While much of Kentucky tourism centers around the annual Kentucky Derby in Louisville and the popular bourbon distilleries that speckle the state, there are booming smaller towns right off Interstate 75 that are revitalizing their downtowns and embracing the farm-to-table movement. Driving northbound on I-75, travelers might easily miss Corbin, London, Berea, Richmond, and even Lexington.…
What the $@&% is consent? Dr. Laura McGuire talks the #MeToo movement, Time's Up, and the five steps to ensuring consent in this month's Asking for a Friend!…
At some point in your early childhood, a well-meaning parent or teacher probably sat you down and shared what they believed to be the simple facts of life—that the world was made of boys and girls. Boys have penises and girls have vaginas, they said, and they made you think it was really that simple. We see the same sentiment reiterated in political debates over “bathroom bills” and job protection acts being contested in state and local governments all across…
Times are tough. How many times a day do you envision taking an indiscriminate exit on the highway and seeing where it takes you? And then the next turn. And the next. And the next. Next thing you know, it’s been nine days and you’ve driven to Massachusetts.…
Kait Rae craved a space to meet fellow queer Black people in San Antonio, Texas. So, at age 22, they decided to take matters into their own hands and to create the space they wanted to see. In October 2017, Rae joined forces with two friends and started a zine for and by queer people color called No Whites Allowed. “It's important for people of color to express our sexuality and gender because I know, for many people of color, it feels like…
Verniss McFarland III is tired of queer Black and Brown stories taking a backseat. For the past year, McFarland has worked to uplift these voices through their work as founder of The Mahogany Project, a Houston-based nonprofit focused on bridging the gap between empowerment and education in Black and Brown LGBTQ communities. McFarland now seeks to bring these narratives to the forefront with the launch of the organization’s new visibility campaign, Dear Somebody: The Voices Once Unheard.…
On June 23, 2018, over 700,000 attendees gathered in Downtown, Houston for the city's 40th annual LGBT Pride Celebration. Spectrum South passed out swag, snapped photos, and spread our mission at the celebration’s festival before heading over to the always colorful nighttime parade. Check out our photo recap of the full celebration below. Happy Pride!…
Joshua Peugh, the artistic director and co-founder of Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, is quickly transforming Texas into a site of experimentation with bold pieces that explore gay identity, among other relevant themes.…
I don’t know you personally, but I know what you’re going through. As your social media walls fill up with rainbow flags and public displays of wonderfulness, the word “Pride” dominates all month long. But, as a queer person, for whatever reason, you don’t feel like you have a part. Maybe it’s because you don’t feel “queer enough,” struggle with imposter syndrome, tell yourself that Pride isn’t for someone like you, that it’s only for the “real” queer people. Maybe…
Attacks on transgender and gender expansive individuals stem directly from a lack of knowledge and understanding. This ignorance has found its way into places like state capitol buildings and schools, where it affects the most vulnerable individuals—children. Education is the key to combating this issue, and—with the release of their groundbreaking book, The Gender Affirmative Model: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Supporting Transgender and Gender Expansive Children—Dr. Colt Keo-Meier and Dr. Diane Ehrensaft aim to provide such education in a way…
