Recently, my male, POC friend posed the following question on an online public forum: “Is white feminism ‘toxic femininity?’” This sparked a debate—mostly among women—who argued whiteness (which comes with systems of power) was toxic, but femininity was not. Others stressed that “toxic femininity” is a term made up by men solely to discredit the realness of toxic masculinity.…
Houston-based plus-size model and entrepreneur Tiffany Page-Pratt learned the definition of hustle from her mother. A hardworking woman, her mom sold Avon and Tupperware on top of her full-time job at the post office. “Watching [my mother] was what built my ambitions,” Page-Pratt says. “For starters, it takes a lot to be a single mother, but to also juggle two and three jobs—I commend my mom for that.”…
On Saturday May 4, the Denton, Texas–based musical group Spectrum Ensemble made their debut with their specially curated show, A New Light, at Denton’s Black Box Performing Arts Center. “The energy in the room was magnetic,” Jaime Esposito, co-founder of the group, says of the intimate show, which had about 60 people in attendance. “It was exhilarating and the most fun performing I had ever experienced.”…
I was raised as a little girl in the Midwest, but I never quite fit the mold. I found myself adventuring through the woods and spending hours in the Walmart toy aisles, fawning over the hot wheels, Star Wars, and Legos, all the while knowing I was “behind enemy lines.” I prepared back stories about shopping for a brother or a classmate’s birthday, knowing full well the truth would be unacceptable. Self-awareness came early for me, as it does for…
The sun started to fall below the rooftops of the houses that lined against our own. Crockpots and slow cookers stood together like a row of soldiers atop the kitchen counter, working patiently toward the evening’s meal. I felt my hands trembling as I mustered the courage to speak. The sentence was caught in my throat. My mother was halfway out the back door when it happened.…
On May 4, South Bend, Indiana mayor and 2020 presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg gave an impassioned speech and posed for photos at a campaign fundraiser at Chapman & Kirby in Houston’s East Downtown. But before shaking hands with eager fans and donors at the public event, the openly gay Democratic contender sat down for an intimate, transparent conversation with some of the city’s most notable Black spiritual leaders at the private residence of Houston community leaders Vince Pryor and Alan…
During my time as a writer for Spectrum South, I’ve established a brand with my work: holistic and inclusive profiles of some of the South’s most prolific and boundary-pushing queer artists. I’ve detailed the avant-garde performances of Experimental Action, revealed five queer southern artists you should know, and journeyed through the transformative work of gender-nonconforming artist Cassils, among others. But I want to push myself further—to try something new and outside of my standard. My intention with the piece you’re…
In this episode of Veer Queer, Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) Executive Director Emmett Schelling talks current proposed anti-LGBTQ bills and lege updates.…
In this episode of Veer Queer, Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) Executive Director Emmett Schelling talks current proposed anti-LGBTQ bills and lege updates.…
“Four numbers in and we’ve already had a dildo and a 9/11 joke,” quips host and star entertainer Regina Blake-Dubois during the second-anniversary performance of The Broad’s Way, Houston’s only Broadway drag revue. At the Broad’s Way, the mood is always tongue-in-cheek and campy, like you hope to see at any drag show. But at Michael’s Outpost, the revue’s home stage, the performers bring more than kitsch comedy and silliness.…
