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Growing Up Black and Queer: The Catastrophic Theatre Presents Robert O’Hara’s ‘Bootycandy’

Posted on February 5, 2019

Recent years have seen a rise in mainstream discussions centered on queer Black masculinity. Frank Ocean’s lyrics hinted at his queerness before the rapper opened up about the subject. Actress and writer Issa Rae’s Insecure questioned how women view Black men who have had sexual experiences with other men. Jaden Smith disrupted traditional notions of masculinity by playing with gender presentation before ultimately coming out as queer in 2018. And, perhaps the most landmark cultural production about the subject, director…

Keep Questioning: The Restrictive Nature of Labels Within the LGBTQ Community

Posted on January 28, 2019

Finding your identity within the LGBTQ community can be confusing to say the least. When I started to question my own identity in college, I anticipated finding guidance and opportunities for growth. Instead, I wound up exhausted. What began as an exciting journey to self-discovery soon became a downward spiral that resulted in feelings of doubt and a sense that I didn’t belong.…

6 LGBTQIA Texans Who Stood up to the Trump Administration in 2018

Posted on December 19, 2018

A photo of Rev. Knight who stood up to Trump.

“Resist” has been the name of the game this year for LGBTQ Texans living under the Trump administration and statewide Republican leadership. But resisting isn’t just about protests and voting. Sure, those two forms of expression are crucial, but I’ve learned that there are countless other ways to resist and fight back.…

First They Came for the Socialists: Navigating Gay Jewish Identity Following the Pittsburgh Tragedy

Posted on December 4, 2018

The Shabbat music begins, but the usual exhale of my weekly worries doesn’t come. There is a tension in its place—a tightness. Typically, I find only the comfort of community and familiarity at a Shabbat service. But today, as I glance back at the strikingly oversized crowd, I am acutely aware that we are all targets. It’s an unwelcome feeling—one that I have not experienced since my days of fearing schoolyard bullies in the ‘80s and ‘90s.…

Queer Dance Theory: On Smashing the Heteropatriarchy, Creating Body- and Sex-Positive Dances, and What it Means to be a Queer Artist

Posted on November 30, 2018

I recently attended a Choreographers' Forum at Houston's 2018 Dance Salad Festival. The panel consisted of two gay male choreographers and one straight female choreographer. During the question and answer portion of the evening, I stood up and asked the artists if they had choreographed any work that explored queer experience and romantic relationships. Given how common love duets are in dance, I expected at least one or both of the gay choreographers to name queer-themed works they had created.…

‘Boy Erased’: Powerful New Film Sheds Light on the Dangers of Conversion Therapy

Posted on August 24, 2018

Boy Erased is based on the book of the same name by author Garrard Conley. Like his onscreen character, Conley grew up in Arkansas. “My parents were always pretty religious,” he says in an interview with British TV program This Morning. As a child, he and his parents attended church three times a week. “When I was 16, my dad decided to become a preacher,” Conley tells the hosts. “My mom and I were sitting in church at the time…

To Cecil: The Power of Being Out in the Classroom

Posted on August 8, 2018

An illustration of a queer professor in the classroom.

I went to college at UNC-Chapel Hill in the early 1990s. To my recollection, only one of the professors I knew was ever “out” in the classroom—we’ll call him “Cecil.” He and a woman colleague co-taught “Gender and Sexuality in the Ancient World,” and I confess, I enrolled mostly because it had “gender and sexuality” in the course title. I wasn’t alone, either. A clump of us queer kids sat in the front row of that auditorium, eager to learn…

More Than His Size: Heavy Hitters Pride Empowers LGBTQ Urban Men of Size

Posted on July 18, 2018

A photo of the board of Heavy Hitters Pride.

The beauty of the LGBTQ community is that we are always able to carve out the spaces we crave to celebrate our identities. It is with grit, sweat, and much resilience that we create these spaces, but it is nonetheless exceptional to watch. From the trans folks of color who started the Stonewall Riots, to the emergence of gender-expansive icons like E.J. Johnson and Jaden Smith, to the reclamation of the word “queer,” we have excitedly watched as our community…

A Letter to my Fellow Queers Who Don’t Feel Welcome at Pride

Posted on June 22, 2018

I don’t know you personally, but I know what you’re going through. As your social media walls fill up with rainbow flags and public displays of wonderfulness, the word “Pride” dominates all month long. But, as a queer person, for whatever reason, you don’t feel like you have a part. Maybe it’s because you don’t feel “queer enough,” struggle with imposter syndrome, tell yourself that Pride isn’t for someone like you, that it’s only for the “real” queer people. Maybe…

Queer for the Summer: Top 5 LGBTQ Southern Reads

Posted on June 5, 2018

Pride season is upon us, which means it’s the perfect time to rejoice in our identities, commemorate our forequeers, and reflect on the progress that’s still to be made. To kick off our month-long celebration, we’ve compiled a list of our top five LGBTQ southern reads for the summer. Whether you’re kicking back at a Pride pool party or beating the heat inside, these recommendations are sure to satisfy your need to queerly read.…

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