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The San Antonio City Council approved a memorial street designation for drag performer and trans activist Erica Andrews on Thursday.
Andrews was considered a drag icon in San Antonio where she lived from 1992 to 2012. She died a year later in Chicago after battling an illness. In 2006, she won the worldwide title of Ms. International Queen, a contest held annually since 2004.
The measure was approved as part of the consent agenda, meaning it was confirmed along with most general business of the day but not before it received a highlight from District 1 City Councilwoman Sukh Kaur.
Kaur said she believed Andrews was a trailblazer and provided visibility for trans people on national television.
“My favorite, one of her highlights, she represented Mexico and Miss Gay USA in 1999, and was featured in the 2006 documentary 'Trantasia,' as well as various films and music videos,” she said.
The street signage is expected to cost about $5,000 and is being paid for out of the District 1 council office budget.
The street designation would run along Main Avenue from Cypress Street to East Ashby in the city’s Pride Cultural Heritage District. It would not change the name of Main Avenue but instead provide plaques and other historical markers.
The district is undergoing its initial buildup in recognizing the history that’s taken place in the corridor.
Luis Vasquez is the executive director of the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce. He told members of the council Andrews is part of the city’s LGBT history that helped shape the community.
“An important part of that work is preserving the history and cultural identity that makes this neighborhood unique,” he said. “When we recognize people and the stories that are connected to this place, it also strengthens the identity. It creates opportunities for placemaking, cultural tourism, increased visitation, and greater visibility for the local-owned businesses anchoring this corridor.”
Among those paying tribute to Andrews during Thursday’s council meeting was Sofia Sepulveda, field director of Equality Texas. She said that Andrews was a strong supporter of those in the LGBT community.
“Erica was not just a talented artist, actress, performer, and makeup artist. She was a sister who helped many of us, queer and trans people alike here in San Antonio,” she said.
Lynz Andrews, a local performer, activist, and member of San Antonio’s Arts Commission said Andrews was her ‘drag mother’ a term used by performers to signify mentorship, especially when an artist's chosen last name is passed down.
“She taught me how to perform, command a room, stand up for myself and my community, and to keep going when the world didn't always make room for people like me or her, and anybody who knew Erica knows that she didn't wait for somebody to make room for her. She made her own room,” she said.
To Andrews, having a sign readily available for the future generations would serve as a way to be seen.
“Someday, a younger queer kid, a trans person, a baby drag queen is going to walk down North Maine, see Erica Andrews' name, and ask, 'Who was she?' We get to tell her. We get to tell them that she was brilliant, fearless, hilarious, impossible to ignore, and that she opened doors for people like me and so many others,” she said.
