Weeks after San Antonio elected certainly one of its youngest, most progressive Metropolis Councils this 12 months, the town marked one other new milestone by swearing in its first transgendered council member, Leo Castillo-Anguiano.
The 27-year-old is wrapping up a two-month interim appointment in District 2, after council colleagues selected him from a pool of candidates to fill in throughout Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez’s (D2) paternity depart.
In his quick however memorable time on the council, Castillo-Anguiano served as an outspoken critic of the town’s plans for a brand new NBA area, a noticeable contemporary perspective on housing points and a dependable ally to a brand new mayor.
He additionally earned reward from his colleagues for his calm strategy throughout tense instances — like navigating a price range deficit with little settlement amongst a brand new group of council members.
“I might look over to [Castillo-Anguiano] and [he] was a voice of purpose and practicality,” Councilman Edward Mungia (D4) stated at their closing council assembly collectively this month. “We would have liked that generally. All instances, really.”
In an exit interview this week, Castillo-Anguiano informed the Report he agreed the council nonetheless has work to do gelling as a group.
“The individuals of San Antonio want a council that works collectively,” Castillo-Anguiano stated. “If individuals know that you simply as a council can’t work collectively … they’re going to start out choosing and selecting who they need in and who they need out.”
“It’s actually as much as [the council and mayor] to have these arduous conversations,” he added.
After the council appointment, Castillo-Anguiano is returning to work on the Thrive Youth Heart, a shelter for homeless LGBTQ+ youth, the place he took a depart of absence for this chance.
He stated he’s absorbed a lot in regards to the inside workings of native authorities over the previous two months, and plans to maneuver from his outdated social media and advertising and marketing place into an advocacy function at Thrive.
Whereas the previous two months haven’t offered him on a profession in politics, Castillo-Anguiano stated, hypothesis about his future has been on the rise.
He left council with an ambiguous goodbye final week, telling colleagues from the dais that it could be his final council assembly, “however you haven’t seen the final of me.”
The San Antonio Report caught up with Castillo-Anguiano to speak about his whirlwind stint at Metropolis Corridor, making historical past as the primary trans man to carry public workplace in Texas, and what’s subsequent for his profession.
The dialog has been edited for readability and size.
You got here in at a busy time, proper after an election and simply because the council was tackling the town price range. What motivated you to take this on?
I noticed all the parents who utilized for Jalen’s interim seat and thought, ‘A few of these names look acquainted, plenty of them form of ran and campaigned towards Jalen.’ That didn’t sit proper with me.
So, I had conversations with my pals, with Councilman McKee-Rodriguez. We talked about the way it’s a crucial two months as a result of we’re coping with price range, but in addition how this can be a time the place I can usher in a unique perspective, as a result of I do have plenty of information and experience working across the unhoused inhabitants, particularly LGBTQ+ youth at Thrive.
You additionally arrived because the council was voting on an settlement to assist construct the Spurs a brand new $1.3B downtown area — shifting the group out of the East Aspect’s Frost Financial institution Heart. Have been you lobbied from the minute you arrived?
The Hispanic Chamber got here to talk to me, [Spurs lawyer] Bobby Perez got here to talk to me, nevertheless it was by no means actually a foyer. Everyone knew that District 2, it’s not one thing that we would like. And everyone was very, very conscious of that.
The East Aspect speaks for itself, you already know. Have a look at the historical past, they’ve been severely left behind for generations and generations. It’s very clear that they don’t need this area.
The individuals who coined that thought, [Project Marvel], I really feel like this [rushed vote] was at all times their plan. If in case you have an thought and also you’re protecting the general public out of it … they need to have simply been trustworthy with the general public at first.
I’m not stunned in any respect by the individuals who voted for it, it’s simply disappointing that they couldn’t simply agree with the 4 of us who voted towards it to have a much bigger dialog.
We have now each energy inside ourselves to make change in native elections and with our native officers … that’s the place your vote is at all times going to matter essentially the most. Some council members are getting a lot backlash for voting on that time period sheet, and it’s like, individuals elected you to be in that seat, and also you’re not listening to them.
You talked about in the course of the price range vote that you simply have been stunned to see a lot thought and debate go into the Spurs area and hiring extra law enforcement officials — in comparison with little or no dialogue about housing and homelessness. Do you suppose this new progressive-dominated council is making its voice heard?
It form of sucks that the media portrays it because the council versus the mayor. I do suppose that I see a consensus inside council.
It looks as if everyone has their very own agenda, which you form of ought to, as a result of you already know your personal inhabitants, however that agenda shouldn’t reduce your impression from working with different council members.
For me, being a council member and being in these arduous conversations and seeing the backwards and forwards, it’s like, we actually want to determine how one can discuss to one another once more, study what primary human compassion is and determine once more how we will work collectively.
Whilst you have been serving on the council, a member of the general public who repeatedly speaks at Metropolis Corridor made threatening feedback about trans individuals whereas addressing the legislature. You urged the council to maintain standing up for the trans neighborhood in your absence. Do you suppose San Antonio is at present doing a superb job of that?
In the event you simply take a look at the political world, we’d like individuals who can step up and say no to hate. This metropolis likes to pleasure itself on champion communities, whether or not it’s black and brown communities or queer communities. That’s cool to say, however let’s see that in motion.
I feel one actually large step was the rainbow crosswalk, and the proclamation making [the Pride Cultural Heritage District]. That was big, however that doesn’t imply we’re finished. We’d like [leaders] to make use of their platform, communicate out, and promote insurance policies that assist your individuals of San Antonio.
We have now a really, very progressive council, which is admittedly superior. I can’t think about anyone on council proper now that may not put forth or agree with a coverage that may profit the LGBTQ+ neighborhood at massive.
What’s subsequent for you? May you see your self doing this job when McKee-Rodriguez is termed out in 2029?
I’ll be going again to Thrive subsequent week, shifting into a unique place, in order that’s going to be enjoyable. I’m at all times at Metropolis Corridor testifying, so that you’ll see me round.
However that’s just about my groove, I’m not prepared to depart. I don’t need to run for workplace. Everyone’s been asking me, however I’ve discovered that I make my largest impression on the bottom, being concerned straight with the neighborhood.
I feel I’ve finished an incredible job with this interim [appointment] and I’m glad that I can open up doorways for people within the queer neighborhood, as a result of I do suppose that we’d like extra queer and trans politicians who can deal with these arduous positions.
This job was not simple. It was very aggravating. I nearly cried!
However, it was every little thing that I wanted to actually study and floor myself once more, and remind myself why I like the work that I do.
