Drive down Houston’s I-10 highway, and you’ll see a newly erected billboard with a simple, yet powerful statement: Protect Black Trans Women. An effort by the Transgender Ally Collective (TAC), this billboard relays a crucial message in a time when Black trans women are being murdered at alarming rates.…
The Black Lives Matter movement was founded on July 13, 2013, by Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Patrisse Cullors, in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter has since developed into an international human rights organization that aims to end systemic racism. Garza (who identifies as queer) initially helped to bring an intersectional lens to the movement—intentionally addressing how race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity impact oppression. Yet, as Black Lives Matter has grown into…
Photography, and the hierarchies that exist within the medium, have long been defined from a Western perspective. Accordingly, celebration and representation of the Black figure have largely been absent from museum collections, traditional gallery spaces, and other fine arts institutions. Houston’s FotoFest, the first and longest-running international biennial of photography and new media art in the United States, aims to confront and challenge “this shortsighted, albeit canonized lineage,” with this year’s exhibition, African Cosmologies: Photography, Time, and the Other.…
Turn to any Hollywood film or television portrayal of Voodoo and you’re most often faced with the same, sensationalized representation—an evil, devil-worshipping religion practiced amongst impoverished Black communities in Louisiana. While the religion may be romanticized in some cases, it is still largely seen as violent, graphic, and wicked. These misconceptions directly stem from the very real racism and misogynoir that exists in Hollywood and society at large.…
I grew up in a time before social media. As fantastical as it sounds, there was a time before social media existed, where all socializing happened live and in person. Relationships were developed through physical and organic interaction—the old-fashioned way of getting to know someone. Bonds were built slowly and solidified over time. But as social media platforms and apps have entered the scene over the last two decades, the ways we connect were transformed, shifting to focus on increasing…
TRANScending Barriers isn’t your average nonprofit. An Atlanta-based re-entry program geared toward helping transgender individuals acclimate back into society after incarceration, it is a vital lifeline for the trans community it serves. Although the US transgender population now exceeds 1.6 million, the trans community continues to face heightened levels of institutional and societal discrimination. Add other intersectional identities, such as race, into the mix and that discrimination increases.…
Walk into the Hot Towel, an all-female-run, queer-owned, full-service barber shop (stylized as ‘Barb*Her’) located in Houston’s Uptown/Galleria area, and you’re immediately struck by the space’s comfortable and relaxing vibe. Even more so, you’re hit with the overwhelming sense of love among its team members. It’s clear that the Hot Towel isn’t a one-woman show centered around owner Tinisha Cox; it’s a place of genuine comradery. This feeling was confirmed when I reached out to Cox for an interview. She…
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “clothing” as “garments in general.” While the word “clothing” is not inherently a gendered noun, we as a society have declared different types of clothing to be specific to one of two genders/sexes. Clothing such as skirts and dresses have traditionally been associated with women/feminine persons; meanwhile, loose clothing and suiting have been linked to men/masculine persons. Throughout the history of Western civilization, ingrained and rigid gender roles—coupled with sexism—have helped to maintain this status quo.…
I live my life by two mottos: “Be an unapologetic, bad bitch,” and “Be the woman and person you’ve always needed in life.” I am a strong, confident, and bold Black trans woman who is not afraid to embrace the intersectionality of her identity; one who is unafraid to take the road less traveled and to be a trailblazer.…
