By Barrett White
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Young Dems BCS and Transcend, an organization serving transgender and gender non-conforming students at Texas A&M University, will host a trans- and non-binary-centered Pride Party deep in the heart of Aggieland.
The event, which will take place on Friday, June 14 at Halo in Bryan/College Station, is headlined by non-binary performer, fashion icon, and College Station native Alok Vaid-Menon. “I’m actually coming back for my 10–year high school reunion!” Vaid-Menon says. “It’s been a decade since I left College Station. With the 50th year of Stonewall upon us, it felt like a crucial time to celebrate Texan LGBTQ communities and resource local community organizing work.”
As a non-binary youth in rural Texas, Vaid-Menon says they didn’t have just one “ring of keys” moment; rather, growing up was a patchwork of experiences that helped them to discover their identity in the world. “It was visiting my lesbian aunt in New York City and meeting all of her queer friends; it was the seniors at my high school when I was a freshman who were stylish and wore bright colors,” they explain. “It was cartoon characters like HIM from the Power Puff Girls, online chat forms about LGBTQ topics, Myspace! That’s the thing about LGBTQ youth—we are resourceful. We try hard to find and build community and support with what we’ve got.”
But returning to a space that once oppressed you can be re-traumatizing, especially after spending a decade removed from it. For Vaid-Menon, the homecoming presents the opportunity for reclamation and empowerment. “So much of the past decade has been about my healing. In 2015 I came back to College Station and did a photo shoot in several places across town—including my high school—where I had experienced harassment,” they say. “It was about reclaiming public space through art. My art practice has always provided an outlet for me to heal. There’s something about taking the pain and turning it into something beautiful. I like to call it ‘emotional alchemy.’ I think, if you have the capacity to do it, this work of returning is so, so important—to give new energy.”
The Pride Party in Bryan/College Station is necessary, visible work for the LGBTQ community of rural Texas. And while it’s empowering to see trans and gender non-conforming folks in their element and living as their authentic selves, Vaid-Menon has a reminder for cisgender allies. “I’m exhausted and scared, to be honest. It’s frustrating when people call gender non-conforming people ‘brave’ and ‘inspirational’ without questioning why we should have to be brave to do something as simple as being ourselves,” Vaid-Menon explains. “Real solidarity would look like holding space for our full emotional range and complexity—even when we are struggling—and committing to challenging that which makes it so difficult for us to exist in the first place! Fortunately, being a performer, the stage has always been a space where I can be vulnerable and express my true self. I’m so grateful for that.”
Not everyone who needs the space will be able to attend, and Vaid-Menon understands that. “To those who are attending—thank you so much for supporting our local LGBTQ community. Your support means the world and together we are creating a better place for everyone,” they say. “To those who can’t—your spirit and your energy are with us. You will not be forgotten.”
“I am so grateful for all of the fantastic and powerful LGBTQ organizers and creatives in Texas,” Vaid-Menon adds. “Thank you for all of your tireless work. When I’m feeling down and defeated, I think about all of you, and that fighting Texan queer spirit, and get right back up.”
For more information on the Pride Party in Bryan, follow the Facebook event here. For more of Alok Vaid-Menon, follow their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
