Browsing Category

Features

Nothing Good Happens After Midnight: Being Noah Diaz

A photo of Spectrum South writer Noah Diaz.

I turn off the rumbling window air conditioning unit at my apartment. It hasn’t worked in weeks, and I’m finally ready to come to terms with it. I open up the windows to my apartment, a building I tell people is 100 years old, but if I’m being honest, I don’t know if that’s true or not. I feel a breeze—warm, of course. It sweeps through the middle of my studio apartment, making my unopened mail join my dirty laundry…

Continue Reading

Transouthern Youth: Meet Alex Yoon

A photo of transouthern youth Alex Yoon.

20-year-old Alex Yoon was shocked the first time they saw an elderly gay couple kiss in San Antonio, Texas. But their reaction didn’t stem from homophobia. Rather, this was the first time Yoon realized that “queer and trans people can grow up and get old. They’re out there existing and thriving. Queer and trans people can become successful adults.”…

Continue Reading

The Path to Pride: A Road Traversed Together

A photo of queer pride.

Pride can take many forms. It can come from receiving a perfect score on an exam you’ve studied all night for; landing that dream job; or even from smaller victories, such as simply managing to make your bed in the morning. Yet, finding pride in ourselves, in our very being, identity, and personhood, doesn’t always come as easily—it is hard earned and often a long time coming. This sentiment rings true for Houstonian Kelly Sanders, who, like many queer people, did…

Continue Reading

A Colorful Guide to Your First Houston Pride

If you don’t know what to expect, Pride may feel a bit overwhelming. But don’t fret, first-timers! We’ve put together a guide for everything you need to know about the event, as well as essential ways to make the most of out of this beautifully queer day.…

Continue Reading

‘Peru and the City: A Pride Comedy Show’ to Showcase Gay Life in Houston

A photo of Peru Flores in Peru and the City.

The struggle is familiar and has been echoed by countless actors of color: “There were no parts for me, other than the ‘struggling friend,’ the ‘drug dealer,’ or the ‘misfit,’” says actor and writer Peru Flores, who will appear in his own comedy show, Peru and the City, this month at Rich’s in Houston. Flores’ family moved to Midland–Odessa, Texas, from Peru when he was a young teen. In the small town of oil workers and farmers, Flores was taken…

Continue Reading

Transamerica/n: The McNay Art Museum Presents Groundbreaking Exhibition Exploring Gender Identity

A photo of Transamerica/n at the McNay.

A groundbreaking new exhibition opening on June 20 at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas, is raising eyebrows across the nation. Billed as Transamerica/n: Gender, Identity, Appearance Today, the exhibition gathers 59 artists from across various mediums to form the first major survey of contemporary art to “explore the construction of identity through gender and outward appearance.”…

Continue Reading

Table For Two: A Thank You to My Father

A photo of my father and I's special spot.

It was our spot—a small table for two, nestled right against the partition dividing the bar from the rest of the restaurant’s clientele. The order was always the same: two chicken Cobb salads, and an order of cheese fries with bacon to start. The waiters knew our names, and always asked us how we were doing with sincerity. It was our spot.…

Continue Reading

Liberation for All of Us: ‘Up Rising: A Night of Dance Commemorating Stonewall’s 50th Anniversary’

A photo of Stonewall dance at CAMH.

On May 30, 2019, a small group of performers and a few members of the Houston community who identify under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella took the stage at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising to a packed audience. Queer dancer and choreographer Rebecca French curated the performance, which was co-sponsored by CAMH and presented in conjunction with Stonewall 50, CAMH’s current exhibition featuring local, national, international, and multi-generational visual and mixed media…

Continue Reading