SAN ANTONIO – Pride Month may be coming to an end, but LGBTQ+ members of the community say they still face challenges and discrimination every day.
So, ACT 4 SA, a grassroots criminal justice group, hosted a workshop to ensure that the LGBTQ+ community knew their rights when interacting with law enforcement.
Cassandra Rivera Hurtado attended the event. She’s one of the San Antonio Four. Hurtado was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault decades ago and later exonerated. She tells KSAT that her identity in the LGBTQ+ community prompted the wrongful conviction.
Her record has since been expunged, but Hurtado said if she knew her rights as she does now, there could have been a better outcome.
“Do I still feel like it could happen today? Absolutely,” Hurtado said. “It can still happen today.”
The proof of discrimination is in the numbers.
The American Civil Liberties Union released a 2024 survey of LGBTQ+ people’s experiences with law enforcement.
Part of that survey says:
“LGBTQ+ people contend with more adverse treatment by police than non-LGBTQ+ people. This is particularly pronounced among bisexual, transgender, and nonbinary people, who are more susceptible to experiencing insulting language and physical force from the police.”
Jade Pacheco with ACT 4 SA said she’s seen the issues too.
“Too often, I have seen that our community ends up having to take the lion’s share of responsibility when it comes to de-escalation, when having interactions with the police,” Pacheco said.
That’s why ACT 4 SA created a workshop to teach the LGBTQ+ community what to say, and not say, in interactions with police. The workshop also taught attendees how to file complaints and request body cam videos.
Local law enforcement is listening in the area. Both the San Antonio Police Department and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office have a dedicated staff member who serves as a liaison to the LGBTQ+ community, and they also include the community in their training.
It’s a start, but Pacheco hopes more people will take the workshops.
“You never know when you might be the one fighting to help, secure their rights or ensure that they’re being upheld,” Pacheco said.
Act 4 SA shares their free workshops online here as they’re made available.