BODY POLITIC
City Hall politicians ink tattoo shop on San Antonio's gay strip
A tattoo shop from a pair of San Antonio politicos? Sure, why not?
San Antonio’s councilmembers may be subject to term limits, but two City Hall vets are hoping to make a more permanent mark. D2’s Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and former mayoral candidate Melissa Cabello Havrda are opening a tattoo studio, Zorra London, in late summer at 1428 N Main Ave. in the heart of the gay strip.
The pair announced the new venture in a social media post timed to San Antonio Pride. Perhaps anticipating a flood of constituents that might have thought the video was a goof, Cabello Havrda said, “You heard that right.”
The project is not quite as wild as some might think. Though McKee-Rodriguez’s resume is full of service gigs like City Hall staffer and Teach for America educator, he is an accomplished artist who decorated his East Side field office by creating a mural dedicated to civil rights leader Rev. Claude Black.
In April, he launched the Community Canvas Small Business Mural Program to collaborate with small businesses on public artworks. Each mural is free, painted by the councilmember himself.
An attorney, Cabello Havrda isn’t exactly known for her wild style. But the former D6 councilmember has long advocated for San Antonio’s diverse communities, serving on boards like Magik Children’s Theater, MOVE Texas, and UTHSC Center for Aging. And she is an LGBTQIA-plus ally, backing the nondiscrimination ordinance during her time in office.
Equality matters to the business. Not only is McKee-Rodriguez the first openly gay, Black man elected to any office in Texas, the tattoo parlor is also steps away from the nightclubs and shops that make up the Pride Cultural Heritage District.
That’s reflected in Zorra London’s art. During a pop-up on June 27, the shop featured designs like rainbow unicorns, a heart reading “Protect the Dolls,” and a pair of decidedly sapphic scissors. And, of course, the name has its own zest. We wouldn’t be at all surprised if a baby drag queen swiped it for her Pegasus debut.
And let’s hope it inspires other San Antonio councilmembers to take on their own entrepreneurial efforts. Coming soon to a PetSmart near you: Sukh Sacks, Dr. Sukh Kaur’s line of fashion dog slings.
