Our queer hearts are swelling because OUTsider returns to Austin this Valentine’s Day weekend, February 14 to 18. The queer transmedia festival, known for pushing artistic boundaries, meshes all creative disciplines (film, performances, music, writing, and visual art) for a provocative, out-of-the-box experience.…
In the words of Fleetwood Mac, sometimes, you just have to go your own way. Such was the case for Spectrum South. What started as a “what if” conversation over lunch one day quickly turned into a “well, why not?” Six months later, that pie-in-the-sky dream was a reality, and we couldn’t be happier…or busier. In the spirit of creating something from the ground up, we’ve curated a list of other queer southern entrepreneurs who have taken their passions, go-getter…
After causing a stir in the Texas art scene with his participation in Mexic-Arte Museum’s annual Young Latino Artist exhibition (Young Latino Artists 22: ¡Ahora!) in Austin, Jose Villalobos is shifting his energies from the world of fine art to the creation of a brand new line of LGBTQ Pride-themed novelty items. For those of us who may not be able to afford museum-quality artworks, this line of merchandise allows the perfect opportunity to support the arts while showing a bit of pride. The…
Austin-based yoga instructor Abi Robins’ life changed when they stepped into a yoga studio for the first time in 2013. A friend in Siloam Springs, Arkansas dragged Robins to a hot power yoga class, which contradicted Robins’ preconceived idea that yoga was simply breathing and stretching in a quiet room. After an intense workout that left Robins drenched in sweat, they laid on their back for five minutes in the final shavasana resting pose. In that moment, they felt a…
I spent most of 2017 planning (and secretly dreading) a queer southern wedding. My partner and I were together for nearly seven years before getting engaged, and a full eight before the actual wedding. We went through undergrad, grad school, four apartments, three cats, two dogs, countless trips together, an infinite number of laughs and tears, and more than a handful of awkward family moments before getting to the alter. …
Like water and oil, Christianity and LGBTQ identity are often seen as separate and impossible to mix. But for southerner Sam Fagan, her faith and queerness are both equal, essential parts to her holistic identity. While she admits the process is ongoing and has not been easy, Fagan has found a way to reconcile the two and finds peace in the balance.…
For a brief time beginning in the 1970s and stretching up to the 2000s, a new species of community institution sprinkled the southern landscape—the LGBTQ bookstore. Once prolific, these stores are now endangered. While LGBTQ visibility and community participation has expanded exponentially, economic changes have forced nearly all small bookstores to either close or shift their retail focus. Yet a few determined LGBTQ and feminist bookstores—from the funky Faubourg Marigny Art and Books in New Orleans to feminist stalwarts such…
Mariel Salcedo has become a Rooster Teeth fan favorite, previously producing and guest starring in the now cult classic, Free Play, before taking on her current role on Always Open. For the production company’s LGBTQ devotees, however, she’s more than a comedic Internet celebrity—she’s someone they can connect to on a deeper level, someone they can call their own.…
Danielle Skidmore is a runner. She’s the parent to a special needs child. She’s a civil engineer. She’s an out transgender woman. And she’ll fight for your right to live your life authentically. “My experience, having lived in Texas for 23 years, is that it is—at least on some levels—a more open and progressive place than the mythology might imply,” Skidmore says. “I think there is something fundamental about the ‘Texas spirit of individually’ that does allow people to accept…
Boundaries will be pushed, identity celebrated, and community built at the second annual Gender Unbound Art Fest in Austin, Texas. This one-day talent showcase of trans and intersex artists, musicians, and performers run by the community for the community is set to take the city on September 2.…
