I was raised as a little girl in the Midwest, but I never quite fit the mold. I found myself adventuring through the woods and spending hours in the Walmart toy aisles, fawning over the hot wheels, Star Wars, and Legos, all the while knowing I was “behind enemy lines.” I prepared back stories about shopping for a brother or a classmate’s birthday, knowing full well the truth would be unacceptable. Self-awareness came early for me, as it does for…
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The sun started to fall below the rooftops of the houses that lined against our own. Crockpots and slow cookers stood together like a row of soldiers atop the kitchen counter, working patiently toward the evening’s meal. I felt my hands trembling as I mustered the courage to speak. The sentence was caught in my throat. My mother was halfway out the back door when it happened.…
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During my time as a writer for Spectrum South, I’ve established a brand with my work: holistic and inclusive profiles of some of the South’s most prolific and boundary-pushing queer artists. I’ve detailed the avant-garde performances of Experimental Action, revealed five queer southern artists you should know, and journeyed through the transformative work of gender-nonconforming artist Cassils, among others. But I want to push myself further—to try something new and outside of my standard. My intention with the piece you’re…
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To this day, one of the most common misconceptions I hear in both my classes and from my well-educated non-queer colleagues (one that I actually addressed in my 2015 doctoral dissertation) is that being LGBTQ is not always a normal, naturally occurring identity. Instead, it is the result of abuse. I am both terrified and frustrated to no end that this myth—that abuse can “make you gay”—is still very much alive and well. I am in awe of how many…
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In Houston, a city that over two million people call home, finding new friends can be quite the overwhelming task. And of course when you’re queer, it feels as if your odds of meeting that special platonic someone are even smaller. Marissa Ramos, a graduate student at the University of Houston, has made the search to find a local queer bestie a little bit easier with “Queer Friends Houston,” an Instagram page where queer people can meet new fellow queer friends…
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This year, OUTsider Fest celebrated its fifth year with enthusiasm, collaborative spirit, and queer BIPOC avant-garde delights. Artistic director Curran Nault and president PJ Raval opened their home to morning Conferences on the Couch, casual round-table panel discussions of the previous night’s performances and exhibitions, and created a space for the different artists to discuss their views and work through the lenses of different academically salient topics. In the afternoon and on into the evening, performative works ranging from theatre…
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Telling stories about the nuances of queer female sexuality is the core of playwright Christina Quintana’s craft. In an essay about her play Scissoring, Quintana writes: “I love women, I love lesbians, I believe in stories about queer women of color more than anything.” This passion is precisely where Quintana draws inspiration for her latest play, Azul, which receives its world premiere at Southern Rep Theatre in New Orleans from March 27 to April 14, 2019. The production is a…
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Oftentimes, queer community is forged at gay bars, nightclubs, or other social gatherings centered around alcohol. And if you’re a queer person of color seeking community, it can be even more challenging to find a place or event to meet others like yourself. Niecee X, a 29-year-old community organizer and artist, is trying to change the scene in Dallas by organizing QTPOC-centered open mics, intentional conversations, and dinner parties with the hope of one day opening Revolution Café and Bookstore…
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On a chilly Sunday morning, I met my editor at an East Downtown café to share a cup of coffee and swap story ideas for the upcoming months. As a queer woman and aspiring arts leader, I’d been mulling over the concept of authoring a piece for Women’s History Month that would highlight queer female leaders within Houston’s arts scene. I got the green light to move forward, and in the following weeks, I searched religiously for the female role…
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Veer Queer discusses co-host Julien Gomez’s recent nomination for Non-Binary Grand Marshal of the Houston LGBTQ Pride Celebration. …
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