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Emmy-Nominee Vera Drew on Trans Representation, Her Creative Process, and Adolescent Humor

Posted on September 22, 2019

“Please make me sound smart,” laughs Vera Drew, Hollywood editor and recent Emmy nominee for her editing work on Sacha Baron Cohen’s Who is America? We chat by phone as I sit cross-legged at a coffee shop in Houston’s Montrose District. Across the country, Drew drives to a set location in Los Angeles. I assure her that her “rambling” is, in fact, excellent, if not tender, commentary on what it means to be a newly out-of-the-closet transgender woman in the…

The Houston Queer (Art) Agenda

Posted on September 18, 2019

Well, here’s my gay agenda—surprise, it’s art-based. I’m here to disrupt your mundane arts and culture happenings to bring you the latest leading queer-lensed creative endeavors. Warning—there’s nothing subtle about the queerness of these events. It’s just not in our nature.…

This Queer Non-Binary Femme Makeup Artist Wants to Look Otherwordly in Small-Town Texas

Posted on September 16, 2019

Spotted in Lockhart, Texas, just outside of Austin, is an otherworldly being shopping at H-E-B. Jeannette Celine, known as Gayylien, is a non-binary, Xicanx femme makeup artist who seeks to transform themself into a “freak” using makeup and body paint. "I just want to be an art piece," Gayylien, who uses they/them pronouns, says. "I want to be a freak. I want to challenge people's notions of gender, sexuality, and normality. I have the ability to transform myself into anything…

5 Queer Latinx Icons to Celebrate This Hispanic Heritage Month

Posted on September 13, 2019

A photo of Latinx activist Sylvia Rivera.

It’s time to give credit where credit is due. The modern-day LGBTQ-rights movement would be nowhere without the tireless efforts of the powerful and resilient queer Latinx activists who fought—and continue to fight—for LGBTQ people’s freedom to exist. Throughout history, these movers and shakers have made extraordinary strides to improve the state of trans rights, criminal justice, HIV advocacy, gender equality, and more.…

Hyphen Boutique: Empowering Community Through Gender-Inclusive Threads

Posted on September 11, 2019

A photo of clothes from Hyphen Boutique.

Boutiques around the world are full of sounds—of swiping credit cards, clacking cash registers, and excited murmurs of customers. This consumer concerto is more than transactional, however. Each exchange, each experience, contributes to the overall relationship being built between a shop and its patrons. “There’s no reason why we can’t connect with people through our clothing,” says Blake Mudd, founder of Hyphen Boutique, a Houston-based gender-inclusive and size-inclusive clothing brand. “I think a lot of people look at shopping as…

Beyond Happily Ever After: LGBTQ Fave Steven Universe Returns as Full-Length Movie

Posted on September 9, 2019

A photo from Steven Universe: The Movie.

After an eight-month hiatus at the end of season five, the LGBTQ cartoon favorite Steven Universe is back in action, now as a feature-length musical movie. Written, directed, and produced by series creator Rebecca Sugar (she/her and they/them), the movie marks not an end to the show, but rather a fresh look at this era of children’s programming. Steven Universe has provided great queer-positive family programming since 2013, and the new movie is no exception.…

Transgender Lives in Ancient Rome: The Case of Empress Elagabalus

Posted on September 6, 2019

While history often seems bereft of queer lives, nothing could be further from the truth. Transgender people have always been around in one form or another, though the terminology that we’ve used to describe ourselves has changed over time. Much of our history has either been purposefully destroyed, as in the case of Nazis burning queer books, or is reinterpreted through a modern cishet lens. Because of this, it is important to reclaim queer figures in history, such as the…

The Problem with Gender-Neutral Fashion

Posted on September 4, 2019

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “clothing” as “garments in general.” While the word “clothing” is not inherently a gendered noun, we as a society have declared different types of clothing to be specific to one of two genders/sexes. Clothing such as skirts and dresses have traditionally been associated with women/feminine persons; meanwhile, loose clothing and suiting have been linked to men/masculine persons. Throughout the history of Western civilization, ingrained and rigid gender roles—coupled with sexism—have helped to maintain this status quo.…

Out Musician Eli Prier Uses Quiet Power as an Instrument of Change

Posted on August 28, 2019

Singer and songwriter Eli Prier sees themself and their music as an instrument of change. “My message is that you can be powerful and change the world,” Prier says. “To do that, you must find the power inside yourself, focus it, and use it to create change. I see music and performance as a platform for change and I try to get my messages across through the songs I write and the performances I give.” …

Make Your Voice Heard: How to Become a Student Activist

Posted on August 26, 2019

When you think of an “activist,” who comes to mind? Is it someone on the frontlines of a march? Someone starting a non-profit or excelling in a campaign? It is easy to equate charisma, volume, and power with an activist role. Perhaps that is why we typically think of activism as something that comes in adulthood, after we have earned our stripes and position of authority. But today, I am not speaking to the adults—I want to highlight activism that…

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