the gin is more forward in this drink than a conventional G&T, make sure it’s a good one. Today’s Sea Breeze cocktail is nothing like the original, which dates from 1928 if one source is to be believed, and that cocktail of old went in a different, fruitier direction. It consisted of gin (2 ounces) and grenadine (1/4 ounce) stirred together with ice, then topped with 3 ounces of fresh grapefruit juice. House-made grenadine, consisting of equal parts pomegranate juice and sugar, simmered to dissolve the sugar, is highly recommended. Another early version of the drink eliminates the grapefruit in favor of apricot brandy and lemon juice and employs soda.) There may be nothing effervescent about this drink, but it gains freshness from the grapefruit and serves as a kind of bridge to other stirred-in-the glass cocktails to follow in a later article. As for which came first, odds are that it’s Scotch and soda, but further research may be required.

Find more food & drink news at sacurrent.com

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CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

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food The Take Away: Rebel Mariposa Serves Up Activism and Vegan Cuisine BY NINA RANGEL Name: Rebel Mariposa Job/Title: Chef-owner of La Botanica Birthplace: San Antonio Years in Industry: 12 Impact: Owns and operates a premier “queer-friendly community venue,” serving up vegan eats and drinks with a side of activism Money Quote: “Just keep asking for change. Keep demanding it.” You’ve been attending city hall meetings recently. Tell us about that. It’s really important for elected public officials to see their constituents, because I feel like they live in these echo chambers. We have a lot of power, and we give a lot of that power away to structures like the police department and public offices. When we can go into these spaces as a community, these buildings that we own as citizens, we take that ownership back. During the meeting I attended, there were many people that addressed the city officials, and even though I didn’t speak that day, I did stand with my community. Just being present says something. What was that meeting about? They were approving a budget that the city manager had been working on. Because of COVID, the city budget shifted, and a lot of programming was cut, but the police department wasn’t touched. Obviously, I didn’t go into it expecting the official response to be, “OK, we’re going to defund the police.” What we wanted to hear was, “We will be looking into reforming, maybe moving some money around.” All we heard was, “My district’s No. 1 concern is public safety,” but you know what? What makes people feel safe is not being in poverty. Sidewalks, counselors in schools, new and improved public spaces, libraries, food for children. Why do we continue to cut these other programs but spend exorbitant amounts of money on SAPD? It just really would have been nice not to hear more lip service, more of, “I hear you, but…” Over the course of your career, how have you seen inclusivity in the food industry change? I do get snubbed in this city by a lot of “top chefs” because I’m a vegan chef, and I would love to see that change. At least get to a point where we’re exchanging hellos at events. If we’re going to create safer spaces for our employees that are already highly marginalized — trans, Black, queer folks — that starts with us. When I came back from California, I felt like SA

Josh Huskin

was stuck in the ’80s. It’s slow to move in a way, and [queer people and people of color are] suffering. We don’t need to be living like this. We need to be able to thrive, not just survive. I have seen shifts: Netflix, for example, has been covering more people of color, more women. Or we may have an event in SA where the organizers have to make sure there’s at least one female chef in every group photo, among 50 male chefs. And maybe that’s only happening because someone called them out before — but it’s something. What gives you hope about the changing landscapes? Both socially and in the hospitality space? I’m always hopeful about food. You know, so many conversations about revolution happen around a table, in front of a meal. As long as we’re creating safe, effective spaces for difficult conversations to happen,

the food service industry will always have a place. That’s the power of food, the power of community, of gathering. All of a sudden, you’re sharing your experiences and stories over a plate of food, and you’re not as different as maybe you thought you were. In terms of current events, what advice do you have for those looking to make an impact with how and where they eat? The genuine change comes from leadership that says, “I want to be better.” And a lot of the motivation for that change can come from consumers saying, “we like you and want you to do better. I won’t spend my money here until you do this.” Just keep asking for change. Keep demanding it. sacurrent.com | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | CURRENT

Young, Gifted and Gay

Queer rapper BabiBoi’s confident and club-ready sound is drawing national attention BY CHRIS CONDE

n a hot July night two years ago, bass frequencies rattled the walls of the Gallery — a former male strip club remade into a music venue — as it held the first of many crowded parties that became a North St. Mary’s Street oasis for LGBTQ-identifying youths. As the dancing worked toward a crescendo, 21-year-old San Antonio rapper Dorian Delafuente took the stage, unleashing ferocious rapid-fire verses. The audience drew closer, drawn as if by a magnet. This kid was good. And not just good for being gay. Between his confident stage persona and technical rap cadences, it was clear to anyone watching that night that Delafuente had that thing — a charisma and spark that could stand out not just in San Antonio but on a national stage. Fast forward to 2020, and that national attention is starting to pile up for Delafuente, who raps under the moniker BabiBoi. Publications such as Billboard and Paste Magazine have taken note of the hard-hitting tracks he’s dropped as monthly singles since the beginning of 2020. He’s also found a platform through House of Lepore, a collective of queer San Antonio performance artists. We caught up with BabiBoi to find out what shaped his musical approach and what it’s like being an unabashedly queer rapper in SA.

You’ve gotten recent love from big platforms such as Billboard. How does that feel? It feels like my work is paying off, and I’m getting the recognition that I never thought I would get. It feels really good, and I’m trying now to figure out what steps I can take to move forward — and, luckily, I’ve been getting good responses. Unfortunately, COVID-19 happened, [when] I had a lot of exciting things ready for this summer. So, now I’m back at the table and rehashing things out to see what I can do next to make this a productive summer.

Got any new music in the works?

I do. I have a single called “Molasses” and a music video for it. I was originally planning to release it in June, but the way the climate of the world is looking right now with Black Lives Matter, I 28

don’t know if I feel comfortable promoting my own music right now. So, it’s in my bag, but I’m just waiting for an appropriate time to put out content.

Growing up, what were some of your biggest musical inspirations?

I’ve always been obsessed with Nicki Minaj and Foxy Brown. I think that’s really apparent in my flow and in my sound. Really, the sexy, raunchy girls. I’ve always thought it was so cool that they could come into the hip-hop industry and own their sexuality in a fierce way, and I wanted to do the same thing with my music. When I started making music I was like, “Well, if they can be so explicit with their music, so can I.” Brooke Candy, Azealia Banks, Missy Elliott. I like how Missy can do so many unique sounds and make it fresh. Also, the first record I owned was [Lauryn Hill’s] The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. I think I got the record when I was 12. My dad was a really big Fugees fan, and we would listen to The Score all the time. And when we listened to that record I was always obsessed with Lauryn Hill, because I was a little gay boy. (Laughs.) And I was like, “Who is this girl?”

How do those influences come out in your music?

I think all of those people are unapologetic, for one. They’re all aware of who they are and where they stand in the hip-hop industry. They’re so epic. They say what they want to say whenever they want to say it, and I love that, and I always do that with my music. And especially with Nicki Minaj, when she came in, she was surrounded by a bunch of straight guys and didn’t take shit from anybody, and I follow that mentality. I always tell people to walk into a room like you deserve to be there. ... So, whenever I get booked for gigs, especially straight lineups, I always walk in with my chest out and my chin up.

What’s been your experience being the only queer rapper on a bill?

I love getting booked on all-straight lineups, because that’s when I’m like, “Oh, y’all thought I was gay before? Well, I’m gonna be gay as fuck!” (Laughs.) Every time I perform at these

CURRENT | June 17 – June 30, 2020 | sacurrent.com

Courtesy Photo / BabiBoi

kinds of shows, all the girls live for it, but the straight guys will put their head down or pretend that they’re talking.

So, you’ve seen that reaction?

Oh totally, totally, yeah. I’ve seen guys leave the audience section and stand along the wall. And I always make it a point to call them out and be like, “What’s tea? If y’all can come up here and talk a bunch of shit, then I can too.” [But] every time I perform, there are a lot of straight guys who will come up to me afterward and be like “I really love what you’re doing” and “I love your sound.”

Are you afraid of physical danger as a performer or out and about in everyday life? If I perform at a straight show, I feel like the promoters know who I am

and respect me as an artist, and I expect to be treated with respect and feel safe. On the streets, I guess I have [been afraid of physical violence] a few times — not very often. I’m never in places where people aren’t at least a little bit queer-friendly. I feel like a lot of people are more brave to say things online than they are in person, but I have been called a faggot from a passing car a couple times. … When I perform at shows that are away from the [St. Mary’s Strip], I sort of have to think about, “OK, how do I look right now?” and “How do I walk to the venue without everyone looking at me?” Or, if it’s late at night, “How do I get to a venue without feeling like I’m going to be attacked?” and “If I’m attacked, what is around me where I can defend myself?” … And that’s weird to feel that way as an artist when you’re just trying to do a show.

Multi-faceted musician Polly Anna Rocha talks about the meaning of Pride in 2020 BY C. MASON

ulti-hyphenate musician Polly Anna Rocha brings a lot more to the table than her dreampop bops. Rocha’s resume spans everything from comedy to lyric poetry. With an EP slated for release this year, soon to be followed by a book that’s been years in the making, the prolific xicana artist is showing no signs of slowing down. An outspoken proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement, her activism includes using her talents to create music that reflects the current moment. The Current caught up with Rocha over email to talk Pride, identity and the sea change that 2020 is bringing on both an individual and collective level.

So much of Pride is the celebration of one’s identity and self. Between the cancelation of traditional Pride celebrations and the current Black Lives Matter activism being met with violence, what is Pride to you right now? What do you think it will look like this year? To me, Pride is the culmination of communi-

San Antonio Symphony Lands National Endowment for the Arts Grant

hile the San Antonio Symphony was one of many local arts organizations hit hard by recent budget cuts, the city’s premiere classical music ensemble has found at least one alternate line of funding. Last week, the symphony announced it’s received an Art Works grant of $17,500 from the National Endowment for the Arts to partially fund its A Midsummer Night’s Dream Young People’s Concert for the next

Facebook / Polly Anna

ty and action. It’s a time to honor our queer history and celebrate the many facets of the LGBTQ community. Pride is also a reminder never to stop fighting for progress and equality as our ancestors did. That said, I think Pride month will look like a roaring season of protests, this year, rather than the usual festival.

music

Something Resembling a Revolution’

Since about April, I’ve been recording an EP of post punk-inspired dreampop songs to be released later this year, including the EP’s first single “Please Stay,” now available on streaming platforms. Additionally, my debut poetry collection, which I’ve been working on since 2015, is set to come out some time next year.

How do you feel your art impacts your community?

What do you think your music will look like in the future? How do you think the events of 2020 will shape it?

What are you working on now?

For more from Polly Anna Rocha, see our Pride Month feature story on page 15.

As a queer trans woman of color, I’d like to think my work has filled a gap in the local arts scene and hopefully opened the doors for others coming from similar backgrounds. I wanna show that trans women make music, we write poetry, we tell jokes. We’re dynamic artists, and I’m just one of so many amazing artists of trans experience that deserve the opportunity to share our talents.

two years. The grant is one of 1,015 awarded nationwide in the Art Works category. The annual concert combines symphonic music with English language arts to create an online curriculum that uses Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream to teach students writing and communication skills. “This grant from the NEA demonstrates the value of music and music education the San Antonio Symphony delivers to our community,” Symphony Executive Director Corey Cowart said in a press release. “It also signifies how the quality of our programs here in San Antonio are recognized nationally,” he added. “We are incredibly grateful for continued investment during this unprecedented time.” — Deanna Wilson

The closer we get to something resembling a revolution, the greater the stakes are for artists to record and reflect the times. I’ve already started working on a series of protest songs inspired by this current wave of civil unrest. It’s impossible not to feel affected and inspired to use my music to speak out, and I’ll only continue to do so as time goes on.

Courtesy Photo // San Antonio Symphony

Find more music coverage every day at sacurrent.com

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SAN ANTONIO FOR BEING A SHINING CITY FOR

SOLAR ENERGY!

San Antonio Ranks 1st in Texas & 5 th in the U.S. for Solar Energy Within City Limits Environment Texas Research & Policy Center named San Antonio as a “Solar Star” in its report: Shining Cities 2020, The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy. Additionally, the report ranked CPS Energy 2nd nationally among municipally owned utilities in total solar, owned or contracted. Partnered with everyone across our community, we have been on a mission to protect the environment & have proactively invested in renewables for more than two decades. We remain committed to promoting the adoption of solar energy. So far, more than 18,500 customers have benefitted from our rebates when installing their own solar equipment. Our Big Sun Community Solar solution enables customers to benefit from solar energy without the need for panels on their own, or anyone else’s rooftop. As we build our Flexible Path to the future, we will continue balancing the tried and true with new technologies, while providing our customers with reliable, safe and affordable power. Thank you to our CPS Energy customers for your continued interest and participation in solar energy!

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