News
Comings & Goings
Alva named adjunct professor of the year at UT San Antonio Health
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: [email protected].
Congratulations to Eric Alva on his recognition as adjunct professor of the year for the second time in four years at the University of Texas, San Antonio College for Health, Community and Policy, Department of Social work.
“I am truly blessed and grateful for this recognition,” Alva said. “I could not be where I am today if it wasn’t for my students, and colleagues. They have supported me and have taught me so much. Though I may be the one standing up in front of the class, my students know that it is not “my class” it is “our” class because it belongs to them as much as it belongs to me. They teach me every class something new and that is a gift.”
In addition to serving as an adjunct professor, Alva is a motivational public speaker represented by Keppler Speakers. He speaks on his life and as a political and human rights activist. He has delivered speeches at more than 200 colleges and universities, including Harvard, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, Texas A&M, and Northwestern. He has spoken to other audiences including NASA, Pepsi, AOL, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota, Sodexo, Raytheon, American Airlines, and The Hartford.
Alva speaks of his personal experiences including working to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the challenges facing LGBTQ service members. He speaks of his own life overcoming obstacles as he recovered from injuries sustained in battle, learning to walk again, and starting a new life after 13 years in the military. He speaks inspirationally drawing on personal experiences as a disabled military veteran, a Hispanic, and a gay man.
He worked for the Child Protective Services Division, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. He served in the United States Marine Corps, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines Regiment and retired at the rank of Staff Sergeant (E-6). He is a much-decorated service member whose deployments included Somalia (Operation Restore Hope) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom). He was a member of first wave of Marines to enter Iraq in 2003, when he was injured and lost his leg. His awards include Purple Heart Medal (first soldier wounded in Operation Iraqi Freedom); Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal; Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (5); Combat Action Ribbon; Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal (4); National Defense Service Medal (2); Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (4); Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; and Meritorious Unit Commendation (3);
Alva has volunteered for the Human Rights Campaign as a national spokesperson for repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” He represented HRC at public events nationally and in the media. He has volunteered for the San Antonio Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Chamber of Commerce; San Antonio Stonewall Democrats where he was a member of the board; National Association of Social Workers; and the Dive Pirates Foundation (adaptive SCUBA diving for people with disabilities).
Hungary
New Hungarian prime minister takes office
Péter Magyar’s party defeated anti-LGBTQ Viktor Orbán last month
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office on Saturday.
Magyar’s center-right Tisza party on April 12 defeated then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP coalition. Vice President JD Vance less than a week before the election traveled to Budapest, the Hungarian capital, and urged Hungarians to support Orbán.
Orbán had been in office since 2010. He and his government faced widespread criticism over its anti-LGBTQ crackdown.
The European Commission in 2022 sued Hungary, which is a member of the EU, over the country’s anti-LGBTQ propaganda law. The European Union’s top court, the EU Court of Justice, on April 21 struck down the statute.
The EU while Orbán was office withheld upwards of €35 billion ($41.26) in funds to Hungary in response to concerns over corruption, rule of law, and other issues.
Hungarian lawmakers in March 2025 passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify those who participate in them. MPs later amended the Hungarian constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
Upwards of 100,000 people last June defied the ban and marched in Budapest’s annual Pride parade.
“Congratulations to [Péter Magyar] on becoming prime minister of Hungary,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on X.
“This Europe Day, our hearts are in Budapest,” she added. “The hope and promise of renewal is a powerful signal in these challenging times.”
“We have important work ahead of us,” noted von der Leyen. “For Hungary and for Europe, we are moving forward together.”
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Congresswoman Sarah McBride (D-Del.) on being honored with this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health. Amy Nelson, senior director of Legal Services, said, “Congresswoman Sarah McBride is working to make healthcare accessible to all, and this award recognizes her support of healthcare as a human right. Our legal program supports families facing unprecedented challenges to stay healthy and safe – families that Congresswoman McBride champions with a deep understanding of the issues they face and the legislative expertise of how to support them.”
McBride, in a press release, said, “I am honored to accept this year’s Stonewall Award from Whitman-Walker Health — an organization that has spent 40 years doing vital work to ensure every person can access the dignity of care. In the wealthiest and most developed nation on earth, the ability to receive care should not be a matter of luck—it should be the law of the land. I am proud to be recognized as a partner in this work and to support Whitman-Walker Health in their mission to build a healthier society for all.”
Congratulations also to Wes Drummond who will join Clear Space Theatre Company in Rehoboth Beach, Del., as its third artistic director. Managing Director Joe Gfaller said, “This is an exciting moment of growth for Clear Space as we welcome Wes to join our remarkable team. I am confident he will be an excellent partner as we work with our entire staff, board, and committed team of volunteers, to ensure Clear Space can achieve its full potential in pursuit of our mission to unite and enrich our community through every production on stage, and every arts-based learning program we offer throughout our community.”
On accepting the position Drummond said, “I’m honored to join Clear Space Theatre Company as artistic director, and beyond excited for what we’re about to create together. Clear Space has established itself as a vital and vibrant part of the cultural life of coastal Delaware, and I feel incredibly fortunate to step into this next chapter alongside such a passionate and dedicated team. Rehoboth Beach is a place defined by creativity and community, and I look forward to listening, learning, and building meaningful relationships across the region in the months ahead. My vision is to help Clear Space continue to grow as a bold, forward-thinking, cultural force, that champions fearless storytelling.”

Drummond served in leadership roles at Duluth Playhouse in Duluth, Minn., from 2021 to 2026, including four years as executive director followed by one year as executive producing artistic director, guiding the organization through a period of significant transformation and stability in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a director, he has worked extensively in New York City, Chicago, and at regional theaters across the country, directing both musical theater and plays with a focus on storytelling that bridges classical works with contemporary perspectives. He has collaborated with leading figures in the industry, including Tony Award-winning director Matthew Warchus, and Tony-nominated director Michael Greif. He is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society.
Wes earned his MFA in directing, Penn State University, where he studied under Tony-nominated director, Susan H. Schulman.
Virginia
Va. Supreme Court invalidates Democrat-backed redistricting plan
Voters narrowly approved new congressional districts last month
The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Democrat-backed redistricting plan that voters approved last month.
Ten of 11 of Virginia’s congressional districts favor Democrats in the plan that passed by a 51-48 vote margin in last month’s referendum.
The Human Rights Campaign PAC is among the groups that support it. The court by a 4-3 majority invalidated the referendum results.
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