YEAH, THANKS, RICK. WE’LL BE RIGHT BACK AFTER THIS. SO THIS WEEKEND WAS ALL ABOUT
PRIDE IN SAN ANTONIO. THOUSANDS
CELEBRATED THE CITY’S FIRST
EVER PRIDE RIVER PARADE.
>> THE LOCAL AND LGBTQ+
COMMUNITY HAS A PRETTY UNIQUE
HISTORY HERE. YEAH. AND
THROUGHOUT THAT HISTORY,
THERE’S A PLACE THAT UNIQUELY
BECAME THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
THAT’S THE STRIP ON MAIN STREET
JUST NORTH OF DOWNTOWN.
AND THIS WEEK’S KSAT EXPLAINS
PRODUCER DYLAN COLLINS SHARES
THE STORY OF MAIN STREET.
>> THE STRIP ON MAIN STREET
IS KNOWN AS A SAFE SPACE FOR
THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY.
ON JUNE. 25TH THE PRIDE BIGGER
THAN TEXAS PARADE ROLLED DOWN
THESE RAINBOW PIN. THAT STREET.
IT’S A TIME THAT MEANS SO MUCH
TO A COMMUNITY THAT HAS BEEN
THROUGH SO MUCH. WE’VE GOT YOU
WALKING DOWN THE STREET CAME
AGAIN, YOU KNOW, UP TO A CUP OF
ICE THAT 2 OUT OF THE CAR WITH
NO TIMES BACK DURING THE DAY
PLAN.
>> PEOPLE WERE WALKING ON THE
STREET BUT YOU
GET HALF A VOTE. BUT
FORTUNATELY THAT ENVIRONMENT AT
THE SAME ANYMORE. BUT WHY IS
THIS PARTICULAR AREA OF SAN
ANTONIO, THE MEETING GROUND FOR
THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND IT
CAME FROM DECADE.
>> OF PEOPLE BEING VERY
INTENTIONAL. ABOUT CLINTON
FACED SINCE ANTHONY, A BUT THIS
AGO, KING IS AN ASSISTANT
ARCHIVIST AT UTSA WITH A FOCUS
ON HISTORY. SHE SAYS IN THE
1950’S AND 60’S, MOSTLY WHITE
FAMILIES BEGIN MOVING
NORTHWARD, LEAVING PARTS OF THE
DOWNTOWN AREA OPEN, POOR
MINORITIES AND MINORITY OWNED
BUSINESSES.
>> ONE GROUP THAT TOOK
ADVANTAGE OF THE FRESHLY OPEN
SPACE WAS THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY.
>> YOU CAN BUY A HOUSE IN THE
GABER HOOD. BACK THEN FOR
$50,000, MAYBE LESS LOW PRICES
AND OPEN BUILDINGS WHERE THE
PERFECT COMBINATION FOR THE
LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY TO PLANT ROOTS
AS THE 70’S MARCH ON MORE AND
MORE BUSINESSES OPEN UP AND
YOU HAVE GABER HOOD STARTING
TO FORM. WE HAVE EVIDENCE FOR
THESE THROUGH 1983 CENSUS.
THAT WAS CONDUCTED BY A
PROFESSOR HERE AT UTSA. THAT
CENSUS WAS PASSED OUT DURING
FIESTA EVENTS IN 83 SURVEYORS
GOT THOUSANDS OF RESPONSES.
IT REVEALED THAT OVER 5900
PEOPLE IDENTIFIED AS LIVING
IN THE TOBIN HILL AREA. THAT IS
EXACTLY WHERE MAIN STREET IS
LOCATED. THE CENSUS HELP
BUSINESS OWNERS DETERMINE WHERE
THEIR BETS CLIENTELE LIVE FOR.
38 YEARS. RANDY CUNNIFF AS ZONE
4 OF THE 5 BARS ON WHAT IS
KNOWN AS THE STRIP ON MAIN
STREET. HE OWNS THE HEAT
SPARKY’S LUTHER’S AND KNOCK
OUT WHICH OPENED IN 2016.
>> HE ALSO OWNS THE NAME THIS
TRIP. THERE’S ALSO PEGASUS,
WHICH IS KNOWN FOR ITS TRACK
SHOWS AND A COUPLE OF SMALLER
BARS DOWN THE STREET. PREDATORY
AND 800 LIVES. BUT WHAT YOU
SEE ON THE STRIP TODAY HAS NOT
ALWAYS BEEN THIS WAY. YOU SEE
PICTURES OF WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE
10 YEARS AGO. YOU WOULDN’T EVEN
KNOW YOUR OPTIONS WALK. HEAT
NIGHTCLUB WAS RANDY’S BURST
BUSINESS ON THE STRIP. IT USED
TO BE A BOUTIQUE FURNITURE SHOP
IN THE 50’S, BUT THE BUILDING
WAS ABANDONED WHEN RANDY BOUGHT
IT 2001, HE WAS ALREADY KIND OF
>> AAREA WHERE THERE WAS 3
BARS THEY DIDN’T IDENTIFY.
IS THAT BECAUSE LIKE I SAID,
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GET BACK TO,
YOU KNOW, EVEN 15 YEARS AGO, HE
DIDN’T REALLY CALL IT THAT, YOU
KNOW, BECAUSE THE STUDENT IS WE
BUILD EVERYTHING UP AND MAKE
EVERYTHING NOTICEABLE AND PUT
TREES AND PUT THIS AND PUT ALL
THAT THE SECOND BUSINESS.
RANDY BOTT WAS LUTHER’S CAFE.
IT WAS A SMALL RESTAURANT THAT
HAD BEEN IN THE AREA SINCE
1976. AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS
SURROUNDED BY GAVE BUSINESSES,
IT WAS NOT A ESTABLISHMENT
UNTIL READY BOUGHT IT IN 2007,
ANOTHER BAR SPARKY’S HAS GONE
THROUGH SEVERAL TRANSFORMATIONS
OVER THE YEARS. IT USED TO BE
KNOWN AS SWING ROUND WHERE HIGH
RANKING CITY OFFICIALS LIKE
JUDGES AND LAWMAKERS
WOULD GO HAVE A DRINK AND
GAMBLE WITH THEIR IS STILL AND
WAS IT? THE TUNNEL TYPE THING
GOES OUT THE CLOCK BACK IN THE
DECADES BEFORE THE 2000 BARS
WERE VITAL FOR THE COMMUNITY
MEETING SPACE TO SOCIALIZE,
MEET PEOPLE AND JUST FEEL SAFE.
THERE WERE NO APPS. THERE WERE
NO CELL PHONE USE, BUT OTHER
THAN HAVING FUN BARS AND CLUBS
WERE USED TO EDUCATE DURING A
VERY DARK PERIOD FOR THE LGBTQ+
COMMUNITY.
>> AIDS WAS SPREADING LIKE
WILDFIRE KILLING THOUSANDS EACH
WEEK.
>> DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME
IN THE EARLY 80’S OR 90’S OF,
YOU KNOW, 8, YOU KNOW, NO CURE
AND LOSING IN THE BACK OF THAT
WITH MAGAZINES
JOKIC WORDS AND MEET A COUPLE
OF FRIENDS AND GET TO GET US TO
BE CHOKED UP. WE’D SEE DIVERT
FRIDAY.
WE SAY I JUST SAW HIM, YOU
KNOW, A MONTH AGO, HE LOOKED
TIME.
THAT’S THAT’S LIKE GET THIS IS
JUST A MOMENT AGO IN THE
HOSPITAL. NOT IN TUCSON MONTH
AGO. LOOKING FUN, HAVE A DRINK,
SOME WHATEVER IT.
>> BAR OWNERS LIKE RANDY
CREATED A TAVERN GUILD TO HELP
EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, PROVIDE
A SENSE OF HOPE AND TO RAISE
FUNDING FOR THOSE WHO HAVE
SUCCUMBED TO AIDS. ONE WAY THEY
RAISED MONEY WAS WITH THE ART
OF DRAG. BUT WE HAD A BAR
OWNERS TRACTION WERE ALL OF
OUR GAME.
>> AND GOT INTO DRAG NEW.
WE MAKE MONEY THAT NIGHT FOR.
>> WE’RE A $16,000. SO.
>> IT’S NOT JUST A SOCIAL
SPACE. IT’S NOW BECOMING THE
SPACE OF ACTIVISM AND ACTION
AND THAT CONTINUES UP THROUGH
THE 2. THOUSANDS.
>> THAT DARK CLOUD WOULD
CONTINUE TO HANG OVER THE
COMMUNITY FOR DECADES AND STILL
DOES TODAY.
>> ACCORDING TO AIDES DOT GOV
WORLDWIDE. 1.3 MILLION PEOPLE
DIED IN 2010 PROGRESS WAS MADE
OVER 10 YEARS, THOUGH THAT
NUMBER WAS DOWN TO 680,000 IN
2020. AND WHILE THOSE NUMBERS
ARE STILL COLOSSAL, THERE IS
SPOKE. AGE RELATED DEATHS HAVE
BEEN REDUCED BY 64% SINCE THE
PEAK IN 2004, MUCH OF THAT
PROGRESS. THANKS TO THE
AWARENESS AND ACTION TAKEN IN
THE EARLY 80’S.
BUT IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS,
CHANGE KEPT ON COMING TO THE
STRIP.
>> SPATIALLY, IT’S CHANGED SO
MUCH.
>> SHE’S RIGHT. IT’S LOST ITS A
E TO ME BECAUSE EVERY YEAR THAT
I’VE WORKED HERE, I’VE SEEN A
WHOLE NEW GROUP OF PEOPLE
COMING IN. NOW WE REPLACE THAT.
YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY GOES,
EVERYBODY FEELS COMFORTABLE AND
ALL THE GOOD GUYS AND GIRLS
BRING YOUR STREET OR USE, WHICH
IS GREAT. I MEAN, THEY ALWAYS
USED TO.
>> BUT NOT TO THE CAPACITY THAT
HAS NOW I KNOW A LOT OF
STRAIGHT COUPLES THAT WILL COME
OUT HERE.
>> BECAUSE THEY FEEL SAFER HAVE
BEEN AND STATE PARTNERS WITH
THAT CHANGE. ONE GOAL HAS
REMAINED CONSTANT FOR MAIN
STREET TO CONTINUE TO EDUCATE
YOUNGER GENERATIONS. AND I
THINK ABOUT HOW TO EDUCATE.
>> THE THE YOUNG ONES THAT
DON’T DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE
STRIP ALTER, IF YOU THINK ABOUT
THE HISTORY NOW THAT YOU KNOW
WHAT YOU NOW.
>> WHEN YOU THERE THINK ABOUT
HOW THAT SPACE CAME TO BE.
YES, IT’S CHANGED. BUT STILL
THE COMMUNITY SPACE.
♪
>> WOW.
♪ >> WOW. >> NOW WE JUST LEARNED SO MUCH.
ALL RIGHT. THERE ARE SO MANY
INTERESTING TOPICS THAT KSAT
EXPLAINS COVERS. AND THIS IS
JUST ONE GREAT EXAMPLE. YOU
WANT MORE SCANNED THE QR CODE
THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN