Browsing Tag

QPOC

Small Town, Big Dreams: Jacob Kelley’s Journey to Spread Queer-Inclusive Sex Education

A photo of Mx. Jacob Kelley.

I grew up in a rural town where being unapologetically bold and beautiful was the mark of a troublemaker. I was raised in an area where being queer or identifying with the LGBTQIA+ community was considered a sin, a bedroom secret never to be talked about. In my reality, it felt more like I should move or disappear in order to please the traditions of a predominantly white, heterosexual, cisgender, Christian, and country mindset.…

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Queer and Trans BIPOC Artists ‘Shapeshift,’ Push Artistic Boundaries

A photo of Lechedevirgen Trimegisto, OUTsider artist.

The Austin-based queer transmedia festival OUTsider, founded by Curran Nault and co-founded by filmmaker PJ Raval, has long been known for pushing artistic boundaries. Last year, I was delighted to profile three of the festival’s BIPOC artists, focusing on how each found moments of liberation in their art during the era of COVID. Although I’ve since moved to my new home in Richmond, Virginia, I was excited to virtually reconnect with my Texas ties to interview a few of the…

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Houston-based ‘Paradox Moth’ is the Queer, Black-owned Streetwear Brand Breaking Stereotypes

A photo of Paradox Moth co-founder Chuck Ohamara.

The 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…

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A Dream Realized: The Mahogany Project Opens Houston’s First Black Trans-Led Community Center

A photo of Mahogany Project members.

When I speak with Verniss McFarland III, founder of The Mahogany Project, the excitement is palpable. On February 26, the Houston-based non-profit will celebrate the grand opening of its new physical space, The Mahogany Project Center and, in turn, will become the first Black trans-led organization to open a brick-and-mortar location in the city.…

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AFAF 6: Teaching Sexuality Education to Future Hispanic and Latinx Generations with Agnes Jimenez

A photo of the Asking for a Friend podcast with Dr. Laura McGuire.

On the season one finale of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with Agnes Jimenez, sexuality educator, doula, and Marine Corps veteran, to discuss her experiences growing up as a Puerto Rican lesbian in the military, how she found her calling as a sex educator, and how she’s actively fighting the generational stigma around sex and sexuality within Hispanic and Latinx communities. Agnes Jimenez (she/her) is a sexuality educator, is of Taina Afro-Caribbean descent,…

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For the Comics, For the Culture: Black, BLASIAN, QUEER-owned Comic Shop Hosts Pop-Up in Houston’s Third Ward

An illustration of the co-owners of Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. in Houston, Texas.

Did you know that Houston’s Third Ward is home to a queer-owned, Black-owned comic book shop? From now until July 31, Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. is operating as a pop-up, with plans to soon be a permanent fixture in the community. The store is creating new comic fans and providing a safe haven for current aficionados.…

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Earth Toned: New Black, Queer-Owned Wellness Shop Promotes Holistic Healing

A photo of Donavyn Hightower, owner of Earth Toned.

Holistic wellness is a journey—one that Donavyn Hightower knows well. Born and (mostly) raised in Houston, Hightower, a proud pansexual, Black woman and psychology major at the University of Houston, has long been passionate about spirituality and astrology. She is now seeking to help guide others toward better mental health and healing through her new online wellness shop, Earth Toned, whose slogan is “Bigger, Brighter, Inclusive.”…

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Black, Queer-owned Bakery ‘Suga In Your Tank’ Serves Up Cookies and Smiles in Houston

A photo of oatmeal cookies from Suga in Your Tank.

Desmond Briggs has adored baking from the time he was a child growing up in Memphis, Tennessee. There he spent countless weekends baking with his grandmother in her kitchen, whipping up delicious desserts and absorbing her love for the hobby. Now, as the owner of the Houston-based bakery Suga In Your Tank, Briggs is fulfilling his baking dreams while positively impacting the daily lives of others. “It’s something that I am passionate about,” Briggs says. “I am so overwhelmed with…

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Queers Who Cover: Reclaiming Modesty Through a Feminist Lens

A photo of Netta Ruth.

Last month, I began a journey to tell the stories of fellow LGBTQ people who follow the religious practice of hair covering—an exploration that was born from the need to find and connect with others who are both queer and called to outwardly express their deep-faith practice. I was overwhelmed with the response to my first article on Bailey Gammon, a young, disabled, queer Quaker who covers—numerous other queer folks across the faith spectrum reached out, wishing to share their…

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