In the wake of increasing societal awareness around the need to support marginalized communities, the concept of “safe spaces,” particularly in the context of the LGBTQA+ community, has come to the forefront. These spaces are designed to eliminate biases and microaggressions, creating environments that promote respect and inclusivity. But as appealing as this ideal sounds, the notion of a universal “safe space” is both unrealistic and potentially limiting. Let’s explore a more pragmatic approach: shifting from pursuing safe spaces to…
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AFAF Ep. 16: Promoting Equitable Prenatal Care with Dr. Erin Atkinson
Posted on July 26, 2023On this month's episode of Asking for a Friend, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with Dr. Erin Atkinson, a prenatal genetic counselor in Houston, Texas, to discuss queer family building, access to competent sexual healthcare, and the nuance of sex chromosomes.…
Historians of the Queer South: Announcing a New Spectrum South Series
Posted on June 12, 2023We know you don’t have time to read every book and listen to every podcast out there. But chances are, you’re curious to know more about our history (and herstory, and theystory). That’s why we’re launching Historians of the Queer South, Spectrum South’s new series of articles profiling the writers and researchers who are helping to tell our stories. Each month, we’ll share a new article highlighting a scholar who we think has made a particularly important contribution to our…
REVIEW: Elisheva Fox’s ‘Spellbook for the Sabbath Queen’ Explores the Paradox of the Queer Texan Experience
Posted on May 26, 2023As a queer Texan, Elisheva Fox’s debut poetry collection, Spellbook for the Sabbath Queen, moved me in recognizable, yet surprising ways. If you have any relation to the area, you will adore the scenery of this book, not only in familiarity (sometimes lacking in poetry) but through the handling of queerness in Texas. The poet draws you into an array of colors, from violets to bluebonnets, from gray-green waters to golden grass. Fox cycles between the vibrancy of the “Texan…
Queer and Trans BIPOC Artists ‘Shapeshift,’ Push Artistic Boundaries
Posted on May 8, 2023The Austin-based queer transmedia festival OUTsider, founded by Curran Nault and co-founded by filmmaker PJ Raval, has long been known for pushing artistic boundaries. Last year, I was delighted to profile three of the festival’s BIPOC artists, focusing on how each found moments of liberation in their art during the era of COVID. Although I’ve since moved to my new home in Richmond, Virginia, I was excited to virtually reconnect with my Texas ties to interview a few of the…
How To Build Up Queer Youth in a World That Breaks Them Down
Posted on April 20, 2023So, what can you do to build up queer youth in a world that breaks them down? How can you become an ally that takes action? Let’s cover a few things you can do right now that will help the youth in your community, helping to foster a culture that will be more inclusive and accepting in the future.…
AFAF Ep. 14: Jewish Perspectives on the Queer Experience with Orlando Meier-Brix
Posted on April 18, 2023On this episode of Asking for a Friend, host Dr. Laura McGuire welcomes the podcast's first international guest, queer and trans Jewish scholar Orlando Meier-Brix, to discuss his conversion to Judaism, queer inclusivity in the Jewish faith, coming out as non-binary in his home country of Austria, and evolving trans rights in Europe.…
AFAF Ep. 13: The Evolution of Queer Southern Law with Sarah Saint and Milan Pham
Posted on March 14, 2023On the season three premiere of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with Sarah Saint and Milan Pham, two queer southern lawyers, to discuss the future of marriage equality in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade, queer parental rights in family planning, and the evolving legal landscape for trans folks in the South.…
Texas Asia Society Screens New Documentary Exploring the Lives of Trans Youth in Iran
Posted on January 24, 2023On January 25, as part of the Festival of Films From Iran, the Texas Asia Society, in partnership with Rice Cinema, MFAH Films, and the Normal Anomaly Initiative, will present producer and director Saeed Gholipour’s 'This Is Not Me,' a moving documentary portrayal of the lives of two young transmasculine youth in Iran, Shervin and Saman, as they pursue the gender realignment options available to them.…
Never Getting it Quite Right: The Perfectly Imperfect New Year’s Offering of Merel & Tony’s musical film ‘ALMOST PERFECT WORLD,’ in Collaboration with Houston Artists T Lavois Thiebaud and Stephanie Gonzalez
Posted on January 1, 2023I first came to know of T Lavois Thiebaud—and became immediately obsessed—upon discovering their collaboration with musical duo Merel & Tony for the video Matroesjkpop. So I was delighted to learn about their new collaboration, ALMOST PERFECT WORLD, a musical film “rendered righteously imperfect” and meant as a New Year’s offering for 2023. This new film is whimsical, melancholic, wild, thoughtful, frenzied, and contemplative, which is also the perfect way to describe this magical collaboration. ALMOST PERFECT WORLD was conceptualized and…