Walking into a Fear the Queer (FTQ) show is like being transported into a world of queer fantasy and fiction. The music is loud, the lights are dimmed, and the boundaries of drag and art are being pushed and pulled in every direction. Self-described as “a perfectly peculiar posse of performers,” “an incubator of talent,” and “a safe haven for the alternative subculture, within a subculture,” FTQ came out swinging when they launched last August.…
Continue Reading
Shortly after the Orlando Pulse shooting, a symbol of Pride and resiliency appeared in Houston—the Pride Wall HTX. The rainbow-striped wall spanned the exterior of the Select Skate Shop in the Montrose District and quickly became a favorite backdrop for LGBTQ and allied Houstonians. Unfortunately, graffiti began to pile up, and soon the wall began to look less like a symbol of Pride, and more like a free-for-all canvas. As a result, the owners of Select made the decision to…
Continue Reading
“You just don’t have the look.” This was the argument that queer Latino actor and playwright Emilio Rodriguez continuously faced from casting directors. After receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre studies from the University of California at Irvine, Rodriguez eagerly entered the industry only to have one audition inquiry after another declined. “So, I began writing roles for characters that look like me,” Rodriguez explains. “To represent characters who were experiencing what I went through, no matter what…
Continue Reading
Veer Queer sits down with Black Lives Matter Houston leader Ashton P. Woods about why this movement is still so important.…
Continue Reading
“I wish I would’ve found it when I was a little younger,” laughs Belinda Pedraza, AKA Sweetie Todd. At age 55, she’s one of the oldest members of Houston Roller Derby (HRD), but arguably one of the most versatile. Sweetie joined the league over a decade ago and has been happily ingrained in the female-dominated sport ever since, volunteering her time first as a medic, then skater, official, coach, and now production manager.…
Continue Reading
The lights are low, but the energy is high as a hot Afrobeat hits the speakers at Houston’s Guava Lamp Lounge. Morena Roas takes the stage, grabs the mic, and the real fun begins. Her hip-hop vocals are laced with international flair, and fill the room with a salty sweet vibe. The floor is hers.…
Continue Reading
A beauty mark beard dances along K Garner’s chin; the lengthy shadow, an external reminder of the unique balance of masculinity and femininity that resides within the queer spoken word artist. It’s a balance Garner has been exploring since her early adulthood as she sought answers to questions like: What does it mean to be a woman? To be a man? To balance one or the other while weighing the terms “femme” and “butch”?…
Continue Reading
On a warm summer night in 2013, I walk by myself across the parking lot of the Montrose Center. My youth group peers have left me behind, chatting amongst themselves. Dee Dee Watters notices me walking alone, smiles, and waves a hand with long decorated nails. “I don’t know you, but I love you,” she says. “Have a good night. I’ll see you around.”…
Continue Reading
It’s March, and in Houston, that means three things: annoyingly ambivalent weather, springing our clocks ahead for the dreaded tradition of daylight saving time, and the most popular of the three by a long shot, Houston’s Livestock Show and Rodeo. Talk about tradition, this three-week-long event (celebrating 86 years this month) brings in over two million attendees every year and has committed more than $430 million to youth since its inception. No wonder it’s known far and wide as the…
Continue Reading
On February 24, LGBTQ and allied youth artists stood side-by-side, center stage at Houston’s MATCH with one declaration: “HEAR ME.” Their voices were shared as part of The T.R.U.T.H. Project’s first-ever installment that incorporated storytelling by LGBTQ youth and allies. Through intimate spoken word, movement, song, and visual art, this next generation of voices addressed and challenged stigma, rose above adversity, and united themselves with the audience for an incredible journey.…
Continue Reading
