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Evolution of An Artist: How I Found My Truth As A Dancer and Queer Woman

Posted on May 17, 2018
A photo of dancer Rebecca French.

During my sophomore year at the University of Houston, I discovered two life-changing things about myself: my love for dance and my love for women. I was an English major at the time, and dating a guy who was majoring in music. He awakened an appreciation of the arts in me that I had never known was there, and I decided I wanted to become an artist of some kind as well. So, I took a semester off to take…

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A Queer Literary Pillar in Exile: Tennessee Williams in Retrospect

Posted on May 4, 2018
A photo of Tennessee Williams with Anna Magnani.

Within the canon of southern literature, it is rare to find queer authors who died within 200 miles of where they were born. It is even rarer is to find a queer author who did so and lived freely. Most made their exodus from the South and sought refuge in queer urban hubs, such as New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. One of the most famous amongst those who journeyed away from his roots, but whose plays kept his…

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Houston Splash: A Celebration of Black Gay Pride

Posted on May 2, 2018
A photo of Houston Splash.

Houston Splash, often referred to as Black Gay Pride, is an unapologetic celebration of Black and Latinx LGBTQ Pride. In a world where Black and Brown bodies, especially queer Black and Brown bodies, are blatantly targeted and demeaned, spaces like Houston Splash provide our community with the opportunity to embrace our holistic selves. Consequently, this challenges the oppressive norms prevalent in our everyday lives. Therefore, every year during the first week of May, generations of Black and Latinx LGBTQ community…

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A Product of the Environment: How My Passion for Nature Helped Me Embrace My Identity

Posted on April 25, 2018
A photo of Christine Mansfield in her natural environment.

“You can’t do that!” Don’t worry, those aren’t the words of a pessimistic friend or an unsupportive family member. No, those are the words of pint-sized kindergartener me, telling a grown man at the park (who was part of a pack of motorcyclists, I might add), that he could not throw trash on the ground. I don’t remember the incident myself, but I’ve been told that my mom’s friend, who was watching me at the time, was terrified of what…

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Josh Inocéncio’s ‘The Little Edelweiss’ Brings Queer Theatre to Houston

Posted on March 12, 2018
A photo of the puppets used in The Little Edelweiss.

While queer theatre certainly hasn’t breached mainstream Houston culture, one local playwright is trying to change that. On March 24, Houston-native, playwright, and performer Josh Inocéncio brings audiences a developmental production of The Little Edelweiss; or, An Immigrant’s Fairytale, the second installment in Splintered in Three: An American Trilogy, a trilogy that shines light on each of his three cultural backgrounds—Latino, Austrian, and Appalachian. The first play, Purple Eyes, which dramatizes the intersections of Latinidad and queerness, recently had its…

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Finding Faith in the Democratic Party

Posted on February 28, 2018
A photo of James Lee, a gay man of faith.

For far too long, conservatives have claimed a monopoly on faith. And if the past few years are any indication, they aren’t letting up any time soon. Republican lawmakers are having a renewed romance with discrimination under the guise of religious freedom. From religious refusals in healthcare and discrimination in adoption procedures to the right to refuse service in business, there seems to be an unending assault on equality in the name of faith. I think it’s time Democrats push back…

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If I Were Texas Governor…

Posted on February 16, 2018
A photo of Monica Roberts as governor.

It's now been several weeks since that historic election, the one that made me the first Black female governor of the Lone Star State. It also makes me the first Democratic governor since Ann Richards held the office from 1991 to 1995. The shock of election night has since worn off. The election is certified, the interviews are done, and I spend the runup to Inauguration Day learning the nuts and bolts of the position. I must be prepared to…

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My Life as an Online Lesbian Dominatrix

Posted on February 9, 2018
An illustration of a queer dominatrix.

All of this is done over web camera—the physical and legal protection of which I am grateful. On camera, there are no STDs, no vice squad, and a far lower risk of being followed home by fans. Online, my clients and I explore our common kinks and sexual tastes while preserving the delicate balance of our vanilla off-camera lives. For numerous reasons, many of my clients need to keep their desires to be dominated and sexually-controlled private. They have jobs…

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Embracing Joterías: Queer San Antonio Artist Launches Playful Pride-Inspired Merch

Posted on January 26, 2018
A photo of Joterías by Jose Villalobos.

After causing a stir in the Texas art scene with his participation in Mexic-Arte Museum’s annual Young Latino Artist exhibition (Young Latino Artists 22: ¡Ahora!) in Austin, Jose Villalobos is shifting his energies from the world of fine art to the creation of a brand new line of LGBTQ Pride-themed novelty items. For those of us who may not be able to afford museum-quality artworks, this line of merchandise allows the perfect opportunity to support the arts while showing a bit of pride. The…

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