Spectrum South - The Voice of the Queer South

Posted on December 29, 2020

As contentious as the word “Latinx” is, it has emerged as the most commonly used gender-neutral word for “Latino” in the United States. From politics to pop culture, “Latinx” has been used in an effort to be more inclusive of transgender and non-binary people who are of Latin American descent. However, there is a similar word that is gaining traction in the U.S. that goes further to address gender bias in the Spanish language: Latine. …

Reclaiming Christmas: Queer Competency and Christ

Posted on December 22, 2020

By Dr. Laura McGuire While I’ve previously written about learning God’s pronouns and my ongoing journey to finding what ministry means to me, I haven’t talked about my interfaith Abrahamic religious identity’s role in my queerness. I was raised as a Christian, and though I have joyously returned to my ancestorial Jewish roots, I still feel that it is part of my calling as an emerging faith leader to shed light on the toxic fallacies that hurt queer folks in…

Skin Hunger: Navigating Disabled Sexuality in Quarantine

Posted on December 11, 2020

By Jaxson Benjamin Author’s Note: This article space centers disabled sexuality because, for the most part, we are left out of the conversation. The narratives around disability and sexuality frequently regard us as partial, lacking in sexuality, or not whole people. Rewriting sexual scripts around disability means centering the lived experiences of people with disabilities. Does that mean that you if you don’t identify as disabled that you aren’t welcome here? You are very welcome, whether you live with a…

Coming into My Own: Breaking From My Southern Baptist Roots to Become a Queer Sex Educator

Posted on December 4, 2020

A photo of Spectrum South writer Jasmine Phillips, a queer sex educator.

About a month ago, my godmother asked me a question: Jasmine, who are you? The first thought that came to my mind was, “Would you like to know who I truly am, or just who you want me to be?” The truth is that I am a Black, queer Millennial. And as someone who has grown up in the Millennial generation, I have worked hard to develop my own interpretations of who and what I am and to not define…

Queers Who Cover: On Being Bisexual and Muslim

Posted on November 20, 2020

Today we meet Katie Johnson, a bisexual Muslim who wears the niqab (hair and face covering). As a person of devout and outward signs of faith, Johnson sometimes gets erased from what we think of as queerness. I was excited to speak with her about how her faith and sexual orientation have impacted who she is today, as well as to expand the conversation on queers who cover.…

Chain Mail, Plate, and Swords: A Tongue-in-cheek Look at Fencing and Being Trans

Posted on November 18, 2020

For myself and many trans people, figuring out how we wish to present can be very vexing. Luckily, there is a one-size-fits-all approach to gender expression: steel. Where the broad spectrums of gender and sexuality come into play, however, is in what type of armor one wishes to wear. The foul TERFs may say that there are only two genders: chain mail, and plate armor. This is, of course, rank madness! What about the wonderful world of combination chain-and-plate? Not…

To Be a Redneck is to Fight Oppression

Posted on November 12, 2020

In 2018, I authored a piece on my queer redneck roots—a powerful reckoning with my past. For the first time on paper, I told the world about my seemingly dichotomous identities as both an Appalachian and a queer person. I spoke openly and honestly in ways I haven’t before, at least not on such a large platform. I paid the price, too. Family members whom I mentioned in that piece severed ties. It hurt, but it was also a long…

Houston Cinema Arts Festival Perseveres in the Pandemic with “Urbana”

Posted on November 10, 2020

A photo of Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

With cinemas the world over closed for the foreseeable future, I wasn’t sure we would get a Houston Cinema Arts Festival (HCAF) in 2020. Thankfully for us, the staff of the longstanding Houston arts institution have proven themselves flexible, offering 2020 solutions to 2020 problems. This year’s festival, which runs November 12–22, will take place virtually and in a drive-in format at the Moonstruck, Show Boat, and Houston Ballet drive-in theatres, creating a pandemic-friendly cinema experience.…

Save Our Sons and Brothers: New Houston Social Org Supports Trans Men of Color

Posted on October 23, 2020

An image of Save Our Sons and Brothers United.

By Jayce Tyler Inspired by parent organization Save Our Sisters United, Save Our Sons and Brothers, or SOSB, is a new Houston-based organization and social network open to trans men and transmasculine people of color. “SOSB looks at the survival and empowerment of our sons and brothers with a holistic view,” the group says. “Thus, we strive to address the social, emotional, financial, physical, and medical needs of the transmasculine people of color within our community.” SOSB aims to create…

Answering the Call: My Path to Queer Ministry

Posted on October 21, 2020

For as long as I can remember, there’s been a drumming in my heart—a subtle pulse asking me to listen, inviting me to hear its message. This sound has, at times, been a dull murmur, something I can drown out with the distractions of life. At other times, it is a profound drumbeat, silencing everything else. This drumming is the call to ministry, something I have long ignored or made excuses to avoid.…

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Don’t Create Safe Spaces: Shift Toward Safer Spaces

How LGBTQ Entrepreneurs Can Pitch Their Business Ideas to Southern Lenders

Moving Beyond New Year’s Resolutions: Succeed in 2024

Call Me Latine: New Online Resource Helps Queer and Non-Binary Latines Define Themselves