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Texas

A Closer Walk with Aj: Southern Born Actor Chats Gay Exorcism Film

Posted on October 27, 2017
A photo of gay actor Aj Knight in a new exorcism film.

As a group of young, white evangelicals move into a predominantly Latino neighborhood to preach the gospel, one of the missionaries, Jordan, develops sexual feelings for the leader, Eli. But once Jordan is caught touching himself by the bathroom door while Eli showers, the group tries to exorcise his gay demons in a kind of conversion therapy. Thus is the premise of director John C. Clark’s new film A Closer Walk with Thee, starring Houston-raised out actor Aj Knight as…

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50 States, 50 Pieces of Art: Artists Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin Excavate Queer American History

Posted on October 24, 2017
A photo of the Texas installation of 50 States by Jake Margolin and Nick Vaughan.

A few years ago, visual artists and married couple Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin stumbled upon some little-known 19th century queer history in William Benemann’s Men in Eden. This uncovered book charts the journey of William Drummond Stewart, a Scottish lord turned fur trader, and his male lover Antoine Clement as they led an expedition of around a hundred men from St. Louis to what is now Wyoming. Inspired by this caravan of same-sex loving men, Vaughan and Margolin crafted…

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Your Friendly Neighborhood Queer: Rooster Teeth’s Mariel Salcedo

Posted on September 29, 2017
A photo of Mariel Salcedo on Always Open on Rooster Teeth.

Mariel Salcedo has become a Rooster Teeth fan favorite, previously producing and guest starring in the now cult classic, Free Play, before taking on her current role on Always Open. For the production company’s LGBTQ devotees, however, she’s more than a comedic Internet celebrity—she’s someone they can connect to on a deeper level, someone they can call their own.…

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Transouthern Youth: Meet Landon Richie

Posted on August 30, 2017
A photo of Houston transgender youth Landon Richie.

To his 26,000 Instagram followers, Houstonian Landon Richie embodies confidence—his posts are eloquent and encouraging, his face smiling and strong. In person, Richie is just as self-aware. He chats effortlessly about his activism, identity, and passions. It’s not until his mom, Erika, mentions an upcoming school band practice that I’m reminded the savvy individual sitting across from me is only 14 years old.…

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Speaking Out: Intersex Texan Promotes Protective Policy

Posted on August 25, 2017
A photo of intersex advocates Koomah and Mo Cortez.

When Mo Cortez was five years old, he woke up in a hospital bed, peeled back the sheets, and discovered a large red “X” on his groin. Cortez was born intersex—with ambiguous genitalia—and surgery was an attempt to “normalize” him. Instead, it made it him feel dehumanized, he says, “like a Frankenstein.” But despite his many challenges since then, Cortez says he has found truth in his identity, and has used his own experiences as motivation to tirelessly advocate for…

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‘We Are All Human’: Austin Transgender Advocate Fights for Visibility and Understanding

Posted on August 21, 2017
A photo of Austin transgender advocate Danielle Skidmore

Danielle Skidmore is a runner. She’s the parent to a special needs child. She’s a civil engineer. She’s an out transgender woman. And she’ll fight for your right to live your life authentically. “My experience, having lived in Texas for 23 years, is that it is—at least on some levels—a more open and progressive place than the mythology might imply,” Skidmore says. “I think there is something fundamental about the ‘Texas spirit of individually’ that does allow people to accept…

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At The Forefront: Texas A&M Research Fellow Explores Evolution of Queer Youth Culture

Posted on August 18, 2017
A photo of Nikita Shepard, a research fellow focusing on the history of queer youth at the Don Kelly Research Collection of Gay Literature and Culture at Texas A&M University

Queer scholar Nikita Shepard sits at a long wooden table—the soft overhead lighting shines down as they dive into another issue of ONE magazine, one of the first pro-gay publications in the United States. This library has been Shepard’s home for the past month as they conduct research in one of the country’s premier collections of LGBTQ scholarly literature. But Shepard isn’t studying in the halls of Berkeley or the Ivy Leagues of the Northeast—they’re in College Station, Texas, in…

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Breaking The Norm: Defying Tradition to Find Truth

Posted on June 30, 2017
Breaking the Norm: Defying Tradition to Find Truth. A photo of Kelsey Gledhill, co-founder of Spectrum South and a queer woman from Texas.

When you come from a conventional place dominated by conventional people, it can be hard to break the mold. It almost becomes second nature to want to graduate high school, get married (to a man), have children, vote Republican, and run to Wal-Mart. Tempting, I know. But I powered through, and when it came time for college, I happily went on my way.…

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