As in states across the country, anti-trans bills are plaguing Alabama. Once again, conservatives have manufactured a problem so that they can craft a solution that causes undue suffering to an entire community already persecuted by conservative lawmakers in the state. Fiendishly, the community in question is children.…
On a recent drive through a rural community in the South, I stopped for a bite to eat at a local restaurant. A few months ago, I started an online business making rainbow crosses and other queer, Christian, and ChristoPagan items on Etsy. I try to wear the cross I made for myself as much as I can, and the exchanges I have had because of it have been deeply moving.…
Ten years ago, when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia as a high-school senior, Instagram wasn’t a thing. Facebook was all the rage, YouTube the feature of most teenage hangouts. I searched these platforms and others, desperately looking for virtual community forums of other people living with chronic pain—only to find the occasional group of middle-aged women, usually Anglo-Christian, living in the suburbs. I went to one of their meetups, over an hour drive from my parents’ house. As I lay…
In my first-ever article for Spectrum South, I elaborated on the need for and importance of more BIPOC LGBTQ representation within the hip-hop and rap scene, arguing that the industry won’t change for the better until more queer artists—and those in leadership roles within the music industry—live and produce openly. This logic, however, isn’t siloed to the world of music; as more and more BIPOC LGBTQ actors come out, and our narratives are written into episodes, the television industry is…
Did you know that Houston’s Third Ward is home to a queer-owned, Black-owned comic book shop? From now until July 31, Gulf Coast Cosmos Comicbook Co. is operating as a pop-up, with plans to soon be a permanent fixture in the community. The store is creating new comic fans and providing a safe haven for current aficionados.…
While Pride month may be over, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is keeping the queer vibes alive all summer long. As part of their virtual cinema program, MFAH is streaming three queer films: Against The Current and Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation (which the Museum premiered in June), and Can You Bring It: Bill T. Jones and D-Man in the Waters, which debuted on July 16. Although these films vary greatly, each tells a beautiful and deeply…
While fine art museums have long slept on vernacular, or “found,” photography, Houston and San Miguel de Allende–based artists and collectors Barbara Levine and Paige Ramey have not. The couple has spent over 30 years sifting through junk shops, flea markets, and online stores to build a vernacular photography collection they lovingly call “PhotoMania.” The collection comprises over 5,000 photographic objects—from postcards, to family portraits, to photographic sculpture and altered photographs. “Barb and I, when we travel, anywhere we go…
It’s Pride month! And with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots right around the corner, we’re seeing a hot debate around rainbow washing and performative allyship for profit by major corporations. Yet, one place remains, more often than not, unwashed by rainbows—the church. As frustrating as rainbow capitalism can be, it is at least an invitation for dialogue. If you are willing to rebrand for 30 days each summer, then perhaps we can discuss what support for the LGBTQ community…
I’ve always liked the idea of a big family. Blood relatives are included in that picture, sure, but really it’s about chosen warmth and community—lots of people sharing space, intimacy, laughter, and safety. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child from a small, disjointed family. I’ll never know, and I don’t know how much that root matters. What I do know is that, after dating for over 10 years, I identify as polyamorous whether I am partnered or not. This…
The start of 2021 was rife with big events—on the macro scale, the nation watched in shock as a riot stormed the Capitol of the United States, and only a few weeks later, we witnessed our first female vice president step into her role. After a year under varying states of lockdown and social isolation, we rejoiced at the rollout of the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine. At the micro scale, families around the nation saw their broods expand with the births…
