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Arts+Culture

What it is to be an Active Witness: T Lavois Thiebaud and Jason Nodler Talk Collaboration and the Catastrophic Theatre’s ‘4.48 Psychosis’

Posted on January 8, 2022

I first learned of the playwright Sarah Kane through Houston’s Catastrophic Theatre and founder Jason Nodler in 2011, just a few months after I embarked on a dance theater collaboration with a contemporary ballet and dance theater company I had followed avidly for many years. I was running off the high of what the best collaborative relationships can be. It was through that collaboration that I would meet and date one of the actors cast in the Catastrophic Theatre’s production…

Unlearning Leviticus: Bridging the Gay-Christian Gap

Posted on December 29, 2021

However, from the boundaries of my own lived experience, and despite Christ “ending the old law,” Christians who condemn LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences often cite one Old Testament passage in particular, and there has perhaps been no text with a larger influence on attitudes toward gay people than the biblical book of Leviticus.…

On Containing Multitudes: Discovering My Jewish Roots

Posted on December 20, 2021

A photo of a menorah, a part of Dr. Laura McGuire's Jewish faith.

When I was seven years old, I asked for a rather unusual gift—a menorah. Now, if I had been growing up in a Jewish household, this might not have seemed so out of place; but, as a second-grader who was raised between two Baptist and Catholic families—and attended a Methodist church—this was an odd request. Nevertheless, my mom took me to a craft store and we picked out a paint-it-yourself clay menorah with beautiful Stars of David all across it.…

Texas, Why Don’t You Want Me Here?: On the Culture of the Lone Star State and My Trans Feelings

Posted on December 15, 2021

Before I knew what “trans” was, I knew not to be it. As an overtly masculine Black girl in Texas, the state was already out to get me for my skin. Even worse though, my own Black community was out to get me for being different. …

Queer Artists Debut New Work at 2021 Houston Fringe FestIVAL

Posted on October 13, 2021

A photo of Urethra Burns at Houston Fringe Festival

The 2021 Houston Fringe Festival, which will present three showcase-style evenings of fringe performances hosted by the Pilot Dance Project and curated by Adam Castaneda, will take place October 15–17, 2021, at Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston (MATCH). Among the artists selected to perform are Urethra Burns, Ayan Felix, and duo Stephanie Saint Sanchez and Jay Mays, LGBTQIA+ artists who will present explorations of gender and sexuality. …

The DeLuxe Theater’s ‘Art for the People’ Celebrates History with a New Focus

Posted on September 29, 2021

Art for the People pays homage to The De Luxe Show, one of the country’s first-ever integrated art exhibitions, which took place 50 years ago in 1971 at the old DeLuxe Theater. The DeLuxe Theater originally opened in 1941 and served the city’s Black community. After the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, segregated movie theaters were no longer needed, and the DeLuxe Theater closed in 1969. However, the building remained standing and, in 1971 when the De Menils tasked…

Q Fest 2021 Hits Screens for the Last Time—With A 25-Year Legacy in Tow

Posted on September 26, 2021

A photo of Swan Song, a QFest 2021 featured film.

By Autumn Rendall After 25 years, QFest—Houston’s international LGBTQIA+ film festival—is hitting screens for the last time. The festival kicked off with its competition short film screenings on September 24 at Aurora Picture Show and will continue with two more in-person screenings of the feature film Swan Song (September 26 and October 2, both at 5:00 p.m. at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston). All feature and short films will also be available to screen virtually through the Cinenso platform…

In Defense of Trans Youth in Alabama

Posted on September 9, 2021

As in states across the country, anti-trans bills are plaguing Alabama. Once again, conservatives have manufactured a problem so that they can craft a solution that causes undue suffering to an entire community already persecuted by conservative lawmakers in the state. Fiendishly, the community in question is children.…

Representation on Screen: Powerful TV Series Showcase BIPOC LGBTQ Narratives

Posted on August 5, 2021

In my first-ever article for Spectrum South, I elaborated on the need for and importance of more BIPOC LGBTQ representation within the hip-hop and rap scene, arguing that the industry won’t change for the better until more queer artists—and those in leadership roles within the music industry—live and produce openly. This logic, however, isn’t siloed to the world of music; as more and more BIPOC LGBTQ actors come out, and our narratives are written into episodes, the television industry is…

For the Comics, For the Culture: Black, BLASIAN, QUEER-owned Comic Shop Hosts Pop-Up in Houston’s Third Ward

Posted on July 30, 2021

An illustration of the co-owners of Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. in Houston, Texas.

Did you know that Houston’s Third Ward is home to a queer-owned, Black-owned comic book shop? From now until July 31, Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. is operating as a pop-up, with plans to soon be a permanent fixture in the community. The store is creating new comic fans and providing a safe haven for current aficionados.…

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