Browsing Tag

LGBTQ

QFest 2018: Houston’s International LGBTQ Film Festival Hits Screens July 26-30

Posted on July 19, 2018
A photo of QFest film The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

We will never achieve real progress unless we move beyond our own, often limited, perspectives. It is only when we open our eyes and minds to identities, cultures, and relationships different than our own, that we can find true strength in our togetherness, both as a community and as a force to be reckoned with. On July 26-30, QFest, Houston’s annual international LGBTQ film festival, will bring those stories and experiences to audiences across the city as it celebrates its…

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Dear Somebody: The Mahogany Project Centers QPOC Narratives in New Visibility Campaign

Posted on June 27, 2018

Verniss McFarland III is tired of queer Black and Brown stories taking a backseat. For the past year, McFarland has worked to uplift these voices through their work as founder of The Mahogany Project, a Houston-based nonprofit focused on bridging the gap between empowerment and education in Black and Brown LGBTQ communities. McFarland now seeks to bring these narratives to the forefront with the launch of the organization’s new visibility campaign, Dear Somebody: The Voices Once Unheard.…

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A Letter to my Fellow Queers Who Don’t Feel Welcome at Pride

Posted on June 22, 2018

I don’t know you personally, but I know what you’re going through. As your social media walls fill up with rainbow flags and public displays of wonderfulness, the word “Pride” dominates all month long. But, as a queer person, for whatever reason, you don’t feel like you have a part. Maybe it’s because you don’t feel “queer enough,” struggle with imposter syndrome, tell yourself that Pride isn’t for someone like you, that it’s only for the “real” queer people. Maybe…

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Feel My Pride Too: Comedian Sampson Joins The T.R.U.T.H. Project for One-Night-Only Pride Experience

Posted on June 12, 2018

Comedy as a catalyst for change. Laughter as a social conversation starter. These are the tools openly gay artist and comedian Sampson uses in his daily work—and he loves every minute of it. “I’ve been doing it for over two decades now,” Sampson shares. “I was one of the first Black, openly gay stand up comedians in the country and I’ve used [my work] to bring awareness to a lot of our issues as LGBTQ people. It’s about visibility, dispelling…

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A Long and Winding Road: Finding The Way As A Queer Christian

Posted on December 24, 2017
A photo of queer Christian Sam Fagan.

Like water and oil, Christianity and LGBTQ identity are often seen as separate and impossible to mix. But for southerner Sam Fagan, her faith and queerness are both equal, essential parts to her holistic identity. While she admits the process is ongoing and has not been easy, Fagan has found a way to reconcile the two and finds peace in the balance.…

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Holidays in the Aftermath of Harvey

Posted on December 13, 2017

Six days into Hurricane Harvey, things hit me. I was living in a motel room provided by FEMA with only a few sets of clothes, the photos I could grab, and my laptop. The space was decent and clean, but my heart was cluttered with the fear of the unknown. Don’t get me wrong, I’m resilient. Like thousands of other queer-identified people, I have been homeless before, couchsurfed many times, and learned to do whatever it takes to survive. It is…

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Yule Tide Pride: A Queer Guide to Surviving the Holidays

Posted on December 6, 2017
A photo of queer heart lights for the holidays.

Happy holidays! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and a Blessed Yule to all! With all of the hustle and bustle of these magical winter festivities, it seems impossible to feel alone. Yet, as queer folks, many of us often do. Sometime between Thanksgiving and the New Year, the feelings of loneliness and isolation begin to creep in. If we are single, have strained relationships with our families of origin, or are struggling with our identities, these feelings can be…

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Yes, I Still Eat Chick-fil-A

Posted on November 22, 2017
An illustration of gay Chick-fil-A.

The boycotts we engage in largely serve to elevate our own egos, as people think, “Look at the good I’m doing in the world by rejecting the hate chicken.” Plus, it’s not that hard to choose another fast-food restaurant off a U.S. Interstate where they dot feeder roads like weeds. But it’s almost unthinkable for liberals to picket Apple—especially when they have a magnificent pro-LGBTQ record. To add another dimension, we mostly boycott companies that only negatively affect the domestic…

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