I first came to know of T Lavois Thiebaud—and became immediately obsessed—upon discovering their collaboration with musical duo Merel & Tony for the video Matroesjkpop. So I was delighted to learn about their new collaboration, ALMOST PERFECT WORLD, a musical film “rendered righteously imperfect” and meant as a New Year’s offering for 2023. This new film is whimsical, melancholic, wild, thoughtful, frenzied, and contemplative, which is also the perfect way to describe this magical collaboration. ALMOST PERFECT WORLD was conceptualized and…
LGBTQ
Finding Community as a Queer Single Parent
Posted on December 7, 2022Being queer in the South can often be a lonely experience, but when you’re queer and a single parent, you might think it’s next to impossible to “fit in.” While your top priority is likely your kids, that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to find a supportive community and to feel like you’re a part of something greater. …
The Texan Behind Off-Broadway’s Smash Hit ‘Titanique’
Posted on November 16, 2022As a gay youth living in a small house in the middle of a cotton field in Needville, Texas, Tye Blue never dreamed that he would one day have the chance to produce and co-write an Off-Broadway musical that would earn the praises of none other than the Andrew Lloyd Webber.…
Houston-based ‘Paradox Moth’ is the Queer, Black-owned Streetwear Brand Breaking Stereotypes
Posted on June 30, 2022The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to get creative—in the ways we work, the hobbies we adopt, and the art we make. For queer Houstonian Chuck Ohamara, that creativity birthed Paradox Moth, a fully inclusive, LGBTQ-focused, minimalist streetwear brand. Along with fellow co-creator and queer model Alex Sundstrom, Ohamara set out with a simple mission: to build a fashion brand for everybody and every body. “It started as a side hustle,” Ohamara explains. “We wanted to test how to run…
AFAF 9: Sex Education in Black Southern Communities with Jasmine Phillips
Posted on April 5, 2022On this episode of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with sex educator, Ph.D. candidate, and disease intervention specialist Jasmine Phillips to discuss being a Black LGBTQ researcher, sexual satisfaction and communication among partners, healing generational trauma, and how to meet communities where they're at when it comes to sex education.…
Unlearning Leviticus: Bridging the Gay-Christian Gap
Posted on December 29, 2021However, from the boundaries of my own lived experience, and despite Christ “ending the old law,” Christians who condemn LGBTQIA+ identities and experiences often cite one Old Testament passage in particular, and there has perhaps been no text with a larger influence on attitudes toward gay people than the biblical book of Leviticus.…
Chamber Holiday Food Drive to Help Houston LGBTQ+ Seniors in Need
Posted on December 7, 2021Community takes care of its own. That’s why, on December 10, the Greater Houston LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce will host its annual Chamber Holiday Food Drive to ensure the city’s LGBTQ+ seniors have plenty of food on their plates this holiday season.…
Representation on Screen: Powerful TV Series Showcase BIPOC LGBTQ Narratives
Posted on August 5, 2021In my first-ever article for Spectrum South, I elaborated on the need for and importance of more BIPOC LGBTQ representation within the hip-hop and rap scene, arguing that the industry won’t change for the better until more queer artists—and those in leadership roles within the music industry—live and produce openly. This logic, however, isn’t siloed to the world of music; as more and more BIPOC LGBTQ actors come out, and our narratives are written into episodes, the television industry is…
PhotoMania: The Barbara Levine and Paige Ramey Photography Collection is a Glimpse into our Shared Queer History
Posted on July 9, 2021While fine art museums have long slept on vernacular, or “found,” photography, Houston and San Miguel de Allende–based artists and collectors Barbara Levine and Paige Ramey have not. The couple has spent over 30 years sifting through junk shops, flea markets, and online stores to build a vernacular photography collection they lovingly call “PhotoMania.” The collection comprises over 5,000 photographic objects—from postcards, to family portraits, to photographic sculpture and altered photographs. “Barb and I, when we travel, anywhere we go…
As We Emerge: LGBTQ BIPOC Mental Health Following Isolation
Posted on May 28, 2021Wow, where has the time gone? 2021 has already raced by, and I can’t believe it’s already May. As vaccines are rolling out, it feels like the world is finally starting to open back up just in time for summer, with the prospects of travel and social life on the horizon. While some are chomping at the bit to emerge back into society, others are much less comfortable, still feeling the weight of the pandemic. The month of May marks…