Self-care is not just Instagram fodder, Lush bath bombs, aromatherapy, and crystals. It’s not selfies, expensive beverages, salads, yoga poses, or even spa services. Self-care is actually work. And it often can be free. It’s akin to the psychological concept of re-parenting, or self-stewardship. It is adulting 2.0. It’s an essential skill that combats the effects of living in the relentless consumerist culture we’re steeped in. But don’t let that discourage you, because here are my top 5 self-care tips…
#SpectrumScavenger: A Scavenger Hunt to Discover Houston’s Hidden Public Art
Posted on January 11, 2019Attention adventurers, fortune hunters, and explorers! Let’s try something new together—and if it works out, we just may make it a regular thing. I want to help you uncover some of Houston’s most spectacular (but relatively hidden) public art. But naturally, there’s a price. Instead of just telling you where to go and what you’ll find, I thought I’d take you on a spirited scavenger hunt across the city. So carve out some time, follow the given clues, and go…
Traveling While Queer: Miami
Posted on January 8, 2019Welcome to the third installment of Traveling While Queer! Join me as I journey across the country to discover our shared queer history and sightsee in some of my favorite cities. Along the way, we will explore hidden havens, places of LGBTQ significance, and help you to plan a top-notch gay getaway. Our next stop is bringing that heat—welcome to Miami!…
Spectrum South’s Best of Queer Music 2018
Posted on January 2, 2019Innovators, advocates, and revelers in the weird—queer artists often create the work that impacts society the most. Eye-opening, thought provoking, and sometimes even unsettling, it’s often art that turns tides. This year, we asked our staff for their personal nominations for best song by a queer artist in 2018. We’re excited to share with you our top picks—and few runners up! We won’t judge if you’re suddenly compelled to dance around your apartment in your underwear to the Spotify playlist…
Spectrum South’s 2018 Year in Review
Posted on December 31, 2018Happy (almost) New Year, queers! 20GayTeen has been a wonderful whirlwind for the Spectrum South team—full of transformative interviews, profound personal narratives, heartwarming celebrations of community, and our continued efforts to create a digital safe space for queer folks across the South.…
Episode 20: And That’s a Wrap!
Posted on December 30, 2018Veer Queer welcomes Koomah of the Houston Intersex Society to discuss and deconstruct misconceptions about the intersex community.…
Revolutionizing Gender Care from the Inside Out, with Dr. Colt Keo-Meier at UTMB in Galveston
Posted on December 28, 2018Only in the last few years or so has access to hormone therapy for the transgender and gender non-conforming population become more readily available in the South. Yet, recipients are often barred from hormone therapy by “medical gatekeeping,” which requires each patient to produce a letter of diagnosis and recommendation from a licensed mental health professional and attend up to six months of psychotherapy. Thanks to WPATH (World Professional Association for Transgender Health) and people like Dr. Colt Keo-Meier, however,…
Finding Solutions: Gender-Nonconforming Artist Cassils Demands Reverence for Trans Bodies
Posted on December 26, 2018Well, I can now say that I’ve witnessed what an art installation of 200 gallons of swirling piss looks like. The epic, birthday-suited, gender-nonconforming, mid-career artist behind the installation, Cassils, is a modern-day Midas, transforming this once-ordinary vessel into a golden glory that cannot be missed.…
6 LGBTQIA Texans Who Stood up to the Trump Administration in 2018
Posted on December 19, 2018“Resist” has been the name of the game this year for LGBTQ Texans living under the Trump administration and statewide Republican leadership. But resisting isn’t just about protests and voting. Sure, those two forms of expression are crucial, but I’ve learned that there are countless other ways to resist and fight back.…
Episode 19: There’s No Place Like Home
Posted on December 18, 2018Endesha shares how life has been since moving to Portland. Also, we make a special announcement!…