Tensions flared at San Antonio City Hall on Thursday when Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones cut off a longtime public speaker during his turn at the microphone, pulling the plug on comments attacking her choice for the city’s Ethics Review Board. The move came with roughly 30 seconds left in his three-minute slot and instantly shifted the spotlight onto both the speaker’s remarks and the high-profile appointment behind them.
Mayor Cuts Off Speaker Over Anti-Gay Comments
According to the San Antonio Express-News, the speaker, identified as 73-year-old Jack M. Finger, used his time to blast appointee Eric Alva as "an advocate for the homosexual agenda" and declared that "homosexuality, it's obvious that it is not a moral lifestyle." About half a minute before his time was up, Jones cut in with a firm line: "We're not going to tolerate hate speech here." When Finger tried to keep going, she asked a guard to step forward, effectively ending his turn at the podium.
Appointment Was On The Agenda
Finger’s comments came during public comment on item 10, the mayoral appointment of Eric Alva to the Ethics Review Board, which appeared on the City Council’s Feb. 5 agenda on the City of San Antonio’s SASpeakUp portal. The item lists Alva as the mayor’s nominee to fill a term on the board that runs through April 25, 2027.
Who Is Eric Alva
Alva is a retired Marine and Purple Heart recipient who lost a leg early in the Iraq War and later became a prominent advocate for LGBT service members. Past coverage and interviews document his role in the push to end the military policy known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Reporting by The Advocate notes his long-running public work on veterans and LGBTQ issues.
Council Response And Context
Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, the first openly gay man to serve on the council, sharply criticized Finger at the meeting, telling him that his repeated appearances and remarks were "hateful" and that "we will remember every single hateful thing that you said, every person that you hurt," as reported by the Express-News. The exchange underscored the political and cultural stakes around Alva’s nomination and the mayor’s push to enforce some basic standards of civility in a chamber that regularly sees heated public comment. Jones, elected last year, is San Antonio’s first openly gay mayor, according to Metro Weekly.
Why This Matters Locally
The clash is the latest flashpoint over who should represent San Antonio on influential advisory boards and how far residents can go in attacking appointees based on identity during public comment. For now, the appointment is expected to move ahead under the usual council schedule, and city officials did not announce any immediate disciplinary action against Finger.
