Self-care is not just Instagram fodder, Lush bath bombs, aromatherapy, and crystals. It’s not selfies, expensive beverages, salads, yoga poses, or even spa services. Self-care is actually work. And it often can be free. It’s akin to the psychological concept of re-parenting, or self-stewardship. It is adulting 2.0. It’s an essential skill that combats the effects of living in the relentless consumerist culture we’re steeped in. But don’t let that discourage you, because here are my top 5 self-care tips…
queer
Spectrum South’s Best of Queer Music 2018
Posted on January 2, 2019Innovators, advocates, and revelers in the weird—queer artists often create the work that impacts society the most. Eye-opening, thought provoking, and sometimes even unsettling, it’s often art that turns tides. This year, we asked our staff for their personal nominations for best song by a queer artist in 2018. We’re excited to share with you our top picks—and few runners up! We won’t judge if you’re suddenly compelled to dance around your apartment in your underwear to the Spotify playlist…
Spectrum South’s 2018 Year in Review
Posted on December 31, 2018Happy (almost) New Year, queers! 20GayTeen has been a wonderful whirlwind for the Spectrum South team—full of transformative interviews, profound personal narratives, heartwarming celebrations of community, and our continued efforts to create a digital safe space for queer folks across the South.…
Episode 20: And That’s a Wrap!
Posted on December 30, 2018Veer Queer welcomes Koomah of the Houston Intersex Society to discuss and deconstruct misconceptions about the intersex community.…
6 LGBTQIA Texans Who Stood up to the Trump Administration in 2018
Posted on December 19, 2018“Resist” has been the name of the game this year for LGBTQ Texans living under the Trump administration and statewide Republican leadership. But resisting isn’t just about protests and voting. Sure, those two forms of expression are crucial, but I’ve learned that there are countless other ways to resist and fight back.…
Supporting Queer Sex Workers: How and Why
Posted on December 17, 2018Sex work is term and concept that is, at best, misunderstood and vilified at worst. While almost everyone has benefited from sex workers’ labor at some point in their lives, few acknowledge this fact or think about the lack of support or rights that these artists and healers have in western modern society.…
Stitching Up Trouble: Tallahassee Trans Man Uses Embroidery for Social Activism
Posted on December 12, 2018When you think of embroidery, the image of a delicate grandmother stitching dainty flowers on a pillow might come to mind. Loss Cat Stitchery, however, is smashing that stereotype. Putting a modern, risqué twist on this old-fashioned hobby, the Tallahassee-based makers’ boutique stitches up designs with profanity, edgy jokes, social activism, and support for the queer community. …
Traveling While Queer: New Orleans
Posted on December 6, 2018Welcome to the second installment of Traveling While Queer! Join me as I journey across the country to discover our shared queer history and sightsee in some of my favorite cities. Along the way, we will explore hidden havens, places of LGBTQ significance, and help you plan your dream va-gay-tion. Next stop, NOLA!…
Queer Dance Theory: On Smashing the Heteropatriarchy, Creating Body- and Sex-Positive Dances, and What it Means to be a Queer Artist
Posted on November 30, 2018I recently attended a Choreographers' Forum at Houston's 2018 Dance Salad Festival. The panel consisted of two gay male choreographers and one straight female choreographer. During the question and answer portion of the evening, I stood up and asked the artists if they had choreographed any work that explored queer experience and romantic relationships. Given how common love duets are in dance, I expected at least one or both of the gay choreographers to name queer-themed works they had created.…
Traveling While Queer: Philadelphia
Posted on November 20, 2018Welcome, my vagabond and adventuring friends, to the first installment of Traveling While Queer! As an entrepreneur and consultant, traveling is a huge part of my job—building a strong network of movers-and-shakers means venturing from my home in Florida, out of the South, and journeying to cities across the nation. Along the way, I aim to share these cities’ vibrant LGBTQ histories (ones that are too often forgotten), as well as to lend my own personal queer perspectives on the…