“Try it on for size” takes on a new double meaning
Shellye Arnold and Tina Sabuco are dedicated to each other, their bearish lawn art, and their community 51 GOVINDA’S A divine intersection of food and faith
IMMIGRATION LGBTQ immigrants are facing new challenges in the age of Trump
Eat out and fight AIDS 53 NURTURING ALL THINGS NATURAL
55 FROM ROCK ’N’ ROLL TO POLITICS
Once a voice on the radio, Dayna Steele now lends her voice to political discussions
‘TIPS’ TOPS
An interview with Matt Murphy, playwright of ‘Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man’
CAN WE MAKE IT? An odyssey of gay refugees
THE CONFINES OF CREATIVITY
‘Ten Tiny Dances’ features queer Texas artists 63 UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
A Q&A with O UT S MART ’s Blase DiStefano
YEARS OF LOVE AND ACTION Resurrection MCC marks milestone anniversary
MONTROSE . . . Then and now
79 LIVING OUT AND PROUD
Realtor Cindy Hamann becomes first openly gay chair of the HAR board
83 JARED ANTHONY Real-estate guru and radio-show host 97 DESIGNING DUO
Jerry Hooker and Jacob Sudhoff tell you how to stage like a star 87 HOUSTON’S TOP REALTORS And where they eat
100 WEDDING GUIDE
Wedding caterers, plus Paul Kern and Tony Lee find true love
Design your Future
Fall 2013 Registration begins on May 6th! Start designing your future today, visit central.hccs.edu/iDesign or email: iDesign@hccs.edu
Contributing Writers Rich Arenschieldt, Susan Bankston, Aisha Bouderdaben, Troy Carrington, Kit van Cleave, Angel Curtis, Karen Derr, Steven Foster, David Goldberg, D.L. Groover, Marene Gustin, Blake Hayes, Suzie Lynde, Donalevan Maines, DavidElijah Nahmod, Neil Ellis Orts, Lilly Roddy, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Janice Stensrude, Brandon Wolf, Grace S. Yung
Rich Arenschieldt, Susan Bankston, Karen Derr, Steven Foster, David Goldberg, Marene Gustin, Kim Hogstrom, Josh Inocéncio, Shirley Knight, Ryan M. Leach, Suzie Lynde, Donalevan Maines, John Nechman, Joanna O’Leary, Lilly Roddy, B. Root, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Janice Stensrude, Henry V. Thiel, Megan Wadding, Josh Watkins, Barrett White, Brandon Wolf, John Wright, Grace S. Yung
Photographers/Illustrators
Photographers/Illustrators
Edgardo Aguilar, Dalton DeHart, Theresa DiMenno, Yvonne Feece, Mark Hiebert, David Eduardo Flores Perez
Account Executives
Account Executives
Dalton DeHart, Yvonne Feece, Mark Hiebert, Manuel Lara, David Eduardo Flores Perez
Jack Berger, Joanna Jackson, Ronald Le
Web Editor Ann Walton Sieber
Web Editor Megan E. Smith
Jack Berger, P C Douglas, Joanna Jackson, Greg Jeu
National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media - 212/242-6863
National Advertising Representative Rivendell Media - 212.242.6863
Publishers of OutSmart Magazine
Publishers of OutSmart Magazine 3406 Audubon Place • Houston, TX 77006 713.520.7237 • 713.522.3275 Fax
f the cover isn’t clue enough, let me tell you that the theme of this year’s food and restaurant issue is Diners, Donations and Drag.
Our issue begins with John Nechman sharing his top 100 must-try dining experiences. See if your favorite restaurant made the list.
Hamburger Mary’s opened in the ’hood. This little place is bringing great food, fundraising, and drag-a-tainment to Montrose. But they’re not the only charity vibe in town.
Since 1991, Dining Out for Life, the annual AIDS Foundation Houston dining fundraising event raising money for AIDS service organizations, takes place on April 27, 2017. Bering Support Group’s food-fest fundraiser Oodles of Noodles happens on April 29.
In addition to all the restaurant news, we’ve also taken an interest in local real estate. We interview the new out chair of the Houston Association of Realtors Board, Cindy Hamann, and our community real-estate professionals o er both home-buying and dining tips. And Shirley Knight takes you on a time-traveling tour of Montrose.
But I’d like to bring a more personal perspective to this April issue. For the past five years, I’ve had the pleasure and honor to work with the extremely talented Megan Smith. Megan started out as an editorial intern, and within a very short period of time, became O UTSMART ’s assistant editor. This is Megan’s farewell issue as she moves on to another career opportunity. We will miss her, and wish her the best of luck in her journey forward.
We hope you enjoy this issue!
- Greg Jeu
Featured are (clockwise from top)
Porsche Paris, Lady Shamu, and Violet S'Arbleu (see page 32)
Photography by Theresa DiMenno Art Direction by Alex Rosa Shot exclusively for OUTSMART at Hamburger Mary's Houston.
Houston Democrat Warns of Anti-LGBT
“Jihad”
By John Wright
Ein Texas Legislature
vangelical Christian state lawmakers are on “a jihad” to pass anti-LGBT measures in the 85th Texas Legislature, according to state representative Jessica Farrar, D-Houston.
Farrar made the comment in response to a question from OUTSMART regarding potential motives behind Senate Bill 6, the anti-transgender bathroom bill.
Farrar said she doesn’t believe, as some have suggested, that SB 6 is intended primarily to divert media attention from other embarrassing issues facing the state, such as the ongoing child-welfare crisis.
“I think these people are true believers,” Farrar said of anti-LGBT lawmakers. “I think they’re on a jihad. They think they’re operating religiously, but I don’t know any God that would be so hateful.”
Farrar, a staunch LGBT ally, added that she thinks anti-equality legislation poses “a bigger threat” in this year’s session than it did two years ago.
In 2015, GOP lawmakers introduced 23 antiLGBT bills, but none passed. This year, they’ve introduced 26, according to Equality Texas.
a C OMMUNITY
SB 6, the highest-profile anti-LGBT bill, remained stalled in a House committee after clearing the Senate. Both the chair of the committee and House speaker Joe Straus have spoken out against SB 6, virtually assuring that the bathroom bill won’t pass.
However, by March 28, anti-LGBT lawmakers had begun trying to attach some of the provisions in SB 6 to other bills as House floor amendments.
In addition to religion, Farrar said those pushing anti-trans bathroom proposals are motivated by politics. She said their goal is to force a floor vote related to LGBT rights, which could have implications for moderate Republicans seeking re-election in 2018.
“They’re obsessed with who’s in the bathroom. It’s creepy,” Farrar said. “There are Republicans within the party who are trying to ‘out’ other Republicans for not being hard-line enough.”
Chuck Smith, CEO of Equality Texas, said after a record turnout at the group’s lobby day that it’s critical for the LGBT community across the state to remain vigilant for the remainder of the session, which ends May 29.
and Edgardo Aguilar
Fighting Hate in the Capitol State representative Jessica Farrar, a staunch LGBT ally, says she believes anti-LGBT legislation poses “a bigger threat” in this year’s session than it did two years ago.
He encouraged supporters to sign up for the group’s action alerts at EqualityTexas.org.
“It is critical that when alarms get sounded—whether we need people at the capitol or we need to make phones ring o the hooks in o ces—we [have people who will] respond,” Smith said. “We are going to see a continued and prolonged e ort to try to get something bad enacted, and it’s going to show up in a lot of di erent places.”
Smith added that he believes anti-LGBT “religious freedom” legislation now has a greater chance of passage than SB 6. Of the 26
continued on page 17
A performance of The Last Night of Josephine Baker was held on February 26 at MATCH. Pictured are the cast, crew, and supporters.
Photos by Dalton DeHart
Luey 2017 was held on March 2–5. Pictured are (standing) Carl Tapia, Wes Lavergne, (sitting) George Tresch, and Sir Korwin
On March 5, the AIDS Walk Houston was held at Sam Houston Park. Pictured are Vince Ryan, Derrick Shore, Mayor Turner, KG Smooth, and Kelly Young
The Houston GLBT Political Caucus held its March meeting with Gary Wood and Ed Browne on March 29. Pictured are John Humphries, Jack Valinski, Vince Pryor, Fran Watson, Browne, Alexis Melvin, and Wood.
Pride Houston held its volunteer fair on February 25 at the Montrose Center. Pictured are Ronny Adriansyaqh, Germine Duhon, Michelle Suncin, Rich Martinez, Luis Rivas, and Anthony Ramirez
YOU MATTER AND SO DOES YOUR HEALTH
That’s why starting and staying on HIV-1 treatment is so important.
What is DESCOVY®?
DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. DESCOVY combines 2 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day. Because DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1, it must be used together with other HIV-1 medicines.
DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS.
To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking DESCOVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY?
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects:
• Buildup of an acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
• Serious liver problems. The liver may become large and fatty. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turning yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; light-colored bowel movements (stools); loss of appetite; nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.
• You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY for a long time. In some cases, lactic acidosis and serious liver problems have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.
• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY?
Serious side effects of DESCOVY may also include:
• Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking HIV-1 medicines.
• Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking DESCOVY.
• Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems.
• Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.
The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking DESCOVY?
• All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.
• All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how DESCOVY works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take DESCOVY with all of your other medicines.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if DESCOVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking DESCOVY.
• If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/ medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about DESCOVY, including important warnings, on the following page.
Ask your healthcare provider if an HIV-1 treatment that contains DESCOVY ® is right for you.
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including:
• Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: feeling very weak or tired, unusual muscle pain, trouble breathing, stomach pain with nausea or vomiting, feeling cold (especially in your arms and legs), feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.
• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark “tea-colored” urine; loss of appetite; light-colored bowel movements (stools); nausea; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.
• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking DESCOVY. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking DESCOVY or a similar medicine for a long time.
ABOUT DESCOVY
• DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
• DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.
HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY
• DESCOVY is a one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine that is taken with other HIV-1 medicines.
• Take DESCOVY with or without food.
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY
DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including:
• Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” section.
• Changes in body fat.
• Changes in your immune system.
• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.
• Bone problems.
The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY.
Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY.
BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY
Tell your healthcare provider if you:
• Have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.
• Have any other medical condition.
• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:
• Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.
• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY.
GET MORE INFORMATION
• This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.
• Go to DESCOVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5
• If you need help paying for your medicine, visit DESCOVY.com for program information.
Court Rules Discrimination Against Gay Workers Not Prohibited
By Kate Brumback, Associated Press
In a setback for gay rights advocates who had hoped for an expansion of workplace discrimination protections, a federal appeals court in Atlanta has ruled that employers aren’t prohibited from discriminating against employees because of sexual orientation.
A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on March 10 ruled 2-1 that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits workplace discrimination based on a variety of factors, doesn’t protect against workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The case was one of two that Lambda Legal had pending before federal appeals courts— along with an Indiana case at the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago—that the LGBT rights group had hoped would mark a significant step forward for gay rights.
In 2015, Jameka Evans sued her former employer, Georgia Regional Hospital in Savannah, alleging that she was discriminated against and e ectively forced from her job as a security guard because she is a lesbian and didn’t conform to gender norms.
Visiting Judge Jose E. Martinez wrote in the majority opinion that the court was bound by precedent set by a 1979 case that said Title VII doesn’t prohibit “discharge for homosexuality.”
An 11th Circuit decision from 2011 said discrimination against a transgender employee because of gender nonconformity amounted to sex discrimination and was not allowed, and Evans’ attorneys argued it should also protect gays and lesbians who claimed discrimination based on their sexual orientation.
Circuit Judge William Pryor, who was a party to that opinion, argued in a concurring opinion that the transgender case, which involved a legislative aide who was fired after telling her boss she planned to undergo a gender transition, was based on behavior rather than status.
“A gay individual may establish with enough factual evidence that she experienced sex discrimination because her behavior deviated from a gender stereotype held by an employer, but our review of that claim would rest on behavior alone,” Pryor wrote.
Pryor also argued that it was up to Congress, not the courts, to declare sexual orientation a protected class.
Judge Robin Rosenbaum wrote in a dissenting opinion that it is time for the court to recognize that the law prohibits workplace discrimination based on an employee’s sexual orientation, because that is discrimination based on sex.
four charities: PWA Holiday Charities, Pet Patrol, the Montrose Center, and Texas United Charities.
The Montrose Softball League Association held its Lone Star Classic on March 17–19 at the Houston Sportsplex and Missouri City Softball Park. Pictured are the D Knights, winners of third place in the D Division.
On March 12, Out at the Rodeo was held at NRG Park. Pictured are Jeff Bailey, Remy Lopez, Doug Mason, Debbie Storrs, Michael Darcy, and Eric Hulsey
“Plain and simple, when a woman alleges, as Evans has, that she has been discriminated against because she is a lesbian, she necessarily alleges that she has been discriminated against because she failed to conform to the employer’s image of what women should be,” Rosenbaum wrote.
Evans’ lawsuit also included a claim that she was targeted because of gender-based behavior, notably dressing like a man. The majority opinion said that could amount to a separate claim, and instructed the lower court to allow her to amend her initial lawsuit to try to bolster that claim.
In a similar case, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in July upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a 2014 lawsuit filed by Kimberly Hively of South Bend, Indiana, a former part-time instructor who said Ivy Tech Community College in her hometown didn’t hire her full time because she is a lesbian.
The full 7th Circuit vacated that panel’s decision, and all 11 of the court’s judges reheard the case in November. The ruling has not yet been announced, but several of the judges seemed to signal during oral arguments that they were ready to broaden the scope of the 53-year-old civil rights law.
Lambda Legal attorneys said they plan to ask the 11th Circuit to vacate the Evans ruling and have the full 11-judge court rehear the case, like the 7th Circuit did in the Hively case.
“This is not the end of the road for us, and certainly not for Jameka,” attorney Greg Nevins said in an emailed statement. “There is no way to draw a line between sexual orientation discrimination and discrimination based on gender nonconformity because not being straight is gender-nonconforming, period.” n
continued from page 13
anti-LGBT bills filed, the vast majority would allow discrimination against LGBT people based on people’s “sincerely held” religious beliefs.
“There are a lot more individual bills, so there’s a lot more to defend against,” Smith said of the “religious freedom” bills. “Each of those bills deals with a separate area that’s targeted, and all of those di erent areas become potential amendment targets.”
In particular, Smith said he’s concerned about House Bill 3864, which would give adoption and foster-care agencies a license to discriminate. A House committee left HB 3864 pending following a hearing on March 29.
“My concern is that this bill may replace the bathroom bill as the targeted legislation to pass this session by our opponents,” Smith said. n
Photos by Dalton DeHart and Edgardo Aguilar
The Krewe of Olympus held its appreciation party and check distribution to beneficiaries on March 19. Pictured are Clint Harwell, David Gandy, Ben Jones, and Bill Henry with representatives of the
From Boys to Men
s Cher once said, “And the beat goes on.” And so it does for three of the stars of the original Jersey Boys. Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, and Robert Spencer are touring as The Midtown Men, and you can catch them this month on the island at The Grand 1894 Opera House. Unfortunately, Michael Longoria (pictured in triangle at left), the original Joey, who later took on the role of Frankie Valli, won’t be on this tour due to Broadway
commitments. But you can catch his new release of “I Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You,” a 1967 hit for the real Valli that is making a comeback as a gay anthem. Didn’t realize the pop standard was a gay love song? Then read on: Bob Crewe, who wrote the 1967 hit (as well as other hits for The Four Seasons), would only come out as gay years later. Crewe passed away in 2014. And that song? Yeah, it was about his gay lover at the time.
Apparently he penned the lyrics after staring at his naked lover on a kangaroo bedspread, according to out actor Jonathan Hadley, who played Crewe in Jersey Boys. For fi ve decades, it’s been a standard for heterosexual weddings and young lovers, but Longoria is hoping it will now become the same-sex wedding song!
April 29
The Midtown Men thegrand.com
COURTESY THE GRAND 1894 OPERA HOUSE; LONGORIA - PETER HURLEY
Compiled by Marene Gustin
by Marene Gustin
The Midtown Men
L–r: Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard, Travis Cloer, and J. Robert Spencer are The Midtown Men.
Greater Tuna * last day An all-new cast, but the same great fun! thegrand.com
A Celebration of Survival A thru May 30 An exhibition designed to honor the heroes, victims, and survivors of the Holocaust. hmh.org
Dance Salad * Annual world dance festival. dancesalad.org
21
James McCartney * The singer/ songwriter returns to Houston. jamesmccartney.com
Rising Stars and Texas Legends A & 22 Festival of arts, culture, and food in Conroe. crightontheatre.org
25
Discussion of ‘The Nightingale’ + Presented by the Boniuk Library Book Club. hmh.org
Florescence + & 26 One of the largest fl ower shows in the country. fl ohouston.org
29
Pet-a-palooza + Pack up the pets and head to the island for a day of fun. galvestonhumane.org (See page 20.) Day of the Child + Kids join in the festivities at the Children’s Museum. cmhouston.org
Blue Plate Special + During Child Abuse Prevention Month, dine out at special eateries to raise funds. thethreadallianace.org
Ron Mueck Survey A thru August 13 Thirteen works by the contemporary sculptor on exhibit at MFAH. mfah.org
Concert Band & Soldier’s Chorus * Free performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre. milleroutdoortheatre.com
Houston’s Got Bollywood: The Red Carpet * Free performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre. milleroutdoortheatre.com 16
Happy Easter!
UH Jazz Ensemble * Enjoy some great music at Moores School of Music. uh.edu
Crafting a Legacy + Annual spring luncheon for HCCC. crafthouston.org
Charlotte’s Web * & 20 Free performance at Miller Outdoor Theatre. milleroutdoortheatre.com
22
East Montrose Home Tour & Art Walk + eastmontrose.org
Earth Day Bash + Festivities at the Children’s Museum. cmhouston.org Götterdämmerung * thru May 4 houstongrandopera.org
Das Barbecü * & 30 It’s the Ring Cycle, with BBQ! houstongrandopera.org
An Evening in the French Corner + Houston Chamber Choir’s annual gala. houstonchamberchoir.org/gala
In Darfur * thru May 13 A very timely play about refugees. landingtheatre.org (See page 20.) The Southwest Singers * HCC’s new vocal ensemble in a free concert. southwest.hccs.edu
Frank Billingsley Golf Classic + Benefi ts Legacy Community Health. legacycommunityhealth.org
Origins of the Self A thru May 7 Youth art exhibition organized by CAMH’s Teen Council. camh.org Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography A thru May 7 Student photography. mfah.org
Dining Out for Life + aidshelp.org
(See page 20.)
An Exquisite Evening + A benefi t for Lawndale. lawndaleartcenter.org
Andrew Zimmern + Foodie speaks at luncheon. councilonrecovery.org
Innovations * Wind ensemble at Moores School of Music. uh.edu
UH Ensemble Dance Works * See student works in this annual event. uh.edu
May 4–7 Sex Tips for a Straight Woman from a Gay Man V * A smash off-Broadway hit. lottentertainmentpresents.com (See page 65.)
More CALENDAR ➝
Calendar of Events
continued from previous page
An Act of God
Now thru April 16
–
It’s sinfully delicious! This new play from 13-time Emmy Award-winner David Javerbaum (although he claims God wrote it and he just transcribed it) has The Almighty and a bevy of angels arriving to answer questions from mankind. Alley artist Todd Waite portrays God, a role for which Sean Hayes got rave reviews on Broadway last year. alleytheatre.org
The Nacirema Society . . .
Now thru April 16
–
Thru 16
This sparkling comedy kicks off the Ensemble’s season. The Nacirema Society Requests the Honor of Your Presence at a Celebration of Their First One Hundred Years is a romantic comedy about an Alabama society that holds a debutant ball for African Americans. But things go hilariously wrong on the 100th anniversary. ensemblehouston.com
Snow White
April 7–May 6
–
7–May 6 Thru 16
A modern retelling of the tale wherein Snow is the bored housewife to seven short men. In this world premiere, she spends her days reading Mao Tse Tung and drinking vodka with (and impatiently waiting for) the prince promised to her by history. catastrophictheatre.com
In Darfur
April 20–May 13
–
20–May 13
The moving story of three people at a Darfur refugee camp. The lives of an aid worker, a journalist, and a Darfur woman intersect in this play that takes on special meaning in today’s anti-immigrant climate. A special reception one hour before curtain time on May 6 celebrates LGBTQ Night. landingtheatre.org
Pet-a-palooza
April 29
–
29
Pack up the pets and head to the island for a day of fun at this first-ever Galveston Island event. The island’s Humane Society is throwing this pet party on the grounds of First Lutheran Church, complete with live music, kid games, food trucks galore, animals for adoption, and tons of pet contests (think Best Costume, Best Pet Dance Move, Best Pet Hairstyle, and Best Pet Trick). So bring the whole family, including the fur babies, and join the fun. galvestonhumane.org
■
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Believe It or Not
The claims of a president and a senator.
Iowa Republican State Senator Mark Chelgren got himself semi-famous by wanting to put caps on the number of Democrats that state universities can hire as professors.
Chelgren thinks we have way too many Democrats teaching our college students. You would suspect he knows from personal experience that there are too many Democrats teaching in universities, because he claims to have a business degree from the Forbco Management school.
But it ain’t that clear-cut. It never is with Republicans.
State Sen. Chelgren’s alleged alma mater is actually a company that operated a Sizzler steak house franchise in southern California, and he doesn’t have a “degree,” according to Ed Failor, a spokesman for the Iowa State Republicans.
“This was a management course he took when he worked for Sizzler, kind of like Hamburger University at McDonald’s,” Failor told NBC News. “He got a certificate.”
Well hell, I have a certificate from Miss Betty Lou’s College of Baton Twirling, but that don’t mean I can twirl a damn baton, much less comment on the state of the American university system. Truth be known, I spent the money my momma gave me for baton lessons on makeup and eye shadow over at the Woolworth’s. Then I bribed Miss Betty Lou (who was kinda a souse) with a six-pack of Pearl beer (the Official Beer of High School Parking Lot Make-out Sessions), and she gave me a certificate. Momma never knew, although she grew suspicious whenever I konked myself on the head trying to twirl that thing.
And, oh no, he didn’t stop there. He kept lying.
“I don’t know if they are still in business or not,” Chelgren said. “The school was created by Forbco Management, and I got a degree in hotel restaurant management.” Now, right here is a man who can talk water into a boil at 20 paces.
Even if he did in fact get a diploma from Sizzler U., it’s not like he went to an Ivy League restaurant college like the University of Outback
Steakhouse or Appleby’s A&M.
When Chelgren did not respond to several requests for a copy of his diploma, or some other proof that he attended the Forbco Management school, NBC News reached out to the Iowa State Senate majority leader’s office. They had an answer:
Forget Forbco. Forget he ever said that. Forget that it ain’t even a college. The rascally devil now claims to have attended the University of California at Riverside for three years between 1992 and 1993. He says he majored in physics, which must be where he learned how to stuff three years into one—a scientific secret that we wish he’d share so we could apply it to the Trump administration.
He might be right. There might be too many Democrats teaching in our colleges. But lying about your education is not gonna make you smarter, any more than grabbing women by the pussy is gonna get you elected president.
Wait. No. I didn’t say that right.
And speaking of the Trump administration, Donald Trump is so hardheaded that he can pound nails without a hammer.
Apparently he had a bad dream and woke up believing it. He promptly tweeted that President Obama “tapped his wires” during the election. Since it was in quotation marks, I thought he was using a euphemism for something sexy and naughty. Imagine my disappointment when I realized he meant it literally.
Trump claims to have absolute proof of Obama’s wiretaps, but he can’t show us because it’s being audited.
So now we need to fi gure out when President Trump’s tweets are actually just euphemisms for “I need to see a doctor or something.”
A Dozen Lesser-known Claims that Donald Trump Made on Twitter:
12. Claims that he did not have sex with that woman. No, not her, that one. No, the other one. No! Can’t you see where I’m pointing?!
11. Announces a budget increase to chlorinate the press pool.
10. Brags about freeing the slaves, but you’re pretty sure he isn’t old enough.
9. Announces that Angela Merkel got the German chancellor job despite not doing very well in the swimsuit competition.
8. Claims to have more experience in foreign affairs than in extra-martial affairs.
7. You’re almost certain that no one named Vladimir signed the Declaration of Independence.
6. Now trying to prove Abraham Lincoln was born in Kenya.
5. Claims that thick smog is actually an important drinkable source of vitamins and minerals.
4. Believes Paul Ryan was saved by Tom Hanks in an old movie.
3. Claims he can see Russia from Mar-a-Lago, and hear it from anywhere.
2. Starting to add syllables to words to make his accomplishments seem more impressimilatude.
1. Announces that he’s removed all the gold, glass, and marble in his Trump Tower apartment and replaced it with the best faux-wood contact paper. Beautiful.
Resist!
Susan Bankston lives in Richmond, Texas, where she writes about her hairdresser at The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc., at juanitajean.com.
Pants on Fire
Trump (l) claims to have proof of Obama’s wiretaps; Sen. Chelgren (r) claims to have a business degree.
What is TRUVADA for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)?
TRUVADA is a prescription medicine that can be used for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used together with safer sex practices. This use is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This includes HIV-negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.
Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV-1. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP?
Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection:
u You must be HIV-negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative.
u Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.
While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection:
u You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.
u You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
u To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1:
• Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.
• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.
• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.
• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.
• Have fewer sex partners.
• Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
• If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.
u If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.
TRUVADA can cause serious side effects:
u Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats.
uSerious liver problems. Your liver may become large and tender, and you may develop fat in your liver. Symptoms of liver problems include your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/or stomach-area pain.
u You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions.
u Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking TRUVADA, they will need to watch you closely for several months to monitor your health. TRUVADA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.
Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?
Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1.
TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.
Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you also take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).
What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP?
Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include:
u Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
u Bone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.
u Changes in body fat, which can happen in people taking TRUVADA or medicines like TRUVADA.
Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomacharea (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP?
u All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.
u If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
PregnancyRegistry: A pregnancy registry collects information about your health and the health of your baby. There is a pregnancy registry for women who take medicines to prevent HIV-1 during pregnancy. For more information about the registry and how it works, talk to your healthcare provider.
u If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. The medicines in TRUVADA can pass to your baby in breast milk. If you become HIV-1 positive, HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.
u All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
u If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA for PrEP, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include ledipasvir with sofosbuvir (HARVONI).
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.
Have you heard about
TRUVADA for PrEP™ ?
The once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when used with safer sex practices.
• TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex.
• You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.
visit start.truvada.com
(tru-VAH-dah)
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP
Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection:
You must be HIV-1 negative. ou must get tested to make sure that you do not already ha e HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are con rmed to be HIV-1 negative. Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. ymptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fe er, oint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, omiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare pro ider if you ha e had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.
While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection:
You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.
You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
If you think you were e posed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare pro ider right away. If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you ha e HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat o er time.
See the “How to Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including:
Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. all your healthcare pro ider right away if you ha e any of these symptoms weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, omiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling di y or lightheaded, and or fast or abnormal heartbeats.
Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. all your healthcare pro ider right away if you ha e any of these symptoms your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark tea-colored urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for se eral days or longer, nausea, and or stomach-area pain.
Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you ha e H V and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without rst talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for se eral months. ou may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or se ere li er problems if you are female, ery o erweight, or ha e been taking TRUVADA for a long time.
ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS)
TRUVADA is a prescription medicine used with safer se practices for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk HIV-1 negati e men who ha e se with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through se . ale-female se partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.
To help determine your risk, talk openly with your doctor about your se ual health.
Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you:
Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. Take lami udine Epi ir-H V or adefo ir HEP ERA .
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP
TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including:
Those in the ost Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP section.
ew or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure. one problems. hanges in body fat.
Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomacharea abdomen pain, headache, and decreased weight.
These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare pro ider right away if you ha e any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.
BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP
Tell your healthcare provider if you:
Ha e or ha e had any kidney, bone, or li er problems, including hepatitis infection.
Ha e any other medical conditions.
Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
Are breastfeeding nursing or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you become HIV-1 positi e because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: eep a list that includes all prescription and o er-the-counter medicines, itamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare pro ider and pharmacist.
Ask your healthcare pro ider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.
HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP
Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not ust when you think you ha e been e posed to HIV-1.
Do not miss any doses. issing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
ou must practice safer se by using condoms and you must stay HIV-1 negati e.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK
now your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners. et tested for HIV-1 at least e ery months or when your healthcare pro ider tells you.
et tested for other se ually transmitted infections. ther infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.
et information and support to help reduce risky se ual beha ior.
Ha e fewer se partners.
Do not share needles or personal items that can ha e blood or body fluids on them.
GET MORE INFORMATION
This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. Talk to your healthcare pro ider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to pre ent HIV-1 infection. o to start.tru ada.com or call 1- - I EAD-
If you need help paying for your medicine, isit start.tru ada.com for program information.
Married by Common Law?
How you could legally tie the knot without actually saying “I do.”
If you and your partner have been together for a certain period of time, it is possible that in a “common-law marriage” state such as Texas, you are already considered to be a married couple even if you haven’t officially said “I do” provided that you meet the parameters for a common-law marriage.
Over the past several years, marriage and marriage equality have often been in the headlines. Yet, for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples, there can be conflicting information on what constitutes having “tied the knot” when it comes to common-law marriage. Additionally, not all U.S. states are considered “commonlaw” states, and those that are can have differing criteria in terms of when or if a couple is legally married.
Defining Common-Law Marriage
Throughout the years, there have been various myths about what makes a common-law marriage “official.” For example, many people believe that if two partners reside together for at least seven years, they are automatically considered to be married. This, however, is not the case. In fact, in most of the states where common-law marriage is recognized, you and your partner may only need to live together for one year as long as certain other factors are also in place.
For instance, in Texas a common-law marriage state there are three specific criteria that must be met by you and your partner. While the criteria may differ from one common-law state to another, in the state of Texas, these include the following:
• Holding yourselves out to be a married couple.
• Agreeing to be a married couple.
• Living together with your partner.
Once a common-law marriage has been formed, the couple is treated legally in the same
manner that a “traditional” married couple is treated. According to Mary Galligan, a board-certified estate-planning attorney here in Houston, this includes having to go through the process of filing for divorce if a couple no longer wishes to be married.
In addition to Texas, there are several other states that recognize common-law marriage. These include (in 2017):
• Colorado
• District of Columbia
• Georgia
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Montana
• Oklahoma
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• Utah
Note: while Alabama has been a commonlaw marriage state in the past, the state will no longer recognize common-law marriages that are entered into after January 1, 2017. However, common-law marriages that were entered into prior to that date will still be recognized. Likewise, several other states will recognize a common-law marriage, provided that it was created prior to a certain time. These are:
• Idaho (if created prior to January 1, 1996)
• Ohio (if created prior to October 10, 1991)
• Pennsylvania (if created before January 1, 1991)
• Florida (if created prior to January 1, 1968)
• Indiana (if created prior to January 1, 1958)
In addition, New Hampshire currently only recognizes common-law marriage for inheritance purposes.
Advantages and Drawbacks of Being Married through Common Law
While the LGBT community has accomplished some substantial milestones when it comes to marriage equality, there can actually be both advantages and drawbacks to consider prior to moving forward as a married couple. The same holds true for common-law marriage.
Certainly on the plus side, there are a number of financial-related advantages, such as the inheritance of property and other assets without the need to pay estate tax or even income tax when certain types of assets are transferred to one’s spouse.
On the drawback side, though, issues could come up if the relatives of a deceased partner oppose the survivor’s claim of being a spouse. In this case, a surviving common-law spouse may have to prove that the marriage was much more than just a casual relationship.
In addition, if common-law spouses opt to end their relationship, it isn’t as simple as just “moving on.” Rather, a formal divorce must take place, just like when a “traditional” marriage breaks up.
Common-Law Marriage and Same-Sex Couples
In October 2015, following the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which ➝
HOUSTON CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH
REPRESENTATION IS POWER
The Victory Fund Houston Champagne Brunch brings together over 500 prominent members of the Texas LGBT community, business leaders, elected and endorsed officials and Victory supporters from across the region. Join us in supporting Victory Fund’s efforts to recruit, train and elect openly LGBT leaders at all levels of government.
Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (NY)
Governor Kate Brown (OR)
continued from page 27
legalized same-sex marriage, and the Windsor v. U.S. decision, which struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Treasury Department released their final regulations amending the definition of “marriage” and “husband and wife.”
These final regulations set forth that, for federal tax purposes, the terms “spouse,” “husband,” and “wife” are defined as an individual lawfully married to another individual. However, the IRS declined to adopt certain suggestions, including, “That regulations clarify that common-law marriages of same-sex couples will be recognized for federal tax purposes.”
In addition, while the statutes of certain states that recognize common-law marriages only do so for opposite-sex couples, the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS opined that “the Supreme Court’s holdings, coupled with prior IRS guidance, make clear that commonlaw marriages are valid, lawful marriages for federal tax purposes.” In addition, while these agencies acknowledged that some U.S. states had laws “on the books” that prohibit same-sex marriage including some states that allow common-law marriage ”since the government was ‘unaware’ of any state enforcing those statutes or otherwise prohibiting same-sex couples from entering into common-law marriages,” the Treasury and the IRS declined to make any further clarifications on this issue.
Taking the Next Step
Even without an actual ceremony, it is possible that you and your partner could still be considered a married couple based on common law. Because all situations are different, though, it is highly recommended that you consult with a legal professional in your state so that you know exactly where you stand.
It is also important to keep in mind that laws and regulations can change at any time, so what is valid today may or may not be valid in the future. With that in mind, it is essential that you frequently review your financial, legal, and other key plans on a regular basis.
Working in conjunction with professionals who are well-versed in legal and financial issues as they pertain to the LGBT community can be beneficial and can help you to ensure that your intended plans are still on track.
Personal finance-related questions may be emailed to grace.yung@lpl.com.
Grace S. Yung, CFP, is a certified financial planner practitioner with experience in helping domestic partners plan their finances since 1994. She is a principal at Midtown Financial LLC in Houston and was recognized as a “FiveStar Wealth Manager” in the 2014 September issue of Texas Monthly.
Whether you want to save for the future, secure a personal loan, utilize exclusive online and telephone banking services, or enjoy the convenience of our ATMs and many locations, we are here for you. Call, click, or stop by and talk with a banker. If you would like to open an account over the phone, call 1-800-932-6736 any time (or 1-800-311-9311 for service in Spanish).
wellsfargo.com
FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Check out these fabulous events co-sponsored by O UT S MART and our marketing partners.
April 6: Out@TUTS Night presents Dreamgirls, The Broadway Musical. Join us the first Thursday performance of each show. After the performance, mingle with the cast and listen to fabulous cabaret music with your LGBT friends at Artista. tuts.com
April 8: Red Dinner Weekend with Rep. Brian Sims benefitting the UH LGBTQ Alumni Association. reddinner.org
April 16: Bunnies on the Bayou 38, benefitting several local LGBT charities. bunniesonthebayou.org
April 23: Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund Houston Champagne Brunch, benefitting future LGBT leaders. victoryfund.org/Houston
April 27: Dining Out For Life, benefitting AIDS Foundation Houston. aidshelp.org
April 28: The Council on Recovery 34th Annual Spring Luncheon featuring Andrew Zimmern benefitting The Council. councilonrecovery.org
April 29: Oodles of Noodles “All You Can Eat Pasta” benefitting Bering Support Network. beringsupportnetwork.org
SAVE THE DATE
May 18: Out@TUTS Night presents Fun Home. Join us the first Thursday performance of each show. After the performance, mingle with the cast and listen to fabulous cabaret music with your LGBT friends at Artista. tuts.com
Be social! Connect with us!
Show Us Your OutSmart
GOIN G OUT OF TOWN?
Take O UTSMART along. Snap a high-res pic of yourself with the magazine and send it to us. Send to: Letters@ O UTSMARTM AGAZINE.COM.
Megan Smith (l) and Tiffany Williams took the May 2016 issue of O UTSMART to Niagara Falls, Ontario.
New resta ant and sh b wants y to “Eat, drink, and be... M y!”
HAMBURGER MARY’S COMES TO HOUSTON
By Brandon Wolf
Photo by Theresa DiMenno
ars and clubs all have their own niches of clientele,” says Mark De Lange, owner of Houston’s new Hamburger Mary’s.
“I wanted a place where every member of Houston’s LGBT community would feel like they fit in.”
In late February 2017, De Lange created just such a place by bringing Hamburger Mary’s to Texas. With 17 locations in seven states, the franchise is known for its funky décor, huge hamburgers, and lush drinks. However, what really sets it apart is that each restaurant is also a show bar that features a lineup of professional drag entertainers and other performers.
A Long-Term Dream Is Finally Realized
De Lange says he first thought about opening a Hamburger Mary’s location in 2005, after dining at several other restaurants in the franchise. But it took 11 more years before all the right elements finally came together in the summer of 2016.
After the Houston build-out design was developed and approved by the franchisors, the franchise team helped De Lange develop a basic menu and drink list.
“They advise each new restaurant to start with an attractive but basic menu, and then build on it once the restaurant is established,” De Lange explains. “When a restaurant first opens, they want a heavy focus on smooth operation. If the staff is overburdened with too many offerings, the service quality will suffer, and that’s not the impression you want the first customers to leave with.”
It was good advice. During the soft opening,
Lange says that in the short time his restaurant has been open, donations have already been made to the Houston Gaymers for $900 and Avenue 360 (formerly Bering Omega) for $1,000. Bubbalicious emcees the Wednesday Divas show and the first Saturday drag show. Alexyeus Paris emcees the second Saturday drag show. Each show has a different lineup of four drag performers drawn from a sorority of house divas: Tommie Ross, Dessie Love Black, Dina Jacobs, Porsche Paris, Janet Andrews, and a few special-guest performers.
Lady Shamu hosts the Game Night and the Latin Divas show. Michael and Jonathan host the Variety Show and the Broadway Brunch. One customer reviewing the Variety Show on Facebook commented: “Who doesn’t love a drag queen floating on a hoverboard while playing a violin?”
“I wanted it to be ‘in the neighborhood’—the area of bars that are clustered on Pacific Street or nearby,” De Lange explains. He particularly liked the Hollywood commercial strip on Hyde Park, just a block east of Montrose Boulevard, that had been fully leased for years.
Then last summer, the Hollywood Style Center decided to close their space in that strip. De Lange moved quickly to secure both a Hamburger Mary’s franchise and a lease on the open property.
The Hamburger Mary’s franchise team traveled to Houston and met with De Lange. The franchise prides itself on creating unique restaurants, each adapted to the local area. They want each restaurant to be a special experience for customers who visit, so no two locations look anything alike.
Stick a Knife In it
There’s Something About Mary’s
At Hamburger Mary’s, all dishes come with a side of fun. Here, guest performer Amanda Nicole wows customers with a high-energy show.
more than 3,000 customers were served. Reviews on the restaurant’s Facebook page show that the guests were pleased with the food and the staff. “But there is more to come,” says De Lange. “The menu will be expanded with lots more offerings.”
The Hamburger Mary’s Shows
Each day a different show is offered. Tuesday is Game Night, Wednesday is Dining with the Divas, Thursday is Fuego Latin Divas, Friday is a Variety Show, Saturday is the Mary’s Illusions Show, and Sunday is the Broadway Brunch.
Hamburger Mary’s restaurants are wellknown for their charity work, so all game proceeds are donated to local organizations. De
Signature hamburgers garnished with steak knives are ready for customers at Houston’s new Hamburger Mary’s. The knives are more than a decoration—most people need to cut the burger in half before they can eat it.
The performers spend a minimum of time on the house stage because they are required to “touch every table,” interacting with all the customers and working the entire room. De Lange says that 90 percent of the contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race have either been performers at a Hamburger Mary’s restaurant, or have actually been discovered there.
Designing the Houston Hamburger Mary’s De Lange points out that his Houston restaurant was the most expensive build-out of all the franchise locations so far. It is also the only restaurant in the franchise that is in a predominantly LGBT area of town. The Houston build-out was completed in less than two months.
Painted in a “Tiffany Blue,” the restaurant has campy decorative touches and several stunning chandeliers. Behind the cashier is a huge painting of Catherine the Great that had hung in the poolroom at Rich’s bar for five years after migrating from Red Square, a straight disco in the Midtown area. Catherine is now embellished with bling and is holding a pink feather duster in her hand. “At night when we close, she touches the place up for us,” De Lange says with a grin.
On the walls are framed caricatures of famous performers beloved by the LGBT community, such as the Village People, Cher, and Cyndi Lauper. There are also campy posters ➝
‹ BRANDON WOLF
HAMBURGER M
continued from previous page of the franchise’s mascot, Hamburger Mary, set in a variety of iconic paintings such as the Mona Lisa, The Scream, and A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. She is also seen in classic movie posters such as Gone with the Wind, The Birdcage, and The Wizard of Oz.
Tongue-in-cheek menu items include Britney Fried Pickle Spears, a Black & Bleu Boy Hamburger, the Gym Bunny Club Salad, and Blanche Devereaux’s Hawaiian Flatbread. The Classic LGBT Sandwich is of course made with lettuce, guacamole, bacon, and tomato. The signature house dessert is Fried Twinks— two deep-fried Twinkies with raspberry sauce and whipped cream.
From the bar comes “Special Tease” cocktails such as Pretty in Pink, Not Your Granny’s Lemonade, and Mary Queen of the Rodeo (a Bloody Mary).
The huge Original Mary hamburger with all the fixin’s is just like the first one served 45 years ago in San Francisco, complete with a steak knife plunged through the middle to keep it all together.
A 45-Year LGBT Tradition Continues
The original Hamburger Mary’s was a funky, friendly dive that emerged on Folsom Street in San Francisco’s Castro district, pulled together in 1972 on a shoestring budget. Mismatched flatware and dishes, kooky artwork, and antiques added to its authentic hippie-era charm. Billed as an “open-air bar and grille for open-minded people” where everyone was welcome, its staff was friendly and personable, and the food was made-to-order.
Hamburger Mary’s describes itself as “a family of locally owned independent restaurants” rather than a typical restaurant “chain.” The restaurants are unique for their deep roots in the history of local LGBT communities, and for their awareness of the cities they are located in. For example, in Oak Park, Illinois—a mecca of Frank Lloyd Wright homes—the franchise pays tribute to the iconic architect with lots of earthy mid-century touches.
From hosting charity game events and fundraisers to sponsoring local athletic leagues and theater troupes, each location does its part to give back to the community. Over the years, Hamburger Mary’s has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. After the Pulse nightclub tragedy in the summer of 2016, franchises held fundraisers for the survivors of the shooting.
Hamburger Mary’s locations include Chicago (two locations) and Oak Park, Illinois; Denver, Colorado; Brandon, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and Jacksonville, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Long Beach, Ontario, and West Hollywood, California. ➝
The franchise’s branding is built around its campy mascot, Hamburger Mary—a busty, bighaired blond with a giant smile and a sly wink. She shows up in a wide range of outfits ranging from a pirate to a mermaid with a clamshell bra—and most recently, of course, as a Texas cowgirl. Individual franchises have honored her with everything from life-size statues to a neon sign.
For those who have been waiting for the franchise to come to Houston—and for those who are eager to find out what the buzz is all about—stop in and check out this fun new spot. And, Mary—if you want to be sure to see a show, remember to make a reservation!
Family Dining by Day, Show Bar by Night Hamburger Mary’s is open every day except Monday. The full menu is available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, while the latenight menu of appetizers (or “starters”) is served from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. From 5 to 7 p.m., the bar has a happy hour with a different drink special each day.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the first dinner seating for the evening show gets under way at 7:00, with a second seating at 7:30. The show begins at 8:00. All menu items and drinks are available during the show, and servers deliver them quickly and inconspicuously.
On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Hamburger Mary’s features two evening shows. Seatings for the first show are at 6:30 and 7:00, with the show starting at 7:30. Seatings for the second show are at 9:00 and 9:30, with the show starting at 10:00.
On Saturday, a brunch menu is offered from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The full menu is offered from 2:30 to 11 p.m., and the late-night menu from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
On Sundays, the restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Two brunch shows are scheduled. Seatings for the first show are at 11:00 and 11:30 a.m., with the show starting at noon. The second seatings are at 3:00 and 3:30 p.m., with the show starting at 4:00. The brunch menu is offered from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and the full menu from 2:30 to 7 p.m.
Reservations are strongly recommended for the dinner shows. They can easily be booked on the Houston Hamburger Mary’s Facebook page.
An outdoor covered porch is open during restaurant hours for food and drink service, depending on the weather.
De Lange says he hopes to expand the weekend hours to 5 a.m., offering clubgoers a place to eat after the area bars close. A menu of breakfast dishes, starters, and select items from the regular menu will be offered.
The facility is available for private parties and social functions, but only on Mondays when the restaurant is normally closed.
Chef Chris Loftis
Jodie’s steak tartare
Brandon Wolf is a frequent contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
TOP 100 Restaurants
OUTstanding dining in the Houston area.
By John A. Nechman
Last year in O UTSMART, I declared Houston to be Foodtopia, U.S.A., in my list of the city’s 30 best restaurants. But with more stellar restaurant openings here in just the past few months than even in New York or L.A., 30 is simply not enough to do our culinary scene justice. So this year, we unveil a list of 100 top restaurants—and even this seems awfully limiting. We may not have L.A.’s weather and mountains or New York’s frenetic energy, but we do have the most dynamic ethnic mix of any American city, and an always-evolving food culture that blends the best of the South with the best of the world. Add our fabulous, notoriously dining-obsessed LGBT community into the H-Town gumbo, and you have a city destined to fulfill its promise of being not only America’s Next Great City, but America’s Culinary Capital.
But don’t just take my word for it—ask famed Chef David Chang of New York’s evergrowing Momofuku empire and founder of the foodie rag Lucky Peach. He recently called Houston “the next global food mecca” and home of the best Vietnamese food in America. In an episode of the popular TV food show Parts Unknown last year, celebrity chef and host Anthony Bourdain declared, “Ten years from now, [Houston food] is gonna be American food.” The Washington Post ’s restaurant critic Robert Sietsema named Houston one of America’s five best food cities and postulated, “If L.A. and New Orleans had a baby, it might be Houston.” Now, that’s something to ponder!
Despite our thrilling array of restaurants, Houstonians have been slow to identify dishes and cuisines as uniquely ours—but that is definitely starting to happen. In global foodie chatter, the terms Houston/Gulf-Third Coast/Mutt City Cuisine are being heard with increasing regularity and respect. Admittedly, it’s hard to define what our cuisine is—sort of like trying to easily describe our massive, brash, everchanging city. But watching our food scene develop is awe-inspiring. The Greater Houston area has some of the best vegetables, fruit, livestock, grains, brewers, and sea life on earth, and we have the potential to make, grow, and
Every Day
reap almost anything. (Arctic cloudberries and black truffles may need to stay on the import list.)
With so much great food out there in this city, it’s no wonder we eat out more than any place on Earth. Here are the places that embody the best of the Bayou City, including the counties surrounding Houston. Go forth, eat, and be thankful you are a part of dynamic Foodtopia, U.S.A.
CRITERIA
• Places that Have Created Something Uniquely Houston/ Upper Texas Gulf Coast
• Dedication to Locally Sourced Products/Booze
• Unique, Even if Not Houston/Upper Texas Gulf Coast (places that do what they do better than anyone else)
Not only my favorite overall restaurant, but maybe my favorite spot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Why? An informal, inviting setting from one of the most talented chefs in America, Anita Jaisinghani, and an upstairs Bake Lab that in addition to being a masterful bakery is also part mini-store/cafe/juice bar/tapas bar/ takeaway/spice lab. Try the “railway omelet,” filled with keema, sautéed greens, masala, paneer, corn, potato mash, and more, served on a carrot paratha . . . every bite yields eye-rolling surprises. The Tuesday-only fried chicken is legendary. Watch, too, for a delicate galette (covered with pears, blueberries, and mint) and the sweet besan flour laddu—both among the most delicious baked products I’ve ever eaten. So much goes on in this wonderfully inventive space that provides a perfect example of why Houston is America’s most exciting food city.
2. TONY’S (Italian)
3755 Richmond Ave., Greenway Plaza tonyshouston.com $$$
For decades, this has been Houston’s lair of flair. But at its core, Tony’s is pure H-Town with a ton of Italian amore and panache. ➝
All Day,
John Nechman’s number-one food pick for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is the New Indian sensation Pondicheri.
HAMZEH ZAHRAN
Tony Vallone and his lovely wife, Donna, are always the perfect hosts—omnipresent and relentless in ensuring that diners have a perfect evening. No matter who the chef is—and Tony’s has had plenty—the food always thrills. Drama is on display every night, from the starstudded crowd to the spectacular presentations. And neither the staff, kitchen, nor Tony will miss a beat if you ask for something off the menu, including something as rudimentary as a hamburger. If truffles are in season, order them—you’ll never have better or receive a more generous portion. And make sure to place your order early for one of the greatest desserts on Earth, the Grand Marnier soufflé—just ask huge fan Shirley MacLaine, a Tony’s regular.
3. KILLEN’S BBQ (BBQ)
3613 East Broadway St., Pearland www.killensbarbecue.com $
Since Ronnie Killen opened his perpetually packed place in Pearland, the Upper Texas Gulf Coast has enjoyed this spot that serves better BBQ than Austin and the Hill Country (which automatically makes it the best in Texas, and therefore the best on Earth). The Tuesday-only chicken fried steak is the best in town; the Sunday fried chicken is phenomenal; the brisket and beef ribs have been known to cause the most devout vegetarians to cross over. The drive is worth it, and so is the wait, which is made even more enjoyable thanks to free Lone Star from the keg by the door.
4. CUREIGHT (Global Tasting Menu)
24 Waterway Ave., The Woodlands hubbellandhudson.com/cureight $$$
One of the finest day-trips you can make from Houston involves a short jaunt north to book
a room on The Woodlands Waterway and splurging on a Michelin star-quality evening at Cureight, helmed by 28-year-old executive chef Austin Simmons, whose pedigree is out of Dallas’ top kitchens. Big D’s loss is H-Town’s immense gain. The eight-course tasting menu is an exhilarating global adventure. I’ve enjoyed two different menus here that had me nearly recreating the Meg Ryan scene from When Harry Met Sally.
5. HIMALAYA (Pakistani)
6652 Southwest Freeway, Gandhi District himalayarestauranthouston.com $$
Houston became a far richer culinary capital the day Chef Kaiser Lashkari decided to move here. Many of his creations are part of Houston’s culinary lore. Dishes I would rarely care to order elsewhere, like chicken tikka masala or saag aloo, are masterpieces here. The biryanis, kebabs, dals—everything is full of flavor and originality of the sort that only a few gifted chefs can accomplish. That’s why both Lashkari and his dishes have become revered local legends in Houston.
6. THE PASS (New American Tasting Menu) 807 Taft, Montrose Blvd. passandprovisions.com $$$
Once the Michelin peeps realize how insane they are for not having Houston as one of their coverage cities, the question is not whether the brilliant Pass will garner stars, but rather how many. Chefs Seth Siegel-Gardner and Terrence Gallivan have created an ambitious, wildly successful Space City masterpiece that coexists with its more gently-priced sister, Provisions. Ask for whichever tasting menu provides the most courses—you won’t regret it, nor the dear price tag. Some have called this Houston’s Noma. Maybe they should instead be referring to Noma as Copenhagen’s Pass.
7. KILLEN’S STEAKHOUSE (Steaks)
6425 W. Broadway St., Pearland www.killenssteakhouse.com $$$
Don’t let the Pearland address deter you—it’s only 25 minutes from downtown Houston, traffic willing. Once there, order one of the exceptional cocktails—they make the best Old Fashioned in town, featuring bitters made at home by the kind and knowledgeable sommelier DeeDee. Order the flawless crab cake— 99 percent plump, flavor-packed chunks
of blue crab. Steaks come in every price range and from all corners of the globe, including a pricy but awe-inspiring Wagyu from Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture. Save room for the crème brûlée bread pudding, my husband’s favorite Houston dessert. So, has Ronnie Killen achieved his goal of having the best steakhouse in the world? It’s number-one in Houston . . . ’nuff said!
There are so many reasons to visit glorious Galveston, and Rudy & Paco’s is one of the best. Old school, yet hardly stuffy. Watch in amazement as (no matter how big the table) they find enough staff to serve everyone at exactly the same time. Dishes come with a Central American flair, and you can’t go wrong with either surf or turf here. This kitchen nails it every time.
Chef Chris Shepherd has become the jovial face of Space City’s liftoff to the top of America’s culinary ladder. At his astounding Underbelly, you not only taste Houston, you absorb it, and you leave with a greater understanding of what makes this town so enthralling—as well as Shepherd’s list of favorite H-Town ethnic bites. He is loyal to locally-sourced ingredients, and all of his creations make clear how deserving he was when he became the first local chef since 1992 to earn a James Beard Foundation Award in 2014.
10. ANDES CAFÉ (South American) 2311 Canal, East End andescafe.com $$
Yes, Chef David Guerrero serves guinea pig (cuy). Head and all, if you’re willing. And yes, it’s damned tasty! But the extensive menu will take you to all parts of South America for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The hornado (an Ecuadorian specialty of marinated roast pork served with sauteed hominy and a llapingacho—potato cheese cake—in an agrio sauce) is enthralling, as is the silpancho (a Bolivian milanesa dish served over rice and roasted potatoes, topped with two eggs and locoto salad). Chef G’s ceviches are the best in town, and if they have the rare concha negra clams from Ecuador, don’t pass them up. And make sure to order anything made with lúcuma the sultry Peruvian caramel-flavored fruit.
11. KITCHEN 713 (Asian-inspired Southern) 4601 Washington Ave. kitchen713.com $$
Only in Houston could two classically trained and well-traveled African-American chefs (James Haywood and Ross Coleman) ➝
Why would you buy a cake from someone who doesn’t want to sell you one?
Don’t give your money to a business that does not support diversity.
Whether you’re looking for the butcher, the baker, or the candlestick maker, O UTS MART can help you find equality-minded businesses that appreciate you and provide vital community support.
Read OUTSMART, so you can have your cake and equality, too.
The Ivy & James
New Bellaire bistro to open in May.
Jamie Zelko, her wife, Dalia “Ivy,” and longtime friend Edgardo de la Garza will be opening an innovative garden bistro in a Bellaire park on May 1. The Ivy & James bistro, located within Evelyn’s Park on Bellaire Blvd., will offer grab-and-go dishes created from organic local ingredients, including herbs from Jamie’s on-site herb garden (a feature also found at their award-winning Zelko Bistro in the Heights). “We are thrilled to be a part of such a meaningful project that is sure to positively impact this generation, and many generations to come,” says Dalia Zelko.
The Ivy & James will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks seven days a week, Sunday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday until 10 p.m. “One will even be able to go online and order a custom-made picnic basket to enjoy under the century-old oak trees in the beer garden,” adds executive chef Jamie Zelko, who was featured on the Food Network’s “Meats & Potatoes” show. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, chef Zelko will open the café for two prix-fixe seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., where she will serve her award-winning fresh-from-the-garden cuisine paired with a curated wine list.
As co-owners, Dalia Zelko and Edgardo de la Garza bring business acumen and international savvy honed by years in the corporate environment to their new venture. As founder of the Heights Honey Project (where she presides as master beekeeper), Zelko shares her partner Jamie’s passion for social responsibility. De la Garza’s résumé includes a weeklong boot-camp program offered by the Culinary Institute of America, and years of large-scale consumer marketing research. ■
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As an acclaimed chef, culinary conservationist, and beekeeper, 36-year-old Jamie Zelko treasures her growing reputation as a “sustainable restaurateur,” an effort to which she is fiercely committed. She calls her culinary style “New American comfort,” which she perfected at her popular and eponymous Zelko Bistro in the Heights. Diners and critics fell in love with her delicious organic cuisine that surprised their palates and cemented their belief in Zelko’s down-to-the-last-detail advocacy for local, responsibly sourced food. Zelko continues to push for greater attention to ecosystems, the agriculture that surrounds them, and the impact that positive food choices have in bringing together community.
Culinary Couple
Dalia Zelko (l) and her wife, Jamie, will open their latest venture The Ivy & James in Evelyn’s Park in Bellaire this May.
Sweet Success In addition to being an accomplished restaurateur, Dalia Zelko is also founder of the Heights Honey Project, where she presides as a master beekeeper.
continued from page 39
set up shop in Houston’s predominately Hispanic Second Ward in a bare-bones former church rec room that forbade consumption of alcohol, serve up incredible mod renditions of soul dishes bearing the flavors of the world, and end up with what might have been the most creative kitchen in this wildly creative city. K713 is a gem, and more precious than ever in its expansive new location on Washington Avenue (with full bar/wine service). Turkey neck lettuce wraps topped with cane syrup nuoc cham, followed by fried catfish tikka masala and a candied sweet potato bread pudding? Yes, please!
12. OPORTO FOODING HOUSE & WINE
(Portuguese)
125 West Gray St., Midtown oportomidtown.us $$
Prepare to be wowed, from the moment you view the breathtaking menu and surroundings to the arrival of one masterful dish after another. These are plates meant to be shared, so go with a large group and try as many as possible—all of which feature the flavors and ingredients of Portugal, India, Italy, and, of course, Houston. Weekends feature one of the most interesting breakfast services with delectable Portuguese pastries spread across the bar area.
13. ARCODORO (Sardinian)
5000 Westheimer Rd., Galleria arcodoro.com $$
Maybe Houston’s most underrated restaurant. The flavors are haunting—in the best possible meaning of the word! Order the insalata di cavoli ricci (topped with roasted cauliflower, kale, balsamic sweet peppers, and an extra-virgin olive oil citrus dressing) and the lorighittas con capretto—little braids of Sardinian pasta mixed with tender slices of goat, artichoke hearts, and saffron, all topped with two goat chops (think goat lollipops). The scallopini al funghi porcini is succulent; wash it down with either of the two Sardinian reds on the wine list, and you’ll be planning an escape to Cagliari.
14. GIACOMO’S (Italian)
3215 Westheimer Rd., River Oaks giacomosciboevino.com $$
I’ve loved the cooking of Chef Lynette Hawkins since she ran La Mora in Montrose, but Giacomo’s is even better. The portions are generous, reasonably priced, and bursting with flavor. One of my fave meals in town is half-size portions of the unforgettable porchetta e fagioli, together with the tagliatelle alla bolognese. ➝
Holy bobotie! The ever-expanding roster of Peli Pelis is divine! I particularly love the Galleria PP. Request the Tour of South Africa— a robust multi-course feast of filet medallions, boerewors sausages, tiger prawns, bunny chow, biltong, and bobotie that’s worth every Krugerrand. The dramatic setting and lighting add to the exciting atmosphere.
16. BCN (Spanish)
4210 Roseland, St. Montrose bcnhouston.com $$$
Since its opening, BCN has been one of the most talked- and raved-about restaurants in town. Prepare for an onslaught of complex, vivacious flavors from one of the most talented and imaginative kitchens that Space City’s ever seen. Many who have experienced the storied Michelin-starred food temples of Spain compare BCN favorably. From sublime cocktails to delicate kokotxas (meat from the cheeks and jaw of the hake fish), this place is pure classic and classy.
17. XOCHI (Oaxaca, Mexican)
1777 Walker St., Downtown xochihouston.com $$
Chef Hugo Ortega gets better with every opening. Xochi, at the massive new Marriott Marquis Houston, is his latest and greatest. The selection of moles is mind-boggling—just try to guess the ingredients in each. (Chances are it includes something that might have been crawling around in the garden. Don’t think, just eat!)
Few think of Houston as a haven for great Italian, but look at this Top 30. Paulie’s is one of the most convenient places for a fast, exquisite, and inexpensive meal. Case in point: the Principe Panini, made with the tastiest Italian sausage I’ve had in Houston. Every pasta dish is worth ordering. And if they have Italian wedding cake, don’t you dare pass it up.
19. Lucille’s (Modern Southern)
5512 La Branch St., Museum District lucilleshouston.com $$
Chef Chris Williams has gifted grateful Houstonians with his marvelous takes on dishes from his beloved great-grandmother (read her inspiring story on the restaurant’s website). My husband and I are residents in nearby Third Ward, and our perfect Bayou City evening features a pre-dinner walk through nearby Hermann Park followed by Lucille’s
splendid crafted cocktails, an order of Great Grandma’s legendary chili biscuits, and any of the brilliant, soulful offerings on the menu. Watch every jaw in the restaurant drop in awe when the plate modestly called “pork & beans” arrives at your table.
20. LOCAL FOODS (Houstonian)
2424 Dunstan Rd., Rice Village (and many other locations) houstonlocalfoods.com $
Convenient, quick, inexpensive, and mindblowingly delicious dishes made with locally sourced ingredients. Local Foods’ gulf crab and shrimp sandwich is an H-Town Top-10’r, and the always-changing sides (don’t pass up the banana squash slaw) are among the tastiest in town.
21. ALADDIN (Middle Eastern) 912 Westheimer Rd., Montrose aladdinshouston.com $ Houston is blessed with countless spectacular eateries representing the cuisines of all parts of the Middle East, and they can be found in all parts of the city, particularly the “Little Beirut” area springing up on and around the Richmond Strip. But deep in the heart of Montrose is the one whose dishes I crave the most. It’s almost impossible to find a more delicious, filling, and nutritious meal for less cash than at Aladdin, and it’s BYOB. The brilliant assortment of mezes and fruit juices will make the pain of finding parking worth it.
22. KENNY & ZIGGY’S (Deli) 2327 Post Oak Blvd., Galleria kennyandziggys.com $
Matzoh, lox, rugelach, challah, and kishkes, Blintzes, gefilte fish, kasha varneshkes, Schmaltz, tongue, pastrami—they make my heart sing— These are a few of my favorite things!
Even die-hard New Yorkers admit that Kenny & Ziggy’s is one of the best Jewish delis on the planet. If I could just have an endless supply of their brined pickles, Romanian pastrami, and cheese blintzes, I’d probably die of a heart attack, but at least I’d die smiling.
23. LANKFORD GROCERY (Texans) 88 Dennis St., Montrose lankfordgrocery.com $
Since the 1940s, Miss Eydie Prior and her family have been serving ecstatic H-Towners some of the finest down-home Southern food available anywhere. Her breakfast chilaquiles and migas are world-class. Regulars know which days to be there for the unforgettable cheese enchiladas and CFS—early, or they run out. The burgers continue to set the Houston standard, particularly the notorious Grim, topped with mac & cheese, jalapeños, bacon, and a sunny-side-up egg.
24. STQ (Houstonian/Steaks)
2231 South Voss Rd., Southwest www.killensstq.com $$$
It’s steak (ST). Barbecue (Q). Pure class. And it’s all ours. STQ is the latest from Chef Ronnie Killen, and a chance for him to show off some of the chops gained from his time at the Cordon Bleu in France. Reserve way ahead, and prepare to be wowed!
25. CAFE ANNIE (New Southwest)
1800 Post Oak Blvd., Galleria cafeanniehouston.com $$$
When Chef Robert del Grande opened Cafe Annie in the early ’80s, it garnered the sort of raves usually reserved for three-star Michelin properties. (It was awarded the coveted and rare three stars from Texas Monthly magazine.) After morphing into RDG earlier this millennium, it’s now back as Cafe Annie, and the food is as exquisite as ever.
26. MF SUSHI (Japanese)
1401 Binz St., Museum District mfsushiusa.com $$$
Chef Chris Kinjo’s omakase may be my single favorite dining experience in Houston. The only better sushi and sashimi I’ve eaten is at four a.m. at Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market, and Chef Kinjo flies a lot of his fish in from Tsukiji. Prepare for course after course of over-the-top flavors such as wagyu beef, truffles, and uni (sea urchin) with just enough extra to send you to the brink of ecstatic blackout. Eating à la carte is more hit and miss, due in part to the relentless crowds that keep MF’s gorgeous new digs in the Museum District buzzing.
27. CAFE TH (Vietnamese)
2108 Pease St., Downtown cafeth.com $
The adorable, charming Minh Nguyen is owner of TH, one of Houston’s grooviest dining locales. This is the place for vegan/ veg versions of your Vietnamese faves—but carnivores, don’t panic. The Zombie banh mi features pretty much everything that can go on a banh mi, and then some: xiu mai, paté, ham, carrots, bacon (!), chicken, roasted pork, chilis, two fried eggs, cilantro, cucumber, a Minhspecial doctored-up sriracha sauce . . . I deserve a pic on the wall just for finishing this massive masterpiece! His bánh b ột chiên is even better than the more famous version at Tan Tan. And if you go on a Thursday or Friday night, Minh turns the lights down, turns the groove up, and serves a fabulous home-cooked four-course meal for a fraction of the price those in other foodie capitals would pay for a similar experience. And it’s BYOB!
28. CAFE BRUSSELS (Belgian)
1718 Houston Ave., First Ward cafebrusselshouston.com $$
Chef Catherine Duwez is an iconic ➝
Beyond Prime Rib
Brunch at Laurenzo’s.
By Joanna O’Leary
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•
SKIN REN
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Early in the afternoon on a very rainy Saturday, a large party of diners is having a grand old time in Midtown. After a cheerful chorus of “Happy Birthday” to the guest of honor, the group tucks into their second (or maybe even third) round of mimosas and entrées, just delivered in quick succession by the waitstaff. Why such cheer despite the gloomy weather? They’re having brunch at Laurenzo’s.
Eggcellent
Offered on Saturdays and Sundays, Laurenzo’s brunch menu features three different riffs on eggs Benedict.
If “Laurenzo’s” only brings to mind unctuous prime rib or slow-simmered Sunday gravy served over al dente pasta, recalibrate your expectations when you visit their newest Midtown location on Bagby. Yes, you can still enjoy these classics, but if you branch out (especially at brunch), you’ll be richly rewarded. Executive chef Domenic Laurenzo (descendant of Houston restaurant royalty “Mama Ninfa” Laurenzo) has created a terrific brunch menu that is simultaneously accessible, sophisticated, classy, and comforting.
riffs on eggs Benedict (with béarnaise, not hollandaise). The Mediterranean-inspired “Lake George Hotel” (two eggs topped with grilled tomato, asparagus, mozzarella, and grilled beef tenderloin) pays homage to Laurenzo’s dual cultural roots. My favorite benny is “La Boca Chica,” with its salty, briny strata of English muffin, sunny yolk, and salmon. My penchant for piscine brunch dishes could explain my soft spot for Laurenzo’s BBQ shrimp and grits, in which three-bite prawns are doused in a peppery vinegar glaze and laid to rest on a creamy mascarpone hominy bed with bourbon sauce. (Yes, you can eat as well as drink your booze during brunch at Laurenzo’s.)
But first, a cocktail—because as Laurenzo’s marquee proclaims, “Brunch is the best excuse to day drink.” Bloody Marys and mimosas are available by the carafe; however, I suggest drinking off the beaten path and ordering a tangy blood-orange margarita, which will conveniently satisfy your recommended daily requirements for both vitamin C and tequila.
Those who look to indulge their sweet tooth at brunch will have a hard time deciding between Laurenzo’s dense brioche French toast (liberally garnished with a snowstorm of powdered sugar) and the buttery, thin Bananas Foster pancakes. To avoid making difficult choices, try going with several friends and ordering one of each to share.
Although these dishes are very good, I give highest honors to Laurenzo’s savory selections. The restaurant exploits the versatility of the incredible edible egg in the best way possible. There are three (count ’em, three) different
These comprehensive and enticing offerings (plus even a plain ol’ “Midtown Breakfast” option for folks who just want eggs their way, bacon, sausage, and pancakes) mean that the new restaurant is already attracting a burgeoning, diverse crowd between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. That includes families with young children, sports fans looking to catch up on college basketball at the posh bar, and a post-workout crowd eager to reward themselves for making it through that grueling spin class. The voluminous, spanking-new space means reservations aren’t necessary yet, but this reporter is willing to bet things will get cozily crowded as we settle into the spring patio season.
Joanna O’Leary is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine and a freelance food and travel writer based in Houston. Her exploits are chronicled on brideyoleary.com.
TOP 100 PLACES TO EAT IN HOUSTON
continued from page 42
Houstonian. Gruff yet lovable, and a force in the kitchen, her original Cafe Montrose provided a local European escape unlike any other in town. Now she’s creating even more magic at Cafe Brussels. I have probably ordered Le Complet Belge (moules marinières, a draft Stella Artois, and the best fries in Texas) more than any other dish in Houston.
29. SUD ITALIA (Italian)
2347 University Blvd., Rice Village sud-italia.com $$
The number of quality Italian restaurants in Houston is staggering, and one of the best is charming Sud Italia in Rice Village. General manager Shannon Scott will make sure you return—go with any of his excellent suggestions.
30. EL REAL (Tex-Mex)
1201 Westheimer, Montrose elrealtexmex.com $
The legendary former Houston Press critic and Tex-Mex superstar Robb Walsh joined forces with the talents from Reef in Midtown to turn the former Tower Theater into a Tex-Mex temple. Everything from the ’ritas and tortillas to the frijoles screams authentic, and you’ll find ancient classics here that otherwise would have become as hard to find as a chupacabra. The fajitas are top-notch, and the enchiladas
Borunda topped with a sunny-side-up egg is one of those decadent pleasures you’ll only find in H-Town.
10111 Hammerly Blvd., Spring Branch $$ 84. SOUTHERN GOODS (Southern) 632 W. 19th St., Heights $$
85. RAINBOW LODGE (New American)
2011 Ella Blvd., Heights $$$
86. LA Crawfish (Vietnamese Cajun)
1005 Blalock Rd. (inside 99 Ranch Market), Memorial and various others $
87. ESTHER’S Cajun Cafe & Soul Food (Cajun Soul)
5204 Yale St., Independence Heights $$
88. DA MARCO (Italian)
1520 Westheimer, Montrose $$$
89. PAPPADEAUX’S (Cajun Seafood)
2525 South Loop West, Astrodome and various others $$
90. MALA SICHUAN (Chinese)
9348 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire International District and 1201 Westheimer Rd., Montrose $$
91. TONY MANDOLA’S (Cajun Gulf Seafood)
1212 Waugh Dr., River Oaks $$
92. TEOTIHUACÁN (Mexican)
4624 Irvington Blvd., Lindale and various others $$
93. TONY THAI (Thai)
10613 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire International District $$
94. AMALFI (Italian)
6100 Westheimer rd., Galleria $$ 95. MI PUEBLITO (Colombian)
9425 Richmond Ave., Westchase $$
96. BB’s (Cajun Texan)
2710 Montrose Blvd., Montrose and various others $$
97. FLOR DE CUBA (Cuban)
16233 Clay Rd., Bear Creek $$
98. TIGER DEN (Japanese)
9889 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire International District $$
99. CRAWFISH & NOODLES (Vietnamese Cajun)
11360 Bellaire Blvd., Bellaire International District $$
100. URBAN EATS (New American)
3414 Washington Ave., Washington Ave. $$
John Nechman is an immigration attorney with the Houston law firm of Katine & Nechman L.L.P., as well as an adjunct professor of law at South Texas College of Law–Houston. He’s also an inveterate food and H-Town junkie.
The Secret Ingredients
Recipes from fi ve gayborhood faves.
MAINE-LY SANDWICHES GIRL SCOUT
CARAMEL DELIGHT WHOOPIE PIES
2¼ cups flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ cup (½ stick)
unsalted butter
4 tbsp shortening
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs
½ cup buttermilk
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp of caramel sauce
4 chopped-up Girl
Scout Caramel Delight cookies
MAINE-LY SANDWICHES
3310 S. Shepherd Dr. mainelysandwiches.com
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Filling
1 small jar of marshmallow fluff
2 cups powdered sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
4 chopped-up Girl Scout Caramel Delight cookies
Toasted coconut
1 tbsp caramel sauce
ACADIAN BAKERS CREOLE KISSES
Makes 24 kisses
10 egg whites
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups pecan pieces
THE ACADIAN BAKERS
604 W. Alabama St. acadianbakers.com
• Whip egg whites until they peak.
• Continue, slowly adding sugar, vanilla, and pecan pieces.
• Scoop out with a 3-ounce ice cream scoop.
• Place on baking sheets and bake in convection oven for approximately 20 minutes at 275 degrees.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and shortening. Add both sugars and whip until combined. Add eggs, one at a time. Stir in buttermilk and caramel sauce.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk, baking soda, and vinegar. Add both the flour mixture and the milk mixture to the batter, mixing just until combined. Stir in vanilla extract. Take the bowl off the mixer and fold in the chopped-up cookies.
• Using a small cookie scoop, evenly space the batter onto your cookie sheet. Bake 8–10 minutes, or until the cookies start to brown and spring back when pressed lightly in the center. Let the cookies cool.
• For the filling, whisk the butter and powdered sugar together (mix at medium speed) until light and fluffy. Add the jar of marshmallow fluff and caramel sauce.
• Remove the mixing bowl and fold in the toasted coconut and the chopped-up cookies.
• Finally, use a cookie scoop of your choice to scoop the filling onto the cake bottom. Add the Whoopie top and enjoy!
RUDYARD’S BEFORE IT’S GONE
1 oz Jameson
½ oz Barenjager
¼ oz lemon juice
½ oz agave
• Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a pinch of cloves.
RUDYARD’S BRITISH PUB
2010 Waugh Dr. rudyardspub.com
1½ cups dried cannellini beans
2 oz finely diced pancetta
1 cup finely diced red onion
cup finely diced celery
cup finely diced carrot
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ bunch Italian parsley, leaves only
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups water
1 28-oz can plum tomatoes (preferably imported San Marzano), chopped with their juice
4 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
½ pound dried pasta
E FAGIOLI (PASTA & BEAN SOUP)
Makes 8–10 servings
As needed: freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle over the soup
• Soak cannellini beans overnight in plenty of water. Drain and rinse thoroughly, discarding any beans that float to the surface.
• Finely chop the garlic and parsley together.
• Place the pancetta, onion, carrot, and celery in a large stock pot with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the garlic and parsley, stir well to combine, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all vegetables are tender and slightly caramelized (golden brown; the caramelization will add lots of flavor).
URBAN EATS ASIAN CHOPPED SALAD WITH ROASTED CHICKEN
Makes five two-cup servings
Salad Base
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage
2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups mixed spring greens
2 cups thinly sliced oven-roasted chicken
½ cup julienned carrot
½ cup julienned jicama
½ cup sliced Asian cucumber
½ cup thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup chopped mint
¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
¼ cup crumbled uncooked and toasted raman
• Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl.
Ginger Hoisin Dressing
½ cup apricot preserves
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove minced garlic
1 tsp five-spice mix
• Add the water, chopped tomatoes with their juice, drained beans, and sage leaves. Raise heat to high and bring to a brisk boil. Immediately lower the temperature to a gentle simmer and cook partially covered until the beans are fully cooked, at least 1½ hours. Taste five different beans to make sure they are tender.
• Strain out about cup of the cooked beans and purée them. Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until “al dente.” Add the puréed beans and pasta to the stock pot, stirring to combine them in the soup. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper seasoning if necessary.
GIACOMO’S
CIBO E VINO 3215 Westheimer giacomosciboevino.com
• Top each serving of soup with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a dusting of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
1 cup olive oil
1½ cups rice wine vinegar
• Whisk all ingredients together and chill.
Spicy Peanut Dressing
2 limes, zest and juice
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1½ cups rice wine vinegar
½ cup olive oil
½ cup warm water
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup peanut butter
• Whisk all ingredients together and chill.
URBAN EATS
3414 Washington Ave. feasturbaneats.com
Lightly dress salad with ½ cup of the Ginger Hoisin Dressing. Serve additional dressing and the Spicy Peanut Dressing on the side.
Fashion Meets Food Trucks
Only in Houston would “try it on for size” take on a whole new double meaning.
By Joanna O’Leary
It’s no coincidence that shopping, Saturday, and Sunday all start with the same letter. The weekend is prime time for retail therapy, and while you’re engaged in conspicuous consumption, why not extend the binge to include edibles from street-side food trucks to fuel your purchases? Hint: Chow down after you try on that super-tight cocktail dress. Or not. The bites these trucks are vending taste better than skinny feels.
While there are good things to buy all over H-town, certain areas are becoming known for their convergence of great fashion and food—both of which you can get “to go,” thanks to the sheer density of quality food trucks in these locales.
Montrose, the hipster epicenter of Houston, is the place to find vintage and classic clothing, shoes, and jewelry, thanks to a cluster of exchanges, consignment shops, and antique dealerships, many of which can be found near the very walkable Westheimer “curve.” Also dotting this promenade is a series of quality mobile eateries. Early birds should seek out Breakfast Burritos Anonymous for massive tortilla missiles stuffed with your preferred protein (ham, pork or turkey sausage, bacon, eggs, etc.), cheese, veggies (you must get the sautéed mushrooms), and six different types of salsa, including one called “Magma,” whose heat may sear off your taste buds . . . in a good way. For lunch or late-afternoon fare, hit up Koagie Hots. The Korean-American theme of this popular truck manifests itself in tantalizing
marinated pork cheesesteaks, beer-battered corndogs with sweet chili sauce, and loaded kimchi French fries.
Skip the overpriced “small plates,” steakhouses, and chain joints in favor of restaurants-on-wheels.
Waaaay farther out on Westheimer, couture meets cuisine at the Galleria. But skip the overpriced “small plates,” steakhouses, and chain joints in favor of restaurants-on-wheels that can be found at the perimeter of this retail mecca. Foreign Policy food truck offers pita sandwiches, burgers with global toppings like gyro meat, jalapeños, kimchi, and feta cheese—and for dessert, a donut doused with Mexican caramel and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. The mobile branch of Churrascos, often spotted around the Sage and Hidalgo intersections, features oversized Brazilian sandwiches that will easily cure the inevitable starvation that comes from trying on endless pairs of shoes. The “House Special Picanha” is brimming with juicy grilled sirloin, tomatoes, tangy red onions, avocado, and crisp romaine lettuce, while the pork tenderloin sammie is layered with salty parmesan cheese and a South American-style coleslaw, which you’ll want to replicate for your next barbecue instead of the usual overly-mayonnaise-y American version.
Thanks to a recent facelift, Rice Village is now home to an array of locally owned boutiques (Chloe Dao, The Impeccable Pig), as well as brand-name outlets (Kate Spade, Talbots).
Smoosh Pit
Send your tastebuds slamming with Houston’s bounty of food trucks that serve everything from breakfast burritos to deviant desserts.
Parking can be dicey, which is all the more reason not to give up that valuable spot to go in search of lunch or supper. Fortunately, a number of food trucks dot the interior as well as the outskirts of the Village, presenting opportunities to sample food as you stroll and shop. Treat yourself and get dessert first—an ice cream cookie sandwich at Smoosh (such as the oatmeal cookie with butter pecan ice cream and crushed bacon), and a donut or churro at The Dough Cone. Toppings, which include sunflower seeds, gummy bears, whoppers, Heath bar bits, cappuccino wafers, and blueberries, are unlimited, so go nuts (they offer those, too, by the way). Round out that sugar rush with a burger on a bun made of ramen noodles or Asian-spiced chicken quesadilla from Oh My Gogi! or end a long, long day of shopping with a nightcap at Yo-Yo’s Dogs. Yo-Yo Ma may be king of the cello, but this Yo-Yo is master of the hot dog. After grilling your plump, juicy dog to snappy perfection, he slaps it into a toasted bun, piles it with caramelized onions and a bevy of sauces such as curry ketchup, piquant mayonnaise, and even (if you want, which you do) some cream cheese. Your stomach is full and your credit cards are maxed out, so now it’s time for bed.
Joanna O’Leary is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine and a freelance food and travel writer based in Houston. Her exploits are chronicled on brideyoleary.com.
Govinda’s
A divine intersection of food and faith.
By Joanna O’Leary
Many who gravitate to Houston’s ISKON temple complex on 34th Street are hungry for spiritual satisfaction. But now, those visiting Houston’s headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness can also satiate more mundane cravings at ISKON’s on-site buffet restaurant, Govinda’s. So named for one of the monikers of the Hindu god Vishnu, Govinda’s serves what I like to think of as soul food that is just as comforting but far more invigorating than the soul food many Houstonians are accustomed to.
Housed adjacent to the temple, with its impressive blue-and-ivory spires, Govinda’s is a gleaming, open cafeteria-style space decorated with religious motifs and murals painted by members. On any given afternoon or evening, a steady trickle of couples, families, curious neighbors, and even animal-rights enthusiasts can be seen eating together. By the way, in keeping with cultural and religious traditions, Govinda’s is all-vegetarian and almost 100 percent vegan, so don’t even bother asking “Where’s the beef?” (FYI, the cow is also considered a sacred beast.) Placards above the buffet describe the various health benefits of spices and ingredients (such as ginger, turmeric, and fenugreek) that are used in the entrées, so you’ll know exactly how you’re helping your body at this nourishing spread.
The all-you-can-eat lunch ($10.95) and dinner ($12.95) are offered daily with over 300(!) rotating Eastern and Western options that might include palak paneer, curry rice, rigatoni, aloo gobi, macaroni and cheese malai kofta, dal makhani, and barbeque tofu, plus an omnipresent fresh salad bar. Samosas and puri (a type of Indian bread—think naan, but deep-fried and more addictive, if that’s even possible) are complimentary. Patrons should also elect to try traditional beverages such as rich mango lassis and the refreshing rose water. For dessert, Govinda’s offers kheer (a silky, sweet white pudding flavored with cardamom) and vegan halwa, which are bars of spiced nut custard.
For the record, I almost never enter a restaurant and think, “Thank God it’s a buffet!” Unlimited quantities of food often correlates with limited quality, as rapid mass-production can easily lead to sloppy cookery. Not so at Govinda’s. In fact, the delicious-looking and -tasting options would be the worst nightmare for an indecisive diner like myself. Thrilled at the opportunity to try everything (all in the spirit of research, of course), I piled my plate with a colorful cornucopia of plant-based dishes. In addition to presenting the opportunity to sample so many different things, a good buffet allows you to easily establish a hierarchy of favorites on your first trip, then modify portions during your second, third, and (go for it) fourth helpings. Hey, it’s healthful.
Pair your meal with a pre- or post-prandial
Feed Your Soul Govinda’s, the ISKON temple’s on-site buffet restaurant, offers vegetarian delights with a dash of spirituality. ‹
stroll through the relaxing environs, and if the kiddos are in tow, enjoy the jungle-gym. There are plans at some point in the future for developing a garden to serve as a source of ingredients for the restaurant, and as a means for teaching children about sustainable agriculture. And for those who like to plan ahead, Govinda’s is already heavily promoting their Labor Day “Kirtan Fest 2017” celebrations, and for good reason. Elaborate plans are in the works to honor the Vaishnava holidays with art displays, concerts, guest lectures, sermons, and, needless to say, good food.
Joanna O’Leary is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine and a freelance food and travel writer based in Houston. Her exploits are chronicled on brideyoleary.com.
Dining Out for Life
Eat
out and fight AIDS.
By Marene Gustin
The El Tiempo and Laurenzo’s restaurants have been participating in Dining Out for Life for five years now. Chef/owner Domenic Laurenzo says, “It is always an honor to help fight the good fight on this one special evening of dining out around the city of Houston, and knowing that we are helping to one day find a cure for AIDS for our local community and around the world.”
This year, AIDS Foundation Houston has set Thursday, April 27, as the date to dine out at some of your favorite restaurants. A portion of that day’s proceeds will go to support AIDS Foundation Houston’s programs and services that help thousands of people living with HIV/ AIDS here in the community.
Since 1991, Dining Out for Life has been produced by HIV/AIDS service organizations around the country in order to raise funds for their local communities. Begun by a volunteer at Action Wellness (formerly ActionAIDS) in Philadelphia, Dining Out for Life is now produced in 60 cities throughout the United States and Canada. Houston has been involved in the event since the beginning.
“Last year we raised $50,000, and we’re hoping to do at least that again this year,” says Melody Patelis, AIDS Foundation Houston’s chief development officer. Patelis hopes to have 50 to 55 restaurants participating this year. Restaurants enjoy the promotional benefit that attracts new customers, as well as the informational support that the Foundation provides in terms of their ambassadors who visit with customers at every restaurant on the day of the event.
Many of the restaurants, including Laurenzo’s and Barnaby’s, are long-time supporters of the event, Patelis says. But some are brand-new to the event, like Lucille’s, the Museum District’s Southern comfort-food eatery. Lucille’s executive chef/owner, Chris Williams, explains why he’s
Cuisine for a Cause
Over 40 Houston restaurants are taking part in Dining Out for Life, a delicious way to fight the battle against AIDS.
joining Dining Out for Life this year: “I was born and raised in Houston and have always loved what a philanthropic city it is. As a local business owner, I think it is important to give back to the community and local charities.
Dining Out for Life is a fun, creative way for local restaurants to help AFH raise funds and awareness for HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases.”
And some restaurants are coming back to support the event. Ray Salti, who owned Sorrel Urban Bistro in Upper Kirby, explains, “We
had some regular guests who were involved in the organization. They asked us to do it, and I said of course.” Since then, he has rebranded the restaurant as Bollo Woodfired Pizza, so this will be the eatery’s first year to participate in Dining Out for Life.
So why not get a group together and dine out on April 27 for a fun fundraising breakfast, lunch, or dinner? At press time, some 40 restaurants around the city had signed up, including Rainbow Lodge, Reef, El Real TexMex, State Fare Kitchen & Bar, Starfish, and Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in River Oaks. You might even find a favorite new dining spot—as well as save a life in the process.
‹
What: Dining Out for Life
When: April 27
Where: Various Houston locations
Details: See aidshelp.org for a list of participating restaurants.
Marene Gustin is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
The Hosts with the Most L–r: Chris Williams (Lucille’s), Roland Laurenzo and Domenic Laurenzo (El Tiempo and Laurenzo’s restaurants), and Ray Salti (Bollo Woodfired Pizza).
Nurturing All Things Natural
Shellye Arnold and Tina Sabuco are dedicated to each other, their bearish lawn art, and their community.
By Kim Hogstrom
Shellye Arnold and Tina Sabuco met at the University of Texas in Austin while they were both attending college. When Arnold chose to pursue a master’s degree in urban affairs at Princeton University, Sabuco moved to New Jersey with her. That was 28 years ago, and the two have remained together since the very first day.
Arnold and Sabuco’s relationship is one of those that seems to be handcrafted in heaven, with personalities that fit together like puzzle pieces to create gracious, effortless harmony. They retain distinct preferences and attributes, but they share many values—including a dedication to, and a love for, nature.
The couple’s home in Garden Oaks is landscaped with sustainable native plants that thrive year-round. Their flowers seem to bloom constantly, much to the delight of local residents and children. However, it’s the couple’s topiary bears that have earned them a full-on fan club.
The two five-foot bears are displayed prominently in Arnold and Sabuco’s front yard, and spend much of the year adorned in costumes: Halloween getups in October; glittering green, gold, and purple ribbons and masks for Mardi Gras; crossing-guard uniforms to mark the beginning of each school year; and so forth.
The day Sabuco surprised Arnold with the bushy bears as a gift to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary, the bears were dressed in matching wedding gowns.
“Yes, the bears are girls,” Sabuco says with a laugh. “And they have names: Merry and Marry.” Apparently, Arnold and Sabuco also share a rare sense of humor.
Arts Alive!
Similarly, both women are professionals who run nonprofit agencies. Tina Sabuco is the founder and director of Arts Alive!, an orga-
nization dedicated to helping young children nurture the creative expression residing naturally in their spirits, through the use of movement, music, dance, and drama.
“The curriculum at Arts Alive! is founded on the concept of engaging a child with the application of 50 thematic lesson plans,” Sabuco explains. “We utilize themes such as ‘Butterfly Bonanza,’ or ‘Growing a Garden.’ In ‘Garden,’ the children start as seeds and bloom, bloom, bloom into dancing flowers, fruit, and vegetables. Each theme engages a child’s imagination, which enables the child to retain the lesson. We call this ‘education through imagination.’”
The programs have been received very well by the public, and Arts Alive! representatives can be found working in 40 schools throughout Houston.
Memorial Park Conservancy
Since 2013, Shellye Arnold has held the position of president and CEO for the Memorial Park Conservancy, a private nonprofit agency dedicated to Memorial Park’s restoration, enhancement, and preservation. It’s a big job, but Arnold is the perfect choice. She plays a star-
ring role in creating a trajectory for the asset’s future.
“Memorial Park is a unique urban element. At 1,500 acres, it’s one of the largest urban parks in the U.S.—almost twice the size of New York’s Central Park. About four million Houstonians visit each year, from 170 zip codes! There it sits, in the middle of Houston, available to all,” Arnold says.
“The park’s land and waterways also support 85 species of mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and another 160 species of birds. Memorial Park is a unequaled urban natural asset,” Arnold says. “There is nothing quite like it.”
History
In 1917, the land on which Memorial Park sits hosted Camp Logan, a military training base for troops destined to fight in World War I. Following the war, Will Hogg, Mike Hogg, and Henry Stude bought much of Camp Logan’s land and sold it to the City of Houston at cost. It was named Memorial Park and dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives in the war.
The park clipped along for years, ➝
Festive Flora
Tina Sabuco (l) surprised her wife, Shellye Arnold, with two topiary bears on their fifth wedding anniversary. The bears now sport costumes for every season Easter, Mardi Gras, Halloween, and more.
NURTURING ALL THINGS NATURAL
continued from previous page
providing a beautiful green space for people from all walks of life. Then, in 2011, a devastating drought damaged more than half of the trees. Coupled with the fact that many trees were over 70 years old and aging to begin with, the drought took a heavy toll on the health of the forest.
“It was a challenge—there were parts of the park where 95 percent of the tree canopy died. In some places, we were down to dirt,” Arnold says.
There were several other factors that put Memorial Park at risk. Its natural habitat has suffered from the invasion of non-native species often used in landscaping in Houston. These shrubs and trees fiercely compete with native species. The non-natives have fewer insect predators, grow more densely, and block the sunlight that would normally reach the earth.
Another factor contributing to the park’s death spiral was a severe lack of care. Typically, U.S. cities spend about $6,000 an acre each year maintaining an urban park. Houston had been spending an average of $400.
While most of the parks in Houston have enjoyed modern renovations and updates, Memorial Park had been overlooked for decades— until recently.
The Future
“Following the drought, we knew we had to step up, so we began developing a long-term plan,” says Joe Turner, the director of Houston Parks and Recreation Department, in a prior press release. “The drought was the driving force behind the new Memorial Park Master Plan.”
In 2013, the Memorial Park Conservancy entered into a partnership with the Houston Parks and Recreation Department and the city of Houston itself. The park was also annexed into the Uptown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or Uptown TIRZ, to create a funding stream.
This marked the start of a grueling process to create a master plan. Finally, in late 2015, after extensive consultation with the nationally recognized landscape-architecture firm Nelson Boyd Woltz, and multiple publiccomment meetings, the official Memorial Park Master Plan was presented to Houston City Council. It passed unanimously in a rare show of solidarity.
What can we look forward to in the future?
Plenty. Among its many improvements, there will be an 800-foot-long land bridge built over Memorial Drive to connect the park’s north and south sides. How cool is that?
Other developments will include adding 30 miles of trails for hiking, biking, running, and equestrians, plus rebuilding ball fields, picnic spots, and rest areas. Roads will be
moved and added, allowing access to currently unreachable areas of the park. Ecologies will be replanted to foster resiliency and improve habitats for native flora, and interesting educational elements will be added to celebrate Memorial Park’s history.
All of this falls under Shellye Arnold’s charge. In essence, she and her crew are breathing life back into the old girl, restoring and preserving the sprawling park now and for generations to come.
“Memorial Park is a place to nurture your soul by connecting with nature, to nurture your body through exercise or relaxation, and to nurture your relationships by spending time with those you love. Memorial Park is a treasure,” Arnold says.
Relaxing?
What do Arnold and Sabuco do to slow down on those rare weekends when they get a chance? They spend time among the trees at their breathtaking retreat nestled in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.
Does that really surprise anyone?
For more information about Memorial Park, to volunteer, or to become an official Memorial Park member, go to memorialparkconservancy.org.
Kim Hogstrom is a frequent contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
FRIDAYS
SATURDAYS
THURSDAYS
From Rock ’n’ Roll to Politics
Once a voice on the radio, Dayna Steele now lends her voice to political discussions.
By Marene Gustin
If you’ve been around Houston long enough, the name Dayna Steele reminds you of KLOL’s glory days of rock and roll. The Hall of Fame radio DJ spent decades on the air playing tunes and interviewing famous musicians; many of those rock-and-roll legends she still counts as friends today.
When Steele finally hung up her mic, she used the stories of her life and her legendary friends to write a series of motivational books and embark on a career as a nationally soughtafter speaker.
Of course, if you are a parent in Clear Lake, you just may know her as the wife of former NASA pilot Charles Justiz, the mother of their two boys, and the stepmom to his oldest son.
In fact, she was pregnant with her son Dack (and yes, that’s a NASA-type acronym for “Dayna and Charlie’s Kid”) when she last sat for an interview with OUTSMART 21 years ago. “The interviewer asked me what I would do if Dack turned out to be gay, and I said I would say, ‘That’s nice have you done your homework yet?’” Which is pretty close to what she actually said when he did come out to her.
“We always had gay friends growing up,” she recalls. “Everyone was welcome in our house.”
Which is why she’s about to add yet another job description to her superwoman résumé. And if you follow her on Facebook or Twitter, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. “Yes, I’m considering a run for office. I’m talking to several different people about several different opportunities,” she says. One of those people Steele has been talking with is
former Houston mayor Annise Parker a pretty darn good mentor for a first-time candidate.
“I always tell people in business to be careful talking about politics, religion, or cats,” she says with a smile, “because you’ll always make someone mad. But there comes a time when you have to speak up for your children, your grandchildren, and the country.”
And that’s what she’s been doing, at private and public events and on social media.
She admits that at this stage of her life it’s unlikely any federal or state policy changes will affect her personally, but they may have dire consequences for her son. And the one thing she wants in her future is to throw a big gay wedding for
Heavy-Metal Mother
Steele with her son Dack at The Sweet Potato Queens world premiere in Houston.
him one day in their back yard. “Is it just one thing that’s motivating me?” Steele asks. “No, it’s an avalanche.” The environment. Immigration policy. Women’s and LGBT rights. “Texas has the highest maternity death rate in the country, but we’re worried about bathrooms? Texas, we have to be better than this.”
She started by posting articles on politics and policy on social media, and encouraging women to participate and run for office. Then one day her husband turned to her and said, “You can do this.” And she thought, “How can I not do this?
“My husband is first-generation CubanAmerican. He saw this happen in his family’s country.”
As for fake news and alternative facts, she recalls that even in her rock-and-roll radio days, you could never say anything that wasn’t vetted. The longtime activist protested her dad’s smoking habit at age three by making signs asking him to stop and hiding his cigarettes. On KLOL, she once urged listeners to help women who were going to Planned ➝
Steele Magnolia Dayna Steele, a former deejay on the rock ’n’ roll station KLOL, is using her platform as a motivational speaker to become a force for left-wing political causes.
Parenthood when the Republican Party announced a protest. She kept it up, even though she received death threats on her caller line and had to have security for weeks.
But there’s one thing that sets her apart from the far left: she is very serious about uniting the public, and often asks Republicans and Trump supporters to state their views (without profanity or name-calling) on social media. She really wants to know their thoughts.
“A good friend of mine voted for Trump,” she says. “When I asked her why, she said she was scared and tired of worrying about money.
“I’ve been mad about politics before, but now I’m scared, too. I’m terrified. And I think the people that voted for Trump are going to be very disappointed a year from now.”
But she’s trying to do something about that by opening dialogues, following state and federal legislative votes (she has apps on her phone for that), and encouraging others to speak up and be heard by their representatives.
Dayna Steele: rock-and-roll legend, successful businesswoman, author and maybe soon, a voice for all in government.
Marene Gustin is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine. continued from
BAYOU CITY SMILE
Immigration in the Age of Trump
LGBTQ immigrants are facing new challenges.
By Ryan M. Leach
Under the administration of President Trump, both documented and undocumented immigrants are facing challenges that were not present during the Obama administration. While there are limited resources to help immigrants with an uncertain legal status determine their continued ability to remain here, one thing is certain: the discretion previously given to judges, officers, and prosecutors is no longer available in the age of Trump.
Within five days of taking office, President Trump signed his “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements” order. This executive order effectively removed the discretion that border-enforcement officials had in the detention and deportation of undocumented immigrants. While more people were deported from the U.S. during President Obama’s administration than in any previous administration, Trump’s order makes it even more challenging for immigrants to remain in the country.
Adonais Arevalo-Melara, an undocumented immigrant who arrived in the states at age 12 with his mother. He is currently living under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “Trump’s affirmation of racism and his anti-immigrant agenda promises to criminalize and put all undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation.”
Local immigration attorneys affirm this assessment of the new administration. Raed Gonzalez of Gonzalez Olivieri LLC, a Houston law firm that specializes in immigration law,
Nechman L.L.P., another Houston law firm with a focus on immigration issues. “[Trump’s initial immigration] ban was so overreaching, [and] immediately created such chaos. There were people in the air that had boarded planes legally, who then landed and were put into detention centers or sent back home.”
“It is a whole new world out there these days. I am seeing things as an immigration attorney that I have not seen in 21 years of practice.”
explains that “Obama gave a lot of discretion to judges, officers, and prosecutors on which cases to pursue or not. The priorities of this administration are different. Humanitarian issues are no longer taken into consideration when reviewing cases.”
Nechman is referring to Trump’s first immigration executive order issued in January. Entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” the order was halted by the federal courts for violating the U. S. Constitution. The administration’s second pass at the order was issued on March 6 and was subsequently blocked by a federal judge for also violating the U.S. Constitution.
“Deportations and the criminalization of undocumented immigrants has always existed, even in the past administrations,” says
“It is a whole new world out there these days. I am seeing things as an immigration attorney that I have not seen in 21 years of practice,” says John Nechman of Katine &
Individuals who find themselves in a precarious immigration situation do have options, even if those options are becoming a little more difficult to assess. Gonzalez has this advice: “If you are undocumented, you need to get legal counsel immediately so that you can understand your options. There are many people who initially came into the country who received documents that they thought were papers granting them legal status. In reality, they were simply ➝
IMMIGRATION IN THE AGE OF TRUMP
continued from previous page
documents requiring them to come to court. These people likely have outstanding deportation orders and do not even know it.”
“Under the new administration, I am a priority for deportation because I have had an order of removal since I entered the country. It is important to understand that DACA is only a temporary relief and has no pathway to citizenship. Essentially, you continue to live undocumented but protected while the program lasts,” says Arevalo-Melara.
cooperative when it comes to transgender individuals who are detained based on their immigration status,” continues Gonzalez. “Transgender women would be detained with women, or special accommodations [would be made] if necessary. We have no idea how the Trump administration will handle the issue.”
Publicity surrounding the Trump administration’s immigration orders has created a lot of confusion, some of which has been generated by misinformation from the media. “The problem with many of the stories you may see in the news regarding these executive orders and the effects they are having is that they do not tell the complete story. A headline might read that a student was denied access to return to the country for school. What is not written is that the student was here on a tourist visa and not on a student visa. Misinformation can further complicate an already confusing process for many.”
“Living as an undocumented person for over 10 years, you learn how to navigate the system with no access to resources to get documentation. The immigration system is broken, and there are essentially no paths for undocumented immigrants to access a pathway to legalization. It is part of a broader conversation of why many undocumented immigrants like myself had to choose to escape violence from our country and cross borders and rivers to be here,” adds Arevalo-Melara.
“It is very important to understand that being an immigrant and being LGBTQ are two identities that we have to carry around, and basically two closets we have to come out from,” says Arevalo-Melara. “As an undocumented immigrant I fear for deportation, [especially since] the country I came from criminalizes people based on gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression.”
Limited resources are available to immigrants seeking legal counsel. The best option is to contact an attorney who practices immigration law in Texas. Many attorneys offer consultations for a small fee, usually between $50 and $100. This will provide an initial assessment of their current status, and what steps they need to take to get paperwork current or corrected. Many attorneys will offer to create an affordable payment plan based on their resources for people who can’t afford the usual fee.
“Houston is not the best city, as far as an organized resource bank for LGBTQ immigrants,” says Nechman. “We have good [immigration] services, but none that are focused on this community. That being said, [the BakerRipley Neighborhood Center] has immigration clinics, and the ACLU has a hotline that is staffed by attorneys that can help.”
“I always try to work something out with clients if I can, [and there are also] resources like Immigration Equality and Catholic Charities,” says Gonzalez. “Those resources are limited, however. I have also participated in two Facebook Town Halls conducted by Univision. They have a panel that includes immigration attorneys and the sheriff’s office, and we help answer questions. I think the last one had 1.5 million people watching.”
Fair access to legal help is not the only barrier for immigrants. For LGBTQ people, there are additional issues to consider. In 75 countries, homosexuality is considered a crime, and cultural condemnation of LGBTQ people also poses a challenge. LGBTQ immigrants may shy away from alternatives like marriage because they do not want to come out to their family. Gonzalez shares a story about a gay client who came into his office seeking counsel. “He was so burdened by how his family and culture would see him that he actually left his partner in the lobby so that they would not be seen together when they came to visit me.”
Activist organizations also provide help to the LGBTQ immigrant population. The Queer Undocumented Immigrant Project (QUIP), a program of United We Dream, is a group that seeks to organize and empower undocumented LGBTQ immigrants and allies to address social and systemic barriers that affect the broader LGBTQ and immigrant community. The organization does this through individual leadership coaching and advocacy, according to their website.
“The most important thing that people have to keep in mind is that they need to know about where they stand and what their options are,” Gonzalez says. “They should be prepared in case something does happen. This is a different environment than before.”
When marriage equality was determined to be a constitutional right in 2015, same-sex couples suddenly had access to the same marriage rights as their straight counterparts. This includes the right of an immigrant to marry a U. S. citizen and remain in the country. However, transgender individuals continue to face even higher levels of discrimination as states like Texas target them with legislation like Senate Bill 6, which bans transgender people from using the appropriate restroom. This hostile atmosphere compounds existing challenges, including immigration.
“The government has traditionally been
Ryan M. Leach is a community activist, lawyer, professor, writer, and humorist. You can email him at ryanleach@outsmartmagazine.com.
Can We Make It?
An odyssey of gay refugees.
By Josh Watkins
Ambassadors for LGBT and human rights are important, especially in regions like the Middle East—and that’s exactly what the upcoming documentary Mr. Gay Syria will be highlighting. Set in Istanbul and Berlin, Mr. Gay Syria follows two gay refugees who are trying to rebuild their lives after fleeing the war in Syria.
“Husein is a 24-year-old barber who escaped Istanbul with his parents and pregnant wife—to whom he was forcibly married. Mahmoud is the founder of Syria’s LGBTI movement and a refugee in Germany. He works part-time at a [non-governmental organization] helping gay asylum-seekers,” explains Ayse Toprak, director of Mr. Gay Syria
Husein and Mahmoud have been brought together by a common dream: to compete in the international Mr. Gay World 2016 contest that was hosted in Malta. If they pull it off, it will be the first time an Arab man from the Middle East has participated in such a public event.
“For Husein, this is [his chance] to escape to Europe. He yearns to live in a society that accepts him,” Toprak says. “For Mahmoud, as a gay rights defender, this is the place to generate visibility and launch a campaign for gay Syrian refugees.”
The idea for the film came to fruition when Toprak met Mahmoud while she was working for the Al Jazeera media network. Toprak was assigned to do a documentary on the school system for Syrian refugee children in Turkey, and she needed an Arabic translator. As fate would have it, Mahmoud interviewed for the position. “One of the first things he told me was that he’s gay, and asked if I’d be okay working with him, given his sexuality. That was the start of our friendship,” Toprak recalls.
Mahmoud has always been a defender of gay rights and an active voice for Syrian LGBTI rights. As a former journalist who had founded Syria’s first queer magazine, Mah-
Resilient
The new documentary Mr. Gay Syria explores the state of LGBT culture in the Middle East. In this scene, police raid the gay-pride parade in Istanbul. INSET : Mahmoud, a gay refugee, shops in preparation for the Mr. Gay Syria contest. ‹
moud knew that in order to garner the media’s attention on such a niche topic in the midst of an international humanitarian crisis, he needed to do something big. When the idea to enter the Mr. Gay World contest came up, Mahmoud decided to set out and find Mr. Gay Syria. Husein ended up being one of the candidates.
Throughout the film, the journey to Mr. Gay World threads together the difficulties of being gay in a homophobic society, the many challenges of coming out, the joys of falling in love, and the devastating refugee crisis.
Toprak explains that even as mere observers of Husein and Mahmoud’s stories, the Mr. Gay Syria film crew felt as though they were in the midst of the whole refugee crisis.
A gay refugee’s voice is an extremely powerful one. Facing discrimination and tragedy amidst such dire and hostile conditions, the drive of the film’s characters to improve their lives is admirable. With the influx of Syrian refugees arriving in Turkey, the documentary is providing a medium for these voices to be heard and these stories to be told.
Despite Turkey being a place of refuge for
many Syrians, it’s a country of harsh conservative values. Hate crimes against the LGBTI community in Turkey continue to grow.
“The biggest problem is the lack of legal protection of the LGBTI,” Toprak says. “One of this summer’s most heartbreaking stories was the brutal murder of Hande Kader, a transgender activist and sex worker. Yet once again, Turkey’s police turned a blind eye and the case was left unresolved—which obviously encourages more attacks against the LGBTI.”
There have been increases in verbal and physical discrimination. The Pride walk in Istanbul had been one of the biggest events in the city, with more than 100,000 people participating. But in the last two years, Pride events have been banned by the government and raided with rubber bullets and tear gas.
Although Turkey seems to be more liberalminded in comparison to neighboring countries, LGBTI people still face many problems. “At least it’s not criminalized,” says Toprak. When asked about the media’s blurred perceptions of the Middle East situation, Toprak responds with fresh concerns: “As societies, ➝
we’re becoming more intolerant of our differences. We’re losing faith in each other. Too many causes are being forgotten. Sometimes, the overwhelming amount of news on Syria and the Middle East loses its effect, and we become numb to it.”
Toprak hopes that her film will take the audience on an intimate ride with its characters, and that this “tragi-comic” look at refugees can bring about more engagement and empathy.
Mr. Gay Syria recently surpassed its crowdfunding goal to finish the film. “The crowdfunding is not just about the money. It’s a way to build a community of people who believe in [a filmmaker’s] ideas, as well as the dreams of the characters,” Toprak explains. She believes that people can challenge repressive governments by building global communities that can rally to support people like Husein and Mahmoud.
“So even if people can’t help [by contributing money],” she says, “they can be involved in the conversation.” Being involved and engaged is just as important.
For updates on the film’s completion and future screenings, go to kisskissbankbank .com/mr-gay-syria-film.
Josh Watkins is a frequent contributor to OUTSMART magazine. continued
The Confines of Creativity
CounterCurrent revives Ten Tiny Dances, features queer Texas artists.
By Josh Inocéncio
For the fourth year in a row, the CounterCurrent Festival will take over Houston for a week in April and feature site-specific performance pieces that, for the most part, can’t be viewed in a traditional theater space—or if they could, they’d have a vastly different effect on viewers. The performance-based pieces will include dance, music, theater, performance art, film, and audio experiences. Additionally, the free festival seeks to produce work that is socially relevant, and often has a political edge. Even more so than previous years, CounterCurrent 2017 will focus on “identity politics”—including LGBTidentified artists and work.
“CounterCurrent is based at UH, but is a publicly-oriented program that brings in visiting artists from the outside. We do work with Houston artists, but we work with a lot more artists from all over the world,” says Karen Farber, executive director of the University of Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Center for the Arts. “We ask them what work they would either make or show in Houston that makes sense for this place. We ask them to spend time here and get to know the place. If they are making new work, we commission that work and help them develop it.”
This year, the festival is confronting gender issues with pieces like Farmhouse/Whorehouse, an artist lecture by Suzanne Bocangera, and Snow White, a play by experimental novelist and playwright Donald Barthelme produced at The Catastrophic Theatre. But Ten Tiny Dances, which is a series of dance pieces confined to a 4x4 platform, features three LGBT-identified artists.
While CounterCurrent features new pieces each year, the festival has consistently produced Ten Tiny Dances (a format that
originated in Portland, Oregon) with a different overarching theme each year. In this year’s case, it’s not only the emphasis on identity politics, but also the commissioning of pieces from Texas artists.
“We’re interested in the set structure that requires artists to work in a very confined environment,” says Farber. “[Ten Tiny Dances] also breaks down elitism and allows dance to create a closer relationship with the audience.”
For this year’s Dances, the three dancers who identify as gay are all choreographing and/or performing pieces that require a certain level of vulnerability as they confront controversial material. And for some of them, performing on a tiny platform in a huge space has inspired a new level of intimacy in their work.
“I want my work to be seen in more intimate spaces, because I think it’s easier to connect to something that way. Some of the really delicate, sensitive, human things are more accessible in an intimate space,” says Joshua L. Peugh, artistic director of Dark Circles Con-
temporary Dance in Dallas. “I don’t care much for the proscenium stage anyway.”
Peugh, a New Mexico native who studied dance at Southern Methodist University, originally co-founded Dark Circles Contemporary Dance while he was living and performing in South Korea. When he returned to Texas, he brought a branch of that company to Dallas.
“Right now, I’m preparing for a world premiere in May that deals with gay boys and sex education, and how the lack of sex education that we get as kids leads to adult men feeling confused, shameful, and lonely,” says Peugh. “[The ‘tiny dance’ format] will be a part of that, and a nice platform [to communicate the] isolation and exposure.”
From Austin, Charles O. Anderson, the current head of the dance department at the University of Texas, is choreographing a piece that features two dancers on the platform. Similar to Peugh, Anderson will feature a segment related to a larger work he’s crafting entitled (Re)Current Unrest
“(Re)Current Unrest came out of my ➝
DABFOTOCREATIVE
Identity Politics
Openly gay Houstonian Harrison Guy performs as part of Ten Tiny Dances in CounterCurrent’s 2016 festival. This year, three openly gay dancers will participate in the production.
Oodles of Noodles
Bering Support Network
April 29, 2017
THE CONFINES OF C REATIVITY
continued from previous page
interest with Steve Reich’s early compositions and how they’re related to the civil-rights era and the Cuban Missile Crisis,” says Anderson. “It’s a system of movement based around the concept of unrest and being ‘woke.’”
Anderson’s choreography, as he describes it, is greatly informed by African-diaspora dance forms as well as black, queer contemporary dance styles. And while Anderson insists this piece is not overtly political, his work is certainly socially conscious.
Bering Memorial UMC 1440 Harold Street Houston, TX 77006 Fellowship Hall at
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“Because of the particular time we’re in right now, I feel moved to make space and move in performances that allow us to keep considering the human implications in our current sociopolitical situation,” adds Anderson. “And I’m interested to see how people respond to this movement vocabulary.”
Finally, Sixto Wagan, the director of UH’s Center for Art and Social Engagement, will perform a piece that looks at queerness, immigration, and his experience as an Asian American.
“I’m the least formally trained person of the evening, so my work is not specifically choreography,” says Wagan, who is not a professional dancer but grew up performing Filipino folk dance in his family and community. “I have approached this piece thinking about identity, particularly in light of current politics and understanding how the environment is affecting me.
“I’m excited to be able to perform again and rethink how important art is in every stage of my life,” he adds.
In keeping with CounterCurrent’s overall vision, each of these three queer dancers are approaching issues and establishing an intimate relationship with the audience. As Farber says, “The festival is exploring that question of how artists can come at a problem. I hope that what people come away with is at least some sense of how artists grapple with problems.
“And the festival is more than a collection of shows. [Audiences should also attend our] parties and artist talks,” adds Farber. “I feel like many OUTSMART readers may enjoy that alternative, and I want people to have a great time and experience art. There will be lots of little receptions and chances to meet the artists. Plus, it’s free! So you can really take a chance on something.”
What: CounterCurrent 2017
When: April 18–23
Where: Various Houston locations
Details: countercurrentfestival.org
Josh Inocéncio is a playwright and freelance writer. A Houston-area native, he earned a master’s degree in theater studies at Florida State University and has produced his first play, Purple Eyes
Up Close and Personal
A short Q&A with OUTSMART ’s Blase DiStefano.
By Steven Foster
Entertainment editor Blase DiStefano (pronounced Blaze Duh-STEF-uh-no) has been on this planet for 70 years and has walked within the pages of this magazine for over a third of that span.
To honor all of that time logged, we’ve decided to log some time with one of the masthead’s veterans. DiStefano has been integral to this magazine since its inception, handling everything from many of the celebrity interviews to the layout of almost every page (and a few of O UTSMART ’s most iconic covers). It was DiStefano’s 2002 interview with actor Tony Curtis that went national for inquiring minds to savor. And it was in his 2005 interview with Kathy Griffin that she divulged her “complete militant atheist” status, which threw the Catholic League into a tizzy and earned OUTSMART a mention on CNN. DiStefano is also responsible for the magazine’s wildly popular “Queer Quotes” column, a monthly rundown of choice utterances about the LGBT world from figures in entertainment, culture, and politics.
DiStefano began working for OUTSMART in 1994 after a frustrating stint at a Sears department store doing ad layouts and pasteups (yes, he’s that old-school), and a much more rewarding time at the groundbreaking This Week in Texas, aka TWT (affectionately known as “Twit”), where he designed the iconic logo that was widely used as a coded gay decal, much like the HRC equal-sign logo is used today.
That artistic spirit is still very much at work today, and not solely within the pages of this magazine. An accomplished artist in his own right, DiStefano continues to work in mixed media (his medium of choice), creating photos and designs for his own extensive personal collection that he catalogues and places into stunning coffee-table books he modestly (and, in this writer’s humble opinion, foolishly)
decides not to display on his damn coffee table. To right that wrong, examples can be seen here. Appropriately enough, we sat down to talk about the art of publishing at Bistro Menil, in the shadow of The Menil Collection’s grand Renzo Piano-designed space.
Reflections
Blase DiStefano has had his lens focused on pop culture for O UTSMART for over 20 years.
Steven Foster: What attracted you to OUTSMART magazine?
Blase DiStefano: It was a local gay magazine that wasn’t all about sex. Back then, it seemed the three-letter words “gay” and “sex” were interchangeable. ➝
Bird on a Wire From Blase DiStefano’s The Birds series.
That’s “Mr. Faggot” to You 4 Faggots in Space, 2014.
UP C LOSE AND PERSONAL
continued from previous page
What’s been the most rewarding part of working at OUTSMART?
I have to preface my answer. When I was a kid, I was in constant fear that someone would find out that I was gay. There was no one to let me know I was okay. What I would have given for a magazine like OUTSMART to have been there! So, the reward here is that there might be a queer kid or adult who sees the magazine and realizes they’re not alone. I really mean that . . . that sentence is not accompanied by violin music. And then, of course, there’s the selfish motive: getting to interview celebrities!
What have you noticed that’s changed the most about the publishing business?
Computers. When I first started at TWT, we did almost everything by hand. That was so long ago I don’t even remember how we got the typesetting in order to do the pasteup for layouts. All that stuff is so antiquated that I’ve let it slip out of my mind.
Why do you think OUTSMART has survived and even thrived, when other publications — most notably veterans like the Houston Post have tanked?
I’m not sure I’m the one to ask. My guess is that we have loyal readers and advertisers, and we have a wide variety of editorial topics.
Who was your most enjoyable interview with? Lily Tomlin, hands down. She’s been my idol since Laugh-In, so I was pretty knowledgeable about her career. Because I had recorded almost every show she was in on TV (on videotapes in the ’70s and ’80s), she asked if I wouldn’t mind sending them to her. She had them transferred to DVDs, and then she not only sent back my original videotapes, she also sent me a set of the DVDs. We talked about 45 minutes, then stopped only because she had an appointment. I asked if we could talk more, and she called me back that night, and we talked for another hour!
Who was your most difficult interview?
Honestly, there weren’t any. Maybe Joe Dallesandro, but he’s just not very talkative anyway.
If you could interview anyone that you haven’t yet had the chance to, who would that be?
Maggie Smith. That’s not gonna happen, because she does very few interviews. Next in line: Jane Fonda. That could still happen. I love her almost as much as Lily Tomlin! From my answers, can you tell I’m gay?
You’re gay?!
Steven Foster is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
MOLLY
‘Tips’ Tops
An interview with Matt Murphy, playwright and author of ‘Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man.’
By Gregg Shapiro
Matt Murphy has a runaway hit on his hands with Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man. In addition to its long-running off-Broadway production in New York, the show has a touring company that takes it across the country to cities big and small—including Houston in early May. Now based in New York, Indiana-native Murphy is also behind a variety of other productions, including the off-Broadway boy-band parody Altar Boyz and the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, to name just two. I spoke with Murphy about his career and the success of Sex Tips earlier this year.
Gregg Shapiro: Matt, what led you to become a theatrical producer?
Matt Murphy: That’s a good question! I always wanted to work in theater, ever since I was very young. First I told everybody that I wanted to be an actor, and I acted in grade school, middle school, and high school. Then I realized that I wasn’t very good at it, and that was it. I thought, “Okay, I guess that means I can’t be in theater.”
Then I took a class in college [at University of Colorado Boulder] called Musical Theater History, and the professor there, Bud Collins, was talking about the directors and producers and the writers—those men and women who created the work as the pioneers of the industry, in addition to some of the actors. That was an eye-opening course for me. I realized that that was a job one
could have in the industry.
I started pursuing that. I wanted to direct; I wanted to produce and write a little bit. The way I began training myself to do that was by working behind the scenes as a stage manager, a company manager, and a general manager. I always knew that I wanted to be in this industry, and it took me a minute to figure out that producing and writing was something I could be good at, and that I could contribute to the industry [in] that role.
Your production work runs the gamut from adult content— Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man —to the family-oriented Berenstain Bears Live! What are the challenges and rewards of that wide production spectrum?
I like to surprise audiences, I guess. In theater for young audiences, oftentimes it’s their first theatrical experience; you get that immediate effect of awe from kids seeing a live performance. [These days, when] they’re so used to seeing things on their iPads or iPhones, to be sitting in a theater and see actors performing 10 feet away from them—especially actors performing in the Berenstain Bears costumes that they recognize from the books they are reading at home—is an experience unlike any that kids get today. I enjoy being a part of sharing that with young children and their parents. It’s incredibly rewarding to see them laughing and clapping and standing up at the end and dancing along with the music.
There’s something more visceral about family entertainment than typical adult drama. I would say the same thing about Sex Tips—it’s a little more visceral in that it’s audience-participatory. We’re dealing with a taboo subject, but we’re handling it in what I would say is just the right way by couching the sex tips within a romantic-comedy storyline, making it palatable for the audience while at the same time pushing the envelope just enough so that they might walk away from Sex Tips and say, “Hey, honey, maybe we should try that.”
continued on page 68
JEREMY SHAFFER
You Like the Big Banana?
Dan, Robyn, and Stefan (l–r: Grant MacDermott, Rachel Moulton, and Keith Hines) extol the virtues of having a diet rich in potassium.
From Bears to Bare All Versatile playwright Matt Murphy has penned everything from the wholesome Berenstain Bears Live! to the risqué sex comedy Sex Tips for Straight Women ‹
HOUSTON CAMERA
‘TIPS’ TOPS continued from page 65
Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man is based on the best-selling book of the same name. What was it about the book that compelled you to adapt it for the stage?
The tone of it is what I appreciated most. It was so inviting and encouraging. I tried to hold onto that tone in adapting it into a romantic comedy. It really is Will & Grace onstage. The character of [Sex Tips co-author] Dan Anderson is written in the book the same way that it’s written in our play. He wants people to succeed. He wants people to try new things. Not because he’s challenging them, but because they will enjoy it. I’m not just talking about enjoying it from a physical standpoint, but enjoying the notion of trying something different. That comes across in every way, shape, and form. He’s funny, witty, supportive—you get that from reading the book. I hope you get that from seeing the play, as well. I think you do, and I think that’s part of the reason it’s been successful. People come to our show, and it’s not like we’re pushing this advice on people. We’re presenting a classic American comedy story. We’re entertaining them with theatrical tricks and props and fanfare, while also serving up a few bits of advice that they may or may not take home with them.
Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man is on the bachelorette party circuit. How did that come about?
I think anything with the word sex in the theater will become a destination for girls’night-out groups. That wasn’t by design, it just happened naturally. Shows such as Menopause The Musical and other fare geared towards or dealing with issues of interest to women will naturally bring out a female audience. We get a lot of bachelorette parties, birthday parties, and groups of women out for a night on the town.
I have been heartened by the fact that a majority of our audience is couples—women coming with their boyfriends or their husbands. I think a lot of people step into the theater not quite sure what they’re going to get. They walk out with a big smile on their face. They had a good time. It’s a very funny piece of theater. On the way home, they may be thinking, “Up, twist, over, and down—I wonder what that’s like?” Who knows where it goes from there!
The play has been great for gay men, too. Gay men and their female best friends, or just groups that include couples and singles—gay or straight, young or old. I think because sex sells and it’s a universal topic, it really has appeal to a wide demographic.
I’m glad you mentioned gay men. What percentage of your audiences are gay men on any given night?
When we first opened in New York, it was quite significant. But the gay audience in New York doesn’t last forever—once the word is out, the majority of gay theatergoers will come find your show and see it. Then that audience is on to the next thing. But when we go out on tour, the percentage of gay men [in the audience goes back up] again.
I think there are fewer options for gay men when you get outside of major markets. When our play comes to town, it’s a good option. We played Provincetown for a week. The audience there was majority gay men. I think the show is fun for gay men, too, because a gay man is the leading role in the play. He’s handled with respect, he’s charismatic, and he’s not a caricature. He’s an encouraging, supportive man who feels like he has something of value to share with the audience. There’s a message in there for gay men as well.
Sex Tips for Straight Women from a Gay Man has a full tour schedule. How does the show play in other parts of the country—say, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Louisville, Kentucky, for example?
We just sold out Fayetteville, Arkansas at the Walton Arts Center, which is heavily funded by the family who owns and operates Walmart. They loved it! The presenter there loved it. We track all the social-media mentions about the show from wherever we are, and everybody in Fayetteville was talking about the show. It was couples in their 40s, couples in their 70s, groups of women, groups of men, all posting “This is hilarious!” “This is a must-see!” “You have to come check this out!” Wherever it goes, it seems to do well.
Are there other upcoming productions, either New York-based or touring, that you’re especially excited about?
Nothing I’m ready to announce in this interview. [Laughs] There are a couple of things brewing that I’m excited about. Sex Tips is still growing in a very big way. We are about to launch a Las Vegas production. We hope to finalize a UK production in the near future. Lots of exciting things.
In addition to your theater-production duties, you also operate Marquee Merchandise, where theatergoers are able to purchase T-shirts, hats, mugs, and other theater souvenirs. Which show currently has the best-selling merch? Hamilton!
Gregg Shapiro also writes the GrooveOut music column for OUTSMART magazine.
ICONIC
45 Years of Love and Action
Resurrection MCC marks milestone anniversary.
By Rich Arenschieldt
by Dalton DeHart
Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, a bedrock for Houston’s LGBTQ people of faith, celebrates 45 years of ministry with several special events planned during the latter part of April. A gala on April 29 celebrates “45 Years of Love and Action” with a dinner, dancing, and an art auction. Sunday services will also celebrate past successes and future plans.
“On Sunday, April 23, we will remember our history and accomplishments,” says Rev. Troy Treash, Resurrection MCC’s senior pastor. “The following week’s gathering will be focused on our present and future plans. After services on the 30th, we will host a 1972-themed ‘all come’ free event.”
Rev. Vickey Gibbs, the church’s associate pastor and a member since 1981, shared recollections from Resurrection’s modest beginnings in the early ’70s. “The MCC denomination was formed in 1969 by a Los Angeles-area evangelical pastor. Houston’s first MCC church (and its 43 members) met in a rented bicycle shop on Waugh Drive. We started as [and still are] a ‘sanctuary movement’—a church where people can worship together in safety.”
“Our mission,” Treash says, “is to demonstrate God’s inclusive love to all people through Christ-like action. Our core beliefs center on social justice, spiritual transformation, community, and inclusiveness. These comprise our ethos; everything we do responds back to them.”
Given the church’s standing in the community and its thriving campus, it’s difficult to imagine that throughout its history, calamities rivaling those chronicled in the Book of Exodus have occurred at regular intervals. Unsurprisingly, adversity always seems to energize this community rather than debilitate it.
“We have been through fire, plague, and flood,” Rev. Gibbs says. “In 1979, the Ku Klux Klan arrived and threatened to destroy our building. They ignited a cross on our lawn, but under the fierce leadership of then-pastor Jeri Ann Harvey, the congregation protected the sanctuary from damage.
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“We always experience unexpected results when confronted with challenges,” says Gibbs. “During [the early days of] HIV/AIDS we lost half of our members, and still our congregation coalesced. Gay men and lesbians came together, no longer merely worshipping side by side, but jointly ministering to those in crucial need. This was our experience with ‘plague,’ and much of what we did during those years informs our work now—caring for people, speaking out for the marginalized, protecting the oppressed. Our past experience provides present-day expertise.”
And then . . . there was “flood.” Due to Resurrection MCC’s proximity to White Oak Bayou, Tropical Storm Allison inundated the church with Noah-esque floodwaters.
“In 2001, we had only been in the building six months when the storm flooded our space with four feet of water, forcing us to move to the activity center located on higher ground.” Treash says. “But again, we were able to be blessed. During reconstruction, we reconfigured space to better meet our needs.”
Trials and tribulations have a way of energizing and steeling Resurrection’s ministry—a legacy that should prove to be helpful in the current political climate. “We are living in Jesus’ time,” Treash observes. “The Romans occupied and then marginalized the Jews, while the wealthy establishment simply wanted to
maintain the status quo. The parallels are unmistakable: how do we address issues surrounding ‘empire,’ wealth, and power? What does it mean to live in culturally diverse times? How are we to be disciples? For answers, we must look at the way Jesus lived.”
“As a people concerned with equality, how do we travel together so that no individual is left behind?” Gibbs says. “The power structure today works by building wedges and dividing communities. We counter that through education ‘in community’ with one another. After the failure of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance [HERO] and the backlash against marriage equality, Resurrection increased its programming related to social justice.”
Treash encapsulates it thusly: “In a familiar parable, the [despised] Samaritan renders aid to a Jew who was beaten and left for dead. The Jew wakes up and says: ‘Who helped me?’ Similarly, we must continue to see each other as human—especially those whose views differ from our own. We can walk alongside each other. The next four years will be interesting.
“Resurrection MCC has been on a 45-year experiment of what ‘love and action’ looks like. We will continue doing this work, even more explicitly than in the past.”
Rich Arenschieldt is a frequent contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
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Faith + Community Resurrection MCC senior pastor Troy Treash says the church’s mission is to demonstrate God’s inclusive love to all people through Christ-like action.
Then and Now
By Shirley Knight
On The Boulevard
A tiled street marker defies its over 50-year age by remaining completely intact—in spite of Houston’s infamous penchant for potholes and shifting soil. The neighborhood, however, has gone through many changes since its founding in 1910.
Houstonians know that this city is a cosmopolitan, eclectic, and international blend of interesting people, thriving arts, and great restaurants. The Montrose area can take a lot of credit for producing and sustaining this identity as it continues to attract people on the leading edge.
In 1910, Houston developer J.W. Link envisioned a distinguished residential area centered around an enormous boulevard stretching north from Hermann Park. He called his new subdivision “The Montrose.” Families who left their names on city streets and notable buildings moved into the area—Cullen, Rice, Kirby, and Jones (of Jones Hall), to name a few. On the northern edge of Montrose, a farm road running east and west got its name from a German Jewish flour salesman who built a school on his 640-acre farm surrounding the area where Lamar High School now stands. His last name was Westheimer.
As Houston’s elite eventually moved west to River Oaks, Memorial, and Tanglewood,
Montrose was increasingly populated by professors, artists, and immigrants. The Greek Orthodox church on Yoakum was dedicated in 1952, and for 50 years running, the annual Greek Festival has been held on the church’s campus.
People from all over the world found homes and opened restaurants in Montrose. In 1970, an immigrant from Bavaria opened Michelangelo’s, featuring southern Italian cooking. Greek food was served at Bacchanal and Zorba’s, and Cardet’s Cafe was a haven for Cuban exiles.
A 1973 article in Texas Monthly lauds Montrose for its “European-style restaurants and sidewalk cafés” and for Victorian homes turned into “bistros with an international barrage of foods and wines.” Gay people were attracted to the charm and flair of the area, as well as its vast selection of affordable vintage homes. A word often used to describe the atmosphere in the ’60s and ’70s is “bohemian.”
Montrose native Thorne Dreyer wrote in
CITE magazine, “In many ways, Montrose was the heart of Houston back then. It had a social vitality and a sense of community and a tolerance for diversity that you didn’t find elsewhere in this sprawling adolescent metropolis.”
In 1971, the Westheimer Colony Art Festival held its first event. The street fair grew throughout the ’70s and ’80s and featured a wide variety of arts, crafts, musical groups, and people—skaters known as the Urban Animals, activists, belly dancers, snake owners, punk rockers, and families.
Montrose had indeed become an enclave with a distinct identity. In 1973, Houston radio personality Dan Earhart was quoted as saying, “I rarely go out of a 10- to 12-block radius. I find everything I need. I don’t relate to living in Houston, Texas. I live in The Montrose.”
The history of the area also includes some turbulent times. Vietnam War protests were held at the intersection of Westheimer and Montrose, and in 1970, the KPFT radio studio was bombed. That same year, three gay establishments burned: Bullseye on Westheimer, Plantation Club on West Gray, and Palace Club on Berry Street.
Gay and lesbian clubs continued to be raided by the police back then, and people were arrested for things like cross-dressing. One notorious raid occurred at Mary’s bar in June 1980, just before the second annual Pride parade. Later that year, the city’s ordinance prohibiting cross-dressing was repealed.
But such moments of crisis only served to strengthen the gay community, and the attraction of Montrose endured. LGBT political clout was evident in 1979 when the Gay Political ➝
Adios, Felix. Konnichiwa, Uchi.
Los Felix at last hung up their sombrero and sushi became the fare at the new haunt.
Caucus helped elect Eleanor Tinsley as the first woman to occupy an at-large City Council seat. Soon after that, Kathy Whitmire was elected as Houston’s first female mayor in 1981. Houston’s LGBT community continues to provide fresh alternatives to the entrenched “good ol’ boy” network that had always run the city. Unfortunately, Montrose was also becoming a magnet for drug addicts, prostitutes, runaways, gay-bashers, and thrill-seekers during the 1980s. The gay community’s strained relationship with the police department and first responders finally gained widespread attention in 1991 when Paul Broussard, a handsome young banker, was murdered by 10 young men from The Woodlands.
The vibrancy of the Montrose area has always been evident in its changing demographics. Even in 1973, people were concerned that “the hippie image of the Montrose is changing because the land values are going up, and the low-rent areas are disappearing.” According to
the article “Montrose Lives!” in Texas Monthly, at that time a ramshackle duplex apartment at the corner of Welch and Hopkins rented for $55 a month (including utilities), an average apartment in Montrose cost $100 a month, buying and refurbishing a basic home in the area required $60,000, and townhomes were quickly appearing.
One result is that people began moving to the Heights, another neglected historic area that had yet to be rediscovered. Gay couples also began dispersing throughout Houston to Meyerland, Oak Forest, and Spring Branch.
fun of or discriminated against. They stuck with what they knew and what was familiar.” However, “Single-family dwellings in Montrose were a reach for most clients, and nine times out of ten the homes were run down and required a lot of work.”
In 1973, Houston radio personality Dan Earhart was quoted as saying, “I rarely go out of a 10- to 12-block radius.
I find everything I need.
Steve Louis, a Houstonarea Realtor since 1985, remembers that gay people liked Montrose “because they could be a little more open and not worry about being made
I don’t relate to living in Houston, Texas. I live in The Montrose.”
Louis notes that in the past, financing options could be problematic for gay couples. He says, “I remember when it wasn’t so easy for two males to buy a single-family dwelling together. Mortgage companies were not processing loans the way they do now.” He says marriage equality will help young people because “married gay couples can now build a financial future together, whereas in the past that option wasn’t so easy to construct.”
He also notes that there was a time when ➝
Chances Are. Or Was.
What was once a haven for lesbians, Chances is now Hay Merchant, a trendy little hipster beer garden.
Sobering Up
The venerable Mary’s at last succumbed to progress and was replaced by the Blacksmith coffee house.
the Texas Real Estate Commission required property owners to disclose if anyone in the house had AIDS—another hurdle for many in the gay community.
Nevertheless, Montrose has a proud and eclectic past, and it has long been the cultural heart and soul of Houston. The larger area is also known as Neartown, which was a small civic association founded in 1963 that expanded into an area-wide coalition of civic associations in 1997.
Past landmarks include Mary’s, a gay bar that thrived from 1970 to 2009 at the northeast corner of Westheimer and Waugh. In a 2011 issue of O UTSMART, Brandon Wolf wrote, “For many gay men, Mary’s was symbolic of their own survival. They had dealt with bar raids, hate crimes, city referenda, and AIDS . . . and like Mary’s, they were survivors, too.” Today, that small refurbished building houses a coffee shop serving things like jasmine tea and kale chips, and Mary’s backyard patio is now a parking lot.
For years, the northwest corner of Westheimer and Waugh next to Mary’s housed Charlie’s Coffee Shop. Then from 1994 to 2010, the building housed Chances Bar, which attracted lesbians and their friends. Today, one can visit the same site for craft beers such as “coffee bourbon barrel-aged Russian imperial stout,” which sells for $14 a glass. Where people used to dance to “Everlasting Love” and “Rock This Party,” they can now order Underbelly’s “new American Creole cuisine,” such as smoked snapper or Korean braised goat and dumplings.
Felix Mexican Restaurant, which opened in 1948 at 904 Westheimer, closed in 2008. The building is now the site of Uchi, a “contemporary Japanese dining & sushi restaurant.”
While many Montrose icons have come and gone, these are two of the perennials that remain. The Greek haven Niko Niko’s has not only survived but expanded. The original Barnaby’s, on the other hand, has shied away from any major remodeling, maintaining its uneven floors and rickety charm.
Where for decades you could get Tex-Mex enchiladas in chili gravy, you can now order Wagu beef, salmon belly, or eel.
TooPee’s Coffee House, a popular hangout on West Alabama, is now an Italian restaurant and wine bar. Bookstores came and went—Lobo Houston (1986–2004), Inklings (1988–1997), and Crossroads Market (early ’90s–2002).
While some establishments folded, others thrived. The Hobbit Hole opened in 1972 on Shepherd and evolved into the Hobbit Cafe on Richmond Avenue. Baba Yega’s, which opened in 1975 in a small bungalow, today includes several buildings with beautiful patios. In 1977, Niko Niko’s opened as a small walk-up window selling Greek food. Today it occupies half of an entire block on Montrose Boulevard. La Mexicana, which began as a grocery store with two tables for dine-in customers at Fairview and Montrose, has expanded several
times over the decades. The original Barnaby’s on Fairview opened in 1992, and today there are six additional locations around town.
With an interesting mix of restaurants, music clubs, gay bars, art galleries, thrift stores, antique shops, tattoo parlors, boutiques, and coffee shops, along with Rothko Chapel and the Menil museum, the Montrose area has been and continues to be a trendsetter for Texas. Montrose was also the birthplace of some of Houston’s most celebrated annual events, including a biannual art festival, the Art Car Parade, and Free Press Summer Fest. Pioneering journalist Ray Miller used to say, “Houston is a place that has a place for you.” Nowhere is this more evident than in Montrose, a neighborhood where much of the city’s diversity, culture, and renowned cuisine has been nurtured and continues to thrive.
Shirley Knight is the founder of AwakeNow.org
Still Groovy.
That ‘70s Shop may be gone, but the new Ramen Tatsu-ya is a delicious replacement.
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The Mainstays
THEN NOW
DALTON DEHART
Living Out and Proud
Longtime Realtor Cindy Hamann becomes first openly gay chair of the HAR board.
By Karen Derr
With over 36,000 members, the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) is an organization as diverse as Houston itself. The Realtor Code of Ethics prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This year, HAR board members elected Cindy Hamann as their first openly gay chair of the board. Hamann is fearless when it comes to growing the bottom line for some of Houston’s most successful real-estate offices, but she was less bold when it came to sharing details about her personal life. She came out at work only five years ago, and before that she would often introduce her longtime partner, Lisa Greer, to associates as her cousin.
Hamann, who has enjoyed a long career in real-estate sales management, became a Realtor (like so many in Houston) after being laid off in the oil industry. The native Houstonian was recruited in the 1990s by a relocation company to clean houses being made ready for sale. Realizing the money that could be made selling homes, and encouraged by her mentor at Corporate Link, Carol Knight, Hamann obtained her real-estate license. After her first year of selling real estate with Better Homes and Gardens, she was named Rookie of the Year. A move to Coldwell Banker United launched the newly single mother of three into branch management and steering the careers of aspiring Realtors. “I took the Woodlands office from the worst office in the company to number one in profit—out of 88 offices in four states,” says Hamann, who didn’t finish college and at the time did not consider herself management material. She grew the Woodlands office from 12 agents to almost 100.
Loving Life
After being closeted for most of her life, Cindy Hamann came out to a standing ovation by her coworkers. Hamann was elected the first openly gay HAR chair of the board in 2017.
“Republican, straightlaced . . . I didn’t realize that those feelings were even in me.”
was as surprised as anyone when she fell in love with a woman. Her brother, Robert Williamson, was gay, but she considered herself straight and quite conservative. “Republican, straight-laced—I didn’t realize that those feelings were even in me, even though I had a gay brother,” she explains, speaking adoringly of her brother who died of AIDS while only in his 30s. “He was a gorgeous young man—very flamboyant, and very brave coming out to my family.” After realizing she was gay, Hamann led a life of secrecy and hid in her work.
Hamann hid her personal life from friends and associates because of her fear of missing career opportunities. She felt she could not afford to be discriminated against if she was going to give her children the things she never had. “I wanted to send my kids to college because I didn’t get to. I wanted to be the best mother I could be,” she explains. “I fell in love with this person who led me to discover my sexuality. Then I was so curious, but I couldn’t date people around me. I remember going to the first gay bar in The Woodlands, and I literally hid under the table.”
Having been married twice to men, Cindy
“None of my agents knew, and that was because of one reason: fear,” Hamann recalls. “I’d win trips as a top manager, and Lisa couldn’t go with me.” When they went to buy groceries in The Woodlands, she and Lisa would take two separate baskets in case they ran into someone from work. “I’ll tell you it was hard, but Lisa understood. She was not out at work at Dow, either.”
While living in secrecy with Greer, Hamann enjoyed continued success managing and mentoring Realtors. She prided herself in knowing each of her agents personally, including their families. One day, at a regular sales meeting, she made a decision to share more with her coworkers than she’d ever shared before. She started the meeting by saying, “We’ve become this huge family, and today I’m not going to hide anymore. I’m going to start ➝
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living my life openly as a lesbian.” She says she got a standing ovation. She then turned the meeting over to an associate manager and went to call Lisa to tell her what she had done. She completed her coming-out that day by making the same announcement on Facebook. Thinking back about the outpouring of support that followed, Hamann says “I got thousands of comments, and so many people shared their stories. But that’s not why I did it. I was tired of living a lie.”
Hamann is now the vice president of sales performance and recruiting for Heritage Texas Properties. Greer and Hamann both participate in LGBT trade organizations, and Hamann was an outspoken supporter of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance as a board member of HAR. She has also served as president of Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation, and volunteers with the Montgomery County Women’s Shelter and as a camp counselor every year for Candlelighters’ Camp for All. Hamann’s generosity and compassion has also extended to Houston’s homeless. She has personally touched the lives of hundreds living on the streets with “a blanket and a bottle of wine” at Christmas. It all began one year when she was feeling melancholy about spending Christmas alone because her children were continued from previous page LIVING
with their dad. “I walked into Walmart and saw [a display] of blankets with Boone’s Farm strawberry wine right beside it. I bought 10 of each.” She drove from The Woodlands to Greenspoint and then downtown, giving the gifts to whoever she came upon who needed them. “I got a warm feeling that I’d done something amazing for these people. The next year I gave out 20 blankets and bottles, all by myself. The third year I did 30, and my children helped. They said I was crazy, and don’t ever do this again.”
But Hamann continued each year until she and some friends who helped her were not only giving out a hundred blankets and bottles of wine, but also food. Then the City passed an ordinance that requires anyone feeding more than six people to get written permission from the City or property owner. “I had a police officer follow me, and as I was giving blankets and hugs, he came up to me and he asked what I was doing. I had heard about the change in the law, and I told him I was handing out blankets and a bottle of wine. He said that was the nicest thing he’d ever heard, and continued with me. Almost every person on the street said ‘God bless you,’ and most were also helping someone else living on the street. I always felt that I was shielded, even if I was alone. I want to write a book some day about the individuals I met,” Hamann says. Regarding the City’s antifeeding ordinance, she says, “That law took something away from people. It means that they can’t do a kindness when they want to. It’s sad, and it’s wrong.” Hamann says she believes that she helped some people who would never go to a shelter or some other organized place for help. She now adopts needy families during the holidays.
Hamann cannot explain everything about her life, or why she didn’t discover she was attracted to women until she was well into her 30s. She believes it could happen to anyone at any time. In her case, she says, “I just think it was God’s path for me.” Hamann’s children got the education she dreamed of for them. “I’m proud to say I have three teachers in the family—two with finance degrees, and three with their master’s degrees.” And because of her hard work while they were growing up, they have no college debt. She and her wife have recently achieved another goal by selling their home in Timbergrove so they can live full-time on their farm in Waller.
At 55, Hamann says she is proud of who she is. “Did I live a lie? Yes, but I wouldn’t change anything about my life—except [the fact that I never told] my brother that I was a lesbian before he died.” She believes he would have been proud of her. “My legacy is this: if I can make a difference, you can, too.”
Karen Derr is a Houston-based Realtor and the founder of Karen Derr Realtors, which sells both town and country properties. She writes and speaks about home and small-business topics.
Meet Jared Anthony
Real-estate guru and radio-show host.
By Megan Wadding
Jared Anthony, a local Realtor and talkradio personality, has taken a very interesting and unconventional career path that has led him to where he is today—at the top of his game.
Anthony was born and raised in the military town of Lawton, Oklahoma. A hardworking student, he graduated high school a year early and attended the University of Central Oklahoma. By the age of 20, he had a bachelor’s degree in funeral-home management and mortuary science with a minor in piano performance.
Anthony got his start in the mortuary business by taking a job at a funeral home when he was just 16. “I’ve always been a little quirky. Morbid things have always fascinated me—things that people don’t talk about in public conversation [because it makes them] uncomfortable,” says Anthony. “Everyone in my family was shocked that I chose that path, [but] I liked it.”
From the Ground to the Skies
After having worked as a mortician/funeral director for several years, Anthony decided to explore his budding interest in aviation. “Flight school was a way for me to literally fly out of Oklahoma and experience the world,” Anthony says. “I moved to flying to experience life, people, and different cultures.”
Anthony attended flight school at Pan Am International Flight Academy in Phoenix,
Arizona, and also earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix.
After completing flight school, Anthony moved around the country, beginning with a four-year stint in Dallas where he worked as an independent flight instructor. He was then hired by ExpressJet Airlines, which sent him to Southern California for four years and Atlanta for two years. He was finally assigned to Houston to serve his final two years with ExpressJet in 2012.
“The life of a pilot isn’t as glamorous as it looks on TV and in films,” Anthony says.
When Anthony turned 30, he decided to make yet another big career change into real estate—his true passion. Within a year of settling in Houston, he had his real-estate license.
Career Change
Anthony says that real estate sometimes reminds him of working in that funeral home back in Oklahoma. “Like funeral services, it’s 100 percent a customer-service job—except it’s for the living, not the dead,” Anthony jokes. “Real estate is also involved in funerals—those
A Man of Many Trades Before finding his passion for real estate, Jared Anthony worked as both a mortician and a pilot. Now, he can add radio personality to his résumé.
burial plots are a little piece of afterlife real estate, truly.”
Anthony, who is now 35 years old and in his fourth year as a Realtor, says that he loves everything about his job—but especially the fact that he has the opportunity to create his own success. “I’m not dependent on any CEO or corporation to create the life I want to live,” he says. “It is 100 percent up to me, and I get a thrill out of that alone.”
Anthony says that while his clientcentered business can be stressful, it remains rewarding for him. “The most challenging part of the job is ensuring that every piece falls into place,” says Anthony. “My goal is that the client has a stress-free and efficient experience.”
Texas Real Estate
With a real-estate license for the State of Texas, Anthony is able to service the city of Houston and beyond.
Anthony believes that Houston is a great place to buy and own property, and that the areas west and northwest of the city are seeing the most increase in home value, particularly ➝
CUTTING
Sugar Land, in his opinion. “The real-estate market out there [in Sugar Land] is unbelievable. My top five areas would be Friendswood, Pearland, League City, Sugar Land, and Tomball. Let’s make it six [and include] Katy.”
LGBTQ Prospective Homebuyers
Anthony says that it may surprise most people, but the LGBTQ community is very spread out around the city of Houston. “We don’t all live in Montrose, nor do we want to,” he says.
Anthony points out that while LGBTQ home buyers want the same things as any other buyer, and seem to have similar concerns, every client is still individual. “They are all looking for something unique,” he says. “Last year, I closed deals for LGBTQ clients from Conroe all the way to Galveston and in between. It truly comes down to the individual.”
On the Air
Alongside his booming real-estate career, Anthony, who really is a jack-of-all-trades, has also been enjoying a side gig as a radio host and real-estate guru on a program called Real Estate U through iHeartRadio for the past two years.
According to Anthony, the show informs the consumer about all things real-estate related. He and his good friend E’Delano Craine, of Metropolitan Title, take questions live on the air covering a variety of topics. “I love to talk, and I’ve also been a fan of talk radio since high school,” he says.
The show airs live on Sunday mornings at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Vendors and sponsors are rotated between the segments.
According to Anthony, the show is the only live two-hour real-estate show in Texas, and continued from previous page
attracts a large number of listeners. “Currently in Houston, our first hour has roughly 37,000 listeners [and] our 10 a.m. hour reaches nearly 45,000 listeners,” says Anthony.
The show is currently in the process of expanding to other markets, including Austin, which will bring the weekly Texas listenership to 69,000.
KPRC 950AM is an iHeartRadio station with a worldwide listenership of over 645 million listeners via iHeart’s online and downloadable app.
The show can also take questions from the website, via email, and on Facebook Livestream, which Anthony says is the best part. “Our Facebook Live is very interactive,” he says. “We are able to chat live with listeners/ viewers and address their questions and comments in real time. We also take live calls.”
Anthony says the thing he enjoys most of all is giving well-researched opinions. “I spend about three to four hours a week pulling stories related to Houston real estate and commercial development,” he says. “We don’t go into a show blind. We always have a topic to focus on that week.”
With his quick wit and dry sense of humor, Anthony says he has also been known to drop callers if they get “sassy” with him on the show.
Free Time
Anthony, who lives with his partner and two dogs, leads an incredibly productive work-life. When he isn’t helping people buy and sell their homes or talking about real estate on the air, he says he loves to cook, go to the movies, binge on Netflix, or go to the beach and be on the water. Because his partner works for an airline, they are also able to travel quite frequently.
Megan Wadding is a frequent contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
Houston’s Top Realtors
And where they eat.
By Marene Gustin
Houston’s top Realtors know a thing or two about up-andcoming neighborhoods, as well as the best places to take clients to eat in Houston. So whether you are in the market to buy or just looking for some great new dining spots, check out their tips—and their ideas about what their own dream homes would look like.
Jared Anthony ichoosejared.com
David Bowers thehousecompany.com
Angela Charity janebyrd.com
Realtor Jared Anthony is co-host of REURadio.com’s Sunday-morning realestate call-in show on KPRC 950AM and #iHeartRadio. He’s all about helping people find their dream home, but his own dreams aren’t too specific—just something that’s very modern with a simple design. He specializes in neighborhoods from Galveston to Montrose, but Anthony says right now it’s EaDo (East Downtown) that’s the hot spot. It’s a very happening ’hood on the cusp of becoming a booming real-estate market. Translation: buy now before the prices jump. As far as dining, “I like Eddie V’s—it’s always a favorite,” he says. This prime seafood eatery has two locations in Houston and is dedicated to fresh seafood flown in from around the globe—and live jazz nightly.
Anthony
David Bowers knows Galveston real estate like the back of his hand, so of course he’s got a tip for you if you’re looking for an island home: “The most underrated neighborhood in Galveston is between 25th and 45th, and Broadway and Avenue O,” Bowers says. “Lots of Victorian- and Craftsman-style gems!” He loves to take clients to dine at the Steak House at the San Luis Resort, Spa and Conference Center overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. “I tell John Paul, and he has everything ready.” Good to have a go-to guy at a hot restaurant. And Bowers actually lives in his dream home.
“It’s an 1899 Victorian—“The Blue House.” It has the location, the floor plan for Mardi Gras drag shows, a wet bar upstairs, four balconies, 11-foot ceilings, and is only a 17-minute walk to the cruise ships.”
Realtor Angela Charity’s dream home is ultramodern. “I love straight lines and lots of glass and windows that bring in light and breezes,” she says. “The more stories the better, to allow for a rooftop view. And a small yard for flowers and a pool for those warm Houston days is a must!” Her favorite neighborhood right now is the Heights. “To me, it’s the most underrated neighborhood in Houston. The people who live there understand its great attraction, but for outsiders, it’s difficult to see the close-knit neighborhoods, cute parks, unique restaurants, and shops.” Although not in the Heights, Charity’s favorite place to take clients is Maine-ly Sandwiches on South Shepherd Drive. She says it’s quaint yet comfortable, and has great food and drinks. And those lobster rolls! ➝
Charity
Bowers
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Karen Derr karenderr.com
Karen Derr has been marketing homes online since 1995—one of the first Realtors to do so. Her pick for the best underrated neighborhood is one you might not be familiar with: Shepherd Park Plaza. “Shepherd Park Plaza has sidewalks, a large park, huge trees, and is just five minutes outside the loop,” says Derr. Her favorite restaurant? That would be Claire Smith’s charming Shade eatery in the Heights. And her favorite home would be almost anywhere that has lots of space. “I have so many dream homes,” she says. “I love many kinds of architecture, but one thing that’s always included is a serene pool and spa. I guess it’s because I’m an Aquarian, but I love water. I’m also a huge fan of urban farming, and a yard for chickens and vegetables in the city would be great.”
Jeremy Fain greenwoodking.com
Jeremy Fain has a hot real-estate tip for you: “I think the most underrated neighborhood in Houston is East Downtown, better known as EaDo. It’s one of the last areas within the loop where you can get something for a reasonable price with huge potential for an increase in property value.
There is a lot in the works behind the scenes in the area right now, and once people start to catch on, values will have already gone up.” But surprisingly, his dream home is a Southern colonial with stately columns and a porch swing—and a big kitchen with lots of room to entertain. “On the other hand, an ultra-contemporary penthouse would float my boat as well,” Fain says. He prefers to let clients pick the dining spot, but if pushed, he’ll choose Houston’s, Ambrosia, or Celsius 13 for a glass of wine.
Cody Grizzoffi codygrizzoffi.com
Cody Grizzoffi has been in the mortgage business more than 13 years, specializing in ➝
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Derr
Fain
HOUSTON’S TOP REALTORS continued from page 88
helping builders, investors, and first-time buyers. He’s very hands-on with his clients. So what are his favorite places to take them?
“Barnaby’s and Ruggles Green,” he says. “Both have a variety of food and a great atmosphere.” These Heights eateries have a neighborhood feel and offer everything from Tex-Mex to vegetarian dishes. The Heights is also where you’ll find his ideal home—at least one of them. “My personal dream-home would be an early 1900s Heights home with a wraparound porch,” says Grizzoffi. “Or one on a pretty beach,” he adds. Well, of course.
Wade Knight wadeknight.com
Wade Knight has been a Realtor associate with Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty since 1999. He’s also a lifelong Houstonian with a vast knowledge of the city, so when he says his favorite hidden gem is Idylwood, you should listen.
“It’s Houston’s historic East End,” Knight says. “A small community under 400 homes that I see only going up and up. It sides to a bayou, a convent, and a golf course—what’s not to love about this charming neighborhood?” He also loves Oporto Wine Cafe, the Upper Kirby and Midtown Portuguese palace of small plates and wine. “I live in a contemporary space,” he says, “but one day, a contemporary French-country home with some land and not a bunch of housing all around me would be ideal.”
Patrick Lee
dreamscometruerealty.com
Patrick Lee is based in Sugar Land with Dreams Come True Realty, but he knows a thing or two about the Houston market. He believes that Riverside Terrace is the place to buy right now.
(If you’re in the
CHRIS WILL
TIM SURR NEWPORT
Grizzoffi
Knight
Lee
market, you best look here quickly before everyone has read this.) He’s also a fan of Aka Sushi in Upper Kirby—a great place to take clients, he says. As for his dream home: “A light, bright, open floor plan with modern finishes and clean lines.” Sounds dreamy to us.
Lynette Lew lynettelew.com
family-owned and -operated Alicia’s Mexican Grille, for their Angus fajitas and great ambience. As for her dream home, she already has it. “Light and bright, with large open spaces for entertaining family and friends,” she says. “We just built our dream home last year—now we just need to unpack.”
Ricky Molnar theapartmentguru.com
Noel Phillips chicagotitlehouston.com
Commercial and residential Realtor Lynette Lew is a professional with a slew of awards for her work. She points to an old neighborhood that’s clearly on the move: “Spring Branch, voted by Redfin as the hottest Houston neighborhood to watch in 2017,” Lew says, “is approximately 20 minutes to downtown and the Texas Medical Center, and 15 minutes to the Energy Corridor. With CityCentre, a new Hotel Zaza, and ample retail and other amenities close by, Spring Branch is conveniently located between the two airports and bordered by 290, Beltway 8, I-10, and 610 for easy commuting options.” Her go-to eatery is the
Richard Molnar is a licensed Realtor and longtime Houston resident specializing in free apartment locating. His listings include Katy as well as several neighborhoods in Houston’s inner loop, but his current advice is to look to the Medical Center as an area that has a lot to offer. And as for dining, he heads to the Heights, either alone or with clients and friends. “Onion Creek,” he says, “is such a friendly restaurant with an amazing menu and great vibe.” As for his dream home, he wants “nothing big, just a nice one-story house with an open floor plan and lots of floor-to-ceiling windows.”
An experienced escrow officer, Noel Phillips thinks downtown Houston is now the hot place for real estate—and it’s about to become even better. But when it comes to wining and dining, he heads for the River Oaks District and the trendy Toulouse Cafe and Bar. “The patio is a wonderful place to peoplewatch,” Phillips says. And whether it’s the Galleria area or downtown, he likes the trend in high-rise living. “I like the views, the security, and the convenience of a high-rise.” With the recent building boom in luxury high-rises, he has plenty to choose from in Houston.
Tim Surratt greenwoodking.com
Chalk up another vote for the EaDo neighborhood. Tim Surratt says, “I wouldn’t say it’s underrated, but the East End around the Dynamo Stadium is very well located, close to the rail, and still affordable.” And while there are more and more great restaurants in that ➝
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Phillips
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HOUSTON’S TOP REALTORS continued from previous page
area, Surratt likes El Tiempo 1803 Cantina on Montrose Boulevard. A family-owned and -operated TexMex treasure known for its margaritas, the restaurant has a very comfortable and relaxed vibe. “As for my dream home,” he says, “it would have a lot of windows, Louisiana style, and overlook Lake Livingston.”
V. J. Tramonte tramonterealty.com
V. J. Tramonte is a longtime broker/owner at the family-run Tramonte Realty, Inc., in Galveston. As an island fixture, he has a hard time naming a favorite restaurant there. “I have too many Galveston restaurant owners as friends to select a favorite,” Tramonte exclaims. “They are all great!” His tip for hot homes is in Galveston’s Palm Gardens area. “I love this little area called the Palm Gardens that has houses from the 1940s and ’50s for sale.” That may be because his dream home would have a mid-century open-concept look found in Palm Gardens.
Andy Weber johndaugherty.com
Andy Weber is an energetic and outgoing sales associate with John Daugherty Realtors who is consistently a top performer—and so busy that we could barely get any answers out of him. He says the Sixth Ward area is likely the most underrated Houston neighborhood, and that his favorite place to take clients is Jack in the Box. (We’re not sure about that last response, but given his schedule, he’s probably a serious connoisseur of drive-thru windows.) As for his dream home, “A ’50s modern with lots of light and no walls!” ➝
Weber
Tramonte
Surratt
Christopher Williams heritagetexas.com
A Realtor associate at Heritage Texas Properties, Christopher Williams knows Houston, and he knows value. He says Riverside Terrace is the hot place right now.
“It’s an excellent location and has beautiful homes with historical significance.” The close-in neighborhood dates back to the 1930s when it was a wealthy, mostly Jewish community. Over the years it’s waxed and waned, but is coming back now as many are buying up the old mansions and restoring them. And when it’s time to wine and dine clients, Williams turns to the River Oaks District’s Vietnamese hotspot Le Colonial. Not only does the food there get good reviews, but it’s also a see-and-be-seen spot. As for his dream home, this Texas farm boy wants country comfort. “A mid-century ranch,” he says, “on a large wooded lot with a pool and a cabana.”
Marene Gustin is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
JANE BYRD
Designing Duo
Jerry Hooker and Jacob Sudhoff tell you how to stage like a star.
By Marene Gustin
Jacob Sudhoff, president of Sudhoff Companies, which handles consulting, marketing, and sales for builders and developers, is a very busy man.
“I’ve been in real estate since I was in high school,” laughs the Corpus Christi native. He began showing homes for Hoffman International, and by the time he turned 18 and could get a Realtor license, he was ready to sell million-dollar homes on his own. When you’re that driven, there’s only one thing to do: marry someone who’s just as ambitious.
Enter Jerry Hooker, a principal at Mirador Group, an architectural, interiors, and landscape firm. They met Christmas Day 2010 and were married in 2015 in Napa. “We don’t work for each other, we work with each other,” Sudhoff says.
Last year, they started a new company together, Mirador + Sudhoff Showcase Homes. They have finished and sold two million-dollar homes and have four more on deck. Sudhoff handles the marketing and finance, and Hooker the design of both the home and the furnishings and art. So what potential buyers see is a fully furnished home, and they can even purchase all the contents.
“We start at the beginning with the land,” says Hooker, “so it makes sense to see the project through to the end.
“I’ve toured countless staged properties where the décor and details don’t relate to the space or simply don’t feel warm, welcoming, or like a real home,” he explains. “Our goal is to take the generic and impersonal facets out of the equation with a curated collection of furniture, art, and accessories that not only fits the residence, but also creates a memorable environment.”
“Buyers are much more educated than they were in the past,” says Sudhoff. “They know brands, and they are willing to pay more
Stunning Staging
Last year, veteran real-estate and design couple Jacob Sudhoff and Jerry Hooker started a new company, Mirador + Sudhoff Showcase Homes. Pictured is the company’s Courtlandt Manor townhomes.
for quality.”
The couple loves to travel, although even then they are always “on,” touring properties and collecting furniture, fixtures, and cabinetry wherever they go.
“So much staging is just poor, or they do only one room and not the entire house,” Hooker explains. “This will be a way to show a space that you can actually envision living in.”
And for those who aren’t quite ready to buy a home, he hopes people will come to see the décor and shop, whether it be for an original painting from Milan, an adornment from Marrakech, or a candle from an exclusive and hard-to-find line. They hold media events in the homes that are finished, and there are brochures detailing all the furnishings and art that can be purchased separately.
You may not want to sell off your artwork
if you’re selling a home, but you can take a few pointers on how to stage a property from Hooker and Sudhoff.
“First, embrace the architecture,” Hooker says. Basically, if it’s a Tudor-style house, don’t decorate in early Spanish Mission. It just gets too confusing.”
And you know all those Realtors who tell you to take down anything personal? Maybe not.
“Resells that get the most money aren’t just beige and boring,” Hooker says. “You need some personality to the property—don’t take down all the family photos—you need to strike a balance so that it looks like a real home, not just an empty shell.”
And lastly, not everything needs to be updated in an older home in order to sell it.
“We bought a 1909 home on Courtlandt ➝
DESIGNING DUO
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Place last year,” Hooker says. “Obviously, the appliances had to be updated, but in homes like this, you don’t rip out the walls or crown molding when you’re dealing with authentic artisan workmanship—that’s a selling point.”
“It’s a beautiful home,” says Sudhoff. “It’s where we want to raise our children, and we can’t wait to get back to the ’hood—all our friends are in Montrose.”
Right now the couple rents at the 2929 Weslayan high-rise where they live with their two dogs, Buddy and Bella, while the Courtlandt Place home is being renovated. It may not be finished until next spring, but they are already planning an addition to the family when they move in.
“We just picked out a fertility clinic,” says Sudhoff. “But it’s hard having a baby when you live on the 33rd floor.”
And as for the furnishings for their new home? Hooker is busy ordering custom-made furniture from Italy, and they are selecting artwork specifically for the historic manse.
“I’m so proud of Jerry,” Sudhoff says. “He just gets better and better at this. It will be a beautiful home.”
Marene Gustin is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
Let Them Eat Cake
Or a sweet table, or dessert buffet, or . . .
Chalk It Up Dessert Gallery’s popular, entirely edible chalkboard cake.
By Henry V. Thiel
For thousands of years, wedding caterers were only concerned with breaking the cake over the bride’s head to ensure fertility and the happiness of the newlyweds. Today it’s all about the taste, with the “wow factor” as an added bonus. Pair it with the perfect catering menu, and you’ve got a day to remember.
At The Dessert Gallery, owner Sara Brook was well known for her fabulous handcrafted dessert cakes long before she started making wedding cakes, which means that your wedding cake will be as beautiful to look at as it is delicious.
“Most of our brides and grooms come to us because they already have a favorite dessert they want to serve at their wedding,” says Brook.
happy family traditions to come.”
When asked if she has a specialty cake for soon-to-be-wed couples, Brook laughs.
“Every couple is di erent, and there are really no rules. As long as it’s a fl avor that both people love, then that’s the perfect cake for their wedding. We have made wedding cakes out of Old-Fashioned Diner Cake, French Vanilla Cake, Carrot Cake, Italian Cream, Cosmic Birthday Cake, To ee-licious Cake . . . we’ve done them all!”
that can be combined with any of their regular cookies, macaroons, and miniature cupcakes to create a beautiful, memorable dessert bu et like nothing you have ever seen before.
“One time we did a 36-foot dessert bu et with the cake in the middle,” shares Brook. “And it was magnificent!”
Nadine Moon of Who Made the Cake! also knows about delectable designs—including a masterpiece she made for two grooms. “I created a custom cake with two peacocks, but the feathers graduated down the cake in shades of the rainbow,” she says. “It was stunning, and perfect for them.”
“As long as it’s a cake both people love, then that’s the perfect cake for their wedding.”
“We don’t have a preconceived notion of what love is ‘supposed’ to be, as long as it’s sweet and happy. That’s all that really matters to us,” Brook adds. “So whether it’s a bride and a groom, two brides, or two grooms, we look forward to creating a special cake for their wedding day, and hope that their relationship with the Dessert Gallery is the start of many
For spring and summer 2017, Brook has noticed couples are choosing naked cakes (unfrosted) and chalkboard cakes (a cake covered in a black fondant to create an edible chalkboard with hand-drawn details or words made with white gel color and gold details such as dots, spacers, or flower tips). Another popular trend is smaller wedding cakes along with a “sweet table”—a plethora of tiny plated desserts
Moon’s also noticed a few popular trends this wedding season. “Metallics are very popular and photograph beautifully,” she explains. “Many of our cakes this season feature silver and/or gold and a touch of color.”
Haven’t decided on a design or fl avor yet? Not to worry, as Moon allows each couple to sample six of the cake studio’s most popular fl avors during the consultation.
But Moon isn’t the only one to indulge the sweet-tooth of Houston’s nuptial couples. ➝
KATINE WHO MADE CAKE
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Jim Benton, owner of Jim Benton Houston, a catering and event-planning service, has a particular motto that expresses his take on the matrimonial munchies.
“Our ideas are fresh and our clients are spoiled,” Benton smiles.
To that end, when he was recently asked about his di erent wedding packages, he replies, “We don’t have specific packages. We will design your wedding to your specific hopes, wishes, and dreams, making your special day just that—your special day. We customize each event to reflect the desires of each couple, and we always stay within their budget.
“We love working with same-sex couples,” adds Benton. “Because we believe that there is never a request that is too over-the-top, too outlandish, or too fabulous! We can go from fairy tale to fantasy to exquisite to contemporary to traditional to everything in between.
“Right
sels such as martini glasses and dessert shots. Clients are asking for sustainable disposables,
David Alcorta, owner of David Alcorta Catering, has seen an increase in couples wanting custom menus for their wedding receptions.
“One of the first questions I ask all my couples is, ‘What do you want to remember about your wedding day for the rest of your life?’” Benton explains. Once he gets that answer, the rest is simple. “And then we get to work!”
For Benton, trends come and go.
and we are pleased that we have found biodegradable containers constructed from palm leaves,” adds Benton. “We all need to do our part to keep Mother Earth in good shape for future generations.”
“Adding Grandmother’s Sunday Gravy to the menu, or Aunty Em’s Sand Tart cookies definitely makes the meal unique, di erent, and memorable, which is everyone’s goal,” says Alcorta. Another trend Alcorta is seeing is early-evening outdoor garden cocktail receptions, as well as Sunday brunch receptions.
“One couple I am currently working with is planning a Great Gatsby/Roaring ’20s wedding and reception. It’s going to be a knockout.”
Sandy Bubbert, owner of The Acadian Bakers, says that for more than 38 years brides and grooms have chosen her French butter cream icing (which she prepares daily from scratch) for their wedding cakes.
Proving that good taste is never out of fashion, she also strongly recommends her “Brownie Chocolate Mousse, my Italian Cream, Fresh Strawberry Butter Cream, and Pralines and Cream. If these flavors don’t catch your fancy, there are over 24 flavors to select from.”
Thirty years ago, it was nothing short of scandalous when gay couples requested samesex figurines for the top of their wedding cakes, says Bubbert.
“In 1979, that was impossible. So I sifted through my wedding cake statuettes for the right size and color, and gingerly sawed them in half. [Then I used] a little super glue, and voilà! Now I had two gentlemen and two ladies. It was so much fun! Girl, you should have been there!” laughs Bubbert.
“We said that often in the ’70s!” she whispers aside.
The Acadian Bakers 604 W. Alabama St. acadianbakers.com
David Alcorta Catering 7507 Hammerly Blvd. davidalcorta.net
The Dessert Gallery 3600 Kirby Dr. dessertgallery.com
Jim Benton of Houston 2811 Eastman St. jimbentonhouston.com
Who Made the Cake! 1811 S. Shepherd Dr. whomadethecake.com
Henry V. Thiel is a principal with The Epicurean Publicist, a boutique public-relations company that works exclusively with chefs and restaurateurs. Thiel loves all flavors of wedding cakes.
Love in Bloom Cake by Jim Benton.
Sandy Bubbert & Debra Danburg
Life of the Party Since
1991
One Date to Find True Love
revealed himself to be his true love.
had availability for the date we wanted, 12/12.”
Paul Kern and Tony Lee.
By Henry V. Thiel
Paul Kern and Tony Lee met via Match. com in March of 2013. After chatting on the phone for several weeks, they decided to meet for co ee at the Starbucks on Post Oak Boulevard. They were having so much fun that they didn’t want the date to end, so they went to dinner across the street at The Canyon Café. When they left the restaurant, their impromptu meeting had o cially become The First Date
“From that very first phone call, I was attracted to Paul’s ability to laugh often and a lot,” says Lee.
“I was attracted to Tony’s caring attitude, and youthful good looks,” Kern confesses, even choking up a bit as he describes the man who
Both Catholic, Kern knew the relationship was serious when they went to church together on Date Four.
Then, an equal number of months later, Kern, a tax man, proposed to Lee as soon as he returned from an overseas trip. “Yes, I got down on one knee, and while holding his left hand, I asked Tony to marry me,” Kern admits. “I presented him with a diamond-encrusted watch, because I wanted to spend every minute of my life with the man I love.”
Lee, however, being a physical therapist and pragmatist, declared, “It’s too soon!” and refused to give Kern the answer he wanted. In case there was any misunderstanding, he added, “Take it back to the store.”
Ouch.
Lee finally agreed on New Year’s Eve to marry Kern, and two years later they were married at Sweetwater Country Club in Sugar Land. “We chose it for its beautiful location and excellent facility,” explains Kern. “Plus, they
“I used to live in the area, so I was familiar with Sweetwater,” Lee adds. “Plus, I have friends in the area.” O ciating at the wedding was Father Gary Brewton. Steven David, whom they met through the HATCH Prom at the Montrose Center, was their photographer. While the wedding was a simple a air, it was a blending of two cultures and two families.
Both grooms were escorted down the aisle by their sisters. Kern’s best man traveled from Atlanta, and his sisters, niece, and two great-nieces traveled from Pennsylvania. Lee’s brother was his best man who, along with his sister and niece, traveled from Singapore for the wedding.
The wedding’s décor mixed tradition and familial honor. In the lobby entrance to the ballroom, Lee added a wedding scroll, their parents’ wedding portraits, and a pair of dragon candles—a Chinese wedding symbol representing “double happiness.” Wedding candles are traditionally a pair of dragon and ➝
A Perfect Match
Paul Kern (l) and Tony Lee instantly hit if off after meeting on Match.com in 2013.
WEDDING GUIDE
continued from previous page
phoenix candles to represent the male and female of the couple to be married. “We had to buy two sets of candles, so we could have two dragon candles,” Lee explains, his voice a slight mix of complaint and confession.
For their honeymoon, Lee and Kern visited Lee’s family in Singapore. “We visited Tony’s family in 2014 so I could meet them,” Kern explains. “We all got along very well and had a great time. During that visit, Tony hosted his mother at a tea ceremony that expressed his love and respect for her. It was very beautiful and moving,” he says.
“When we arrived at Tony’s mother’s home for our honeymoon, the whole city was celebrating Chinese New Year,” Kern says. “It was a very festive time to meet more of Tony’s family, where we enjoyed the amazing food, visited with friends, and relaxed from the pressures of the wedding.
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“Tony’s mother surprised us,” explains Kern with a big smile on his face, “by inviting us to tea, which turned out to be a tea ceremony that expressed her respect for us as a couple, and which formally welcomed me as a member of the family.
“I was so moved,” Kern recalls, wiping tears on his sleeve. “Not only had I married the love of my life, I had been accepted as a member of his family.”
Then he connected the dots for those who don’t quite grasp the magnitude of such a rite: “Unlike during our first visit, where we were not allowed to share a room, this time it was expected and blessed!”
Henry V. Thiel is a principal with The Epicurean Publicist, a boutique public relations company which works exclusively with chefs and restauranteurs. He loves weddings.
PROFESSIONAL STRING QUARTET SPECIALIZING IN WEDDINGS CONTEMPORARY & CLASSICAL MUSIC STRINGS www.harmonystrings.com
David Letterman
David Marchese: Do you feel any better about your fellow Indianan Mike Pence?
David Letterman: Jeez, Pence scared the hell out of me. There was a therapy . . . Conversion therapy. There’s debate about whether or not Pence actually supported it. Yes, conversion therapy. That’s when I just thought, Oh God, really, Indiana? I don’t care if you’re a fundamentalist Christian even they have gay relatives. They can’t be saying homosexuality is a sin. It’s horseshit. Then this transgender issue that just happened, I just think, Are you kidding me? Look, you’re a human, I’m a human. We’re breathing the same air. We have the same problems. We’re trying to get through our day. Who the fuck are you to throw a log in the road of somebody who has a di erent set of di culties in life?
He’s Got Issues
What does David Letterman think of conversion therapy and the transgender issue?
( New York magazine, 3/5/17, David Marchese)
Threat to Society?
Josh Gad as the gay character LeFou in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Queer Quotes
Bette Davis Meets
Victor Buono
(3/12/17, FX)
Re: the scene from Feud: Joan & Bette where Bette Davis, early in the filming of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, meets actor Victor Buono on the set as he is eating a donut. Victor Buono (Dominic Burgess): Good morning, Miss Davis. I am such a fan. Donut? Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon): No, co ee, black, in my dressing room. I’m not craft service. I’m your leading man on this picture. Beg your pardon. I’m Victor Buono. I’ll be playing your love interest. I was expecting someone . . . Thinner? Less homosexual?
Franklin Graham
(The Huffington Post, 3/4/17, John Allyn Welch) Graham, the controversial president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, is up in arms against Disney after learning the Beauty and the Beast remake [which was released in March] will feature an “exclusively gay moment” between character LeFou, played by Josh Gad, and villain Gaston, played by Luke Evans.
In a Facebook post, Graham writes: “They’re trying to push the LGBT agenda into the hearts and minds of your children—watch out! Disney has the right to make their cartoons, it’s a free country. But as Christians we also have the right not to support their company. I hope Christians everywhere will say no to Disney.” . . .
What is the moral math that has lead to Graham’s calculation that the LGBTQ community represents such an outsize threat to society . . . ?
A theory: Graham himself is homosexual and remains in a state of denial, self-loathing, and shame. . . .
A more likely theory: preaching hate pays. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association took in more than 100 million dollars in 2015. It seems a bit of charisma and the need to have your own prejudices and fears confi rmed is all it takes to get the checkbooks out.
Rachel Maddow
( The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell, 3/16/17)
Re: while passing the broadcast baton, newsies Lawrence O’Donnell and Rachel Maddow did a little bit of central casting.
O’Donnell: Who will star in the movie
The Rachel Maddow Show ?
Maddow: Probably . . . Kirk Cameron?
Compiled by Blase DiStefano
Buono Homo? Dominic Burgess plays actor Victor Buono in FX’s Feud: Joan & Bette
By Bradley Donalson
A Fair Shake for ‘Fair Haven’
Directorial debut depicts journey from small-town repression to acceptance.
The Eagle Huntress
This is a true story of girl empowerment, following Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl who pursues her passion of hunting with golden eagles, breaking down gender barriers in a very traditional culture. She becomes the first female eagle hunter in 12 generations of her Kazakh family. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (sonypictures.com). Suzie Lynde
Departure
This is a brooding and stylish coming-of-age drama about an English mother (Juliette Stevenson) and her teenage son, Elliot (Alex Lawther), a dreamy-eyed would-be writer who is exploring his dawning sexuality. When they take an emotional journey to the south of France, Elliot begins a courtship and seduction of a rugged, handsome French boy, while his mother begins making a dramatic change in her own life. Wolfe Video (wolfevideo .com). Troy Carrington
Kerstin Karlhuber’s directorial debut with Fair Haven comes at an opportune moment when the LGBT community is grappling with “Trump’s America” and the discriminatory attitudes that have resurfaced. It touches on themes that resonate in this intolerant political climate: anti-LGBT repression and the harm that occurs when people try to cut away the things that other people don’t want to deal with.
19-year-old James Grant (Michael Grant) is finally returning home from an ex-gay conversion program and is forced to deal with his inept but well-meaning father (Tom Wopat), an awkward dating setup with the local pastor’s daughter, Suzy (Lily Ann Harrison), and unavoidably, his ex-boyfriend Charlie (Josh Green). Throw in a couple
of flashbacks to his “mentor” from the ex-gay program, Doctor Gallagher (Gregory Harrison), who can wield a platitude and twist logic with the worst of them, and you have a recipe for trouble.
It is James’ interactions with the people in his life that give the film depth. The viewer might struggle with the slow pacing and awkward tension between the characters during the early scenes, but it eventually becomes clear that this is intentional. James’ long pauses before speaking belie his internal struggles and the memories of conversations he had with his “counselor.” He does exactly what is expected of him (with almost no emotion) until he starts to interact with Charlie.
When the ex-boyfriends first
reconnect, James is angry and hostile as he tries to break out of the drudgery that is his new life. Charlie speaks to him multiple times, slowly breaking through the shell of self-hatred and repression that James has built around himself. But it is after Charlie is hurt that James begins to show true emotion and become a dynamic character. Seeing that the person he has feelings for has been hurt finally drives James to open up and quit repressing himself.
In the end, this film is less about a love story and more about the journey that this boy must take to stop repressing himself and finally become the man he is supposed to be.
Fair Haven is now available on VOD and DVD from Breaking Glass Pictures (bgpics.com).
Bradley Donalson is a frequent contributor to O UT SMART
Finding Happiness
Michale Grant (l) as Grant and Josh Green as Charlie star in Fair Haven, directed by Kerstin Karlhuber. INSET : Gregory Harrison (who played the lover of Eric Roberts’ character in the 1996 film It’s My Party ) stars as Doctor Gallagher. ‹
QUESTION
Do you spend more time in the waiting room than time with your doctor?
Do you feel your doctor doesn’t take the time to listen to you and get to know you and your medical problems?
Does your doctor make you feel more like a number than a person?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, isn’t it time to find a doctor who makes it all about YOU?
By
LGBT Playlist 2017
Lesley Gore, Sleater-Kinney, Xiu Xiu, and more.
WDaphne Willis
On her latest EP Freaks Like Me, out Nashvillebased singersongwriter Daphne Willis continues her mastery of self-empowerment themes with yet another fiery elixir infused with edgy pop/soul and graceful touches of R&B. A wild year of emotional upheaval and spiritual growth including activism in the mental-health arena and meeting the love of her life has propelled her to unprecedented levels of raw honesty and vulnerability. No song better encompasses her current outlook than the hauntingly hypnotic title track, which sends a message that everyone has someone in their family who struggles with temporary depression, insomnia, anxiety, gender identity, or sexuality. The powerful pop-rocker “Dopamine” extols of the virtues of feeling addicted to something that’s good, safe, and healthy, while the gorgeous piano and vocal ballad “Somebody’s Someone” is a searing take on overcoming (through love) the dismissive way many people regard homeless and mentally ill people. More info: daphne willis.com. Jonathan Widran
hat a career the late lesbian singer/songwriter Lesley Gore had! Beginning as a teenager in the early 1960s, produced by Quincy Jones, Gore had massive hits with “It’s My Party,” “Judy’s Turn to Cry,” “You Don’t Own Me,” and others. She appeared on the Batman TV series as a sidekick to arch-criminal Cat Woman (Julie Newmar) singing “California Nights” (co-written by Marvin Hamlisch!). In 1980, “Out Here on My Own,” a song she co-wrote with brother Michael, appeared in the movie Fame and went on to be nominated for an Oscar. A few years before Fame, Gore and Quincy Jones reunited for the 1975 album Love Me by Name (Real Gone/A&M), which has been reissued on CD with two bonus cuts. Backed up by an extraordinary assortment of musicians, including Herbie Hancock, Dave Grusin, the Brothers Johnson, Harvey Mason, Jim Keltner, and Tom Scott, Gore perfectly captures the spirit and mood of 1975 with early disco beats, pop novelty, and jazz fusion on “Sometimes,” “Paranoia,” “Immortality,” “Other Lady,” and “Along the Way.”
You know that line about someone singing the phone book and still sounding fantastic? Ruthie Foster is one such vocalist whose singing voice is so breathtaking that it almost doesn’t matter what she’s singing we’d still listen. Fortunately, the songs on her new album Joy Comes Back (Blue Corn Music) pass the phone-book test. Foster brings joy to the empowerment blues of Grace Pettis’ “Working Woman,” the soulful Four Tops cover “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever,” and the country pop of Chris Stapleton’s “What Are You Listening To?” Her timely reinterpretation of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” is especially profound.
No one could ever accuse Xiu Xiu of being accessible. But daringly experimental? Yes, always. Formed (and still
led) by queer musician Jamie Stewart, Xiu Xiu challenges and rewards listeners on every album, sometimes even in the same song. Featuring a stellar lineup of guest artists, including drag legend Vaginal Davis, Forget (Polyvinyl), as it turns out, may actually be Xiu Xiu’s most broadly appealing release to date. “Get Up” is practically a pop song, while the adult language of the EDM/hip-hop hybrid of “The Call” has the potential to earn Xiu Xiu a whole new and diverse audience. There are even more dance beats to be found on the wondrous “Wondering” and the dramatic, unforgettable title cut. “Jenny Gogo” sounds like a tribute to the late Alan Vega and synth-minimalists Suicide, while “Queen of the Losers” pays homage to Low and Lodger-era Bowie.
Opening with the thrilling and aptly named “Dangerous,” the most perfect dance song of 2017 (so far), The xx takes its unique brand of electronic music to the next level on the incredible I See You (Young Turks). Out co-lead vocalist Romy Madley Croft ascends to dancediva status on “Dangerous,” “I Dare You,” and “On Hold.” Fear not, The xx hasn’t abandoned the electro-atmospherics of its first two albums, as you can hear on “Say Something Loving,” “Lips,” “Test,” and “Brave for You.” The xx marks the spot.
On the exquisite Confessions (Nonesuch), queer composer Nico Muhly and Faroese singer/songwriter Teitur (Lassen) team up to create an album of haunting and lovely music that lingers in the atmosphere long after it has ended. Recorded with the Holland Baroque ensemble, these 14 achingly beautiful songs are an example of what occurs when unlikely collaborators come together on a project. Especially remarkable is how Muhly and Teitur still have room for playfulness in the midst of this stunning setting, as exemplified in the wonderful “Printer in the Morning” and
Freaks Like Me
“Don’t I Know You from Somewhere.” Very strongly recommended.
Almost 25 years after it debuted on Broadway, the William Finn/James Lapine gay musical Falsettos was revived in a new Broadway production starring Andrew Rannels, Christian Borle, and Stephanie J. Block. Combining the one-act musicals March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland into the first and second acts, Falsettos: 2016 Broadway Cast Recording (Ghostlight/Razor & Tie) begins in 1979 (with the classic opening number “Four Jews in a Room Bitching”) and continues over the course of 30 songs through 1981. Pre-dating Rent ’s Broadway debut by a few years, Falsettos was one of the first musicals to incorporate the subject of AIDS into its premise.
Riot Grrrl goddesses Sleater-Kinney famously regrouped in 2015 for No Cities to Love, the band’s first studio album in 10 (!) years. While we patiently wait for another album (if there is one), we have the 13-track concert recording Live in Paris (Sub Pop). Recorded at La Cigale in 2015 during the band’s reunion tour, the disc naturally focuses on songs from the new album, but also generously includes beloved S-K tunes such as “I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone,” “Dig Me Out,” “Start Together,” and “What’s Mine Is Yours.”
Gregg Shapiro is a regular contributor to OUTSMART magazine.
and
KEMAH PALMS
CLYDE
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
‘The Art of the A air’
An illustrated history of love, sex, and artistic influence.
Boy Erased Garrard Conley
As a young man growing up as the son of a Baptist pastor, Garrard Conley was conflicted about his sexuality. At 19, he was outed to his parents and forced to agree to attend a conversion therapy program to “cure” him or risk losing family and friends. He went. The program worked to expunge everything individual and true about those who attended. But then, after being confronted about continuing his journey into the ex-gay world, Conley finds the strength and courage to stop attempting a false life, and instead to find his own way in the world. This story is shocking in all the ways that the experience of exgay therapy suggests, but it’s also a tremendously moving memoir. Riverhead Books (penguin.com). Troy Carrington
Handbook of LGBT Tourism and Hospitality: A Guide for Business Practice
Jeff Guaracino and Ed Salvato
This book includes interviews with nearly a hundred industry experts who analyze multiple emerging trends among LGBT travelers. It’s an easy-to-read, practical, and relevant guidebook with a simple goal: to help marketing professionals, business owners, and allied professionals compete in the increasingly competitive global LGBT travel and hospitality industry. Dozens of contributors helped make this book the most inclusive and comprehensive guide of its kind. It is intended for industry specialists in the tourism and hospitality fields, as well as academics and students in tourism and hospitality studies. Harrington Park Press (harringtonpark press.com). — Suzie Lynde
It’s all about who you know. The guy who bags your groceries might have stock tips for you. A coworker introduces you to your next best friend. You find a great restaurant from your stylist, a new job from a former classmate, and your neighbor gives you gardening advice.
It’s all about who you know or, as in the new book The Art of the Affair by Catherine Lacy and Forsyth Harmon, it’s about who you’ve dallied with.
Somehow, in some way, the people you meet leave fingerprints on your life. A laugh you’ll never forget, a bon mot you’ll quote, or even an attitude that’s a memorable springboard for an idea.
That goes doubly for creative types, for whom romantic (or platonic) relationships their “carnage of affairs” could lead to “countless works of art.” These unions, whether legal or otherwise, have also left a tangle of threads among many artists and writers.
Essayist and editor Edmund Wilson, for instance, helped launch the career of Anaïs Nin, who later wrote erotica. Nin was “unapolo-
The Art of the A air by Catherine
Illustrated
by
Lacey
Forsyth Harmon
2017
Bloomsbury (bloomsbury.com)
88 pages
$20
getic about her affairs,” of which there were many, including a banker who was “probably a homosexual.” Novelist and playwright Gore Vidal (who had “a short affair” with writer James Baldwin) had called another man “the love of his life.”
Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington both collaborated professionally with Grammywinner Ella Fitzgerald, but it was Marilyn Monroe who helped boost Fitzgerald’s career. Monroe talked the owner of an L.A. nightclub into booking the singer, and she attended each of Fitzgerald’s performances there. Monroe, of course, had her share of affairs, too, as well as a friendship with Truman Capote, who was repeatedly insulted by none other than Tennessee Williams.
Williams was no fan of Tallulah Bankhead, and the two publicly snarked at one another for years. Bankhead was an exhibitionist and didn’t care who saw her naked which, presumably, included her lover, Billie Holiday.
Oh, and playwright Williams? He was a friend of Gore Vidal, who also knew Truman Capote and Anaïs Nin. Did you ever go somewhere with someone who seems to know everybody? That’s what it’s like to read The Art of the Affair Author Catherine Lacey and illustrator Forsyth Harmon play a sort of “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” with their book except, not surprisingly, Bacon isn’t here. Instead, readers are taken back many decades to look at the dalliances and relationships of artists and stars of the early 20th century. Because very few contemporary artists grace these pages, there may be many times when you won’t recognize some of the people among the threads. That can be remedied through inference, but it would have been nice to have some better explanations (at least for some artists) and a complete index.
Still, I liked the tidbits in this book, the mini-factlets about all of the interwoven connections, and the obvious delight that author and artist take in the love affairs they so diligently uncover. Light, gossipy, and a little scandalous, The Art of the Affair shows that it’s who you know that’s important and I know you’ll like it.
Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was three years old, and she lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books. ‹
MYSTERY & FANTASY MARDI GRAS PARTY at RICH’S February 25, 2017
LAMBDA
NextGen 2017HAPPY HOUR at ATLAS PUB February 28, 2017
Photos by Dalton DeHart & Edgardo Aguilar
Photos by
Dalton DeHart & Edgardo Aguilar
also very good for spending time with your children and learning how to play. In the background, Saturn is still pushing us to let go of things from the past and to create new pathways for career and social opportunities. This Saturnian energy will be with you through the end of this year.
CAPRICORN (December 22–January 19). Your home and family life are especially active this month, with both Venus and Mercury retrograding through the area of your Zodiac that represents home, genetics, and family traditions. You will want to make your nest as comfortable as possible. This may include remodeling, redecorating, and potentially moving. This same energy is also stimulating your career sector, so there could be new opportunities showing up for you. It would be best for you to wait until mid-May before making any permanent decisions. Exercise and an improvement in your diet and health habits show up toward the end of the month.
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18). You are working behind the scenes to get your life more organized, both in terms of making the best use of your time and taking care of the small chores that have been pestering you for the last couple of months. You may be thinking that you want to reconnect with your family, and especially your siblings. The energies are especially positive this month for you to work on your book or blog, and to improve your social-media connections. This is an especially good month for you to be reworking or reediting any documents that you have been focused on. You will remain attentive to making your home a more comfortable place well into May. At the end of this month, you are interested in having more fun and working less!
PISCES (February 19–March 20). You are much more focused on your earning potential and financial security this month. If you feel that you aren’t appreciated enough by those you work with, you may be looking for a new place to work. Although this is a good time to do research about what else is out there, it would be best if you waited until mid-May before making any specific decisions. This is an excellent month to consider your longterm financial security, especially for the future when you retire. Toward the end of the month you are more direct in your conversations. You may feel impatient with people who can’t seem to follow instructions. At the very end of the month, you are ready for a break in your routines. Take some time to get away to a favorite vacation spot, or just turn off your phone and sit on your patio to enjoy a time of reflection.
Read Lilly Roddy’s 2017 yearly forecast at OUTSMART M AGAZINE.COM . For more astro-insight, log on to lilly roddy.com.
DANILO
ACCOM MODATIONS /H OTE LS
The Carter 4 Chelsea Blvd ...............................832/688-4547
Lesbians Over Fifty (L.O.A.F.) ............................................www.loafhouston.org
MyGayHouston.com ..............................MyGayHouston.com/discover Pet Patrol .....................................................ThePetPatrol.org
Ryan White Planning Council rwpcHouston.org ..........................713-572-3724
Club Houston 2205 Fannin ..................................713/659-4998 Fit Athletic Club FitHouston.com ...............................713/STAYFIT Houston Gym 1501 Durham ..................................713/880-9191
FLOORING / CARPETING
Floor Coverings International HoustonHeights.FloorCoveringsInternational.com ..........................................................832/305-5204
McClung Clinic/Tony S. McClung, MD 1213 Hermann, Ste 520 ................713/528-3444
M. Sandra Scurria, MD 6565 West Loop South, Ste 300 ..281/661-5901
HEA LTH CARE–S ERVICES
Community Hep C Clinic
CommunityHepCClinic.com…….832/831-7770
Houston Area Community Services/HACS 2150 W 18th St. ..............................713/426-0027
Legacy Community Health Services 1415 California Street ...................832/548 5000 Ryan White Planning Council RWPCHouston.org.........................713/572-3784 St. Hope Foundation OfferingHope.org ..........................713/778-1300
HEA LTH CARE–SK IN CARE Heights Dermatology/Alpesh Desai, MD 2120 Ashland .................................713/864-2650
Skin Renaissance Laser/Octavio Barrios, MD 507 West Gray ................................713/942-7546
The Skin Renewal Center/Patrick J. McNamara MD 1512 W. Alabama St. .....................713/533-0800 HEALTH CARE-W EIGHT LOSS CLINICS Dr. B-Fit/ Octavio Barrios, MD 517 West Gray ................................713/942-7546 The Skin Renewal Center/Patrick J. McNamara MD 1512 W. Alabama St. .....................713/533-0800
...............................832/200-8800 Water’s Edge Venue 901 Nasa Parkway .........................281/291-9900
HOUSTON PRIDE RIDERS
A new LGBT motorcycle riding group is being put together for those in the Houston area who like to get out and ride! I’d love to have group rides/social gatherings every month, possible fund raiser rides for the community, etc.. All motorcycle types welcome - From Harley’s to Hayabusa’s, crotch rockets and cruisers - all are welcome. All rider experiences welcome! Please contact jasonmwilson@sbcglobal.net or look for Houston Pride Riders on Facebook.
IDEAL FOR SUMMER INTERNS
Donald (Schnauzer) Anthony Dowden
D•
•
•
onald Dowden passed from this existence to his next after suffering congestive heart failure on March 8, 2017, at Houston’s VA Hospital. His longtime friend Don Gill was at his side. Mr. Dowden is a Navy veteran who moved to Houston in 1971. Donald is the son of the late Mary and Lee Dowden, and is survived by his sister Frances (Patty) Noble of Rockland, Massachusetts; his adopted sister Carol Guedry of New Braunfels; his godson, James (Trey) H. Fitzgerald III and his wife, Pam, of Brandenburg, Kentucky; nieces Melissa Christon and her husband, Michael, of Dallas; Shannon Fitzgerald Gentele and her husband, Glen, of Orlando, Florida; Erin Fitzgerald Delgado and her husband, Oscar, of Barcelona, Spain; Heather Caldwell and her husband, Glenn, of Meridian, Mississippi; great nephews and nieces Devon, Curran, Cameron, Kaylin, Lucas, Peyton, Joel, Amelie, Zoey, and Claire; his 91-year-old favorite aunt, Doris; and his favorite cousin, Doris Bello of Gloster, Louisiana. Donald is predeceased by his sister Marylee (Tinker) Cunningham and her husband, Neil, of New Braunfels.
“Daddy Don” will be greatly missed by so many friends in Houston (Montrose), Texas. He was a past member of the Krewe of Hydra, the Metropolitan Billard League, the Greater Houston Pocket Billard League, and a charter member of the PWA Holiday Charities. Don also created the “Daddy Don Dowden’s Dynamic Dog Days of Summer Extravaganza” annual benefit show for HIV/AIDS, and he was a past host of the annual Halloween Fantasy Ball. He also participated in the Mr. BRB, Mr. Mary’s, and Mr. Prime Choice Texas contests.
There will be an April 1 graveside service in Shreveport, where he will be laid to rest next to his father and mother.
BAR & C LUB GUIDE
Houston
13 ENTERTAINMENT
This comfortable club located in the Heights is a convenient alternate to inner-Montrose haunts. Patrons journey past the comfy seating and romantic lighting to find a spacious patio where they sometimes fire up the barbecue grill. 1537 N. Shepherd • 713.426.1313.
BAYOU CITY BAR & GRILL
This always-fun party bar opens daily (7am-2am Mon.–Sat., 11am–2am Sun.), serving fantastic food (11am–9pm) daily. Fifty-cent wing specials on Tuesday and Thursday pack the house. “Let Us Entertain You” with our Sunday drag performances. Party promotions nightly. 2409 Grant St. • 713.522.2867 • bayoucitybar.com.
BLUR
This multi-level dance club features a patio upstairs lounge and balconies that overlook Pacific St. Ladies enjoy Wet and Wild Wed., 18-year-olds are welcome on Thurs., resident DJ Lorenzo spins Wed.–Sat. nights, DJ Pollo spins Karumba Latin night on Sun. Happy hour 8–10pm; free cover before 11pm. 710 Pacific St. • blurbar.com.
CLUB 2020
Located downtown, this urban club features Clubbers Friday with male and female dancers. Its 6,400 square feet also offers theater-sized viewing screens and VIP rooms. 2020 Leeland • 713.227. 9667 • club2020houston.com.
CLUB CRYSTAL
If you miss the now-closed Inergy, you’ll find many of its former staff, management, and décor at this two-room Latin/ hip-hop club. Sunday evening drag shows rule the roost. 6680 Southwest Frwy, next to Colorado • 713.278.2582 • crystaltheclub.com.
CROCKER BAR
Resident DJ Johnny spins on Fri. and Sat. nights at this comfortably remodeled Montrose nightspot that also offers
karaoke on Tuesdays and Thursdays and extended happy-hour prices throughout the week. 2312 Crocker • 713.529.3355.
F BAR
Award-winning DJs spin nightly at this “boutique nightclub” that offers elegance without arrogance and features a stage, dance floor, VIP area, glass-encased quiet bar, and attractive patio. Tues. and Sun. drag shows feature frequent special guests. 202 Tuam St. • fbarhouston.com • 713.522.3227.
GEORGE
Regulars rule at this comfortable neighborhood sports bar, just like most other neighborhood sports bars in town. Sports Saturdays and Sundays start at 3pm with dart and pool tournaments. 617 Fairview • 713.528.8102.
GUAVA LAMP
This trendy and friendly video and cruise bar gets busy during happy hour and stays busy ‘til closing. Karaoke on Wed. and Sun., sometimes offering prizes, always packs the place. 570 Waugh Dr. • 713.524.3359 • guavalamphouston.com.
HAMBURGER MARY’S
The iconic franchise just opened in Montrose (11am–2am, Tuesday–Sunday) with lunch and dinner service complete with a full bar. Check the website for weekly show schedules and performers. Tuesday nights are Charity Drag Bingo. Bubbalicious hosts Dining with the Divas on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Sunday brunch. 2409 Grant St. • 713.677.0674 • hamburgermarys.com/houston.
HOUSTON EAGLE
Part of the Eagle worldwide family, originating in 1970, this neighborhood watering spot is the place to cruise and dance and was recently voted Houston’s Favorite Gay Bar. Featuring DJs on the weekends and the birthplace of the hit remix team Dirty Disco. Multiple patios. Featuring a 29-degree pour and 12 beers on tap. The inside leather shop is open the same hours as the bar. M–F 4 pm-2am, Sat. & Sun. noon–2am. 611 Hyde Park Blvd. • houstoneagle.com.
Behind the Bar
WHO: David Truong
WHERE: F Bar • 202 Tuam • 713.522.3227
WHAT’S UP: In addition to the Drag Shows on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, Magic Men All Male Revue is new on Fridays, and DJ Tad Dvorak is back on Saturdays. DJ Joe Ross rules the patio for the biggest Sunday Funday!
JR’S BAR & GRILL
With house emcee Kofi, O UT S MART ’s Gayest and Greatest reigning drag champion, this Montrose standard offers drag and strip shows throughout the week, karaoke Thurs. and Sun., plus pool tables, male dancers, and award-winning cocktails. 808 Pacific St. • rsbarandgrill.com • 713.521.2519.
MICHAEL’S OUTPOST
Jerry Atwood, Clay Howell, Neil Massey, Steve Wheaton, and Roger Woest take turns at the keys at this comfortable neighborhood piano bar. 1419 Richmond ve. • 713.520.8446.
NEON BOOTS
DANCEHALL & SALOON
Houston’s only LGBT country dancehall is located in the historic Esquire Ballroom and opens Wednesday–Sunday. The new outside patio and stage are open. Wednesday features Steak Night and Bingo. Free dance classes on Thursdays and Karaoke. Saturday night the dance floor fills with the best C&W . . . check their website for all specials, events and times. 11410 Hempstead Hwy • neonbootsclub. com • 713.677.0828.
PEARL BAR
This LGBT-friendly lounge is open under “familiar” management in the Washington corridor. Daily highlights range from open mic night to steak night to appearances by DJ Kittie and DJ Ben Phoenix from B . Drink specials and more. 4216 Washington • pearlhouston.com.
RICH’S HOUSTON
Houston’s most iconic and largest LGBT dance club, with multiple levels featuring a video/show bar and a private VIP lounge. Originally built to be the Studio 54 of the South, Rich’s boasts world-renowned DJs and entertainers. No cover before 10:30 p.m. 2401 San acinto • 281.846.6685 • richsnightclub.com.
THE RIPCORD
This well-kept, multi-roomed leather bar for men and their friends boasts a busy patio, especially on the weekends. The Black Hawk Leather shop is located inside the club, providing BDSM essentials. 715 Fairview ve. • 713.521.2792.
RUDYARD’S
The eclectic British pub is known for its craft beers as well as for the burgers. Most weekends you’ll find up-and-coming local bands rocking the house. 2010 Waugh Dr. • rudyardspub.com • 713.521.0521.
SOUTH BEACH
This mega-dance club is a frequent winner of O UT S MART ‘s Gayest and Greatest awards, with DJ Eddie E spinning on Fri., and DJ Joe Ross playing pop & dance
music videos on Sat. No cover before 11pm. 810 Pacific St. • sobehouston.com • 713.529.S B .
TC’S SHOWBAR
With the longest daily happy hours in Montrose (8am–10pm), it’s no wonder this neighborhood watering hole is so popular. Owner Tim Pugh says TC’s has built quite a reputation as the perfect spot to celebrate special occasions. Other big draws are the drag shows Wednesday–Sunday and karaoke Monday & Wednesday. 817 Fairview • 713.526.2625 • tcsshowbar.com.
TONY’S CORNER POCKET
This comfortable club located close to downtown has one of the friendliest bar staffs in town, both inside & outside at its patio bar. The raised stage where local charities perform also features an amateur dance contest each Thurs., Fri., & Sat. at 11pm. Opens daily at noon. 817 W. Dallas • 713.571.7870 • tonyscorner pocketbar.com.
VIVIANA’S
This club, in a new location, appeals to fans of Latino music and drag alike. 4624 Dacoma • 713.681.4104.
Beaumont
ORLEANS STREET PUB AND PATIO
The place to hang for food, fun, and booze in a newly renovated pub, in good weather or bad. Open every night from 7pm–2am. 650 rleans • 409.835.4243.
Bryan/College Station
HALO VIDEO BAR
The only LGBT dance club in Bryan/ College station, this sleek spot is open Thurs.–Sat. Smack in the middle of Aggieland, “our venue is always packed with the hotties,” the owners promise. 121 North Main • 979.823.6174 • halobcs.com.
Galveston
23RD ST. STATION
A new face on the Island bar scene is here. The bar features a neighborhood-bar feel with octane. Drink specials daily and the weekend is filled with pulsing music, hot dancers, drag shows, and a Sunday Tea Dance. 1706 23rd St. • 409.621.1808.
ROBERT’S LAFITTE
A neighborhood bar, the Island institution attracts a colorful crowd of regulars and travelers. The private patio includes a swimming pool. On Sat. and Sun. nights, the Ladies of Lafitte show takes the stage. 2501 venue (at 25th) • 409.765.9092.
Spring
RANCH HILL SALOON
With its two pool tables, 52-inch plasma televisions, and large dance floor, this popular northside spot also offers DJs Thursday–Saturday. 247041 I-45N Suite 103 • 281.298.9035 • ranchhill.com.
THE ROOM BAR AND LOUNGE
One of only two LGBT hangouts in North Houston/Spring, this bar and video lounge has a laidback atmosphere where everyone is welcome and everyone is friendly to each other. The Room Bar and Lounge offers something for everyone, including daily drink specials, karaoke, free pool, drag shows, and live DJs several nights a week. 4915 FM 2920 • roombarspring.com • 281.907.6866. ■
By Lilly Roddy
A Retrograde Above
With Mercury and Venus retrograde, it’s time to gear up.
As the month opens, we are still under the influence of retrograde Venus, planet of love and money. With this planetary influence, we are paying particularly close attention to the functioning of our relationships and how well we are fulfilling our own needs, both emotionally and financially. Venus is finally direct on April 29, but Mercury, planet of communication and transportation, goes retrograde on April 5 through May 9. This will extend the slow beginning of the year that we are all experiencing. As with all retrogrades, we need to take care of what’s on our plate before we add any more to it. • Positive days this month are the 5th, 7th, 16th, 17th, and 24th. Days to stay in bed are the 8th, 9th, 14th, 15th, 20th, and 28th. With both Venus and Mercury retrograde, take care of past issues. Next month, May 9 is a good time to start those new projects and buy those cars, cell phones, marriage licenses, and some new furniture.
ARIES (March 21–April 19) . Happy birthday, Aries! This is your personal yearly cycle when you have the opportunity to review last year’s goals and set new aspirations for your personal birth year. With Venus (the planet of relationships) moving through your sign, you have been in an especially introspective time. A lot of the focus has been on your self-worth in relationships. It would be best to put off starting your new projects until mid-May. You will get a burst of energy at the end of the month!
TAURUS (April 20–May 20). This month, you will experience various energies pulling you in several directions at the same time. With your ruling planet, Venus, retrograde, you have been rethinking your relationships and commitments from the past. With Mars (planet of action) in Taurus, this is a good time to take action with people and events from your past. You’re headstrong, so you could be short-tempered during most of the month. Focusing on diet and exercise could be especially helpful. Mercury is retrograde in your sign for the first half of the month. This will make the Mercury retrograde seem very personal. Pay attention to details, and don’t sign things you haven’t read!
GEMINI (May 21–June 21). This is a busy month as you experience a lot of activity with friends, community organizations, and perhaps even your children. April is a wonderful time to connect with old friends or school chums from your past. You are still evaluating your current career situation and considering a possible relocation. About midmonth, you are ready for a break in the action. However, by the end of the month you are back into action! It’s a great time for exercise, dieting, and just getting clear about what it is that you want to do.
CANCER (June 22–July 22). As the month opens, you continue to be focused on career and longterm emotional and financial security. With both Venus and eventually Mercury retrograde in your career sector, you are definitely looking back at what you’ve accomplished or what you haven’t done particularly well. This can also be a nostalgic time as you look back and reconnect with your family. Community or business organizations will really benefit from your participation, and you may connect with old friends there as well. The end of the month is a busier time for you.
LEO (July 23–August 22). As the month begins, you are mentally open to new ideas and different points of view. You are communicating your ideas more clearly, and with Mercury retrograde occurring on April 5, you have the opportunity to restate your position and share your point of view in greater detail. It’s a very good month for writing, traveling to places you’ve previously seen, or finishing up contract negotiations. You are taking more of a leadership role at work, or possibly considering starting something on your own. You will be speaking with a louder voice, especially at the end of the month. Pace yourself, as you will continue to be busy through the end of May.
VIRGO (August 23–September 22). Your focus in April is on getting your financial picture in order. This is actually a very good month for you to be working on your taxes. You have been looking at all sorts of ways to improve your financial picture. You will want to make better use of your dormant skills. April is also a good month for writing or attending some additional educational classes. With
your ruling planet, Mercury, going retrograde, pay more attention to the details around you. This retrograde is always a good time to clean out your files, your pantry, or your garage. You will take on more of a leadership role at work toward the end of the month. Don’t be afraid to step up!
LIBRA (September 23–October 23). With Venus retrograde, this month forces you to focus on your relationships. You will be working to improve how you get in and get out of them, and how to create more balance so you experience a greater sense of fairness. The relationships that aren’t shaping up will be shipping out, but you are also looking to reestablish and confirm the sincere feelings you have about the relationships that continue. Personal self-worth plays a big role in determining how balanced your relationships are. This is also a good month for you to pay attention to your financial investments and sticking with your budget. Even though it continues to be busy through the end of the month, you are looking for some getaway time, especially after the 25th.
SCORPIO (October 24–November 21). This month you are working extremely hard on getting your work/life behaviors, health habits, and coworker relationships improved so that everything works more efficiently. Watch for potential computer, Internet, or communication problems this month, especially at work. You are more direct with people even with the people you like! You may feel that you have to stand your ground, and you could potentially feel challenged. With the Mercury retrograde this month, you may connect with old friends and lovers, or even coworkers that you really liked. You continue to focus on your long-term financial future with an extra burst of energy at the end of the month.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21) . Although you are plenty busy, you are trying to make time for yourself and reconnect with your family. Friends, business and community organizations, and travel are all open to you this month. This can be a good time for adult education, writing, publishing, and reconnecting with colleagues. At the end of the month, you are paying more attention to your health and exercise routine. This month is
YOUR BODY. YOUR HEALTH. YOUR CHOICES. YOUR LIFE. The chance to end the spread of HIV in our lifetime is here. The choice to take action is yours. PrEP is an FDA-approved medication that, when taken once daily, significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV from a positive sexual partner. It’s your life. Own it.
On March 17, “Rainbow & Roll” was held at Discovery Green. Pictured are Barry Mandel, DJ Joe Ross, Lauren Kelly, and Donald Miller.
Lambda NextGen held its monthly happy hour on February 28 at Atlas Pub. Pictured are Justin Gaujewski, Justin McCullough, David Reeth, Bitsy Schwartz , Riaz Pooran, Rose Carle, and Kristian Jonsson
Decadent Desserts & Dancing was held on February 26 at Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon. Pictured are Scottie Scott , Janis Smith, Daniella Chambers, Gail Eldridge, Claire Baker, Pat Tiller, Lynn Schwartzenburg , and Renée Tappe
The ActOUT performance of Let the Right One In was held on March 8 at the Alley Theatre.
Pictured are (sitting) Lauren Pelletier, Shelley Finley, (standing) Johnathon Fitch Van Kok , Mike Ryan, Khris Aehlinger, Bill Brooker.
The Montrose Softball League Association held its 2017 kick-off on March 11 at Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon. Pictured are Henry Gonzales, Dalton DeHart (recipient of the Annise D. Parker trailblazer award), Annise Parker, Tony Wilkerson, and Ernie Manouse
On February 24, Hamburger Mary’s held its grand-opening celebration. Pictured are Jimmy Woodman, Shane Nelson, Caryn Craig , Mark De Lange, and Brandon Wright .
Lambda Legal held a mix-and-mingle event on March 23 at Blue Bar at Brenner’s on the Bayou. Pictured are Jeff Waters, Cicely Reid, Beau Miller, Rhonda Sigman, Chris Watt , Roger Poindexter, and Alan York
The Mystery & Fantasy Mardi Gras party was held on February 25 at Rich’s. Pictured are Scott Miller, Robert Harwood, Pierre Alexandre, Clifford Dotson, and Ed Bradshaw
On March 18, the Diana Foundation held its annual Diana Awards at the House of Blues, followed by an after party at Rich’s. Pictured are Jose McDonald, Josh Snellgrove, Nathan Wright , Emily Jaschke, and Ciro Flores
Equality Texas held its “Cocktails & Conversation about Equality in Texas” event on March 8.
Pictured are Eric Edward Shell, John Palmer, Ryan Leach, Kimberly Shappley, Patrick Dickson, Collin Acock , and Lou Weaver.
The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce celebrated their one-year anniversary on March 8 at Amegy Bank Tower. Pictured are representatives of Amegy Bank and Chamber board members.
