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Arts+Culture

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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Muscle Panic: Interdisciplinary Artist Fuses Sports, Queerness at Art League Houston

Posted on February 23, 2018
A photo of Muscle Panic at Art League Houston.

Situated next to Inversion Coffee in Montrose, Art League Houston is now presenting Muscle Panic, an interdisciplinary piece developed by Toronto-based artist Hazel Meyer. “I make installations that performance happens in and, within these installations, there are sculptures that also function as tools and as props,” says Meyer, describing her work. “I’m interested in the slipperiness of these objects, and in the tools that extend us.”…

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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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Take Risks, and the Audience Will Appear: Catastrophic Theatre Premieres Brave Queer Play

Posted on February 12, 2018
A photo of The Catastrophic Theatre's 'Leap and the Net Will Appear.'

Rarely do theatres in Houston offer rich experimental plays that depart starkly from the theatrical canon. But The Catastrophic Theatre, building upon its tradition of producing work that “will destroy you,” is premiering a play that is experimental and queer. The company, housed in the MATCH through the facility’s residency program, has consistently produced harrowing works, from Sam Shepard’s Buried Child to Eugene Ionesco’s Rhinoceros. But Leap and the Net Will Appear, which premiered on February 9 and runs through…

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Be The Change: Why Queer Folks Need to Join The Resistance

Posted on February 2, 2018
A photo of Josh Watkins and Laura Moser who are part of the resistance.

On November 4, 2017, I sat in the ballroom of the Houston Marriott North, surrounded by some of the city’s most prominent, eclectic, and diverse transgender leaders. Together, we had gathered for the 25th annual Houston Transgender Unity Banquet, to share a safe space and celebrate the Gulf Coast’s ever-growing trans community. The speaker lineup was jam-packed, each one voicing words of empowerment and hope. Then, Phyllis Frye, a trans woman, veteran, advocate, and the first openly transgender judge appointed…

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Reclaiming Roots: Sin Muros Theatre Festival Puts Queer Latinx Talent Center Stage

Posted on January 29, 2018
A photo of Josh Inocéncio performing Purple Eyes at Sin Muros Latino Theatre Festival.

Texas Latinx talent takes center stage this February 1 through 4 at Houston’s Stages Repertory Theatre during the inaugural Sin Muros Theatre Festival. Headlining this four-day event is the world premiere of the ancestral autobiography Purple Eyes, written and performed by queer Latino playwright Josh Inocéncio. Inocéncio, who is also a member of the Sin Muros task force committee, speaks on the festival’s intent. “We were looking to consciously represent diversity. A Latin theatre festival that pushes for female voices,…

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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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Sanitized or Subtle? ‘Call Me by Your Name,’ ‘Moonlight,’ and Queer Male Sex in Cinema

Posted on January 24, 2018
An image from the queer film Call Me by Your Name.

Like the Oscar-winning Moonlight last year, another gay drama has cut into mainstream cinema and garnered Academy Award buzz. Based on the novel of the same title, Call Me by Your Name is a film set in 1980s Italy, following 17-year-old Elio (Timothée Chalamet) and his fleeting summer love with Oliver (Armie Hammer), a graduate student in his mid-20s who works temporarily as an archaeological assistant with Elio’s professor father at their decadent villa.…

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