When I began teaching Intro to LGBT Studies at the University of Houston in Fall 2016, I barely took the local queer community into consideration when I designed the course. Aside from having my students watch the documentary A Murder in Montrose about the Paul Broussard murder in 1991, my course was largely void of queer Houston content. This was surprising given my focus on local communities in my research and advocacy work. Even so, while discussing the events following Paul…
Houston
Gender Infinity: Conference Creates Safe Space for Trans and Gender Expansive People
Posted on September 25, 2017Now in its seventh year, the Gender Infinity conference returns to the University of Houston on October 13 and 14. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Colt and his spouse and fellow Gender Infinity co-founder, Becca, on the upcoming conference, their activism, and the future of gender.…
Reading Rainbow: Drag Queen Story Time Comes to Houston Public Library
Posted on September 11, 2017Sequined dresses, wigs that could put Dolly Parton to shame, a face beat to the heavens, and a book—story time never looked so glamorous. Soon this glittery scene will be a regular sight at the Houston Public Library, which launches Drag Queen Story Time on September 30.…
Transouthern Youth: Meet Landon Richie
Posted on August 30, 2017To his 26,000 Instagram followers, Houstonian Landon Richie embodies confidence—his posts are eloquent and encouraging, his face smiling and strong. In person, Richie is just as self-aware. He chats effortlessly about his activism, identity, and passions. It’s not until his mom, Erika, mentions an upcoming school band practice that I’m reminded the savvy individual sitting across from me is only 14 years old.…
Speaking Out: Intersex Texan Promotes Protective Policy
Posted on August 25, 2017When Mo Cortez was five years old, he woke up in a hospital bed, peeled back the sheets, and discovered a large red “X” on his groin. Cortez was born intersex—with ambiguous genitalia—and surgery was an attempt to “normalize” him. Instead, it made it him feel dehumanized, he says, “like a Frankenstein.” But despite his many challenges since then, Cortez says he has found truth in his identity, and has used his own experiences as motivation to tirelessly advocate for…
Episode 1: Get Out ‘n Stay Out
Posted on August 22, 2017Coming out, especially when you live in the South, can be hard. How do you come out to your parents? In the workplace? Is there ever a time when you stop coming out? And will Julien ever stop getting so nervous while they're being recorded? In this pilot episode, get to know the Veer Queer hosts, their coming out stories, and how they navigate living in their identities.…
From One South to Another: Houston Dash Player Talks Journey from South Africa to Texas
Posted on August 14, 2017For Janine van Wyk, playing soccer—or football as it’s known in her home country of South Africa—required her to be a trailblazer. “There weren’t any girls’ teams or girls who even played soccer back then,” says van Wyk, one of the most recent additions to the Houston Dash’s team. “There were no ways for girls to participate in the sport.”…
QFest 2017: Houston’s LGBTQ Film Festival Premieres July 27-31
Posted on July 17, 2017There are infinite ways to describe resistance. But for queer folks—especially for those of us in the South—our visibility is a radical and defiant form of resistance. Now, more than ever, it’s important for us to be seen, heard, and have our stories shared. That notion has been the driving force of QFest—Houston’s annual LGBTQ film festival—for over two decades. On July 27 through 31, the festival celebrates its 21st year by bringing queer intersectional documentaries, shorts, comedies, and biopics…
Señorita Cinema: Meet the Queer Filmmaker Behind the World’s Only All-Latina Film Festival
Posted on July 7, 2017Texas filmmaker Stephanie Saint Sanchez used to work at a mom-and-pop video rental store for many years. She would wander through the aisles and look at the covers of the shop’s nearly 70,000 movies, mesmerized by the fact that each film started off as a small idea in someone’s mind—and, for better or for worse, they persevered and saw their idea through to the end. …
What is the South?
Posted on July 3, 2017Inspired by a friendly yet fiery conversation with my friend about which states constitute “the South,” I decided to curate a more formal dialogue between Dr. Rachel Afi Quinn, Dr. Trevor Boffone, and myself—all queer people based in Houston with roots spread throughout the region—where we could hash out our ideas on what the South truly is. The following is an edited version of our conversation……