When asked about himself, the first thing Taylor De La Garza shares is that he’s from the Rio Grande Valley. The second is that, after he completes his studies in Houston, he wants to return to the Valley, where he plans to continue his journey of LGBTQ activism. “I was scared of accepting the queer part of me for a long time,” De La Garza says. “I owe a lot to my community back home.”…
Rio Grande Valley
Rise and Grind: 10 Queer Southern Entrepreneurs Doing The Work
Posted on January 31, 2018In the words of Fleetwood Mac, sometimes, you just have to go your own way. Such was the case for Spectrum South. What started as a “what if” conversation over lunch one day quickly turned into a “well, why not?” Six months later, that pie-in-the-sky dream was a reality, and we couldn’t be happier…or busier. In the spirit of creating something from the ground up, we’ve curated a list of other queer southern entrepreneurs who have taken their passions, go-getter…
Jotxs y Recuerdos: Podcast Archives Queer History in the Rio Grande Valley
Posted on June 14, 2017What was it like for LGBTQ people before photos could be readily shared and made visible on social media? Their pictures—which were often the only proof of them living their queer truths—must have meant something so much more. What were their lives like and what did it take to survive when it was dangerous to be out? Rio Grande Valley native Alexandra Nichole Salazar Vasquez explores those questions and more in her podcast, 'Jotxs y Recuerdos.'…
Beyond Borderlands: Reconciling Queerness in the Rio Grande Valley
Posted on June 12, 2017It’s been eight years since I left the Valley, but the Valley is my very being, and I carry it everywhere I go. The Valley and my queerness are equal parts of me. They’re both intrinsic to my identity as a queer Tejana — a diehard Texan with Mexican roots, a proud lesbiana, y Xicana.…