Mark Your Calendars
Juneteenth Events 
June 13th (Saturday) in Schulenburg, 2 pm - 8 pm: Activities include a bike parade, bingo, and a dominoes tournament. Complimentary barbecue, ice cream, and watermelon will be provided. Music will be provided by DJ Master from 2 pm - 6 pm. DJ Big O will take over the music from 6 pm - 8 pm.
Location: Wolter’s Park Pavilion, 605 Upton Ave, Schulenburg, TX
June 13th (Saturday) in La Grange, 5 pm - 10 pm: Celebration to include activities for children, gospel music, dance music and karaoke by DeeJay Gus Gus. Also dominoes, spades, and chess tables! Bring your own chair. Text Verlia Mosley-Rhodes at 979-702-9441 for more information.
Location: Courthouse Square, 151 N Washington St, La Grange, TX
June 19th - 21st (Fri,Sat,Sun) in La Grange: The La Grange Juneteenth Committee is sponsoring a series of events beginning Friday, June 19th, at 5:30 p.m., with a gospel music show at the Randolph Center (653 E Pearl St, La Grange). Then on Saturday, June 20th, at 10:30 a.m., a parade will start near HEB (450 E Travis St, La Grange). Following the parade will be a complementary meal served at the Randolph Center along with games, dominoes, kids activities, and prizes. On Sunday, June 21st, at 2:00 p.m., a worship service will be held at the Randolph Center with Reverend Austin Jones speaking and will conclude this year's celebration.
Y'all Means All 
June 18th (Thursday), 5:30 pm - 7 pm in La Grange: June is Pride Month! Fayette County Democrats are proud to announce our regular third Thursday event will be a "Y'all Means All" Happy Hour. Join us at the Best Western Inn's Event Room. Look for the Party! Everything you'd expect from a Happy Hour - Bites, Beverages and Door Prizes. Everyone Welcome Because Y'all Really Does Mean All!
Location: Best Western Inn, 600 E. State Hwy 71 Bypass, La Grange, TX
June 20th (Saturday), 7 pm in Columbus: Dessie and Friends Part Deaux. A drag variety show headlined by Miss Gay America 2024 and presented by Columbus Pride. Queer or not, longtime local or first-time visitor, you are welcome at this table. Cost: $26.50. Tickets and more info at https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/columbus-texas-pride/dessie-and-friends-part-deaux
Location: Hound Song Brewing Company, 535 Walnut, Columbus, TX
June 20th (Saturday), 8 pm in Elgin: Pride in the Pines Drag Spectacular. Hosted by Holliday Cash and Stellar Manx, this event will feature performances by local drag artists. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Advance tickets and more info at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/pride-in-the-pines-drag-spectacular
Location: Lightnin' Bar, 109 Central Ave, Elgin, TX
Americans for Democracy Rallies
Saturdays, 9 am - 10 am: The movement continues! Come join us on the SW corner of the town square in La Grange, around the intersection of Main St and W Travis St. Parking is available around the square and surrounding streets. Check your email for updates, themes, cancellations, etc..
Good Reading
-Review by Justin McCord
Authored by Daniel Brook, The Einstein of Sex, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, Visionary of Weimar Berlin, sounds like a German Kama Sutra. However, it biographs the journey of a gay, Prussian physician as he discovers, and defines, the fluidity of gender. We get a glimpse of gay and transgender communities and nightlife in various countries as well as an account of their acceptance pending their geography. The truths behind the observations of the late 1800s and early 1900s are hauntingly similar to our present day.
The Einstein of Sex is a surprisingly compelling read. Nonfiction can be quite the haul for many of us, but this book flows like fiction making it feel more like classic literature than a biography. It is also something of an epic being staged against the rise of the Nazi party. Given the volatility surrounding gender fluidity both then and now, one may draw direct comparisons from the anti-gay laws in Germany around the turn of the 20th century to the anti-trans legislation in modern day USA. A great read for Pride Month, join Magnus in his quest for queer acceptance and immerse yourself in a movement that started 130 years ago.
From Our Writing Contributors
Rough Times, A Haiku
contributed by Justin McCord
Another Trump term
Another viral outbreak
and soon, the locusts
Democrats' Upcoming Voting Rights Legislative Agenda
contributed by Kirk Pate
Texas Republicans and elsewhere enacted election roadblocks, brick by brick, including Texas SB1 and the 2021 gerrymander, the 2025 mid-decade remap, the assault on Harris County, the voter roll purges, and the intimidation of poll watchers. And today, while we’re watching an 82-year-old Black Democratic state senator from Virginia have her office raided by a Trump FBI two weeks after she helped draw maps that would flip four congressional seats, we’re supposed to believe that’s a coincidence.
The answer to all of it isn’t just showing up to vote, although yes, OBVIOUSLY, show up to vote. The answer is to make sure that once Democrats take back the majority in the November general election, we build a system that’s harder to break. That’s what the list below is for. Write it down. Put it in your pocket. Because the day Democrats take back Austin, we’d better be ready to move.
So, here is our legislative agenda:
- Repeal SB1
- Expand ballot access
- Automatic and same-day voter registration
- Straight-ticket voting
- Uniform polling place access by population
- End voter-roll purges
- Election Day is a state holiday
- A Voting Rights Act for Texas
- Independent redistricting
That’s it. Nine things. None of them radical. All of them already exist somewhere in America. The only reason Texas doesn’t have them is that one party has spent years ensuring the wrong people can’t vote and then drawing the maps to keep it that way—your voting rights legislated away. When the 90th Texas Legislature is sworn in this January, this is the list we beat into our legislators until they push every single item this upcoming session. Not next session. Not “when the time is right.” This one. Because the time was already right, and we’ve waited long enough for our voting freedoms to be restored.
Service Over Self: What We Saw at the Talarico Rally
contributed by Coalition of Democratic Allies (CODA)
Several CODA members, joined by members of BCDP and Fayette County Democrats, attended Texas Representative James Talarico’s rally, “The People Against Ken Paxton,” in Leander, Texas. Despite the heat and long lines, approximately 1,500 people gathered to hear Talarico’s message of hope, service, and civic engagement.
The energy throughout the event was overwhelmingly positive. Talarico spoke with confidence about the future, saying he feels “in his bones” that Texans can win by coming together and focusing on what unites them rather than what divides them.
One of the themes that resonated most strongly was his emphasis that the movement is not about one individual. As Talarico reminded the crowd, “It’s about we, not me.” He repeatedly stressed that leadership is about service, stating, “Real power is serving others.”
The character of a leader is often revealed in the small moments. Before taking photos with supporters waiting to meet him, Talarico first stopped by the ADA section to greet attendees and take pictures with them. It was a meaningful gesture that reflected the compassion and servant leadership he spoke about throughout the rally.
Talarico also highlighted the contrast between his record and that of Attorney General Ken Paxton. As supporters frequently noted throughout the rally, “Talarico has a legislative record … Paxton has a criminal record.”
Since taking office in 2018, Talarico has authored or co-authored hundreds of bills and successfully passed numerous pieces of legislation focused on improving the lives of Texans. His message centered on practical solutions, public service, and building a government that works for ordinary people.
For those in attendance, the rally was more than a political event. It was an opportunity to connect with fellow Texans who believe in accountability, service, and a hopeful vision for the future. The enthusiasm of the crowd demonstrated that many people are eager to be part of a movement focused on community, integrity, and positive change.
CODA members were proud to stand alongside fellow Democrats and community activists as the campaign heads into what is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in Texas history.
