Mauro Garza, owner of the Pegasus nightclub in San Antonio, is running as a Republican for a Texas congressional seat. Garza would face LGBTQ ally Joaquin Castro in the general election if he wins the primary.
Garza is a self-proclaimed conservative and Log Cabin Republican whose most recent campaign for office was self-funded, using red ballcaps which read “Make TX-21 greater” as both a nod to his district and his support of Donald Trump.
He also owns one of the country’s top gay bars in Texas called Pegasus Nightclub.
The San Antonio LGBTQ community is fighting back against Garza’s campaign, saying that he’s working hand-in-hand with the anti-LGBTQ Republican party to oppose civil rights for multiple communities. They’re calling for a boycott of Pegasus.
A group called “Protest the Peg” has put out a call for locals to avoid the nightclub and called out former RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars contestant Kennedy Davenport for refusing to pull out of a performance in support of the boycott.
The group also chastised Davenport for her “controversial performance at Pegasus and defiant refusal to support the boycott.” The bar’s Facebook page advertised a performance by Davenport late last month.
“We understand there are many artists who rely on the entertainment industry as their source of income,” the group said. “We are fully aware of the limits systemic oppression can impose on us to secure employment and meet our needs. We recognize that our spaces are the safest for LGBTQIA+ talent to work.”
“However, the LGBTQIA+ entertainment industry provides different platforms that reach large audiences. We ask that you use those platforms responsibly and refrain from contracting talent to attend or perform at Pegasus Nightclub.”
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