Browsing Tag

queer

This Queer Non-Binary Femme Makeup Artist Wants to Look Otherwordly in Small-Town Texas

Posted on September 16, 2019
A photo of makeup artist Gayylien.

Spotted in Lockhart, Texas, just outside of Austin, is an otherworldly being shopping at H-E-B. Jeannette Celine, known as Gayylien, is a non-binary, Xicanx femme makeup artist who seeks to transform themself into a “freak” using makeup and body paint. "I just want to be an art piece," Gayylien, who uses they/them pronouns, says. "I want to be a freak. I want to challenge people's notions of gender, sexuality, and normality. I have the ability to transform myself into anything…

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Important Intersections: Dr. Jess Waggoner Teaches First Transgender Studies Course at University of Houston

Posted on August 21, 2019
A photo of Dr. Jess Waggoner.

Growing up in rural Alabama was difficult for University of Houston professor Dr. Jess Waggoner. Yet, despite being surrounded by gendered expectations, they persevered and found ways to express themselves as a young, queer, non-binary person. In particular, singing in church and reading were ways they could be momentarily free. “As a fat, femme, disabled, non-binary scholar with a deep love for glitter, crop-tops, bolo ties, and camp, finding my place in the academy has not always been easy,” says…

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When to Talk to Your Kids about Queerness

Posted on August 19, 2019
A photo of talking to your child about queerness.

The birds and the bees. Life and death. Why do we exist? Bringing up tough conversations with kids is always a large task. The question is not only how to address these things but when. As queer parents and allies, we may hear conflicting messages on when and how to bring up queerness. From gender identity and expression to sexual orientation, there are many schools of thought on the age-appropriateness of these socially divisive topics.…

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She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: The Best Queer Cartoon Around

Posted on August 16, 2019
A photo of She-Ra.

There’s a new superhero in town, and her name is She-Ra. Well, she’s not exactly new. She-Ra originally appeared in the 1980’s as a feminine answer to He-Man, and it was widely acclaimed as being…well, campy at best. When I told one of my coworkers that I was watching She-Ra, he verbatim asked, “You mean the old toy commercial?” Sometimes delightful, sometimes cringe-worthy, always cheesy, the She-Ra of the last century was a cult favorite that faded into the fabric…

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To Be Queer and to Be Outside

Posted on August 15, 2019
A photo of being queer and outside.

Texas is rich in natural beauty. Because the state is so large, it boasts several different kinds of terrains and climates—breathtaking views of mountains, canyons, hill country, and plains. This beauty often feels like Texas’ best kept secret, as it may not immediately come to mind when people think of the state. I've lived in Texas my entire life and I'm just now appreciating the stunning nature found here—and how it heals me as a queer person living in this…

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Photo Recap: QFest 2019 Opening Night Presented By Spectrum South

Posted on August 14, 2019

The Opening Night of QFest Houston 2019, presented by Spectrum South, was held on Wednesday, July 24 at Rice Cinema. The evening included a screening of Jennie Livingston’s revolutionary film Paris is Burning (1990), and an after party of drinks, dancing, mixing and mingling, and performances by Stoo (feat. Luis Cerda and Ricky Lethridge) and emcee Roxanne Collins.…

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An Ode to Butch Women

Posted on August 9, 2019
An illustration of butch clothing.

Sometimes I stare at my wife’s hands and am overcome with appreciation. My wife’s hands are usually dry and smell of cigarettes and whatever she last ate—take that as you will. Her hands are strong and remind me of safety and security. When we first started dating, I used to watch her hands on the steering wheel. I would stare, mesmerized, at the hands that were quite literally holding my life and driving me forward; gently and carefully at times,…

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Some Heroes Wear Flags: Texas Educator Brings Pride and Acceptance to the Classroom

Posted on August 6, 2019
A photo of openly gay Texas educator Bill Becker.

Beads of sweat slide down the skin of weary travelers as the terminal’s oppressive heat overwhelms the expansive silver hall. A tall, slender man sits at the gate—in one hand, a ticket to China; in the other, a phone he has forced to sleep. Just moments before it entered its slumber, the phone was used to deliver a critical text message—revealing the man’s truth. The young man, face flushed from the persistent heat, sentenced any impending response to wait within a…

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Coming Up to and Above The Surface: Finding Strength in My Non-Binary Identity

Posted on July 25, 2019
A photo of non-binary Houstonian Jayce Tyler.

The first time I “came out,” it was more of being pulled out. My parents had just discovered I was gay and the world turned upside down. My father was angry with me, but I couldn’t understand why because he has a lesbian sister and a gay brother. My mother simply ignored me. I spent the next few years silencing the things about myself that I knew my parents would never understand. …

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