On the season three finale of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with the Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer, activist, author, and the first openly transgender Bishop in a major Christian denomination, to discuss being our own cheerleaders, finding hope in our current climate, and the evolution and ongoing restrictions of coming out.…
transgender
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. 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.…
Cinematographer Bianca Cline on Filmmaking, Trans Representation, and ‘Marcel the Shell’
Posted on October 17, 2022When Marcel hit theaters in the summer of 2022, millennials flocked to see the sentient one-inch seashell we had all come to know and love from the viral YouTube video of the same name. Marcel is charming and humorously witty and leaves viewers with that comforting tingle one can only experience following a healthy dose of nostalgia. The media frenzy surrounding Marcel’s release was more than Cline was used to, but it offered her the opportunity to not only discuss…
Reproductive Justice, Love, and Rock n’ Roll: ‘I’ll Have What She’s Having’ Hosts Picnic Fundraiser for Abortion Access in Texas
Posted on June 1, 2022Between the leaked Roe v. Wade draft opinion, horrific attacks on trans kids from the state’s legislature, and the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, Texans have experienced immeasurable trauma these past few months. The Houston-based, women-led organization I’ll Have What She’s Having (IHWSH)—composed of women chefs, hospitality professionals, entrepreneurs, physicians, scientists, artists, and other professionals united in social activism—is turning pain into action.…
A Dream Realized: The Mahogany Project Opens Houston’s First Black Trans-Led Community Center
Posted on February 24, 2022When I speak with Verniss McFarland III, founder of The Mahogany Project, the excitement is palpable. On February 26, the Houston-based non-profit will celebrate the grand opening of its new physical space, The Mahogany Project Center and, in turn, will become the first Black trans-led organization to open a brick-and-mortar location in the city.…
Texas, Why Don’t You Want Me Here?: On the Culture of the Lone Star State and My Trans Feelings
Posted on December 15, 2021Before I knew what “trans” was, I knew not to be it. As an overtly masculine Black girl in Texas, the state was already out to get me for my skin. Even worse though, my own Black community was out to get me for being different. …
Why World AIDS Day Matters to the Trans Community
Posted on December 1, 2021The language and sentiments surrounding this pandemic, from calls to action to “flatten the curve,” to the anxiety around human contact and intimacy, are reminiscent of another ongoing issue impacting our community—the HIV epidemic. …
AFAF 5: Ethical Porn and the Liberating Powers of Erotic Art with G and Kei
Posted on July 14, 2021In this month's episode of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with G and Kei, founders of BEYONDEEP Productions, to talk Black, queer representation in porn, living as a married, kinky, and polyamorous couple, preconceived notions of erotica, and more.…