JANUARY 2026

JAN. 2026

2026 ASTROCAST OVERVIEW A new planetary era begins Pg.46

LOUD AND VISIBLE

Brenda Palestina leads ‘Real Women Have Curves’ at the Alley Theatre Pg.42

HEALTH + WELLNESS

HEALTH + WELLNESS

REDEFINING REDEFINING FITNESS FITNESS JUJU FARAGHER ON YOGA ROOTED IN PRESENCE AND SELF-CARE Pg.26

PLUS! REVIVAL RUN CREW Pg.32

MALISSA DUNNINGS Pg.37

THOMAS RAMON Pg.40

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FEBRUARY 2025

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FEATURES:

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37

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26 COVER STORY

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social-media followers to take the road less traveled

JuJu Faragher offers a communityfocused approach to yoga

Revival Run Crew has become a welcoming LGBTQ wellness space

37

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Malissa Dunnings motivates clients to look beyond fad diets

Thomas Ramon’s LGBTQ hiking group fosters genuine connections

42

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Real Women Have Curves celebrates LA’s Latina immigrants

The planets are aligned for big changes

LIVING LIFE OUT LOUD A COMMUNAL YOGA PRACTICE Trevor Boffone inspires his

FROM TRAGEDY TO PURPOSE

AN EMPOWERING ALLEY PRODUCTION

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EDITOR’S NOTE This annual Health & Wellness issue of OutSmart shines a light on Houstonians who are responding to the need for change—both personal and political—with intention and clarity. You’ll find stories that focus on the practical work of self-care and communal healing in ways that are sustainable and grounded in lived experience.

The upcoming 2026 Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Community Summit, taking place February 7–8 at the Montrose Center, builds on last year’s Summit with an expanded two-day lineup that brings together more than 27 organizations. The action-oriented agenda will address wellness, equity, safety, and belonging in a political climate that is increasingly hostile to LGBTQ people— particularly transgender Texans. The 2026 Summit will offer space both for discussion and coordinating effective follow-through strategies in a way that speaks to Houston’s long history of LGBTQ organizing for change.

Martin Giron’s interview with author Dr. Trevor Boffone examines how his digital platform has become an extension of his decades of theater and academic work at local colleges. Boffone’s “40 Before 40” social-media posts (where he documented 40 new things he

tried before turning 40) have resonated with a wide audience because they were rooted in his passion for being adventurous and living his life without fear, while letting others know they can do the same.

Our Health & Wellness stories focus on people who are redefining self-care on their own terms. David Clarke profiles JuJu Faragher, whose yoga practice grew out of his experience with chronic pain and self-examination, and now emphasizes presence, communal healing, and incremental progress. Revival Run Crew founders Emma Weyand and Itzel Ibarra have organized an active LGBTQ running club that prioritizes accessibility over competition. Malissa Dunnings brings precision and education to her body-composition therapy at Composition ID Houston, while Thomas Ramon’s welcoming and diverse hiking club, LGBTQ Outdoors, emphasizes everyday movement and spending time spent in nature to foster both physical and mental health.

Our Arts & Entertainment coverage previews the Alley Theatre’s production of Josefina López’s Real Women Have Curves.

Houston-based actor Brenda Palestina fills us in on the play’s timely focus on identity, body politics, immigration, and self-determination.

And don’t miss David Odyssey’s astrological outlook that frames 2026 as a year for decisive action following some key planetary shifts that signal a move away from passive reflection and toward accountability.

As always, we’re grateful for the writers, photographers, and contributors who continue to document LGBTQ life in Houston with nuance and integrity. Their names appear each month in our staff box on page 8. And of course, we appreciate the readers who provide occasional feedback and encouragement. They are also a vital part of the conversation.

As we begin a new year filled with the promise of positive change, we’re deeply grateful for your continued support. If you believe in independent, community-driven journalism, please consider donating to the OutSmart Foundation. Your donations keep queer media visible, strong, and local— amplifying the LGBTQ voices and stories that matter.

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Your Support Transforms LGBTQ Stories into Change Why are we asking you to donate to the OutSmart Foundation?

Your support empowers the LGBTQ community through essential journalism, helping OutSmart Media thrive in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Your tax-deductible contribution expands our newsroom, compensates dedicated journalists, and invests in the latest media technology. It also funds internships for future writers committed to social justice.

By supporting the OutSmart Foundation, you invest in a platform that amplifies underrepresented voices and promotes equality through storytelling. You help produce journalism that confronts prejudice and embraces diversity.

Thank you for supporting independent LGBTQ media in Houston. Your contribution helps our platform thrive, amplifying diverse voices and stories.

Donate by texting OUTSMART to 53-555 or use your phone’s camera to scan the QR code here.

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Lilly Roddy’s Celebration of Life was held at the Montrose Center on Dec. 6, 2025. Pictured are, back row, Maurielle Balczon, Marina Lomond, Lana Coble, Tara Valkyrie, Barbara Kosmerl, and Angela Pisecco; front row, Alicia Solis, Casey Waldner, and Melanie Odom.

On December 7, 2025, Share Your Blessings 2025 was hosted by Jim Sikorski at The Palm Restaurant.

Pictured are Tim Martinez, Chree Boydstun, and Jim Sikorski.

Brooks Ballard International Real Estate hosted a holiday open house on December 10, 2025.

Pictured are staff members and attendees.

On December 10, 2025, the Montrose Softball League Association held a happy hour and check reception at JR’s Bar and Grill. Pictured are Mark Mitchell, Victor Gutierrez, Paula Metz, Sarah McCoy, Tony Wilkerson, Nick Alvarado, and Edgar Garcia.

On December 12, 2025, the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce presented its Jingle and Mingle Holiday Celebration at Rich’s Houston. Pictured are Judge Fran Watson and Tammi Wallace.

The Diana Foundation held its Black-Tie Holiday Party, including recognition of new members, at the home of Steven Cowart and Tony de Anda on December 13, 2025. Pictured are Raymond Valdez, Andrew Liebig, Jason Gutierrez, John Smith, Jason Palermo, and Michael Ruff.

On December 13, 2025, the Alejandra Salinas Houston City Council At-Large Position 4 runoff election watch party was held at Side Peace Bar. Pictured are Elizabeth Hadaway, Alejandra Salinas, and Octavio Salinas.

On December 15, 2025, Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth’s re-election campaign kickoff and birthday fundraiser was held at Cadillac Bar and Grill. Pictured are Linda Morales, Teneshia Hudspeth, and Esther Martinez.

Texas Pride Community Foundation held a networking meeting with remarks from Executive Director Ron Guillard at the art studio of Katharine Ligon on December 16, 2025. Pictured are Bryan Hlavinka, receiving an award upon completing his final board term, Ron Guillard, and Lisa Madry.

On December 18, 2025, Alex Niall and Dalton DeHart visited Omega House to document Sandy Stacy’s 30-year collection of Christmas ornaments dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community. Pictured is Sandy Stacy.

Stages Repertory Theatre hosted a pre-show reception for It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio on December 18, 2025. Pictured are Derrick Livingston, the winner of the sweater contest, and Mark Bailes.

A Christmas Masquerade Ball was hosted by Gonzalez Olivieri LLC at the Aquarium on December 20, 2025. Pictured are Raed Gonzalez, Celica Arredondo, and Carlos Gonzalez.

12

JANUARY 2026 | OutSmartMagazine.com

I Believe in Love

By Rev. Michael Gott

LL

ike many other LGBTQ+ people, ikeI learned many other earlyLGBTQ+ on how topeople, edit and I learned howthat to edit and conceal early partson of me didn’t fit partsand of church me thatexpected didn’t fitme whatconceal my family what myWhen familyI was andabout church to be.

3, expected I broughtme my tobeloved be. When I was about 3, I my doll, given to me bybrought my teenage beloved doll, given to meSchool. by my My teenage babysitters, to Sunday dad babysitters, to Sunday School.

Myaway dad and was mortified and took the doll was mortified and took the it. doll away and said he was going to burn I remember said he was going to burn it.

I remember crying, and my parents arguing. Even crying, and mytoo parents arguing.

Even though I was young to understand though wascontext too young to understand any ofIthe around the incident, any the context around the incident, theofemotions were big and it impacted the emotions were big and it impacted me greatly. The message I took away mewas greatly.

The message I took away that there was something about me was that was something about me that wasthere not okay, and that I needed to that was not change it orokay, hide and it. that I needed to change it or hide it.

But when I came out at 19, it was my when came outhis at arms 19, it around was myas But dad whoIwrapped dad arms around wewho bothwrapped cried andhis said, “You’re myas boy. weI’m both cried and said, “You’re my boy. your dad. I will always love you, and I’m your dad. I will always love you, and

you can always come back home.” And you can as always he was good come as his back word.home.”

ThoughAnd he he was as good as his Though he didn’t understand me,word. he loved me. He didn’t understand me, he and loved me. He was my fiercest advocate protector was myfundamentalist fiercest advocate and protector in my Christian family. inFor myhim, fundamentalist Christian family. love was greater than any For him, lovewewas greater any of his differences might have.than Because differences have. to Because love for mewe he might was willing evolve and ofgrow his love for me he was to his perspective andwilling understanding. evolve and grow his perspective and He didn’t need me to hide or change. understanding.

He changed. He didn’t need me to hide or change. He changed.

I’m on the edge of 60 now and have I’m on much the edge of 60 now have to spent of my adult lifeand working spent much of mycaused adult life working to heal the wounds by the fear and heal the wounds causedin bychildhood the fear and jud ment I experienced judgment I experienced in therapy childhood and adolescence.

Through and and adolescence.

Through therapy and of recovery, and through becoming a part recovery, andspiritual throughcommunity, becoming aI part an afirming haveof an affirming spiritual community, I have come to know my worth and value and come to know and value andI to receive love my andworth acceptance in ways towould receive love and acceptance in ways I have never thought possible. would have never thought possible.

And the growth and healing continue.

And the and authentic healing continue.

I want togrowth be the most and Icompassionate want to be theversion most authentic of me thatand I can compassionate that Ileader can possibly be. Andversion now, asofa me spiritual possibly be. And as achurch, spiritualI am of an inclusive andnow, diverse leader an inclusive and diverse trying of to pass on the lessons of lovechurch, taught Itoam passand on the lessons love metrying by my to father many othersofalong taught me by my father the pathtowho believe in love.and many others along the path who believe in love.

We live in a deeply divisive time in our We liveIninthese a deeply divisive in our world. troubled daystime when world. troubleddrawing days when people In arethese increasingly battle people increasingly lines, I are am thankful to bedrawing a part ofbattle lines, I am thankful to be part of a spiritual tradition called a“Unity.” aI’m spiritual called “Unity.” gratefultradition for the safe harbor my I’m grateful provides for the safe community for harbor me andmy others. community for me andeach others.

And I’m alsoprovides hopeful that as we And I’m also hopeful that as we each grow and heal, we can become a part of grow and heal, we can become a part of the healing of humanity.

I love the words the of humanity.

I love words Dr. healing Martin Luther King, Jr. oncethe said, “I Dr. King, once said, haveMartin decidedLuther to stick withJr. love.

Hate is “I have decided to stick with love.

Hate is too great a burden to bear.” too great a burden to bear.”

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

QUEER

THINGS to DO

COMMUNITY

Saturday, January 17

Mix-MATCH: A Mixed Arts Festival This one-day celebration of Houston’s vibrant and diverse creative community will feature an extraordinary lineup of local performances and exhibits. tinyurl.com/ya42bz26

ARTS

COMMUNITY

January 24

MFAH Conversation: Talking Frida In conjunction with MFAH’s Frida Kahlo exhibit, curators Miguel A. López and Tobias Ostrander, artist Amalia Mesa-Bains, and documentary filmmaker Trisha Ziff explore Kahlo’s rise to global fame. tinyurl.com/y3rxbttp

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Saturday, January 10

Krewe of Olympus Twelfth Night Celebration Join the Krewe of Olympus as they kick off Mardi Gras season at a gathering featuring a complimentary bar, small bites, king cake, silent auction, and more. tinyurl.com/4xm6xx88

COMMUNITY

STAGE

Saturday, January 17

Sunday, January 18

Pride Houston DJ Battle – Round One Pride Houston 365 is looking for the best beat-makers and floor-shakers to go head-to-head in 2026. Additional rounds on January 25 and February 8. pridehouston365.org/pride-djbattle/#

Trans Legal Aid Clinic Volunteer clinic attorneys will assist in updating your name and/or gender marker on your identifying documents. tinyurl.com/29jczurh

COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY

Monday, January 19

Tuesday, January 20

MLK Unity Parade The City of Houston, the Black Heritage Society, and the MLK Grande Parade present the city’s first MLK Unity Parade honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tinyurl.com/5n8ypft5

COMMUNITY

LAMBDA NextGen Night with the Houston Rockets Join the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and LAMBDA NextGen for a night of connection and Pride at the Toyota Center as the Rockets take on the San Antonio Spurs. tinyurl.com/mttybvxr

January 31

Fruity Friday Bingo at Frost Town Brewing Charity Bingo returns to Frost Town Brewing. This month’s beneficiary is the Trans Legal Aid Clinic Texas. frosttownbrew.com

STAY CONNECTED!

Houston’s WEEKLY LGBTQ News & Happenings

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER TODAY! SIGN UP NOW! NATIONAL NEWS • LOCAL FEATURES • LIFESTYLE • ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • EVENTS & CALENDAR OutSmartMagazine.com

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS

QUEERTHINGS to DO

SAVE the DATES

STAGE

Thursday, February 5

Alley Theatre ActOUT for Real Women Have Curves Ticket holders for the February 5 performance of Real Women Have Curves can enjoy a pre-performance mixer with music, socializing, light bites, and drinks. tinyurl.com/4rzajj7d

COMMUNITY WINNER!

Best Copy/Print Shop

Saturday, February 7–Sunday, February 8

2026 Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Community Summit This free two-day event convenes more than two dozen LGBTQ organizations and hundreds of community members to develop a unified queer agenda that addresses wellness, safety, equity, and belonging. tinyurl.com/ypyxmcmd

STAGE

4230 Richmond | Houston, TX 77006 713.528.1201 | www.copydotcom.com CANVAS PRINTS | COLOR POSTERS GREETING CARDS| MUCH MORE 16

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Thursday, February 26

Out@TUTS for Million Dollar Quartet Theatre Under The Stars presents its Out@TUTS reception for LGBTQ theatergoers and friends featuring light bites, drink specials, and live music. tinyurl.com/4z7d9btp

Submit your events at calendar@outsmartmagazine.com

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JANUARY 2026

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MONEY SMART

By GRACE YUNG, CFP

Smart Strategies for Saving Take advantage of the increased retirement contribution limits for 2026. (like 401(k) plans) rise to $72,000.

• Income limits that affect IRA de-

ductibility, Roth IRA eligibility, and eligibility for the Saver’s Credit also increased for 2026, giving many savers expanded eligibility to take advantage of tax-favored savings.

Why These Changes Matter For many households in the 45 to 60 age range, this stage of life is a critical accumulation phase. Here’s why the 2026 limit increases are particularly impactful:

As we begin 2026, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released its updated retirementplan contribution limits, adjusting key thresholds to keep pace with inflation and support Americans in building stronger retirement savings. For individuals ages 45 to 60 , this period often represents a pivotal savings window—years when earnings may peak, financial priorities shift, and longterm retirement goals come into sharper focus.

Understanding the new contribution limits and strategically planning how to use them can set the stage for significant retirement savings growth, especially when contributions are started early in the year rather than postponed.

Here’s an in-depth look at the updated contribution limits and how you can work toward maximizing your tax-advantaged retirement savings in 2026.

Limits on 401(k) and Similar Plans For 2026, the IRS increased the maximum amount you can contribute to employer-sponsored retirement plans: • The standard elective deferral limit is $24,500 for participants of any age under 50.

• The catch-up contribution for age 50 18

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and older is $8,000 on top of the base limit. This means a participant age 50 or older can defer up to $32,500 in total employee contributions in 2026.

• The “super catch-up” for ages 60 to 63, if your plan allows it, remains at $11,250, meaning a total potential of $35,750 for those ages.

These limits apply for pretax and Roth 401(k) contributions combined. If your employer plan offers a Roth option, you may choose how your contributions are treated for tax purposes, but the combined total can’t exceed these caps.

Traditional and Roth IRAs Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) also received modest increases: • The total IRA contribution limit is $7,500 for 2026.

• The IRA catch-up for ages 50+ is $1,100, for a combined maximum of $8,600.

Remember, this IRA limit applies across all your IRAs combined (Traditional plus Roth), so any contributions to one type reduce the amount available to contribute to the other.

Other Retirement Plan Thresholds Additional IRS adjustments for 2026 include: • Total employer plus employee contributions to defined contribution plans

• Peak Earning Years – Many people see their highest income years in ages 45 to 60. With more dollars coming in, maximizing retirement plan contributions can grow tax-advantaged savings at a time when cash flow may allow it.

• Catch-Up Contributions Matter More – Starting at age 50, you’re eligible for extra catch-up contributions. This additional “room” can be especially helpful if you’re playing catch-up on retirement savings or want to accelerate growth in your accounts.

• The Time Horizon Still on Your Side – While retirement may feel closer at 45 than at 25, another decade or more of investment growth remains, and that growth can be powerful when fueled by higher contributions early in the year.

• Tax Diversification Opportunities – Increasing Roth options in employer plans (combined with flexible IRS catch-up rules) let you choose between present-tax deductions or future taxfree growth, adding another layer of strategic planning.

Maxing Out Your Savings in 2026 Instead of waiting until December to try to “catch up,” planning your contributions early in the year helps ensure you take full advantage of the available limits.

1. Break Your Target into Manageable Pieces – Set annual goals and divide them by pay period. For example, if you aim to take full advantage of the $24,500 401(k) limit, dividing that across weekly, biweekly, or monthly pay periods makes the goal more manageable.

If you’re 50 or older and want to add the $8,000 catch-up, factor that in starting in January

instead of later in the year. Starting early means you’re less likely to fall short because of unexpected expenses later in the year.

2. Capture Every Dollar of Employer Match – If your employer offers a matching contribution, contribute at least enough to fully capture the match before increasing beyond. Employer matches are essentially free added savings that compound over time.

3. Coordinate IRAs With Employer Plans – If you’re eligible to contribute to an IRA in addition to your workplace plan, consider using both. Navigating income limits and tax deductibility, especially for traditional IRAs, can maximize your overall tax efficiency. For many households, Roth IRA contributions or conversions can also play an important role in long-term planning.

4. Revisit Midyear – Set aside time for a midyear financial check-in. Circumstances change—pay raises, promotions, or even shifts in financial goals—and midyear reviews help you ensure your contribution pace still matches your 2026 goals.

5. Understand the Catch-Up Rules for High Earners – Starting in 2026, if your wages

exceed a certain threshold, catch-up contributions may need to be designated as after-tax Roth contributions rather than Traditional (pre-tax). This rule reflects changes ushered in by the SECURE 2.0 Act and underscores the importance of understanding how income interacts with retirement-plan rules.

Additional Tips for Ages 45 to 60 Here are a few strategic considerations that often matter most for this age group: • Factor in Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) – If you’re eligible for a Health Savings Account through a high-deductible health plan, HSA contributions offer a unique triple tax benefit: pre-tax contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses. HSA contribution limits also increased for 2026.

• Think Beyond Retirement – While retirement accounts are critical, balancing other goals, such as college funding, paying off higherinterest debt, or building a taxable investment portfolio, might also make sense, depending on your priorities.

• Plan for Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) Changes –Though RMDs don’t start until later in life, being aware of rules and planning strategies for future withdrawals can smooth the transition into retirement income

years.

Start Now and Stay Consistent Increased contribution limits in 2026 provide a renewed opportunity to build toward retirement readiness, especially for those in their prime saving years—ages 45 to 60.

Starting 2026 with a clear savings strategy will help you capture every available dollar of tax-advantaged growth, harness the power of compounding, and progress steadily toward your retirement goals.

The opinions voiced here are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. Grace S. Yung, CFP®, is a Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner and the CEO & Founder of Midtown Financial Group, LLC, in Houston. Since 1994, she has helped LGBTQ individuals, domestic partners, and families plan and manage their finances with care and expertise. She is a Wealth Advisor offering securities and advisory services through LPL Financial, a Registered Investment Advisor.

Member FINRA/SIPC. Grace can be reached at grace.yung@lpl.com.For more information, visit www.midtownfg.com or www.midtownfg. com/lgbtqplus.10.htm.

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NEWS

2026 Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Community Summit Returns to the Montrose Center The two-day event brings LGBTQ organizations, advocates, and allies together to shape a stronger future.

The 2026 Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Community Summit is a free two-day event set for early February at the Montrose Center.

Summit organizers plan to warmly welcome all LGBTQ people, allies, and supportive organizations from Houston and the surrounding region. So far, more than 27 groups have committed to building a shared agenda that centers on wellness, equity, safety, and a sense of belonging for the local LGBTQ community.

Avery Belyeu, CEO of the Montrose Center, explains the Summit’s purpose: “This is a chance for us to come together and shape our collective future. Last year’s event highlighted how essential unity and proactive planning are. We’re inviting everyone—LGBTQ+ folks and allies—to help create an agenda that truly benefits queer lives, especially in the areas of affirming health care, economic opportunity, and regional safety.”

Building on the strong turnout of nearly 250 at the 2025 Summit, this year’s expanded gathering addresses increasing community needs amid a shifting political landscape that is rarely supportive of the LGBTQ community, and has severely targeted transgender individuals. Together, attendees will develop practical strategies to uplift LGBTQ life in Houston, carrying on the legacy of the historic 1978 Town Meeting I—a pivotal moment for local LGBTQ rights and services.

Programming at the Summit spans health, wellness, arts, culture, and LGBTQ history.

Open forums encourage diverse voices to share experiences and ideas as the group crafts real-world solutions. The ultimate goal is to create a clear, action-oriented plan for the advancement of LGBTQ people in Houston.

The event features collaborative visioning sessions, interactive workshops, cultural showcases, and wellness activities. Attendees will shape the community’s calls to action through democratic voting. To ensure access 20

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Montrose Center CEO Avery Belyeu addresses the 2025 LGBTQ Community Summit and equity, sessions and support services are offered in Spanish and American Sign Language.

Those interested in helping with Summit logistics can join planning teams focusing on programming, communications, sponsorship, facilities, and youth engagement. Volunteers are encouraged to get involved early through the Summit’s official website.

The Summit is powered by more than 27 LGBTQ and allied organizations from the health, legal, advocacy, faith, arts, and economic sectors. Their collaboration ensures that the event is inclusive and addresses Houston’s broad range of needs. The overarching aim is to foster unity, dialogue, and actionable plans for LGBTQ progress in the city and beyond.

Daron Yanes Perez, representing Trans Men’s Empowerment, shares: “Trans men are

often overlooked, and our participation in the Summit allows us to raise our voices, foster connection, and remind everyone that we belong at the table. This event strengthens our solidarity and collective advancement.”

Jeffrey Campbell, CEO of Allies in Hope, adds: “The Summit arrives at a crucial time—much like Esther’s moment in the Old Testament, a time calling for courage and leadership. It will provide a space for positive change, empowerment, and renewed hope. As we gather, we remember that leadership and community resilience can build a more just and affirming future.”

Ian L. Haddock, who leads The Normal Anomaly Initiative, notes: “We recognize that it will take the entire community strategically and collaboratively working together to create a dam for hate while creating a flow of resources for our community. This is the

DALTON DEHART

by BRANDON WOLF

work our community must do—together and in concert with other leaders. Collaboration is hard, but the team coordinating this space has made a blueprint for what it can look like long-term. The Normal Anomaly is honored to be a part of it.”

Courtney Sellers of Montrose Grace Place, is excited to once again participate in the Summit. “LGBTQ+ youth are over-represented among youth experiencing homelessness, yet addressing the barriers affecting these youth has become more and more difficult. At the same time, transgender community members’ existence is being attacked constantly. The LGBTQ+ community in the Houston area needs a space to come together, demand our entire community’s rights, learn how to protect ourselves, offer support, share resources, and take space for joy. We refuse to be erased.”

Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin share: “We are honored that Rendezvous Center for Art (our relatively new nonprofit) is partnering on the upcoming Greater Houston LGBTQ+ summit. We believe that it’s imperative that every segment of Houston’s queer community participate and be heard, and Houston’s queer arts sector has a key role to play. We hope our participation will engage Houston’s queer artists and arts organizations in the broader movement for LGBTQ+ rights more directly.

We believe that artists have a particular nimbleness of thought and approach, and that their creativity offers a unique strength to the movement. Furthermore, we’re grateful that our work on the June 2025 symposium (organized by Rendezvous) can feed directly into the organizing and conceptualization of this February Summit and future convenings.”

WHAT: 2026 Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Community Summit WHEN: February 7–8, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Montrose Center, 401 Branard St. INFO: greaterhoustonlgbtqsummit.org

DALTON DEHART

Participating organizations include: Allies in Hope, Bunnies on the Bayou, Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, Diana Foundation, Equality Texas, First Christian Church of Katy, Fort Bend County Pride, FLAS (Fundación Latinoamericana de Acción Social), Grace Place, Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, Human Rights Campaign–Houston, Katy Pride, Legacy Community Health, The Montrose Center, The Normal Anomaly Initiative, Pride Houston 365, Queens of Houston, Rendezvous Center for Art, Save Our Sisters United, Tony’s Place, The Trans Action Project, Trans Education Network of Texas, Trans Legal Aid Clinic of Texas, Trans Men Empowerment, TransWoman Liberation,The T.R.U.T.H. Project, The Woodlands Pride

Tanner Williams, President of the Diana Foundation, America’s oldest active gay organization, remarks: “The Diana Foundation is honored to once again support the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Summit, because when our community gathers to learn, connect, and lead, we strengthen the path ahead for everyone.

With a 73-year legacy of service and support, the Dianas know the power of elevating voices that shape a brighter future for LGBTQ+ people in Greater Houston. This summit moves our community forward—and we are proud to stand with it.”

Rev. Heather Tolleson, pastor of First Christian Church in Katy, says, “We are participating in the LGBTQ+ Summit because creating safe and affirming spaces is central to who we are. We believe in the power of organizing, sharing stories, and learning from one another as a way to build justice and belonging. This summit allows us to resource one another and to live more fully into our call to love and welcome all.”

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COURTESY

COMMUNITY

LIVING LIFE OUT LOUD Professor Trevor Boffone on turning 40, embracing curiosity, and TikTok.

by MARTIN GIRON

G

oing viral on TikTok was not a part of the plan for Dr. Trevor Boffone, but he has since learned that the world of social media is just another avenue for him to perform, educate, and share his authentic experiences with communities in and outside of his classroom.

Before turning 40, Boffone had a specific goal in mind: engage in 40 activities around Houston that he’s always wanted to try, and document the experience through vlog-style social-media posts. As part of that digital 40 Before 40 series, he tried jiu-jitsu at Grand House MMA, cycled with Critical Mass, and even got to feed the University of Houston’s cougar mascot, Shasta.

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those experiences. “When my dad turned 40, there was all this imagery at his party that life was over at that age, but when I started approaching 40 it didn’t feel that way,” he explains. “I wanted to use my birthday as an opportunity to try new things and live my life without fear, while letting others know they can do the same.”

Originally from New Orleans, Boffone moved to Houston in 2012 after spending regular vacations in the city through his father’s work. Though Boffone’s online Houston audience expanded through his 40 Before 40 series, his presence in the local community has been built throughout the past decade through his work in the classroom and theater.

After graduating from the University of Houston in 2015, Boffone went on to teach LGBTQ studies and queer-theory courses at

his alma mater, gender and sexuality courses at Rice University, and Spanish at Bellaire High School. His research has also led him to publish several books on Latino theater and literature, which is rooted in his dual love for language and theater.

“Growing up, I was very interested in global social-justice issues and I was a language nerd,” Boffone says. “I started to connect the dots, and Spanish was a way for me to connect to what was happening both in Latin America and within the Latinx population here in the United States.”

Driven by these intersecting passions, Boffone began working with the advocacy group known as Latinx Theatre Commons.

He provided support through this role via resource development and grant writing, though he says his connection to theater also influences his identity as a performer and

“We’re really able to have a great classroom community and discuss things we don’t usually get to discuss anywhere else, and it’s rewarding to be in that space,” Boffone reflects. “That being said, the general view on queer people has changed in the last two years, and that means we need these classes and professors who are going to connect with students and do the work now more than ever.”

Boffone’s appreciation for his classrooms does not end here. In 2018, his father passed unexpectedly, and creating community with his students through social media became a part of his grieving process. “Dancing with students for TikToks helped me find joy and a new sense of normalcy through my grieving journey,” Boffone says.

Whether it’s in the theater, the classroom, or on social media, the underlying connective tissue throughout Boffone’s work extends

beyond the digital or physical space itself.

“The through line is community, and even my research is about community building,” Boffone says. “In my classroom, community comes first. We can’t do the learning until we have community, and that’s what you see on my social media, too—these little snippets of community building.”

While the 40 Before 40 series has ended, Boffone isn’t done exploring what life has to offer and sharing his journey with his online and local communities. “I love building connections between my audience and local businesses, so if you’re reading this and you’ve got a weird, quirky thing going on, reach out to me. I’d love to try it!”

Watch Boffone’s journey on TikTok @official_dr_boffone and Instagram @dr_boffone.

COURTESY

content creator.

“I was the kid who’d make up a song and dance with my cousins. I once made a fake Survivor spoof with me and my dogs where we’d vote each other off,” Boffone recalls.

“Studying theater isn’t the same as being onstage, and so now it’s been interesting to have this social-media presence because it’s become a place where I can entertain and perform as a different version of myself.”

As a gender and sexuality professor, Boffone contrasts the fulfillment of being able to facilitate this material as someone who is bisexual with the current socio-political context of someone living in the state of Texas.

His thoughts come at a time that coincide with the removal of Mel Curth, a transgender graduate assistant at the University of Oklahoma, after issuing a failing grade to a student’s paper containing anti-trans rhetoric.

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On Sunday, March 8, 2026, we’re coming together for the Walk To End HIV, benefiting Allies in Hope, and we want YOU with us.

Whether you walk to honor a loved one, support the community, or stand for change, your steps help build a future where everyone can access compassionate HIV care and support.

Mark your calendar and invite your friends and family!

LEARN MORE & REGISTER

www.AIHHouston.org/walktoendhiv

O

HOUSTON’S LGBTQ WELLNESS LEADERS OFFER A WIDE RANGE OF INCLUSIVE OPTIONS FOR EVERY FITNESS LEVEL.

utSmart’s annual wellness issue once again profiles local individuals and groups that provide practical and inclusive approaches to self-care and empowerment.

Yoga practitioner JuJu Faragher approaches wellness as a communal experience in the sessions he leads at the Montrose Center. Emma Weyand and Itzel Ibarra, co-founders of Revival Run Crew, offer group run events that prioritize accessibility over competition. Malissa Dunnings, founder of Composition ID Houston, focuses on responsible wellness strategies that reject fad diets in favor of sustainable progress. And Thomas Ramon, local ambassador for the national group LGBTQ Outdoors, helps create welcoming outdoor experiences centered on movement and connecting with nature.

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

PRACTICE MAKES PROGRESS JuJu Faragher approaches yoga as a means of communal healing.

by DAVID CLARKE

For JuJu Faragher, wellness is not a destination. It is a practice that is inherently messy, imperfect, and—most importantly—deeply human. As a yoga practitioner, storyteller, and community healer based in Houston, Faragher approaches health not as something to be achieved, but as something that is lived moment by moment, breath by breath.

“To be super-specific, I typically go by he/ him pronouns, but I also love he/they pronouns,” Faragher says. “I came to that conclusion a few years back, when I was really trying to understand my gender identity.” That exploration was less about labels and more about loosening his grip on rigid ideas of masculinity. “There are a lot of things around masculinity that I didn’t identify with,” he admits.

Yoga offered a language for that unlearning. “Within yoga, through the practice of nonattachment, I realized I was really clinging on to these ideas of what masculinity is and what it isn’t,” Faragher says. “So that’s where the he/they pronouns started to come in. I felt like they gave me permission to express however I wanted to.”

That permission to soften, to explore, and to exist without apology threads through Faragher’s story, which began long before he ever stepped onto a yoga mat. “If I had to pick a place where it began, I think it has to go back to when I was a teen,” he says, recalling a deep love of fantasy worlds and storytelling. “That’s where all of the ideas around fantasy and magic came through.”

Yoga entered his life later, out of necessity rather than curiosity. Living with scoliosis since middle school, Faragher turned to yoga in his early twenties as a way to manage chronic pain. “Living with a chronic condition is wild,” he says. At the time, he was also navigating depression and uncertainty after graduat-

ing college. “I didn’t really know what it was that I wanted to do. I was super-depressed for years on end.”

What followed felt almost cinematic. After a moment of “intense clarity” that he had never experienced before, Faragher encountered a group of yoga teachers. “They’re the ones who asked, ‘Have you ever thought about doing yoga?’ And that’s how the journey started.”

As his practice deepened, Faragher began to wrestle with yoga’s contradictions.

“Sometimes yoga can be a new-agey space,” he admits. “And sometimes that new-agey space is fabulous and it works for you. But sometimes those new-agey spaces are not beneficial to everyone, and are not rooted in social justice.”

Rather than walking away, Faragher asked a different question: “How can I now turn this into something else?”

At the heart of that “something else” is a phrase Faragher returns to often: practice makes progress. “That concept came from my dad,” he says. “He used to tell me, when I was practicing my multiplication tables, ‘You don’t need to be perfect, but just practice.’” For someone who once identified as a perfectionist, this idea became truly transformative.

“If you get caught up on the mistakes, you get caught up in this narrative that you’re doing something wrong,” Faragher explains. “All of those mistakes are really just learning opportunities.”

Yoga, he insists, extends far beyond physical postures. “Yoga can absolutely show up as, ‘I’m going to go on a walk outside,’” he says.

“I’m just going to notice the trees, I’m going to notice the breeze and give myself some space and some breath just to be, exist, and feel.” His own mat has borne witness to all of it. “I have cried on my mat. I have been very angry and yelled on my mat,” he explains. “My mat has seen me at my best. It’s seen me at my worst.” ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com

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JUJU FARAGHER | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Community is where that practice deepens.

“There’s something really powerful to be said about engaging in the practice in a shared community space and process how you’re feeling in the world, and to know that you’re not doing it alone,” Faragher adds, especially alongside other Black, brown, queer, and trans people.

That belief carries into Faragher’s work within Houston’s LGBTQ community, including his involvement with the Montrose Center.

“The idea of making wellness an individual pursuit really grinds my gears,” he points out.

“When we’re only focused on our own wellness, we’re missing out on the intersectionality of lived experience.” For Faragher, collective care is not optional. It’s essential. “Wellness has to be something that is community-focused.”

“WELLNESS HAS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS COMMUNITY-FOCUSED.” — JuJu Faragher

Returning recently from Guatemala, where retreat and rest reinforced that philosophy, Faragher found himself recommitting to practices rooted in flow rather than fear.

Looking ahead to 2026, he emphasizes rest as resistance, especially for LGBTQ people navigating burnout. “Rest practices are really important,” he says. “You’re down regulating your nervous system and you’re letting go of the part of your brain that’s doing all of the executive functioning.”

For readers beginning their own wellness journeys, Faragher offers something simple and powerful: affirmation. “I would start with daily affirmations,” he advises. “One of the things I used to tell myself all the time is ‘You’re safe, you’re loved, and you are protected.’” Repetition, he explains, can be transformative. And this includes writing affirmations down on Post-It notes and putting them on surfaces like mirrors. “Seeing and repeating those affirmations was mentally enough every day for me to start to rewire the neural pathways in my brain.”

In a culture obsessed with arrival, Faragher invites us to linger in the practice, to embrace the wobble, to trust the process, and to remember that progress, however small, is still progress.

Keep up with JuJu Faragher on Instagram @/juju.thewizard.

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COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY “We are able to really give each and every patient the individualized treatment and time they deserve.”

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Our team builds relationships with patients that enable us to better serve all of their health and wellness needs.

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Emma Weyand (left) and Itzel Ibarra, co-founders of Revival Run Crew, created the Houston-based club to offer a pace-inclusive, queer-centered approach to fitness.

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

RUNNING AT YOUR OWN PACE Revival Run Crew offers a welcoming space for queer wellness.

by MARTIN GIRON

F

inding fitness spaces that provide a sense of liberation, inclusivity, and belonging can be a struggle for many within the LGBTQ community. Personal fitness trainer Emma Weyand understands this problem all too well, and together with her partner and co-founder Itzel Ibarra, she is striving to help queer people pursue their wellness journey in connection with others. Since May of 2025, the Revival Run Crew has been building these connections for over 80 members in the Houston area—and for Weyand and Ibarra, this is just the start.

After moving to Houston from Chicago, Weyand, 30, was in search of a supportive queer community. As Weyand began working as a barback atPearl Bar, she quickly found just that.

“I was super lonely in Chicago, and when COVID hit, I knew I didn’t want to stay there.

So I moved to Houston with nothing,” Weyand recalls. “I came to Pearl, and right away I was talking with people. Soon after that, I got a job there, thanks to Julie Mabry. Everyone was so supportive, and I feel that’s how Houston is in general.”

Weyand credits Pearl for both being the foundation of her Houston community and where she met Ibarra, her key to forming the Revival Run Crew. Being together for nearly two years now, Weyand and Ibarra have found a flow that makes co-leading Revival play to their strengths. “I couldn’t do this without her,” Weyand says.

Members of the Revival Run Crew gather to socialize after their runs. Additional events throughout the year give members the opportunity to support local queer charities.

Outside of Revival, Ibarra, 31, is an account coordinator for the Korean skincare brand Peach & Lily. As co-founder of Revival, she brings structure and a unique perspective on inclusivity to the couple’s business.

“I have a heart condition that limits what kind of cardio I’m able to do, which includes running,” Ibarra notes. That’s one reason she makes sure the club is welcoming to people at all fitness levels.

“There are a lot of people who want to go outside and do something healthy, but either can’t run due to health issues or feel like they aren’t ready to,” Ibarra says. “Encouraging them to go at their own pace allows them to make friends without feeling pressured to run.”

Beyond being “pace-inclusive,” Weyand notes that part of what makes the run club special is in its queer identity. “I’ve been working for ten years, and I still feel uncomfortable in the gym and other run clubs because no one looks like me—everyone’s so straight.” As a queer run club, Revival’s mission is to ensure its members feel

comfortable and capable in their wellness journeys.

The Revival Run Crew is also unique in its approach to mixing community health with community advocacy. Weyand and Ibarra see a lack of opportunities for queerness to thrive in the fitness world, and so the run club doubles as a space that promotes collaboration and visibility for local queer causes. Revival has collaborated with queer-owned companies like Moyo Froyo and local queer artists like DJ Furor, gathered food supplies for the Montrose Center’s Law Harrington Senior Living Center during the government shutdown, partnered with the local nonprofit Triple A Alliance to aid transgender communities, and even assisted in the campaign for newly elected City Council Member Alejandra Salinas.

While Weyand and Ibarra are not originally from Houston, they cite the city’s hospitality and diversity as a major part of their professional and personal journeys. For Ibarra, the experience of coming out at the age of 24 with two children was particularly shaped by the city. ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com

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REVIVAL RUN CREW | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“My parents are from Mexico, and working here they encountered a lot of queer Hispanics,” Ibarra says. “It made coming out easier than I expected, and made me realize how accepting the culture in Houston is.”

The sentiment of finding liberation in Houston’s queer community is one that also resonates with Revival members. Tammy Van, a member from Orlando, cites the run club as helping her step out of her comfort zone and create new relationships. “It’s difficult to find ‘third spaces,’ so this was a really great way for me to make new queer friends,” she says.

Another member, Desiree Brown, echoes the sentiment during a post-run chat.

“This run club is beyond community,” Brown says. “The friends I make here aren’t limited to the runs, so it feels like I’m building lifelong friendships as we go through this mutual experience together.”

For Ana Tenorio, also known as DJ Furor, the club gives her the opportunity to connect her love of music with the LGBTQ community.

“We had a collaboration where I played music for the members after their run—it’s amazing to bring their world of wellness and my world of music together.”

The Revival Run Crew is only one part of the Revival brand. A Revival app is set to launch an online personal training program for queer communities this month. The program will provide meal plans, workouts, feedback, and a community of members virtually accessible via group chat. Weyand aims for the program to be more affordable and interactive compared to other online fitness models, with the goal being to help build accessible support for people wanting to enter a variety of fitness spaces.

Though relatively new, the club has gained meaningful traction and community support.

Weyand and Ibarra plan to keep expanding the community they’ve cultivated through Revival and continue helping queer people find confidence in their wellness journey.

“One run, one walk, one workout can start a whole new chapter for you,” Weyand says.

Ibarra recalls when a new member of the club missed the first two runs because she felt anxious and could not bring herself to leave her car. The member eventually found the courage to join in a run, and has since become an active runner with Revival. “All you have to do is get out of the car!”

“ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO GO AT THEIR OWN PACE ALLOWS THEM TO MAKE FRIENDS WITHOUT FEELING PRESSURED. THAT’S WHY WE WELCOME ALL FITNESS LEVELS.” — Itzel Ibarra

To join the Revival Run Crew or learn more, visit Instagram @revivalruncrew and follow co-founders Emma and Itzel @this.iss.emma and @mynameissitzel, respectively.

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

FROM TRAGEDY TO PURPOSE Malissa Dunnings overcame physical trauma to build a career promoting wellness.

by DAVID CLARKE

W

hen Malissa Dunnings looks back on her career trajectory, the shift from financial services to wellness feels less like a leap of faith and more like an inevitability. It’s one shaped by a personal injury, introspection, and a growing need to make a difference.

“I definitely wasn’t feeling very fulfilled in financial services,” Dunnings admits. While she still holds a dual role today, running her wellness business while working for a large financial institution, her pull toward health and wellness was rooted in lived experience.

“Getting back to being active and working out has literally changed my life,” she explains. “I wanted to be able to provide some insight and make an impact without necessarily having a gym.”

That clarity emerged after a severe back injury in her early 30s left her in near-constant

“REPRESENTATION IS IMPORTANT. IF YOU SEE SOMEONE THAT REPRESENTS YOU, THEN YOU’RE MORE WILLING TO GIVE IT A SHOT.” — Malissa Dunnings

pain. “When you’re in your early 30s and you’re in almost debilitating pain all the time, unable to do things that normal people would do, it really can psychologically impact you,” she says.

The road back began with small steps.

“The first step is to just get off the couch,” Dunnings notes. “Sometimes you have to work through that discomfort.”

Movement eventually led her to CrossFit, a space that reshaped her understanding of strength and belonging. “It’s probably the only sport where the person that finishes last gets the biggest cheer,” she says. “It just makes you see there’s a place for everyone.” That emphasis on showing up—and not perfection—continues to inform her work today.

While earning her MBA, Dunnings began intentionally aligning passion with profession.

“It really wasn’t a pondering,” she says. “It was almost a knowing.” When the idea arrived, everything clicked. ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com

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MALISSA DUNNINGS | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“I’m just glad I didn’t get distracted with other things. I knew this was the direction for me.

Everything—all of my efforts and momentum—just went into that specific initiative.”

The catalyst came while scrolling social media, where Dunnings first encountered DEXA body-composition scans. “Everything in my life just made a left turn,” she recalls.

“This is what the industry needs.” At the time, the technology wasn’t available locally. “I realized that it did not exist in Houston,” she says, noticing a gap she decided to fill.

She opened Composition ID Houston just days after finishing grad school. “My last day of grad school was August 14, and I opened Composition ID Houston on August 16.” What drew her to DEXA technology was its accuracy. “No other tools are going to give us this accuracy and reliability,” she explains.

That emphasis on precision isn’t about aesthetics or what standing on the scale tells you. “I’m a screw-the-scale person,” Dunnings says. “We don’t have a scale in our home because you can get on a scale one morning and it can really screw your whole day up.” Instead, she focuses on sustainability and education.

“If you want a fad diet or quick fix, we are not the place for you,” she says. “We’re all about lifestyle changes, sustainability, and just really

educating ourselves.”

January, she notes, often brings an influx of resolution-driven clients, but it’s the longterm relationships that matter most. “It’s those people that have been with us for five or six years and that have made it a part of their lives to be on the schedule once a quarter just for accountability purposes,” she says. Her advice to those who tend to fall off after breaking their resolutions? “Choose progress over perfection, even if it’s just some forward movement.”

As a Black LGBTQ woman founder in a traditionally exclusionary industry, visibility has mattered more than she initially expected.

“Representation is important,” Dunnings states. “If you see someone that represents you, then you’re more willing to give it a shot.” Over time, her client base has shifted, too. “The demographic has changed significantly,” she notes, pointing out that it started as mostly Caucasian, but over time has become more inclusive of all skin tones.

Taking on a leadership role also required her to grow. For over a year, Dunnings ran her business solo while working full-time elsewhere. “I was just stretched entirely too thin,” she recalls. Hiring help was a turning point. “When I hired someone, things just got bigger and bigger.” Her takeaway is to not limit

yourself to a very narrow scope where you feel the need to control everything.

That philosophy extends to personalization. “No two plans are the same,” she says.

“We’re building programming around each individual’s level of activity and enjoyment.”

The goal is personal agency, not a formulaic prescription.

Avid OutSmart readers may recognize Dunnings from the August 2025 wedding feature, where she and her wife, Pamela, shared their love story. Dunnings points out that Pamela is a co-owner of Composition ID Houston. “That was her wedding present,” she shares.

Looking back, Dunnings can’t pinpoint taking a single risk that made it all possible. “I think all of it was a risk,” she says. But if there’s one lesson she hopes readers carry forward, it’s this: “When you know what your passion is and that is your singular focus, you have to be open to broadening your perspective of what your box of possibilities looks like.”

And when “alignment” finally arrives?

“There was definitely fear,” Dunnings shares, “but then there’s also a confidence that you approach that with.”

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

WELLNESS, TAKEN OUTDOORS Thomas Ramon’s path from injury to leadership with Houston’s LGBTQ Outdoors

by BRANDON WOLF

F

or 38-year-old Thomas Ramon, physical fitness means practicing simple, everyday movements rather than chasing an athletic ideal. He views fitness and wellness as accessible—taking a walk or hiking in a local park to support healthy bones, joints, and mental relaxation. He encourages everyone to value movement in all forms, and believes fitness should be enjoyable and inclusive, not intimidating.

Ramon’s passion for cycling and jogging has brought him physical benefits and stress relief throughout his life. But three years ago, a severe leg injury and surgery forced him to pause his active routine. Months of recovery left him searching for new ways to stay engaged. He eventually returned to hiking— something he enjoyed as a youth—and rediscovered the restorative power of nature.

As he adjusted to his new routine, Ramon looked for a community that welcomed LGBTQ individuals in Houston. This led him to LGBTQ Outdoors, a national group connecting LGBTQ people with nature and each other.

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Thomas Ramon hiking with members of LGBTQ Outdoors at Bayou Wilds in Memorial Park volunteered as the local ambassador to create more opportunities for people like himself.

As an ambassador, Ramon plans and organizes events, scouts parks, ensures trail safety, and promotes the activities on LGBTQ Outdoors’ website and on a Facebook group for Texas. He is dedicated to making each event safe and accessible for queer people of all backgrounds and fitness levels. “Anybody on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum is welcome,” he says.

Justin Yoder, founder of LGBTQ Outdoors, shares Ramon’s commitment to inclusion.

Yoder believes real inclusion means fostering genuine belonging. “When everyone feels safe to show up as their full selves, nature

becomes more than a place—it becomes home.

At the heart of our mission is connecting the LGBTQIA+ community to the outdoors and to one another,” he explains.

Ramon acknowledges that outdoor experiences can be intimidating for LGBTQ individuals, especially in environments dominated by straight, cisgender men. “Outdoor experiences can very often be ruined by our fear of uncertainty, just being queer and vulnerable. This organization provides an environment where people can drop those fears and feel comfortable and accepted,” he emphasizes.

Spending time outdoors brings mental and physical health benefits. Ramon points to re-

search showing that being outside helps people shift focus, recover from digital stress, and strengthen their immune systems. “There’s a lot of studies on how our focus changes when we’re outdoors and our minds get an opportunity to recover from heavy attentiveness.

When we’re inside, we experience a lot of stress from looking at the computer and being on our phones all day. Being outside helps us separate from that, change our focus, and boost our immune systems. Physical activity like walking and hiking reduces blood pressure. So being outside is just all around good for us,” Ramon says.

Houston’s LGBTQ Outdoors events are most often free and held on weekends. The majority of events welcome pets and children, depending on the activity, so families and individuals alike can participate. Throughout the year, Ramon and his group organize special trips to state parks, offering guided hikes, educational seminars, meals, and cabin stays for a modest fee. And an annual four-day Outdoorfest is also held.

Joining Houston’s LGBTQ Outdoors is a great way to make friends, and beyond the official activities of the group, members often plan unofficial activities such as house parties, club nights, and other social gatherings.

For those hoping to commit to better health in the new year, Ramon suggests starting small by trying something like a neighborhood walk.

Information about upcoming events, health tips, and community resources is available on LGBTQ Outdoors’ national website, local Facebook groups, podcasts, and newsletters.

Despite its successes, LGBTQ Outdoors has faced challenges. As a registered nonprofit, it has been affected by reduced corporate funding amid anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) efforts from the current administration. To offset the shortfall, LGBTQ Outdoors launched a GoFundMe campaign and seeks community support to continue its mission of inclusion and connection.

Outside his volunteer work, Ramon manages inventories for 18 locations of a local firm.

He and his husband, Rene, will celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary next month.

Reflecting on recent challenges faced by the LGBTQ community, Ramon remains hopeful about the power of connection. “I think just taking part in any queer community is going to make you feel better. And we can help fill that gap for you.”

For more information, visit lgbtqoutdoors.com

“THIS ORGANIZATION CREATES A SPACE WHERE QUEER PEOPLE CAN SHOW UP WITHOUT FEAR AND FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG.” — Thomas Ramon

An LGBTQ Outdoors event at Lake Woodlands

The Houston members of LGBTQ Outdoors OutSmartMagazine.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

UNAPOLOGETIC, UNAFRAID, AND HERE TO STAY Brenda Palestina brings immigrant truth and queer insight to Alley Theatre’s Real Women Have Curves.

by DAVID CLARKE

W

hen the Alley Theatre opens Real Women Have Curves this month, audiences will encounter a story that feels both fiercely specific and urgently universal. At its center is Ana, a young Chicana woman from East Los Angeles navigating ambition, family expectation, body politics, and liberation. Playing Ana is Houston-based and openly lesbian actress Brenda Palestina, whose connection to the role is deeply personal.

“For me, a lot of the appeal was the play itself,” Palestina says. “But the topic of immigration, just really being unapologetic and honest, was really important to me and really touching when I read the play. More than anything, this is an immigration story about women in East LA.” As a first-generation Latina with immigrant family members, Palestina sees the production as more than a revival. It’s a form of representation that feels especially necessary right now. “Most of my family are immigrants,” she reveals. “I feel really honored to be able to tell stories that I think are representative of my family, of my friends, and of my people.

That’s really quite an honor.”

Palestina is also clear about how her queer identity informs her artistic choices. “I am queer. I’m a lesbian,” she says with tangible pride. “And while this isn’t necessarily a queer story, this is a story about sexuality and women taking ownership of that, as well. So when I’m thinking of what projects I’m interested in, anything that feels representative of those identities is really going to call to me.”

That sense of authenticity is central to

what drew her to Ana. “She starts the play thinking that she knows everything about feminism and everything about liberation,” Palestina says. “I really relate to that, and I see a younger me in that.” What resonates even more, she explains, is Ana’s growth. “She’s quickly humbled and is being schooled inadvertently by these immigrant women around her. All of my best and most important lessons have come from the older women in my life.”

Ana’s ambition also mirrors Palestina’s.

“I’ve always been an ambitious person, and I’ve always wanted more and desired greatness,” she says. “And I think Ana is the same way. She wants more. She wants to explore the world. She wants to write.”

The play’s continued relevance feels especially potent in today’s political climate. “It gets me a little emotional to think about seeing undocumented immigrants on stage,” Palestina says with tears forming in her eyes. “Right now, there’s a resurgence of immigrants hiding, of brown people and Latino people being really scared to just leave their homes.”

“The humanization of immigrants at this time has to happen, and it has to happen loudly, and on the biggest stage in Houston,” she says, emphasizing why this visibility matters right now.

Real Women Have Curves is also famously unapologetic about bodies—a theme that Palestina has been deeply affected by. “When I first read the script and I saw that everyone does get naked at the end, I thought, ‘Me? In my undies?’” she laughs. But that initial hesitation gave way to empowerment. “Ana is using her body as it exists to fight the patriarchy, and I think that is really wonderful and really inspiring to me.” ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com

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BRENDA PALESTINA | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

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Palestina also acknowledges that the title Real Women Have Curves can prompt hesitation, so she invites audiences to sit with that discomfort rather than turn away. “Before I had really known what the story was, I definitely shared those concerns. What the play ultimately offers, she explains, is specificity rather than exclusion. “This is a story about a very unique niche experience. These are women in East LA. It’s not meant to encapsulate all women.” Yet, the word curves, she adds, reaches beyond the physical. Drawing on a metaphor shared by playwright Josefina López, Palestina describes it as “this curvy feminine energy” and “the feminine energy of being soft,” noting that “women and, frankly, anyone who exists outside of the gender binary, don’t have these rigid lines.”

Language and cultural shorthand are other layers of identity the production embraces.

“Any time I am in a space with Latinos, there’s a comfort level and familiarity immediately,” Palestina admits. “It says there’s going to be a level of care here that is specific to me and my identity.”

“THE HUMANIZATION OF IMMIGRANTS AT THIS TIME HAS TO HAPPEN, AND IT HAS TO HAPPEN LOUDLY, AND ON THE BIGGEST STAGE IN HOUSTON.” — Brenda Palestina

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That care extends behind the scenes, as well. “This play works when we see women play,” she recalls playwright Josefina López saying in an early production meeting. “The frequency of joy negates, cancels, leaves no room for the frequency of shame.” Palestina feels that joy daily in rehearsals. “There’s already this really great sense of camaraderie and bonding. There’s a lot of joy between me and the other cast members.”

For queer audiences, first-generation viewers, and young Latinas in particular, Palestina hopes the production lands as a love letter. “I hope that they feel represented,” she says. “I hope that they feel that their identities were taken care of with the utmost care and intentionality and tenderness.” And beyond representation, she hopes the play sparks action. “As Ana says, we have the right to assert ourselves, and we have the right to take control of our own bodies and our lives.”

WHAT: Real Women Have Curves WHEN: January 23–February 15, 2026 WHERE: Alley Theatre, 615 Texas Avenue INFO: tinyurl.com/mu6hasr5

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2026

ASTROCAST

ALBINA SHTUTMAN

O V E R V I E W

by DAVID ODYSSEY

A

s observed through a telescope, on the news, or in the quotidian drip of daily life, 2025 marked a period of epochal change.

A new era is upon us. Astrologers look to the outer planets—those farther from the sun, whose orbits last years and decades—to understand where the collective consciousness is headed.

In 2025, Uranus—planet of progress and backlash—entered jacked-up Gemini for the first 46

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time since the 1940s. Saturn and Neptune— two dark masters that address addiction and accountability—both restarted the zodiac in the propulsive fire sign Aries.

Last year, these powers staged preview exhibitions in their new signs. In 2026, the new age begins outright. The shift to fire and air signs signals initiation, renewal, and the conflict necessary to catalyze reinvention. The missions, allegiances, and career paths that defined us now feel like relics from a life before the crash. The supervillains of the age have de-

clared themselves, and we enter this new cycle with more self-awareness than the last.

With bold Jupiter in Cancer, the sign of gestation and legacy, and with so much propulsion in Aries, the questions become immediate: What do you want to do? Who are your people?

What is your fight? What is absolutely none of your business?

You’ve spent the last few years processing, grieving, and looking back. Now comes the messier work of choosing a path and facing the consequences.

ARIES

(Mar. 21–Apr. 19) For the first time since the late ’90s, Saturn, planet of authority and accountability, is in your sign. Meanwhile, Neptune, the god of dreams and delusion, hasn’t been here since 1875.

The two planets make a historic conjunction in your sign on February 20, spelling out an epochal clash between your inner overlord and stoner, a reconciliation of the rules which govern life and the passions which give it meaning. You have the opportunity to start anew, to choose the incarnation, style, sensibility and occupation which suits you. But to nail the landing of a new beginning, you’ll have to cultivate both optimism and pragmatism, catch yourself when you’re playing victim, and call out your own childish behaviors.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

Since 2019, Uranus, the planet of change, has been in your sign—a revolutionary period which you’ll experience only once in this lifetime. On April 27, Uranus finally leaves Taurus for good, ending a seven-year maelstrom of extremes. It may have felt like it’s always something, like just when one arena of your life settles, another falls to pieces. The first four months of the year represent the last bang of this chaotic period, and on the other side you start to see what’s possible when all the disparate pieces come together. Ride out the last stretch of the phantasmagoria to see the culmination of your efforts take shape. In October, Venus and Mercury retrograde in Scorpio, your opposite sign, reconciling the others in your life to your new status quo. Be patient: you’re only now finding your place.

GEMINI (May 21–June 21)

On April 27, Uranus, the planet of progress and backlash, enters your sign, where it will remain until 2033. (Uranus released a brief coming attraction last year, dipping into Gemini from July 7 through November 7.) Uranus delivers new technologies and ideas, often before we’re ready for them, and Gemini, the sign of experimentation and versatility, has a fixation with extremes. You are uniquely equipped to ride the jagged surges of change. While your friends lament the rise of new technologies and the fall of old industries, you are well suited to study, play and see what new platforms suit you. But to channel lightning, you must find stillness, locking down friends or sponsors or coworkers who can keep you from trying too much, too fast, and losing yourself along the way. You’re in an epic period of advancement, but it’s up to you to ensure that your progress is sustainable.

CANCER (June 22–July 22)

Jupiter, the biggest planet in the solar system, spends about a year in each sign, and from June 10, 2025 through June 30, 2026, it blasts light and momentum on Cancer. Yours is the sign of motherhood, of nourishment and building a home (be it familial, creative, or spiritual), and with Jupiter’s embrace, you’re encouraged to build your garden and invest in your future. As Jupiter leaves Cancer come summertime, Mercury will retrograde in your sign from June 29 through July 23.

Take this mid-summer dip as a time to recalibrate. Spend the first half of the year firing on all cylinders, then use the retrograde and its aftermath as a chance to lower the frequency and find a stable pulse. ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com

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2026 ASTROCAST

LEO

(July 23–Aug. 22) 2026 begins a new cycle of eclipses between Leo and its opposite sign, Aquarius, with a total solar eclipse in Leo on August 20. If you have played a role in your relationships, or fixed yourself to a certain “brand,” or swum desperately to remain the big fish in a small pond, these eclipses will likely blow your world open and challenge you to think bigger—putting your gifts to a more selfless, expansive service. On June 30, the gas giant Jupiter enters your sign for a brilliant year of embodiment. Jupiter commands wisdom, synthesis and mastery, and inspires you to elevate the impact you have on others, to really try for what’s important to you. To fully embrace your power and take the lead as you’re destined to do, you’ll have to let go of what’s become comfortable, stagnant, and stultifying.

LIBRA

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VIRGO

(Aug. 23-Sept.22) Since 2024, eclipses have raged in Virgo and Pisces, two perfect opposites which deal with control and surrender, boundaries, and union. With a total lunar eclipse on March 3 in Virgo and a partial lunar eclipse in Pisces on August 28, there’s still more to be revealed about the roles you’re playing: interpersonally, communally, and in the story of your life.

Next year, 2027, promises propulsion for Virgos, but right now there’s more release to be done. Take account of what feels boring and burdensome in your life, and what needs to be removed—either by a peaceful release or aggressive confrontation. This is a flush and a deep release that lets you feel unencumbered when the momentum picks up.

(Sept. 23–Oct. 23)

SCORPIO

Who is in your way? Who is your worst enemy? As Saturn and Neptune—two planets that force bitter sobriety—enter Aries, your opposite sign, they initiate immediate confrontations with lovers, bosses, frenemies, and mentors. Anyone you’ve set on a pedestal or as your inferior will force you to take a balanced accounting of yourself, stripping away the funhouse mirror projections you’ve lived by. Get a balanced sense of who you are, and you’ll encounter figures who can really help you move forward. Venus retrogrades into your sign on October 26, not resuming direct course until November 14. Count on accursed exes and ancient crushes to rear their heads, all forcing you to level up. That was then, that was you, and now here we are. It’s time to level up.

Over the next two years, Jupiter, the planet of expansion, blasts through your career domain, firing up the momentum whether you’re ready or not. So take this year’s Mercury retrogrades in the water signs—Pisces (February 26–March 20), Cancer (June 29–July 23) and Scorpio (October 24–November 13) as moments to take a breath and get clear on what you want to learn, what you want to create, and what you want to wear while you’re doing it. With Venus retrograding in your sign from October 3 through the 26th, it’s likely that you’re in for a major makeover montage. These pauses for reinvention ensure that you’re the protagonist of the new story.

JANUARY 2026 | OutSmartMagazine.com

(Oct. 24–Nov. 21)

Y

2026 ASTROCAST

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.22–Dec.21) From December 2025 through September 2026, Lilith, the dark avatar of exiled sexuality, feminine revenge, and bad-girl retribution, is in your domain. Meanwhile, Uranus, planet of promethean reinvention, enters your opposite sign, Gemini, in April, where it will remain until 2033. Lilith and Uranus align with mythic figures who sought freedom at all costs—themes that should be familiar to the Sagittarian optimist. This year commands a redux, a shredding of outdated moralisms and restrictions, and a leap to fulfill liberatory impulses. You must identify which relationships, career dynamics, and family-prescribed restrictions make you feel like a prisoner, and most importantly, how you’ve made yourself the warden of your own dungeon. It’s frightening to let the she-wolf out of her cage, but you must accept being resented or becoming unrecognizable if you’re to embrace your full potential.

AQUARIUS

CAPRICORN (Dec.22–Jan. 19)

Everything you fear in relationships—codependency, weakness, compromise—gets kicked up this year, as the vast planet Jupiter lights up your opposite sign, Cancer.

Great opportunities for sex, love and support await you if you can allow yourself to ask for help and break the shell you’ve built up around others. On September 15, Lilith, the dark avatar of repressed sexuality, enters your sign, inviting you to explore all the ways you’ve held yourself back to hide yourself or protect others in relationships. Let yourself get ugly and be exposed as never before. The people in your life should be so lucky.

PISCES

(Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

(Feb.19–Mar. 20)

Welcome to the Aquarius-Leo eclipse saga, beginning February 17 with an annular solar eclipse in your sign, and exploding on August 20 with a total solar eclipse in your opposite sign of Leo. In correspondence with the body, Leo rules the heart, and Aquarius the circulatory system—two sides in a conversation about how we lead and what causes drive us. These eclipses have the potential to make your life feel real and meaningful if you can cut the noise out of your life. To return to the beating heart of your passion and purpose, you will have to confront those dead constellations of relationships, those stale ways of presenting yourself, and those platforms and streams that prove dissociative rather than embodying.

Since early 2023, Saturn, the planet of limits and sobriety, has put you through a trial, calling out your martyrdom and self-sabotaging behaviors. This February, Saturn exits your domain, not to return for another 28 years.

You’ve learned about your weaknesses and worst behaviors, but it’s finally time to move past recrimination and look ahead. How do you want to operate in the day-to-day?

Unburdened by sagas of operatic suffering, what are the steps required to stay healthy and reasonably happy in the micro? From February 26 through March 20, Mercury retrogrades in your sign, helping to identify the smallscale issues that need repair, and inviting you to start small in your major reinvention.

David Odyssey is a writer, astrologer, and longtime OutSmart contributor. His book When Saturn Returns: Surviving Your Astrological Coming-of-Age is out now. Find him—and your forecast—at davidodyssey.com.

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CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF DAVID ROGERS David Rogers went to meet his Lord and Savior on November 30, 2025, ending his protracted battle with his most recent cancer diagnosis and his pain and suffering. His extraordinary will to live and efforts to defeat it were beyond anyone’s imagination. He was a loving husband for 36 years and stalwart friend to many both within and outside the gay community. He was the favorite uncle to his nieces and nephews from his husband Patrick Mire’s family, and the “nice daddy” for our Shi Tzu fur babies, most recently, Astro.

David was an extraordinary man possessing great strength of character and resilience, having survived cancer multiple times beginning in 1996.

He was a man of great faith, a long-time member of ECWR, a network of gay and lesbian evangelical Christians who provided outreach to the Christian gay community beginning in the 1970’s, when the GLBTQ+ community was unwelcome in traditional

churches. David’s primary life focus was reaching those who were disenfranchised from their faith, helping them to reconnect with their faith and their relationship with God. David was a member and facilitator at Bering Support Network. When the AIDS epidemic started in the 1980s, Bering UMC established the Wednesday Night Spiritual Support Group for people infected with or affected by HIV. He used his gifts and education as a youth minister to minister to anyone who was hurting, offering love, empathy and support. As one BSN member commented, “David reached out to the strays, to anyone who felt left out or out of place, and welcomed them with his friendship.”

While David’s faith and others’ Salvation were paramount, he was also an avid traveler and consumer of history and architecture. He and his husband Patrick both worked for the airlines, and

PHOTOGRAPHIC FOUNDATION

throughout their 36-year marriage, they traveled extensively to Canada, Central and South America, numerous countries in Europe, and as far as New Zealand and Australia. David had an unequalled zest for life, love, and laughter. He was also an avid gardener and consumer of the arts and loved attending live theater, concerts, and especially movies.

David had a heart and affection for others beyond measure, and his absence from this life leaves a gaping void in the lives of his friends, most especially his husband, Patrick Mire. His presence will be forever missed by all, but the rewards of his life and effect on others endures forever.

—Patrick Mire A Celebration of Life for David Rogers will be held on 1/31/26 at Ecclesia Church, 1100 Elder St, Houston, TX 77007 at 1 pm.

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WEDDING GUIDE

A WEDDING IN TWO ACTS Kynderick Chapel-Fontenot and Evan Fontenot celebrate love, growth, and a community of family and friends.

by DAVID CLARKE photos by JESS AND TRISH GOLDEN, XOGOLDENPHOTO

Kynderick Chapel-Fontenot (l) and Evan Fontenot Kynderick Chapel-Fontenot and Evan Fontenot are proof that timing, growth, and intention matter just as much as love itself. Both 33, the Fort Bend County–based couple first met during their freshman year of college. “It was before the age of all the virtual platforms and apps,” Kynderick recalls. A mutual friend simply asked, “Hey, I know someone. Are you interested?”

Evan remembers noticing Kynderick immediately. “He was, of course, attractive, and he had a great smile,” Evan notes. “It sounds like a cliché that he could light up a room, but he would smile and you would pay attention to him.”

Meanwhile, Kynderick was drawn to Evan’s energy. “I’m a vibe person,” he explains.

“There was a chillness, a subtleness to that energy type of thing.”

Their first date wasn’t traditional, but it was memorable. They went to a New Year’s 54

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house party in Brenham that was filled with cooking, friends, and celebration. Over time, their relationship evolved. It also paused when life required them to grow independently. “We were too young to be getting serious,” Kynderick says.

Evan describes it simply as “a fork in the road,” one that eventually led them back to each other in 2020 when they were both more grounded and sure of what they wanted.

That clarity became undeniable when Evan began the process of buying a home. “It was like a what-are-we-doing type of situation,” he says. The conversation was casual but deeply serious, rooted in long-term goals and shared direction. “We weren’t getting any younger,” Evan adds, noting that both were established in their careers and ready for the next chapter.

When Evan proposed at the Marriott Marquis Houston, the moment was heartfelt and hilariously unforgettable. Kynderick couldn’t stop laughing. “I didn’t think it was real, but

it was real at the same time,” he says. Evan jokes that he’s still not sure he ever got a formal “yes,” but the laughter said everything.

From the beginning, the couple knew they wanted to separate the intimacy of their wedding ceremony from the celebration at their reception. “The wedding day was our day,” Kynderick explains, while the reception party was their time to shine with family and friends. They chose to marry privately in Las Vegas surrounded by close friends, followed later by a large Houston reception. “I would recommend that to anybody,” Kynderick says without hesitation.

That philosophy of honoring boundaries while celebrating community carried through every detail. At the Houston reception, the couple showcased photos from their Vegas ceremony in newspaper-style prints. They decorated the space with nods to the speakeasies they’d visited together, complete with lightup gloves. “Our reception was like a love letter

to our family and friends,” Kynderick says.

One of Evan’s favorite moments from the wedding itself happened just after their ceremony in a Las Vegas chapel, when roughly 30 people in formal black attire spotted the newlyweds before wandering into a nearby dive bar. “They couldn’t really put together who actually got married,” Evan recalls. “That was probably the funniest part for me.” Their reception, he adds, was equally unforgettable because “a time was had. That’s the best way I could describe the reception.”

For Kynderick, the most powerful moment came when everything slowed down. “It was just how our two worlds have truly combined and are cohesive,” he says. Friends from different cities and chapters of their lives had become one shared community. “My friends are his friends, his friends are my friends. Our families love each other.” Evan agrees, noting how rare and meaningful that kind of integration can be.

Pulling it all together was Polished Occasions, with Kynderick offering especially high

praise for Aiyesha Minott and Tony L. “Hands down, they were amazing,” he says, noting how refreshing it was to work with a planner who never questioned whether their vision was “too much.” The team’s outstanding on-site coordinator also ensured the celebration flowed seamlessly.

Décor for the Houston reception was handled by Stylish Floral, while Balloonista transformed the photo booth installation. “We literally just picked the colors,” Kynderick says. “They totally took care of us.”

Rather than a traditional videographer, the couple opted for a content-forward approach with BTS Nancy capturing candid moments and behind-the-scenes footage. Photography came from Houston’s beloved XoGoldenPhoto (Jess and Trish Golden), whose visible LGBTQ representation was essential. “You see the visibility, you see the representation,” Kynderick says.

Music for the reception was curated by Signature Events & DJ Damndrell, whose personal connections made the experience

feel even more intimate. The dessert bar, created by Wedding Cakes by Tammy Allen, was another highlight. “She and her daughter did some amazing things for our dessert bar,” Kynderick says, emphasizing the care and inclusivity they felt throughout the process.

Additional details, including cocktails

by Franny’s Bartending, catering from Churrascos, and Kynderick’s custom tux from WellGroomed.Man, rounded out a celebration that was intentional, joyful, and unmistakably theirs.

Looking back, both men emphasize the importance of representation, and Kynderick is grateful for all of the talented vendors that center LGBTQ love stories.

Evan echoes the sentiment, adding, “Younger people need to see that it’s possible for same-sex couples to function in the real world.”

For Kynderick and Evan, their wedding wasn’t just a celebration of love. It was a testament to growth, patience, and the power of choosing each other, again and again.

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Out▼ There

HOUTEX44 KICK-OFF PARTY OCTOBER 8, 2025 The Houston Tennis Club (HTC) welcomed players, supporters, and friends to HOUTEX44, turning Houston into a lively hub for tennis, connection, and LGBTQ pride.

Led by Tournament Director TJ Weaver, this year’s event brought athletes from across the country together for a weekend centered on

competitive play, social events, and shared celebration.

The festivities began with the annual Player Party at Bar Boheme, where guests mingled, met fellow competitors, and picked up their player bags. With generous support from LMNT, Tennis Express, Jaix Fain, and additional sponsors, each bag included signature HOUTEX items—hat, towel, and T-shirt—along with materials from this year’s beneficiary, The Mahogany Project Inc. Artists

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Sam and Davy contributed custom-designed tote bags and hosted a booth featuring their original work.

Tournament play unfolded at Memorial Park Tennis Center, where players delivered strong rallies and demonstrated good sportsmanship throughout the weekend. The event concluded with a celebratory banquet at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, highlighted by a special performance from RuPaul’s Drag Race star Silky Ganache.

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THE CAUCUS 50TH ANNIVERSARY EQUALITY BRUNCH DECEMBER 7, 2025 The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus, led

by President Austin Davis Ruiz, hosted the 50th Anniversary Equality Brunch, bringing together leaders, advocates, and supporters for a meaningful morning in celebration of progress and purpose. Held at the Marriott Marquis Houston, the event raised critical funds to support pro-equality candidates 58

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while honoring individuals and organizations whose work continues to advance justice and inclusion. With a powerful keynote from State Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons and the presentation of the Caucus’ annual awards, the brunch marked both a milestone anniversary and a renewed commitment to the work ahead.

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ALEJANDRA SALINAS HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL RUNOFF ELECTION WATCH PARTY DECEMBER 12, 2025 Supporters packed Pearl Side Peace for Alejandra Salinas’s runoff election night watch party, where anticipation turned to celebration as early returns signaled a clear path to victory. Salinas won the hotly contested runoff for Houston City Council At-Large Position 4, marking a major milestone for progressive and LGBTQ representation in city politics.

The room was filled with friends,

volunteers, and members of Houston’s LGBTQ political leadership, all there to witness and celebrate the culmination of months of organizing, outreach, and grassroots work. As results came in, cheers erupted and the mood shifted from hopeful to jubilant.

In her remarks, Salinas thanked her campaign team, volunteers, donors, and her wife, Elizabeth. She emphasized that the

victory was not hers alone, but a shared achievement fueled by collective action and deep community support.

While the evening was one of celebration, Salinas also made it clear that the win marked a beginning, not an end. She reaffirmed her commitment to representing all Houstonians and to continuing the work that brought her to this moment.

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10TH ANNUAL HAUS OF GINGERBREAD COMPETITION AND FUNDRAISER DECEMBER 12, 2025 The 10th Annual Haus of Gingerbread competition and fundraiser marked a major milestone, bringing together community members, sponsors, and creatives for an evening with real impact. Thanks to the collective generosity of sponsors, guests, inkind donors, vendors, judges, and volunteers, the event raised more than $20,000 to support youth and young adults of all 62

JANUARY 2026 |

OutSmartMagazine.com

genders and sexualities experiencing housing insecurity.

The event featured custom cocktails, beer from Gristworkz, and food by Kindred Kitchen Montrose, with cookies provided by Tiny Champions. Guests also enjoyed raffle prizes, a lively dance floor powered by DJ Amarji King, and drag performances from the event’s judges: Hu’Nee B an Rene B*tchface. Ian L.

Haddock, Founder and Executive Director of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, also served as one of the event judges.

Now in its tenth year, Haus of Gingerbread continues to demonstrate what’s possible when community support and creative fundraising align—delivering both a memorable event and meaningful resources for those who need them most.

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Houston’s LGBTQ Magazine

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SIGN OUT

by KEVIN CASEY

A YEAR OF NEW BEGINNINGS Numerology and astrology align to mark a turning point this month.

January 1 of any New Year is a time of hope and new beginnings, and this was especially true on January 1, 2026—not only astrologically, but also in the numbers. In the esoteric practice of numerology, the Universe moves in nine-year cycles with each year in that cycle carrying a certain vibe. We determine that yearly vibration by adding the numbers of the current year together and breaking it down to a single number from 1 to 9. This is how we

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You’ve had it! Enough is enough! You’re done with this whole identity crisis you’ve been swirling around in the last couple of years. It’s time for a new you, and this new moon has you rethinking some of the roles you’ve been playing in both your personal and work life. Some of these roles were perfect and valid for a particular time in your life, but now they’re wearing you down and holding you back. On top of shedding roles and identities that no longer work for you, you’re also rethinking the whole “success” thing, and what success means to you now.

do it: we take the current year 2026 and add the numbers straight across (2+0+2+6=10) but we have to reduce it to a number from 1 to 9 so we reduce the 10 by adding (1+0=1). This makes 2026 a 1 year, and in numerology the number 1 is associated with new beginnings, taking risks, and independence. The year 2025 was a 9 vibration (2+0+2+5=9). The number 9 is about closure, letting go, and endings. It’s this closure energy that made 2025 so challenging for many of us. But that’s in the past now, and it’s time to step into a whole new cycle.

This 1 energy of new beginnings continues as we look at the first new moon of 2026. On January 18 the moon will be new in the earthy sign of Capricorn. New moons occur every month when the sun and moon are in the same sign at the exact same degree; this is known as a conjunction in astrology and it’s considered to be the perfect time to set new intentions and make new wishes. Capricorn is a sign that says there will be no more talking because it’s time to get down to business. So find your sign below and see how this first new moon of the year will affect you.

the Underworld, you ask. Well, Pluto’s lair is where you send all those fears, phobias, and heavy feelings you’d rather not deal with—fear, rage, anger, depression, despair, anxiety, and those pesky patterns you keep repeating that keep you stuck. You learned to hide these beasts many moons ago. It was your coping mechanism. But the gig is up! It’s time to talk, and a therapist would be great right about now—or that friend that doesn’t judge you but won’t co-sign your B.S.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) The spiritual text A Course in Miracles defines a miracle as a shift in our perception, so when we ask for a miracle we’re asking for a shift in our perception about a person or situation. The new moon in Capricorn is your shot at a miracle—a chance to shift your perception. Being flexible isn’t your strong suit, but it’s exactly what’s required right now. Try something new, shake things up, try a little adventure. If you do, you’ll get your miracle and you’ll see the people, places and things in your life from a whole new perspective.

CANCER (June 22–July 22) Your sensitivity and willingness to support others in times of need is what makes you so beautiful. Putting your needs aside and being there for others is certainly a noble cause, but you’ve taken it to a whole other level. Why do your needs keep falling to the bottom of your to-do list? Well, the new moon in Capricorn says that’s no longer fashionable. You can deal with high-maintenance relationships as long as they have a high return rate. But high maintenance with little to no return rate? Yeah, you’re not really feeling that. Takers who never give back will be receiving their pink slips by the end of the month, and there’s no reason for you to feel guilty about it, either.

GEMINI (May 21–June 21) The new moon in Capricorn includes a trip to Pluto’s Underworld. Your specialty is keeping things light and fun, so why in the world would anyone want a trip to

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) “The devil is in the details” is how you start off your year of new beginnings. You must pay special attention to all of the minutiae—the little details of any plan or

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project you’re trying to get off the ground. It’s about doing all the stuff that isn’t very glamorous, like dealing with that stack of papers on your desk, filling out all of that paperwork, changing the oil in your car, or cleaning out that garage or closet you’ve been meaning to get to for the past six months. It’s boring, I know, but if you don’t take care of all the little things, you’ll have cracks in your foundation and things could come tumbling down. That’s some cheap, B-grade drama that isn’t your style. Take care of things now, and in about six months you’ll be so glad you did.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept.22) Being busy is a Virgoan’s safe space. It doesn’t really matter what you do—working, cleaning, organizing, yard work—it’s all the same. That busyness keeps all of the anxiety that’s coursing through your veins at bay. The first new moon of 2026 tells Virgoans to relax, have some fun, play, indulge in some pleasure, and get creative. All that anxiety is really your fear of chaos (“If I let go, everything could go to hell in a hand basket”).

Letting go and having some fun isn’t being irresponsible. In fact, playing, creating and having fun is probably the best form of meditation for you. Having some fun distracts your conscious mind long enough for some of those amazing psychic hits from your subconscious to come in. Let go a little this month and you’ll be amazed at how things come together in a far better way than your conscious mind ever anticipated.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 23) Taking care of your living space is the top priority at the beginning of 2026. Your home has to be a place where you can recharge and re-center yourself. You put out so much energy every day being a people person. You make relating to others look so easy, but it does take its toll on you. To get recharged, your home environment needs to offer some peace and quiet. The last thing you need this year is a chaotic home environment that drains what little energy you have left. Ugly, tacky and plastic also drains you. You just can’t do it, so make sure your living space is brimming with beauty.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.22–Dec.21) Your year of new beginnings starts with money, front and center. Remember the Abba song “Money, Money, Money”? That’s your jam this month. The new moon in Capricorn brings up your need for safety and security.

Since the astrological moon rules feelings and moods, what feels like security will be different for each Sag. The moon also rules home, so some of you might be seeking security by moving or purchasing a new home.

Career and self-worth are the other major topics here.

If you aren’t feeling valued at work, you’re likely to be seeking greener pastures this year.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24–Nov. 21) “Go deep or go home” is a Scorpio mantra, and the first new moon of the year lands right in your communication house. Those nearest and dearest to you need to know that small talk and superficial chatter won’t cut it this month; neither will you tolerate their attempts to avoid or skirt around having a deep conversation about an uncomfortable topic. Make your point, but give them a little breathing room. You’re just built differently. Other than your fellow water signs of Cancer and Pisces, the rest of the cosmic bunch just isn’t built to withstand long periods of emotional intensity like you can. At your most intense, you can scare the bejesus out of your Gemini, Aquarius, and Libra friends.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) This is your new moon, Capricorns—your chance to step into the spotlight and show the world what you’ve got.

The way you show up and introduce yourself this month carries extra power; the world is watching. You’ll want to look your best, so now is the time to spend money on clothes, hair, and makeup. You’ll be giving Leos a run for their money in the show-off department. It isn’t all about the physical, though—your emotions are also being stirred up. You’re the master at hiding your true feelings, but not this month. Try as you might, what you feel will come through loud and clear.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) We can’t say you’re starting 2026 off with a bang. It’s more like the somber tone of a Tibetan meditation

bell. Your year of new beginnings begins deep in your subconscious. The cosmic forces are putting all of you Waterbearers on Freud’s couch to examine those nasty little feelings, secrets, and thoughts you’ve repressed.

You think if you admit these unseemly, dark aspects of yourself, others will judge you and think less of you, but it’s quite the opposite. All these thoughts and behaviors you’ve suppressed are the very things that make you so relatable to others. After this month, you’ll leave your cave and bless the world with your weird, unique, original presence.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Your year of new beginnings begins with a look at the people hanging around you, specifically those you call “friends.” You tend to be a magnet for the narcissists and emotional vampires of the world, while some of the others are just a bad influence on you. Stop giving these people a pass. You’re kind, sensitive, and quite generous. These qualities are the Piscean’s gifts, and they aren’t to be looted by others for their benefit. You’re the most mystical and ethereal of the twelve signs, so get some good black tourmaline or labradorite to carry with you; they’re both great psychic shields. They’ll act like garlic to those vampires in your life.

Connect with Kevin at popastrologyreadings .com or on Instagram @p0pastrology.

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WIGGING OUT

Rattle and Roll Shookarena is ready to make her mark.

by SAM BYRD What’s on your bucket list?

My bucket list consists of graduating college and continuing the path I’m on. I think goals evolve throughout life, so currently I’m following my passions while seeking economic stability like everyone else.

Shookarena give us a glimpse into the new wave of drag: Crafty yet catchy, and always moving to the beat of her own drum. This up-and-coming alternative performer knows just who she is, and she’s using social media to learn, grow and connect. Wildly imaginative yet still down to earth, this queen is destined to carve out her spot in Houston’s scene. Read on for more about what makes Shookarena tick.

Thoughts about legislation restricting drag performances?

As a trans drag queen college student, the recent legislation as a whole has been more than frustrating. As a drag queen, I find restrictions on campus when trying to organize events or work with clubs.

As a trans person, I’ve been frustrated with overt policing and government infringement.

I find the misrepresentation and obsession with queer people to be lacking in any substance. I believe all of this is a waste of resources that could be allocated toward actual problem solving to better assist constituents. Overall, I think the current political climate is nothing short of a shit show, and representatives need to stop wasting our tax dollars and time on BS that doesn’t produce anything.

Pronouns? She/Her Inner Avatar? Peppa Pig Hometown?

Houston born and raised, specifically the Aldine area.

Drag birthday?

July 21, 2021. (The Barbie movie would come out two years later on the same date.)

Describe your performing persona.

I just like to feel a song and have fun. I think every song calls for a different energy.

Favorite hangout spots?

My favorite hangout spot is my room.

I like to be home and play video games or work on drag projects. I especially love dedicating days to make content.

Share details about your outfit.

The outfit is made by me, from head to toe. I constructed the skirt and bodice using thrifted denim and lined

all of it with a satin bedsheet. The contrast in the denim patchwork and satin lining is a nice way to show my campy, contemporary style while also showcasing my love for a classical, glamorous aesthetic. I chose this outfit because it is symbolic of my resourcefulness and my unique take on the artform of drag.

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Do you have a drag family?

I currently am a drag orphan. However, I have a drag best friend (@qween.tulip). She’s made my pads, styled some hair, and been patient with me, not only as an artist but as a person. We met on TikTok when I was in high school, and I think we balance each other out perfectly. I also have gotten really close to @thepeachbellini, who has inspired me to have fun with social media.

Visit our site to read the full conversation with Shookarena.

What got you interested in drag?

I started doing drag as a joke for a YouTube video. My first exposure to drag was “Unhhhh” with Trixie and Katya, so I saw it as a means of comedic expression.

Describe your aesthetic.

I like to play with characters or concepts, and I think a lot of my drag has a theme that can be generally understood as camp. When making a look, I like to envision a mini-world that it exists in. As a social-media girl, I think about what song would work with the aesthetic of said look, and what backgrounds help support that vision. I try to generate stuff that’s fun, and part of that is a good reference. I’ve done it all, from Ronald McDonald to the Lorax. I love to play with cosplay and costumes in drag.

SYLVIA FEB. 26 MARCH 8

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