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Erica Andrews, a trans activist and drag performer, is on track to be honored with a memorial designation on Main Avenue north of downtown San Antonio.
The San Antonio City Council’s Governance Committee gave the green light to begin the process of considering the designation, which could take several months and requires final City Council approval.
The measure was introduced by District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur through a Council Consideration Request, a process similar to filing a bill in the Texas Legislature.
"We think it's an important issue for our LGBTQ+ community to see representation in an area that's the first cultural heritage district of its kind, so I'm excited to see the next steps, particularly excited that it's moving forward during Pride month," Kaur said.
Memorial street designations do not change the name of a city street but instead offer signage in honor of those they recognize.
Andrews, who was born in Mexico, lived in San Antonio from 1992 to 2012 and was regarded as a drag icon in the city, performing across the state and internationally. She died in 2013 in Chicago.
In 2006, she won the Miss International Queen title in Pattaya, Thailand. The contest has been held annually since 2004 and is considered the largest pageant system for trans women. Her other pageant titles include Miss San Antonio USA and 1997 Miss Texas USofA.
If approved, the "Erica Andrews Memorial Way" designation would run along Main Avenue for about half a mile from Cypress Street to East Ashby Place. Main Avenue is the site of many of the city’s LGBTQIA+ bars and businesses. It’s also where the annual pride parade takes place.
Last year, the city council approved a Pride Cultural Heritage District designation for Main Avenue, an initiative led by Kaur and District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez.
On Wednesday, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, the city’s first openly gay mayor, said she was in favor of the measure.
“I think we need to celebrate our local leaders who have done great things for our community to create the inclusive San Antonio that we know we are and want to continue to be, and especially with the attacks on the LGBTQ community, but in particular our trans brothers and sisters,” Jones said. “I think this is a nice way to recognize Erica's contributions to our community.”
McKee-Rodriguez, who is also on the committee and successfully led a memorial street designation for the Tuskegee Airmen on the East Side, said representation like this is needed.
“Everyone wants to see themselves in the community around them, whether it's in the classroom, they want to see teachers that they can relate to, they want to see people in the media, they want to see political leaders and organization leaders, and they want to see themselves represented,” McKee-Rodriguez said.
During her time as a performer, Andrews set the stage for drag and trans representation. She appeared in the 2006 Showtime documentary “Trantasia” and on "The Tyra Banks Show," as well as serving as a guest and makeup artist for "The Maury Povich Show." She’s also credited with appearing in music videos with Jennifer Lopez and Maroon 5.
Andrews was a "drag mother." In drag culture, last names are passed down to members of a house, often mentored by the matriarch. Erica was a member of Haus of Andrews, which was founded by Tandi Andrews in San Antonio. Tandi, who died in 1995, was Andrews’ mentor.
Andrews' mentees include local activist and performer Lynz Andrews, and Roxxy Andrews, who appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race in Season 5.
Lynz Andrews, in an interview with TPR, said she met Erica around 1999.
“She instilled in me a lot of professionalism. How to produce shows, go out there and be a go-getter, and still hold yourself with class, but still be one of the people, and that's what she was. She was still always a part of the crowd, she was never too good for anybody,” Lynz said.
She recalls that Andrews offered to be her mentor at a performance at The Saint, a now-closed bar off of Main Avenue.
“Erica looked at me, and she said, "You're going to be my daughter,” and I paused, and little me looked at her and said, "I don't know if I can do that, because you have such a big name, it's a lot of responsibility, and I'm honored, but I don't think so right now.’”
Lynz received her last name from Andrews in the final Haus of Andrews pageant at the Pegasus nightclub in 2012. She was one of about 12 performers who were granted the name.
“That night she named every single one of us that competed ‘Andrews,’ and I looked at her, and I remember laughing and saying, ‘You did it, girl, you got me to be your daughter,’” Lynz said.
Erica Andrews died less than a year later in Chicago due to a lung-related illness, according to the Windy City Times.
“I think that she knew something was up … because she didn't do that at any other House of Andrews pageant,” Lynz said. “She always just named one, and she said it that night, this is the first and last time she would ever do it, and she would never do it again, and she was not going to have no more children, and it was actually true. That was the last time we ever got to see her and got to be with her.”
Lynz, who is trans, said acknowledgment of the trans community by the city is welcome.
“It's a great feeling to know that you are wanted, versus in a world right now where we are being otherwise told that we do not belong. And to have this representation shown, it gives hope to the future trans individuals, because we never know who's hiding their feelings inside,” she said.
The vote by the Governance Committee is only the first step in the designation process.
The process also includes technical reviews, public meetings, approval from the Historic Design and Review Commission and the Planning Commission, and finally City Council approval.
