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FEATURES
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Tony Vaccaro marks a Houston nightlife milestone
UH LGBTQ Alumni Association’s Coming Out Monologues returns
Christina Wells returns to The Little Mermaid at TUTS
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In Pretty, KB Brookins reflects on Texas, gender, and transition
Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley connects two Houston forces in Bringing Wreck
TONY’S CORNER POCKET TURNS 20
TRACING GALVESTON’S QUEER PAST
Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin uncover the history of a forgotten gay bar
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COMING OUT TAKES THE STAGE
FOR TEXAS, AND ALL THE BOIS
THE RETURN OF URSULA
MONICA, MEGAN, AND HOUSTON
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OCTOBER 2026
D E PA R T M E N T S
NEWS & COMMENT
20 OUT FOR CHANGE: VOICES ON THE BALLOT Candidates for state and local office discuss their priorities and LGBTQ representation
24 PRIDE FLIES AGAIN IN MONTROSE New banners bring Pride back to lower Westheimer LGBTQ visibility in Katy
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ON the COVER Her Voice, Unleashed Christina Wells returns as a bolder Ursula in TUTS’ The Little Mermaid Story by David Clarke Photo by Melissa Taylor for TUTS 6
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THTH NOW YEAR! NOWPUBLISHING PUBLISHINGININOUR OUR3232 YEAR!
Houston’s LGBTQ Magazine Houston’s LGBTQ Magazine
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Olivia Flores Alvarez, Rich Arenschieldt, Olivia Flores Alvarez, Rich Arenschieldt, Connor Behrens, Sam Byrd, Kevin Casey, Connor Behrens, Sam Byrd, Kevin Casey, David Cervantes, David Clarke, Brett Cullum, David Cervantes, David Clarke, Brett Cullum, Blase DiStefano, D. Woodja Flanigan, Blase DiStefano, D. Woodja Flanigan, Ste7en Foster, Martin Giron, Marene Gustin, Ste7en Foster, Martin Giron, Marene Gustin, James Hurst, Benjamin Leger, Lisa Keen, James Hurst, Benjamin Leger, Lisa Keen, Zachary Zachary McKenzie, John Nechman, David McKenzie, John Nechman, David Odyssey, Odyssey, Gregg Shapiro, Janice Stensrude, Gregg Shapiro, Janice Stensrude, Terrance Turner, Terrance Turner, Grace S. Yung, Brandon Wolf Grace S. Yung, Brandon Wolf
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Photographers/Illustrators Photographers/Illustrators
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EDITOR’S NOTE
October holds particular significance for the LGBTQ community. It is LGBTQ History Month, and October 11 marks National Coming Out Day, offering a moment to consider the people, places and stories that have shaped our community and those carrying that work forward. This month’s OutSmart looks at that continuum through politics, community, arts and literature, with stories rooted in Houston’s past, present and future. With the November 3 election approaching, our Out for Change profiles give Houstonarea candidates for state and local office an opportunity to address LGBTQ voters directly. They discuss priorities ranging from civil rights and education to affordability, representation and government accountability, offering readers insight into races for the Texas House, State Board of Education and Harris Central Appraisal District. Across Houston, LGBTQ visibility is also taking physical form. Pride banners have returned to lower Westheimer, restoring a familiar symbol to one of Montrose’s most historic queer corridors. We also visit Tony’s Corner Pocket as the neighborhood bar marks
20 years of nightlife, entertainment and community. On National Coming Out Day, the University of Houston LGBTQ Alumni Association returns with its Coming Out Monologues, bringing community-submitted stories to the stage while expanding representation with transgender voices and performers. Our cover story turns to Christina Wells, who returns to Theatre Under The Stars as Ursula in The Little Mermaid, five years after the 2021 production was cut short. Wells reflects on returning to the role with greater confidence, embracing the body and voice she once questioned, and discovering new ways to command the stage. Beyond performing, she remains deeply connected to Houston through family, mentorship and her support of community theater. That connection between identity, place and memory continues with Houston artists and husbands Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin. Their exhibition The Fruit Jar revisits a nearly forgotten 1970s Galveston gay bar through archival research, oral histories and installation, examining how even short-lived queer spaces can leave lasting marks on a community.
Our READ OUT section features two writers examining Texas, identity and history from different perspectives. In Pretty, KB Brookins reflects on growing up Black and trans in Texas and finding possibility through writing. In Bringing Wreck, Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley explores the legacy of pioneering journalist Monica Roberts alongside Megan Thee Stallion, connecting two Houston figures through place, resilience and storytelling. As always, we thank our writers and photographers, whose work is essential in telling Houston’s LGBTQ stories. And our readers, advertisers, and donors who keep this magazine and the OutSmart Foundation thriving also deserve special recognition. If you believe community-driven journalism is vital in these troubled times, please consider donating to the OutSmart Foundation for LGBTQ News and Media.
Greg Jeu Publisher
OutSmart Foundation
for LGBTQ News and Media
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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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
QUEER THINGS to DO
FILM
October 1–11
MUSIC
October 15
Indigo Girls + Linda Perry Indigo Girls return to the Houston area for a performance at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, joined by singer-songwriter and producer Linda Perry. The concert brings together three influential LGBTQ voices whose careers span generations. tinyurl.com/ycka5e9b
Houston Cinema Arts Festival The Houston Cinema Arts Festival returns with 35 feature films, including nearly a dozen LGBTQ+ selections. Led by programmer Michael Robinson, the lineup brings international festival favorites and emerging filmmakers to Houston screens, with queer stories spanning horror, drama, documentary and experimental cinema. tinyurl.com/byatyrcj
PRIDE 2026
STAGE
Saturday, October 3
October 30–November 15
Katy Pride Celebration 2026 Katy Pride’s 2026 celebrates the strength, resilience, and vibrant diversity of the LGBTQ community in Katy and West Houston. The celebration features 70+ vendor booths, live entertainment, community resources, family-friendly activities, and opportunities to connect with local LGBTQ organizations and allies. tinyurl.com/2s3hva7m 12
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Houston Grand Opera: Faust Houston Grand Opera presents Gounod’s Faust at the Wortham Center, reimagining the title character as a tormented composer in Belle Époque Paris. HGO’s LGBTQIA+ social group Overture hosts a special pre-performance mixer November 7 with complimentary cocktails and community gathering. tinyurl.com/b2dbmv9m
STAGE
Sunday, October 11
Coming Out Monologues HTX The UH LGBTQ Alumni Network presents its second annual Coming Out Monologues, featuring performers sharing stories drawn from LGBTQ+ experiences. Two performances at Station Theater benefit scholarships and crisis aid for LGBTQ+ students at the University of Houston. tinyurl.com/mpe8t7uc
STAGE
COMMUNITY
Thursday, October 15
Saturday, October 24
Out@TUTS: Mrs. Doubtfire Theatre Under The Stars hosts its Out@TUTS night during Mrs. Doubtfire at the Hobby Center. The LGBTQ+ audience event pairs the 7:30 p.m. performance of the musical comedy with an Out@TUTS afterparty for theatergoers. tinyurl.com/ bddfwjfy
Families with Pride The fifth annual Families with Pride returns to Discovery Green for a family-focused celebration of Houston’s LGBTQ+ community. Presented by County Attorney Abbie Kamin, the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce and Discovery Green, the event features entertainment, Pride Storytime, arts and crafts, games and community resources. tinyurl.com/mt4yfpfn
SERIES R E K A Y SPE H FAMIL N E S ER ON WIT
N A I T S I R H C R E T A SL NCHE U L L L A 2026 F T
THE PE
STAY CONNECTED! E TO AM
F Houston’s NDINGVWEEKLY I Y F M FRO G RECO ER N I for LGBTQ ND FISource News & Happenings
STAGE
Saturday–Sunday, October 24–25
ART
October 10–January 3
Tituss Burgess in Concert Emmy-nominated actor and Broadway star Tituss Burgess comes to Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for two performances. The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt standout performs Broadway favorites alongside songs by John Mayer, Shirley Bassey, Bette Midler and more. tinyurl.com/n2ds36ak
Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin: The Fruit Jar Houston artists Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin explore Southeast Texas LGBTQ+ history through an immersive installation at Galveston Arts Center. Inspired by a Galveston gay bar operating in 1978, the exhibition connects queer gathering spaces with the region’s evolving LGBTQ+ history. tinyurl.com/mvu4rade
Friday, November 6, 2026 Hilton Americas – Houston 1600 Lamar Houston, TX 77010 Check-in 11:15 am Lunch & Program 12:00 – 1:30 pm
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“Archway has grown in stature
For info, visit archwaygallery.com
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NT IC COMMUNITY
Saturday, October 31
The Woodlands Pride Festival 2026 The Woodlands Pride Festival is a free all-ages celebration bringing together thousands of community members for live entertainment, local vendors, food trucks, and family-friendly fun. tinyurl.com/45sn254m
Serving with pride since 1995! DessertGallery.com | Kirby: 3600 Kirby Dr. | The Woodlands: 25 Waterway Ave.
QUEERTHINGS to DO
SAVE the DATES
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STAGE
Sunday, November 8
An Evening with David Sedaris Best-selling author and humorist David Sedaris returns to Houston for his 19th engagement with Performing Arts Houston, bringing his signature wit and sharp observations to the Cullen Theater at the Wortham Center. tinyurl.com/bdhced24
STAGE
Tuesday, December 15
A John Waters Christmas Filmmaker, author and queer icon John Waters brings his annual holiday show to The Heights Theater. The one-man performance turns his irreverent humor toward Christmas traditions, pop culture and the stranger side of the holiday season. tinyurl.com/muhj3txa
Submit your events at calendar@outsmartmagazine.com 14
OCTOBER | OutSmartMagazine.com
VOICES FOR HOPE ’26 HOTEL ZAZA MUSEUM DISTRICT
Benefiting Avenue 360 Health and Wellness’ HIV Continuum of Care and Omega House Hospice
November 13, 2026 | 6:00pm - 10:30pm Hotel Zaza Museum District Chairs Kristen Cannon (In Memoriam) & Adrian Duenas and Marcelo Saenz Valle
Honorees Bering Memorial United Church of Christ, Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, Jim Carter - volunteer at Omega House since 1988 & a special tribute honoring Kristen Cannon
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MONEY SMART By GRACE YUNG, CFP
10 WAYS TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FINANCIAL PLAN October is a good time to review, adjust, and plan ahead.
O
ctober is Financial Planning Month, making it a great time to review where you are financially, where you want to go, and whether the decisions you are making today are helping you get there. Financial planning is about much more than investments or retirement accounts. A comprehensive financial plan can include cash flow, taxes, insurance, retirement, estate planning, debt management, employee benefits, and even conversations with family members about the future. And just as life changes, your financial plan should evolve with you. You do not have to tackle everything at once. Financial Planning Month can simply be an opportunity to choose a few areas that deserve your attention. Here are some ideas to get started. 1. Revisit Your Financial Goals Start by asking yourself a basic question: 16
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What am I working toward? Your goals may have changed since the beginning of the year. Perhaps retirement is getting closer, or you are considering a career change, helping an aging parent, preparing to send a child to college, thinking about buying a home, or hoping to travel more. Put some numbers and time frames around those goals. Instead of saying, “I want to retire someday,” consider: “I would like to have the option to retire at age 65 with enough income to maintain my current lifestyle.” The clearer the goal, the easier it becomes to determine what financial steps may be needed. 2. Review Your Cash Flow Many people know approximately what they earn but are less certain about where their money goes. Review several months of bank and credit card statements and divide spending into broad categories. You may discover subscrip-
tions you no longer use, expenses that have gradually increased, or opportunities to redirect money toward savings. This does not necessarily mean cutting out everything you enjoy. Financial planning should help you use your money intentionally. If dining out, traveling, hobbies, or helping family members are important to you, they can be incorporated into your plan. The objective is to make sure your spending reflects your priorities. 3. Check Your Emergency Reserves Unexpected expenses are a normal part of life. Cars need repairs, homes require maintenance, jobs change, and family emergencies happen. Having readily accessible savings can reduce the likelihood that you will need to sell investments at an inconvenient time or rely on high-interest debt. There is no single emergency-fund amount that works for everyone. Your appropriate ➝
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reserve will depend on factors such as job stability, household income, expenses, insurance coverage, and other available resources. If your cash reserves have declined, consider making it a priority to rebuild them. 4. Review Your Retirement Savings October is also a good time to look at your retirement accounts. Are you contributing enough to your employer’s retirement plan? If your employer offers a matching contribution, understand what is required to receive the full match. If you are age 50 or older, you may also be eligible to make additional catch-up contributions. Certain employees ages 60 through 63 may qualify for a higher catch-up contribution under current retirement-plan rules. Also review how your retirement assets are invested. A portfolio that was appropriate five or ten years ago may no longer fit your goals, time horizon, or comfort with market fluctuations. If retirement is approaching, begin thinking beyond simply accumulating assets. Consider how those assets may eventually generate income and how Social Security, pensions, retirement accounts, taxable investments, and other resources may work together. 5. Look for Tax-Planning Opportunities Tax planning should not be limited to the weeks before April 15. Before year-end, review whether there are strategies that could be appropriate for your situation. These might include increasing retirement-plan contributions, realizing capital losses to offset certain gains, making charitable gifts, contributing to a donor-advised fund, or considering a Roth conversion. For retirees, it may also be worth reviewing required minimum distributions and, for those who qualify, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD) from IRAs. Tax strategies can have consequences beyond the current year’s tax bill, so decisions should be coordinated with your tax and financial professionals. 6. Review Your Insurance Insurance is an important part of financial planning because a plan is only as strong as its ability to withstand unexpected events. Review your life, disability, health, homeowners, auto, liability, and long-term care coverage. Consider whether your coverage still reflects your current income, debts, assets, family responsibilities, and lifestyle. 18
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Life changes such as marriage, divorce, a new child, retirement, buying a home, selling a business, or taking on caregiving responsibilities may significantly change your insurance needs. This can also be a good time to review whether an umbrella liability policy is appropriate based on your circumstances. 7. Check Your Beneficiary Designations Beneficiary designations are easy to overlook, but they can be an important part of an estate plan. Review the beneficiaries on your retirement accounts, IRAs, annuities, and life insurance policies. If appropriate, also review transfer-on-death or payable-on-death instructions on other accounts. Marriage, divorce, deaths, births, and changing family relationships can all create reasons to update beneficiaries. Your beneficiary designations should also coordinate with your will or trust and your overall estate-planning intentions. 8. Update Your Estate-Planning Documents Estate planning is not just for wealthy families. At a minimum, many adults should consider having a will, financial power of attorney, medical power of attorney, and appropriate healthcare directives. Depending on your situation, a trust or other estate-planning strategies may also be appropriate. If you already have documents, ask yourself when you last reviewed them. Laws change, assets change, relationships change, and the people you selected years ago to make financial or healthcare decisions may no longer be the people you would choose today. Consult an estate-planning attorney regarding your specific circumstances. 9. Organize Your Financial Life One of the simplest financial-planning projects can also be one of the most valuable: get organized. Create a secure inventory of your bank accounts, investment accounts, retirement plans, insurance policies, debts, real estate, important documents, and professional contacts. Make sure a trusted family member or appropriate person knows how to locate essential information in an emergency. This does not necessarily mean giving someone passwords or unrestricted access. It means making sure your financial life would not
become a scavenger hunt if you were unable to manage things yourself. 10. Have the Conversations You Have Been Avoiding Some of the most important parts of financial planning have little to do with spreadsheets. Talk with your spouse or partner about retirement expectations. Ask aging parents whether they have powers of attorney and plans for long-term care. Discuss estate plans with adult children when appropriate. Business owners should consider what would happen to the company if they became disabled, retired, or died unexpectedly. These conversations may feel uncomfortable, but having them before a crisis can make future decisions much easier. Financial Planning Is a Process, Not an Event You do not need to complete all ten items during October. Choose two or three areas that could have the greatest impact on your financial life and start there. Most importantly, remember that financial planning is not about creating a perfect plan and putting it on a shelf. It is an ongoing process of making decisions, reviewing progress, and adjusting as your life changes. Financial Planning Month is a good reminder to ask: Are my finances supporting the life I want today while also preparing me for tomorrow? This information is not intended to be a substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest that you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax advisor. There is no assurance that the views or strategies discussed here are suitable for all investors or will yield positive outcomes. 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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OUT FOR CHANGE
VOICES ON THE BALLOT Candidates for state and local office discuss their priorities and LGBTQ representation. by OUTSMART STAFF
With the November 3 election approaching, Houston-area voters will decide races that reach from the Texas Capitol to boards overseeing public education and property appraisals. For LGBTQ voters, those offices can shape policies affecting schools, civil rights, housing, taxation and representation across the region. In this year’s Out for Change, OutSmart invited six candidates in selected state and local races to discuss why they are running, their priorities in office and how they plan to serve LGBTQ constituents. The candidates include state Reps. Ann Johnson and Jolanda Jones, who are seeking re-election to the Texas House; Michelle Palmer, a candidate for the State Board of Education; and Harris Central Appraisal District candidates Chris Ehlinger, Jourdyn Wilson and Jesus Nieto.
Why are you running for re-election? I am running to fight against the extremism that is too prevalent in Texas politics and government. Nothing has changed about my reasons, but the extremism has gotten worse. It’s bad everywhere, but especially bad for LGBTQIA people and transgender Texans in particular.
JOURDYN WILSON Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, At-Large Place 2 She/her/hers Jourdyn Wilson is a first-time candidate seeking Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, At-Large Place 2. A public affairs professional, Wilson has worked on state-level political campaigns and programs and previously taught in Houston-area schools.
What are your top priorities? In addition to protecting our democratic institutions, I’m focused on making life less expensive for our families, keeping our neighborhoods safe, protecting civil rights and fighting discrimination, and expanding access to affordable health care. I’m a cancer survivor, and I get how medical debt can be overwhelming for families without good insurance.
Why did you decide to run? My career has been about supporting fellow Democrats in getting elected so they can protect our community and give it a voice. People kept telling me I should run for office, and I would say, “But I love my hair and my private life!” What are your top priorities? I want more community workshops during peak season, held outside working hours, with easy-to-read, plainlanguage guides to the property protest process. We also need better communication about when workshops are happening and a more user-friendly HCAD website. How will you support LGBTQ residents? Housing affects everyone, including our LGBTQ neighbors. I would focus on hosting welcoming community workshops about property protests and appraisals and bring in guests to discuss the homebuying process. What might voters be surprised to learn about you? I’m a huge anime fan, a.k.a. a WEEB, and I used to write Naruto chatroom YouTube videos in middle school.
ANN JOHNSON Texas House of Representatives, District 134 She/her/hers Ann Johnson is seeking re-election to the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 134 in west Houston. First elected in 2020, Johnson previously served as a chief prosecutor with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, focusing on human trafficking, and works in private practice in juvenile law and advocacy for children and victims of abuse.
How will you support LGBTQ residents? I will continue to fight against the persecution of trans people and their families by Greg Abbott and MAGA Republicans, against increasing hate speech that is inciting violence and death, against the reversal of hard-won protections from discrimination, and against the tsunami of anti-LGBTQ bills we will continue to see in the next legislative session. What might voters be surprised to learn about you? My batting average my senior year of softball was zero. Where can we find you when you’re not campaigning? Working, walking or hanging with my dogs. ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com
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OUT FOR CHANGE
JOLANDA JONES Texas House of Representatives, District 147 She/her/hers Jolanda Jones is seeking re-election to the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 147 in central and southeast Houston. First elected to the House in a 2022 special election, Jones previously served on Houston City Council and the Houston ISD Board of Trustees and practices criminal, family and juvenile law. Why are you running for re-election? My entire life has been about helping people. Whether in the Texas House, on City Council, the HISD Board of Trustees, my professional career or my community service, I fight for people who often cannot fight for themselves. During my service as a state representative, I have helped many of my constituents and worked with my colleagues to fight back against our MAGA-controlled state government, which is sadly and openly anti-LGBTQ and anti-Black. I want to continue in that fight.
How will you support LGBTQ residents? As the first openly LGBTQ Black representative elected to the Texas Legislature, I have fought tooth and nail for equality. I voted to repeal the sodomy law and vehemently fought against anti-trans legislation. I will continue fighting the erosion of our rights and identities, violence fueled by hateful rhetoric, government interference in private health care decisions, including abortion and genderaffirming care, and threats to our economic security as discrimination protections are withdrawn.
What are your top priorities? Protecting voting rights and making life affordable. Without a strong Voting Rights Act, Black and Brown voters are disenfranchised, LGBTQ voters are silenced and erased, and democracy fails. Families cannot afford housing, health care, child care, utilities, insurance and groceries.
What might voters be surprised to learn about you? I love to scuba dive and am certified to do so.
How will you support LGBTQ residents? I plan to promote HCAD initiatives and outreach in all marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ community, and evaluate whether individual communities, including heavily LGBTQ areas, experience higher levels of HCAD valuation errors than areas with more socioeconomic clout.
CHRIS EHLINGER Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, At-Large Place 2 He/him/his Chris Ehlinger is a first-time candidate for public office, seeking Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, At-Large Place 2. Now retired, Ehlinger’s career has included accounting, appraisal valuation, real estate, banking and executive management. He has also served as president of his neighborhood civic association. Why did you decide to run? I am running because I want to apply my decades of experience in the appraisal and real estate ecosystems to help make HCAD a better organization while making it more accountable to the people of Harris County. Currently, HCAD has a Republican majority, even though the vast majority of Harris County residents vote Democrat. That isn’t a coincidence, but the proximate result of Republican plotting. I am a loyal Democrat and will conduct myself as such on the HCAD board. 22
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Where can we find you when you’re not campaigning? When I’m not campaigning, I’m practicing law, on some tropical beach, spending time with my glam baby, or reading an actual hard cover book.
What are your top priorities? My number one priority is to ensure that HCAD’s initial valuation model is as fair as possible. Reducing errors in the model saves property owners the trouble and cost of appeals. I also want to determine whether HCAD’s initial valuation model disproportionately overvalues properties in marginalized communities and make it easier for people to appeal valuations without having to pay thirdparty appraisal review firms.
What might voters be surprised to learn about you? I grew up in an extremely poor family, sharing an unairconditioned three-bedroom house with 11 siblings in South Texas. I shared clothes with my brothers, needed free lunches at school and relied on government assistance to go to school. My success in life was only possible because the government helped me along the way. Nobody likes paying taxes, but they have a role in making success possible for all Texans. Where can we find you when you’re not campaigning? In my yard gardening, working on home projects, at the theater or at an LGBTQ event or business. ➝
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OUT FOR CHANGE
How will you support LGBTQ residents? As a member of the LGBTQ community myself, I understand the importance of representation at every level of government. LGBTQ residents deserve to have their voices heard and their rights respected. If elected, I will advocate for equal treatment and ensure LGBTQ residents are not unfairly impacted by decisions made by the HCAD board.
JESUS NIETO Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, At-Large Place 3 He/him/his Jesus Nieto is seeking Harris Central Appraisal District Board of Directors, At-Large Place 3. A community organizer with a degree in political science, Nieto has worked with local nonprofits and on field operations for state Senate and congressional campaigns. He previously ran for the Katy ISD Board of Trustees in May.
What might voters be surprised to learn about you? I’m the youngest person running for countywide office in Harris County this November. I’m proud to bring a younger perspective to local government, and I hope my candidacy can inspire more young people to get involved, make their voices heard and see themselves as capable of serving their communities.
Why did you decide to run? I believe residents across the county deserve a board member focused on bringing competent, ethical and accountable leadership to HCAD. I’m in this race to fight for working-class families and small businesses and advocate for local governments by ensuring large corporations take a fuller share of their tax burden instead of shifting that burden onto all of us.
Where can we find you when you’re not campaigning? I’m deeply involved in my community. You can find me organizing for immigration justice through Know Your Rights campaigns, serving on the board of Katy Pride and supporting candidates across the county who champion working-class communities. Outside of community and campaign work, I enjoy going to the movies and making time to unwind. I’m especially looking forward to seeing the upcoming Hunger Games film this November.
What are your top priorities? My priorities are making HCAD more accessible, transparent and responsive to everyday residents. Property owners should understand the appraisal process, have meaningful access to the information they need and receive fair and equitable treatment from the initial appraisal through the Appraisal Review Board process.
MICHELLE PALMER State Board of Education, District 6 She/her/hers
Michelle Palmer is seeking the State Board of Education District 6 seat, which includes portions of Harris and Montgomery counties. A Texas educator for 15 years, Palmer has taught math, language arts, history, government and social studies and previously ran for the District 6 seat in 2020 and 2022. Why did you decide to run? I am running for the State Board of Education because every Texas student deserves curriculum standards that are fact-based and inclusive. The current SBOE has adopted new social studies standards that I believe are racist, Islamophobic, biased and incomplete. As a social studies teacher, I am not interested in teaching information that does not give students a complete picture. We need a classroom teacher on the board to fix what they broke. We need to elect educators, not extremists, to the SBOE. What are your top priorities? My top priorities are fixing the curriculum standards before they are implemented and editing the newly created mandatory reading
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list to remove the Bible readings that are on it. How will you support LGBTQ+ residents? As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, I always try to support our community however I can. What educators can do has been limited by actions from the Texas Legislature, including restrictions affecting LGBTQIA+ student organizations and the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ history in our courses. My plan is to use the bully pulpit of the SBOE office to lobby the Legislature to change these laws. What might voters be surprised to learn about you? I worked at Barnes & Noble for 17 years, including the first seven years that I taught. I love reading. Where can we find you when you’re not campaigning? I’m mostly a homebody. You can generally find me sitting in my recliner with my cat, reading or watching something on streaming.
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PRIDE 2026
PRIDE FLIES AGAIN IN MONTROSE New banners bring Pride back to lower Westheimer. by DAVID CERVANTES | photos by DALTON DEHART AND CREW
D
riving down the unforgiving narrow lanes of lower Westheimer, your windshield becomes a painting for study: potholes soon to be filled, cascading trees uprooting the sidewalks, and pedestrians jaywalking to the Circle K on Montrose Boulevard. But for nearly a year, the skies have been missing a key focal point: Pride flags. Now, as of Sept. 25, 10 poles along Westheimer Road, from Taft Street to Montrose Boulevard, are adorned with two Pride flags on either side, the missing piece of the painting. The effort was spearheaded by Jack Valinski, Kerry-Ann Morrison (president of Pride Houston 365), and County Attorney Abbie Kamin, with the support of Council Member Joe Panzarella. Mayor John Whitmire provided significant financial support and backing. With LGBTQ History Month celebrated in October, the banner installation comes at a time of celebration and remembrance of the Montrose neighborhood’s importance to Houston’s queer community. Back in October 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Transportation to “remove any and all political ideologies from our streets,” resulting in the removal of the rainbow crosswalk at the intersection of Taft and Westheimer. “This is what we can do because we don’t have our crossing,” Valinski says. The Montrose neighborhood is a designated banner district, a designation that allows a neighborhood to celebrate its values and spirit. For example, Houston’s Museum District can install banners to promote a new exhibit, or a high school can display banners celebrating senior athletes. This year’s banner installation serves as a reactivation of the district, bringing color back to Houston’s historic queer neighborhood. “(It was) sad when they took the crosswalk down,” says Manuel Aramburo, owner of The Pilates Space at 415 Westheimer Rd. “Why can’t we enjoy some colors?” ➝
Pride Houston 365 banners return LGBTQ visibility to lower Westheimer in historic Montrose.
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Pride Houston 365 selected the IntersexInclusive Pride Flag, which combines the traditional six-stripe rainbow, the black, brown, light blue, pink, and white chevron of the Progress flag, and a yellow triangle containing a purple circle. Kamin, the former District C council member, was integral in initiating the project and passed the torch to current District C Council Member Panzarella. “It’s been an honor to work alongside so many in our community to make sure the history of Montrose is not erased,” Kamin says. A press event was held on Sept. 29 to commemorate the flags’ return. No Rain, No Rainbows The pitter-patter of raindrops on raised umbrellas drummed over the crowd at the official commemoration of the banners on Sept. 29. Elected officials, their aides, Pride Houston 365, and the press made up the crowd on Tuesday afternoon. Held at Avondale Promenade Park, the event featured a seamless stream of speeches from Mayor Whitmire, Kamin, Panzarella, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, and other elected officials, who thanked each other and Valinski for his efforts. The symbolic importance of Pride flags, representing belonging, inclusivity, and pride in the face of political opposition, was the crux of the commentary. “Today is just a continuation of my battle for equality,” Whitmire said. “Until we have equality for everyone, none of us are equal.” “Montrose really is a special place,” Fletcher said. “Governor Abbott is trying to change that. President Trump is trying to change that. And we are not going to let them.” A Lot of Paperwork Who knew installing flags on street poles would be so bureaucratic? Valinski sure didn’t. As owner of the light poles, CenterPoint Energy controls when the streetlights come on and is responsible for their upkeep and maintenance. However, putting decorations on them requires a permit from the City of Houston. “We started this October, and it wasn’t until May when we finally got the city approval,” Valinski said. “The city wouldn’t help us until CenterPoint helped us, and CenterPoint wouldn’t help us until the city helped us. And Abbie Kamin’s office was very good at finding the exact people who deal with this.” During the transition from Kamin to Panzarella in May, the District C office didn’t let up. “We’ve been supporting all those efforts and working specifically with the mayor’s administration to make sure this wasn’t pushed to 2027,” Panzarella said. “We’ve been supporting all those efforts and working specifically with the mayor’s administration to make sure this wasn’t pushed
Elected officials and community leaders celebrate the new Pride banners in Montrose.
Kerry-Ann Morrison celebrates the new Pride banners in Montrose.
“TODAY IS JUST A CONTINUATION OF MY BATTLE FOR EQUALITY. UNTIL WE HAVE EQUALITY FOR EVERYONE, NONE OF US ARE EQUAL.” —Houston Mayor John Whitmire
Jack Valinski helped spearhead the effort to bring Pride banners back to lower Westheimer.
to 2027,” Panzarella said. The banners won’t hang indefinitely. Valinski noted the flags will be taken down for regular maintenance, and he hopes to start a fund to ensure they remain a clear symbol for the Montrose area. Despite the banners’ limited tenure on the light poles, Panzarella hopes the district will expand in the future. “The goal isn’t to put up the banners, celebrate and leave it there,” he said. “We’d love to be able to extend it beyond and continue down Westheimer.” Taking the sharp turns down lower Westheimer won’t be as bleak anymore. Along the bend of the road, color and pride have returned to your point of view. OutSmartMagazine.com
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COMMUNITY
TONY’S CORNER POCKET TURNS 20 Tony Vaccaro marks a Houston nightlife milestone. by BRANDON WOLF
As Tony’s Corner Pocket marks 20 years in Houston, owner Tony Vaccaro is reflecting on the goal that guided him in 2006: to create a place where people could connect and feel respected. “I wanted it to be open to everybody and for everybody to have a good time. It would be all about respect,” says Vaccaro. A sign on the patio makes that promise explicit: “We welcome all races, all religions, all cultures, all sexual orientations, all gender identities, all people.” Born in New York, Vaccaro settled in Houston in 1987 and became a familiar nightlife figure. He advanced from barback at Mother’s to bartender, then worked at Gentry, Decades, and EJ’s, where owners Ed and Jeff promoted him to general manager. “They gave me the training I needed and had faith in me,” he says. In 2006, Vaccaro purchased 817 West Dallas Street after piano bar Keys West closed. “The bar business was all I’ve ever known,” he says. Vaccaro named the new club Tony’s Corner Pocket and commissioned an eight-ball logo. Most of the Keys West staff left, but Josh Jones stayed on and is now general manager. The early years were difficult as Vaccaro navigated permits and reshaped the property. Enlarging the patio showcased its spectacular view of downtown, which is just blocks away. “Tony saw the potential of that view,” Jones says. The skyline has become a favorite photo backdrop for guests on the patio. Today the club has a main bar, a back corner bar, and two patio bars. By acquiring neighboring parcels over the years, Vaccaro expanded parking from about 25 spaces to more than 90. “It’s his hard work that has built the club, his being willing to change and challenge people, but always keeping this as a place to land,” Jones points out. Finding the right identity took time. Whereas Keys West had been an upscale martini bar, Vaccaro envisioned a welcoming neighborhood gathering place with no cover charge, recurring entertainment, and room for newcomers and regulars alike. 32
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Tony Vaccaro, owner of Tony’s Corner Pocket, stands on the club’s upper deck overlooking the Houston skyline.
Nightlife and Entertainment Now, every Monday night there is an open mic called “Tony’s Got Talent.” Anyone is invited to sing, perform drag, read poetry, play an instrument, or share another talent. Mykey Whitney, who is also a bartender, emcees the show. The other six nights of the week, the club features amateur male strip contests, with cash prizes for the winners. Different drag hostesses moderate the shows and provide entertainment. The hostess lineup includes Angela Mercy, Kayla Monroe, Alexis Nicole Whitney, An’ Marie Gill, Ashleey Houston, Regina Dane, and Justice Taylor. Dance contestants register each evening at 9:00 p.m., and are each given a chance to perform. “We consistently have between 20 and 30 dancers every night; 32 is the cutoff,” Jones explains. The show starts around 10:00 p.m. and runs until 1:45 a.m. The dancers are split up into three to five sets, and the hostesses perform in between. At the end of the evening, all contestants stand on the stage, and winners are determined by audience applause. Vaccaro says he is very proud of his dancers and pleased he has been able to give young men a steppingstone to achieve their goals. Many have pursued higher education and gone on to careers in fields including law and medicine. They paid for their education by competing in the contests. One regular performer is a breakdancer and can spin on his head. Another has been dancing for 18 years. Each dancer has their own unique personality and performance style. Popular dancers usually stay from two to five years. Alexis Whitney, a hostess at the club for nine years, is visually impaired, having lost her vision at age 22 when she contracted spinal meningitis. She has learned her way up to the stage, uses the wall to walk to the center of the stage, and then knows the number of steps to go forward to the edge. “People are very respectful towards my performances. They touch my leg to let me know they want to give me a tip.” Whitney is known for her performances of Celine Dion and Selena songs. Her signature piece is Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno,” a powerful ballad about deep grief, loss, and the pain of loving someone after they have died. The club’s event calendar includes Easter shows and a Kentucky Derby celebration. For Houston Pride, Tony’s has served food to parade participants because the bar was near the end of the parade’s lineup route. The patio offers a spectacular Fourth of July fireworks view, while October brings the anniversary celebration and Halloween.
On Thanksgiving and Christmas, Tony’s serves a free meal, often supplemented by guests’ desserts and side dishes. Five Christmas trees glisten in the bar. During the holidays, Vaccaro and staff members assemble about three dozen bicycles for children and deliver them to a local fire station to be distributed. A toy drive supports Thomas Street Clinic patients who could not otherwise afford gifts for their young loved ones. The club’s annual turnabout show is always comical. Bartenders, barbacks, and DJs dress in drag and perform. Meanwhile, the regular entertainers tend to the bar. Sometimes Vaccaro takes to the stage and lip syncs old standards. Among his favorites are songs made famous by Nat King Cole. Jones performs as Bitter Leggs Debris, one of the campy Debris Sisters who often do shows at the club.
“I WANTED IT TO BE OPEN TO EVERYBODY AND FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE A GOOD TIME. IT WOULD BE ALL ABOUT RESPECT.” —Tony Vaccaro
A Place for Community Tony’s also hosts memorial services for employees, customers, and others in its community who have passed away. The club lost one of its bartenders to COVID. Jones estimates he has attended more than 100 of these final tributes. “The services are especially meaningful since so many people in the gay community don’t have family,” he notes. “It’s just their friends and their found family that is left to celebrate their lives. So, we’re always there for that.” After longtime employee Gilbert Hernandez died in March, the club commemorated him at his usual workplace. “Gilbert worked one particular station, and we now have a memorial plaque above that station,” Jones points out. Tony’s has also been a regular platform for benefits, community groups, and special events. “Tony loves to give back to the community and opens his club for charities to have benefit shows, or events from barbecue plate sales to car washes,” Alexis Whitney says. “The annual anniversary show raises money for one organization every year, and a couple of years it was for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We have raised an average of $12,000 each year.” That instinct to help is clearest in emergencies. After Hurricane Ike in 2008, Vaccaro rented a generator and reopened quickly. Customers brought meat that might spoil, and the club held a patio barbecue. ➝
The Empire of the Royal Sovereign and Imperial Court of the Single Star (ERSICSS) hosted its “Pride & Charity” event at Tony’s Corner Pocket on June 28, 2025. OutSmartMagazine.com
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During the 2021 freeze, Tony’s opened within a day so people could warm up, eat, and charge phones. In 2020, COVID brought a different test. Closed for six months, Vaccaro combined savings and government assistance to support employees. “He really took care of the employees at that point in time and made sure they had what they needed,” Jones says. “The staff stepped up and did things, trying to keep our name out there. We didn’t give up. We just kept going.” The hostesses performed online shows to give regulars a sense of continuity. A socially distanced parking-lot event helped staff stay connected with customers. The guests brought their own liquor as staff delivered mixers to their cars and picked up tips for the entertainers. “Tony has built such a family with the employees that we were all behind him because he was helping us,” Jones says. Reopening began at 25 percent occupancy, with masks, plastic barriers, and occasional barbecues. Over the years, Tony’s has supported local gay sports teams, the Krewe of Olympus, the Texas Gay Rodeo Association, and PWA Holiday Charities, to name just a few. The patio fence features logos from the many organizations that have a connection with the club. PWA (People with AIDS) Holiday Charities Executive Director Don Gill says, “He is 100% a supporter of the Holiday Charities, and a true gentleman when it comes to our endeavors.” Donation canisters for the organization are located throughout the bar. The group’s events help provide $100 Target and Kroger gift cards to low-income people with AIDS for meals and to buy gifts to give to their families and friends during the holidays. Judy Reeves, longtime curator of the Gulf Coast Archive & Museum of GLBT History, Inc. (GCAM), remembers annual fundraising “revival” programs at Tony’s. The campy event was like an old-fashioned tent revival, complete with a preacher, gospel songs, and hanky waving. At the end of the show, the entire cast would take to the stage for a performance of the legendary gospel anthem “Looking for a City.” “Every time we had a show there, Tony would get out his checkbook and make a donation on behalf of the club,” Reeves remembers. The club also displayed historical materials in two GCAM display cases. Regular customer Jose Garza values the club’s accessibility. “It’s in my neighborhood, and it’s within walking distance. The bartenders are friendly. The drinks are good, as are the prices.” Tony’s sponsors Garza’s softball team, the Tequila Shots, which raises money every year for the Walk to End HIV. The club’s
“WE PLAN TO KEEP GOING, AND WOULD LOVE TO BE HERE ANOTHER 20 YEARS.” —Tony Vaccaro bartenders join the team members and walk as a group. The club also works with the Empire of the Royal Sovereign and Imperial Court of the Single Star on fundraisers for Montrose Grace Place, the Legacy Women’s Health Program, scholarships, and emergency aid. “We’ve always had a good relationship with Tony’s,” says Angie Dunwoodie, the organization’s reigning empress and a DJ at the club. “It’s a very welcoming, very safe space,” she adds. Twenty Years and Counting The October 3, 2026, anniversary celebration featured patio performances by the Main Street band, the introduction of the new Mr. and Miss Tony’s Corner Pocket, hors d’oeuvres, and a free catered dinner. The Chineseinspired menu nodded to the traditional 20thanniversary gift of china. Tips and donations benefited Montrose Grace Place, which serves homeless LGBTQ teens. For Vaccaro, this anniversary is both a business achievement and evidence of a relationship sustained over two decades. He calls it “definitely, a milestone. We plan to keep going, and would love to be here another 20 years.” Bradley Boon, who first met Vaccaro in 1987 and has worked as a bartender at Tony’s
for more than 12 years, credits Vaccaro’s consistency and generosity. “He succeeds because he doesn’t forget where he came from. It’s amazing what he has achieved from the time I first met him four decades ago.” “There’s a lot of love in his heart, a lot of compassion,” Boon continues. “He’s there to take care of those that a lot of people don’t want to take care of. In his heart, he’s got more love than a lot of people have during their whole life. Tony is also a goofball. He enjoys life.” Jones sees the same spirit in the club’s staff and customers. “We’re not in the gayborhood like so many of the bars,” Jones notes. “We are a destination bar. But we are known for our sense of community, and the staff feels like family.” Some customers return after years away to explain what the club meant to them. Jones recalls hearing: “Y’all helped to mold me and help me understand what being part of the gay community is about. You were there during a hard time or helped me understand something I didn’t understand about myself and gave me a space to explore my feelings.” For Tony’s Corner Pocket, those returns may be the clearest measure of its first 20 years: not simply how long the doors have stayed open, but how many people find a place to belong once they have walked through them. OutSmartMagazine.com
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IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY® This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.
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MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: � Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV). Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.
BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including: � Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section. � Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY. � Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY. � Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. � Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. � The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%). These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.
ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who have received HIV medicines in the past, or to replace their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains: � dofetilide � rifampin � any other medicines to treat HIV-1
BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you: � Have or have had any kidney or liver problems, including hepatitis. � Have any other health problems. � Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY. � Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks of breastfeeding during treatment with BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: � Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. � BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other. Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.
HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.
GET MORE INFORMATION � This is only a brief summary of important information
about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more. � Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5. � If you need help paying for your medicine, visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.
BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, BELIEVE IT. Be it., GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. © 2026 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. US-BVYC-1037 05/26
People featured are compensated by Gilead.
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9 clinical trials over 3600 participants BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you
READY TO STAY ON TRACK WITH BIKTARVY? SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT BIKTARVY.COM *Undetectable means the amount of virus in your blood is so low it cannot be measured by a lab test.
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NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY
COMING OUT TAKES THE STAGE UH LGBTQ Alumni Association’s Coming Out Monologues returns for a second year. by ALEX MENDOZA The University of Houston LGBTQ Alumni Association presents the second installment of the Coming Out Monologues, a production that aims to bring LGBTQ stories to the stage to entertain, educate and empower the queer community. The production coincides with National Coming Out Day, observed annually on October 11 to support the LGBTQIA+ community and celebrate living life openly and authentically. All proceeds will benefit scholarships and emergency crisis aid for LGBTQ students at UH.
The monologues featured in the production come from submissions by members of the community. At the end of the show, audience members will have an opportunity to take the stage and share their own coming-out experiences, or even come out for the first time. Video and audio recording will be prohibited during this portion of the program to provide privacy for those who choose to participate. This year’s production marks the first time transgender stories will be presented, with five transgender performers among the cast. Director Frank De Oro says the representation
is something he is particularly proud of. The cast includes Casey Martin, Ellen Lui, Raymond Valdez Jr., Marla Joi, Al Mahlsteat and Maximiliano “Max” Ovalles, along with returning performer Jennifer Correa, Barbie Monroe/Mariah Martinez and Brandon Duran. De Oro will also take the stage to share his own coming-out experience. WHAT: Coming Out Monologues WHEN: October 11, 2026 WHERE: Station Theater, 2000 Nance St. INFO: tinyurl.com/2feexwcu
The Voices Behind the Monologues Casey Martin (they/them) Casey Martin is set to make their acting debut in this year’s Coming Out Monologues. They were introduced to the production by De Oro after he attended a Trans Masculine Alliance meeting at the Montrose Center. With encouragement from friends, Martin auditioned for the transmasculine role. The monologue centers on a transgender man whose preconceived notion of coming out falls through when he receives a negative response that forces him back into the closet. This muddled, not-so-clear-cut coming-out
story appealed to Martin because it reflects their own coming-out experience with their mother. “She wasn’t unsupportive [since] she understands binary trans [identities],” Martin says. “But she didn’t really understand me saying, ‘I don’t feel like I have a gender.’ … It wasn’t a negative experience, but it didn’t feel affirming either.” Martin hopes to portray the “messy” parts of coming out and how someone may have to come out multiple times throughout their life before feeling fully comfortable with themselves. ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com
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NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Marla Joi (she/her) Marla Joi is set to play a television news reporter and will serve as an understudy for the demisexual role performed by Ellen Lui. After serving as her father’s caregiver for nine years, Joi decided to pursue her passion for acting again. She currently performs sketch comedy at Station Theater and is taking improv classes. She also plans to become an understudy for the Ensemble Theatre next summer. Her motivation for joining the cast of the Coming Out Monologues comes from a desire to become more involved in the queer community and open her mind to the range of identities within it. The demisexual monologue has also led Joi to rethink aspects of her own sexual orientation, something she hopes to explore further with her wife.
Ellen Lui (she/her) The Coming Out Monologues marks Ellen Lui’s introduction to acting. She became aware of the production through her wife, who recently took part in The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Houston’s The Gondoliers. Lui was invited to make a short cameo during the show as an angry chef. “I didn’t say anything or sing, but I did slam a tray down very dramatically,” Lui says. Following what she calls the “slam heard around the world,” she garnered enough courage to audition for the Coming Out Monologues. Lui will perform the demisexual/
asexual-adjacent role. Though the identity does not align with her own experience as a lesbian, she relates to multiple aspects of the monologue. “The author talks about feeling broken and not feeling crushes in the right ways, and for a long time I felt like that,” Lui explains. “It’s part of what helps me tap into the role.” With her performance, Lui hopes to emphasize the self-care aspect of coming out and how strenuous it can be to constantly explain one’s identity. For her, coming out should be for one’s own benefit, and she encourages queer people not to feel obligated to make the experience about benefiting others.
Raymond Valdez Jr. (he/him) Raymond Valdez Jr.’s connection to the Coming Out Monologues comes through his and De Oro’s mutual membership in the Diana Foundation, the nation’s oldest continuously active LGBTQ+ organization. Although this will be his first onstage performance since high school, Valdez has extensive leadership experience through his positions as a committee chair for the Diana Foundation and executive director of GiGi’s Playhouse Houston, part of a network serving people with Down syndrome and their families. Valdez will take on the gay male role, which tells the story of Houston drag performer Hannah Santana. The monologue deals with 40
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difficult themes of child sexual abuse and grooming, and Valdez feels a great responsibility to approach the material with care. “I’m really honored that I get to read somebody else’s story,” he says. “It’s hard to even say it, so I can’t imagine how hard it was to write it down and [have] lived it.” Santana’s story especially resonates with Valdez because he knows others within the queer community who have shared similar experiences and because of his own work serving vulnerable populations. He appreciates stories like these receiving attention and hopes his performance reminds adults in the audience to pay closer attention to the queer youth in their lives. ➝
NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Al Mahlsteat (they/he) Al Mahlsteat is contributing to their first theater production since high school with this year’s Coming Out Monologues. Like Martin, he was introduced to the project after De Oro attended a Trans Masculine Alliance meeting. Mahlsteat will play a young Connor Storrie introducing his YouTube channel to the audience. He hopes this year’s performance will encourage audiences to consider other people’s perspectives and says he relates, to some degree, to all of the monologues being presented.
Maximiliano Ovalles (he/him) Maximiliano “Max” Ovalles is another member of the Trans Masculine Alliance joining the cast of the Coming Out Monologues. He has previous theater experience from middle school and is excited to play a masculine role following his medical transition. Ovalles will play an online content creator and serve as the understudy for the transmasculine role performed by Martin. He hopes the production will invite allies to consider times when they, too, have had to share something about themselves that was not easily understood by others.
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The RETURN of
URSULA
Christina Wells returns to The Little Mermaid at TUTS, ready to take up space. by DAVID CLARKE photos by MELISSA TAYLOR
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For Christina Wells, returning to Ursula is more than revisiting a favorite role. It feels a little like bringing someone back from the dead. Wells first donned the sea witch’s iconic tentacles for Theatre Under The Stars’ 2021 production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. After years of dreaming about the role, she finally had it. Then COVID-19 cut the production short. “I felt like my best friend died whenever that show got closed,” Wells recalls. “I cried and cried and cried. I couldn’t quit crying.” As TUTS gradually brought canceled productions back in subsequent seasons, Wells waited. “Every time there was a season announcement, I thought, ‘Okay, not yet,’” she says. Now, five years later, Ursula is finally hers again when The Little Mermaid opens this December at the Hobby Center. “It sounds dramatic, and it sounds cliché— and I have loved being a lot of different roles— but being Ursula was everything I thought it would be and more,” Wells states. “So, I can’t wait to visit her again.” This time, Wells says she is bringing something the Christina of 2021 did not possess. In one word, that’s confidence. “I was terrified, actually,” she remembers of the first production. “I made a video on the way to rehearsal, and I say in it over and over again, ‘You belong in the rooms that you’re in, you belong in the rooms that you’re in.’” Today, that pep talk is less necessary. “I’m good enough right now,” she emphasizes. That realization dovetails almost perfectly with the character Wells has loved for years. “She’s a shapeshifter,” Wells points out about Ursula. “She can be anything she wants, and she chooses to be fat. She chooses to be that size. She chooses to be a squid.” Wells believed her own body stood between her voice and success. “I had always felt that my voice was talented or that my voice had value, but felt like it was just in the wrong body,” she says. “I thought this for decades.” Today, she sees things differently. “I choose this body. It’s not an accident, and my voice is in the right place.” Ursula gives Wells permission to inhabit that realization at full volume. “I have this great big voice that I’m always trying to make quieter,” Wells says. Now, because of Ursula, she asserts, “I’m done. I’m unbuttoning and unzipping my jaw.” The result, she admits, is surprisingly personal. “I felt more myself being Ursula than I do on a day-to-day.” That unapologetic otherness also connects Wells to Ursula’s longstanding queer appeal. Inspired visually by legendary drag performer Divine, the character has occupied a special place in LGBTQ+ culture for generations.
“I think that Ursula represents living in otherness and taking control of it,” Wells points out. “I’ve lived in otherness my entire life, and I have found a way by committing to my otherness to become successful.” For Wells, Ursula’s power comes not from assimilating, but from refusing to do so. “She stays who she is regardless of the situation,” Wells acknowledges. “And that’s what we’ve had to do in the queer community, in my opinion.” Wells’ second voyage under the sea will also require her to discover an entirely new physical vocabulary. After an unprovoked hip injury in May related to her multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis, Wells spent a month hospitalized and now uses a wheelchair as she works toward walking again. Her first concern was whether that would change her ability to return to Ursula. “I called Dan Knechtges [a theatre director and choreographer who currently serves as the Artistic Director of TUTS]. I’m grateful to have a relationship with him where I can say, ‘Hey, can you give me a call?’ . . . I told him what happened, and I said, ‘I’ve got two arms that work, and my left leg is still good. I’m 100% committed to Ursula, and I will make it work.’ And he said, ‘Christina, we’re 1,000% committed to you.’” Now, Wells is reimagining the physicality she developed in 2021 for a new body and a new Ursula. “I think I would go further because I think I was afraid it was too far. Now, I know there’s no such thing,” she beams. Wells has also learned that commanding a stage does not always require making more noise. “I don’t need to be louder to take over the space,” she says. “I’ve learned that I can even control an audience with my silence.”
That evolution extends beyond Ursula. Wells, who began pursuing performance later in life after building a career in nursing and raising her children, says she is proudest that success has not required her to transform into someone else. “As I’ve gotten the success I’ve had, I’m proud that I’ve walked further into me instead of further away from me,” she notes. “I originally thought I needed to walk away from me to be successful.” Part of that confidence has come from realizing that someone else’s success does not diminish her own. “Everyone brings something different, and that’s the truth. There’s enough pie for everybody,” she says. Where she once believed that if she was not someone’s favorite singer, she simply was not good enough, she now rejects that scarcity mindset: “I feel like everyone has a way to do it, and my way is just as valuable as anyone else’s.” For Wells, there is a larger lesson in resisting the pressure to sand away the qualities that make someone different. “It’s so horrible when you do,” she says. “You lose all the things about you that make you wonderful and interesting.” Perhaps that is why Wells understands Ursula so intimately. She does not see a villain. She sees someone wounded by a world that decided she was the problem. “What do we do with our pain?” Wells asks. She feels the answer lies within the motivations of Ursula’s actions. Wells explains that some people turn to substances and abuse them due to their pain. Others may create a nonprofit or a foundation to try and prevent that pain. Yet, in The Little Mermaid, Ursula’s pain is something rather unique. “I don’t think people realize that the concert and celebration Ariel doesn’t show up for at the beginning is the celebration of taking down Ursula. “It’s like Triton’s own 4th of July,” Wells reveals. “Ursula is just choosing things to do with her pain that are probably not as common just because people don’t have magic. But if people did, they’d all do the same.” And five years after losing the role she loved, Ursula is offering Wells an important lesson. That is to return to the character, transform it, and take up every inch of space available. “I’m already the unicorn,” she says. “I’ve always been the unicorn.” WHAT: TUTS’ The Little Mermaid WHEN: December 8 – 24, 2026 WHERE: The Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Street INFO: tinyurl.com/TUTSTheLittleMermaid
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CHRISTINA WELLS | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
First, it’s time to shop, Christina-style. One favorite is the Goodwill near Alabama and Westheimer, where Wells hunts for pieces she can transform through her love of sewing and “thrift flipping.” From there, it’s off to Mood Fabrics to search for material and inspiration. “I’m gonna get a shawl, and I’m gonna turn it into a cover-up for a dress. And then we’re gonna find you some sort of a cool suit jacket or something where you cut the sleeves off of it.” With the raw materials secured, Wells would look for a little more creative inspiration at The Founders Club, where she likes catching jazz alongside light bites. Somewhere along the way, she’s also getting sushi downtown. Then, armed with a few ideas, it’s back home to break out the sewing machine and transform the day’s finds into something entirely new. “Now we’re gonna be avant-garde,” Wells says. “And then we’re gonna go out and see a show.”
“I THINK THE BIGGEST THING I CAN GIVE BACK TO PEOPLE IS ENCOURAGEMENT. I DID IT LATER. YOU’RE NOT TOO LATE. YOU’RE NOT TOO OLD.” — Christina Wells
CHRISTINA WELLS’ HOUSTON Thrift finds, theater and the places she calls home. For Wells, giving back increasingly means helping people discover that the doors they assume are closed might actually be within reach. “I’m very passionate about community theater, and I’m very passionate about being what I once needed,” she says. Wells regularly supports community theaters, mentors aspiring performers, and lends her voice to fundraising events. Among the organizations and programs she highlights are Birthday Joy Program, which provides birthday celebrations for children and families experiencing hardship; St. Luke’s United Methodist Church’s Tapestry Players; Art
Park Players in Deer Park; and Pasadena Little Theatre. “I think the biggest thing I can give back to people is encouragement,” Wells explains. That means answering messages from young performers, offering mentorship, and reminding people that pursuing a dream does not come with an expiration date. “I did it later,” Wells adds. “You’re not too late. You’re not too old.” 36 Hours in Houston Forget cocktails and luxury shopping. Wells doesn’t drink, and her ideal Houston itinerary is considerably more theatrical.
Once the thrift flips are complete, it’s time to show them off at the theater, just like Wells suggested. She recommends Rec Room Arts or 4th Wall Theatre Company for what she calls “some good gritty theater,” or Stages for something new and avant-garde. The itinerary also ventures toward Wells’ home turf around Clear Lake. Locations like Baybrook Mall carry plenty of nostalgia for the Pasadena native, while Whiskey Cake is among her nearby choices for a meal. For Wells, exploring Houston means looking beyond the obvious. “I really like the idea of going out into the edges and going and finding cool places.” And after building a career that has taken her across the country, Wells still sees Houston as home. “My family, my grandbabies, my world is here,” she adds. “I have been able to have a very successful performance career here in Houston.” OutSmartMagazine.com
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ARTS
TRACING GALVESTON’S QUEER PAST Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin turn a forgotten gay bar into a window on LGBTQ community history.
COURTESY
by BRANDON WOLF
O
A stencil reconstruction of the historic 2214 Mechanic Street façade anchors The Fruit Jar, Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin’s immersive installation exploring the site of a little-documented Galveston gay bar from the 1970s.
ne of Galveston’s least-known gay bars, the Fruit Jar, once operated in the historic 1873 John Sealy Building located at 2214 Mechanic Street. Popular in the mid-1970s, the club has all but vanished from local LGBTQ history. Houston-based queer collaborative interdisciplinary artists Nick Vaughan and Jake Margolin became interested in the Fruit Jar after discovering it in the 1978 Damron Guide, a pocket-sized directory that helped LGBTQ travelers navigate the United States safely. The men are husbands and fathers and their work involves extensive original archival research and deep collaborations with local LGBTQIA+ communities. The two are known for their intricate installations that illuminate lesser-known but compelling chapters of LGBTQ history. Since 2025, they have worked on an ambitious project inspired by Town Meeting I, the landmark 1978 gathering of 4,000 queer community members at the AstroArena. “We are making a map of what the gay
landscape was like when Town Meeting I happened. And the Fruit Jar was something that just jumped out to us when we stood in front of its former facade. It spoke to us,” Margolin says. “These were spaces where our community could meet. We love to memorialize them as being as important as other places that are already memorialized,” Margolin explains. “It is important to memorialize the small spaces, the spaces that didn’t last for decades, that aren’t inscribed in all of the local history, but are absolutely inscribed in somebody’s history.” As a result, the men’s newest immersive installation, The Fruit Jar, will be on view at the Galveston Arts Center from October 10, 2026, through January 3, 2027. The exhibition is the third installment in their ongoing series of installations and symposiums inspired by Town Meeting I. Additional events are planned for 2027, culminating in a 2028 celebration of the gathering’s 50th anniversary. “Right now, we know very little about the
Fruit Jar. But I’ve got a feeling that by the end of December, Nick and I are going to know a lot more about it,” Vaughan predicts. “And we may in the process find something that opens up a whole other avenue of inquiry for us, a whole new way of understanding some facet of the rich diversity of queer experiences. It’s that mystery and not knowing that drew us to making this piece.” Traces of the Fruit Jar are hard to come by. Its name first appears in the business listing at the back of This Week in Texas (TWT) in January 1976. By June 1979, the same magazine shows a club with a different name at that address. It appears that the Fruit Jar did not advertise in either of the era’s local gay publications, Nuntius or TWT. “The Fruit Jar was presumably an incredibly vibrant place with a lot of very important experiences for people, and now it is largely forgotten,” Margolin emphasizes. “There’s very little written about it. So, in some ways, choosing the Fruit Jar is a permission for people’s stories to be not the big story, but to be whatever story it is that pops up for them. ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com
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“Sometimes we’ll just be gone for months at a time,” Hatton continues. “Those are the toughest contracts that we’ve ever had to take,
“Getting to see them learn something practical and useful is very inspiring.” Both men hope audiences leave Miller
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I bet it was a different thing for every person who went in there. Those small lenses in some ways actually open up to much more broad understandings of the community and the climate and what was going on. These spaces provided community, provided a place for our people to be our people.” Margolin describes the new installation: “When you walk into the gallery, the first thing you’ll see is the facade of the building that in 1978 was the Fruit Jar. We constructed it with stencils and it is rather delicate with bridging and scaffolding behind it to hold all of the floating pieces in place. As you walk around it, it’ll feel a bit like you’re entering the building.” Visitors will next encounter a monumental 12-by-56-foot chalkboard where the artists collect oral histories from community members. “The stories layer over one another as they accumulate,” Margolin explains. “We erase the stories that are up there and add new ones. But as chalk does, it doesn’t ever disappear. It turns into a cloud of stories.” “So, you have this accumulating cloud of stories that start to feel like they’re as complex and as diverse and as murky as our community actually is, and like what a real community history is,” Vaughan continues. The exhibition will also include a video installation featuring views of the undersides of the original bar tops from Mary’s, complete with wads of gum left by patrons. Even the simplest of objects can become deeply human traces of history. A pay phone will complete the installation, paying homage to the storied phone at Mary’s, most certainly where calls important to Houston’s LGBTQ history were made. “That phone will be functional so that people can actually call into a toll-free number and leave stories to be added to the wall,” Vaughan points out.
JANICE RUBIN
THE FRUIT JAR | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
Houston artists and husbands Nick Vaughan (left) and Jake Margolin
“IT IS IMPORTANT TO MEMORIALIZE THE SMALL SPACES, THE SPACES THAT DIDN’T LAST FOR DECADES, THAT AREN’T INSCRIBED IN ALL OF THE LOCAL HISTORY, BUT ARE ABSOLUTELY INSCRIBED IN SOMEBODY’S HISTORY.” — Jake Margolin
WHAT: The Fruit Jar WHEN: Opening Reception: October 10, 2026 January 3, 2027 WHERE: Galveston Arts Center, 2127 The Strand INFO: galvestonartscenter.org/nickandjake
The exhibition will also anchor Town Meeting 2026: Galveston Arts Center, a symposium on October 24. Artists, organizers, and scholars will examine the history and possibilities of queer artistic participation, connecting queer artists with broader LGBTQ political and social initiatives, and envisioning the future of organizing. The symposium is free, but registration is required. REGISTER: rendezvouscenterforart.org
I Remember This One Time, a 12-by-56-foot chalk wall at the Moody Center for the Arts, collected LGBTQ+ oral histories earlier this year. OutSmartMagazine.com
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READ OUT
FOR TEXAS, AND ALL THE BOIS In Pretty, KB Brookins turns memories of Texas, gender, and transition into an award-winning memoir. by DAVID CERVANTES photo by JOHNNY SWOOPZ
“For Texas, and all my bois who didn’t get to be boys”: an honest, sweet dedication written by poet and author KB Brookins (They/Them) for their bestselling memoir Pretty. That dedication is a testament to the poems, stories, photos, and essays that make up their memoir: honest and sweet. Brookins fills Pretty with chapters from their perspective, ranging from five-year-old Brookins to the present. Their written memories and recollections touch on their childhood and the experience of learning and unlearning gendered behavior and expectations. Later chapters discuss their transition, living in queerphobic spaces, and their writing as a way to make sense of it all. Brookins sees their book “in the hands of people that I would imagine reading my work, like other trans people, queer people, Texans, Black people, or anyone who could learn something from what I have to say,” Brookins says.
“I DON’T FEEL LIKE I’M AT MY PEAK. I WANT TO BRING IN MY INTENDED AUDIENCE AND THOSE WHO AREN’T IN THAT AUDIENCE. THEY STAND TO BENEFIT FROM WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.” —KB Brookins
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Brookins considers creative nonfiction as a way to express “how I remember it.” Thankfully, they kept all of their diaries and journals from a young age to pull from. The memoir is an unapologetic collection of poems, essays, prose, and testimony. The titles themselves— “Contending With My Want (To Be Normal),” “There Are Men Around,” or “Sir, Ma’am and Other Things I Miss”—speak to complicated experiences as a trans person in a heteronormative world. Throughout the book, words and phrases like “terror” or “boy girl” are struck through, showing intentional pivots in thought and rewrites, forcing the reader to consider why the thought was cut out. Ultimately, it speaks to a message the memoir suggests: being trans isn’t a mistake, nor scary. “A Texan” Born and raised in Fort Worth, TX, near Stop 6. Brookins writes, “Stop 6 was my little slice of Black heaven.” “There are still things that reverberate like the way that I talk and the food that I like,” Brookins says. “You can’t really escape that.”
Beginning this school year, Brookins is a creative writing professor at Santa Clara University. They use it as an opportunity to teach students the various ways writing can be used as expression, an idea they hold true to their heart. “It’s aligned with stuff I’ve done in the past,” Brookins says. The Future In 2025, Pretty won the Lambda Literary
Award for Transgender Nonfiction at the 37th Annual Lammy Awards. This award ceremony honors the forefront of LGBTQ+ literature. “May many more memoirs by Black trans people, working class people, people who don’t know what’s on the other side of tragedy but are writing their way to it, continue to be written, published, read, celebrated,” Brookins wrote on social media. While receiving the prestigious award for their memoir, Pretty isn’t the end of the road for Brookins. For them, writing and creating is a verb rather than a noun. “I don’t feel like I’m at my peak,” Brookins says. “I want to bring in my intended audience and those who aren’t in that audience,” they add. “They stand to benefit from what I have to say.” Brookins writes in their final piece of Pretty, “We Are Not Untouchable,” “I wanted this: Something to make my words feel real. Something that told me I could make a life out of writing poems.” Pretty by KB Brookins is available now at your local independent bookseller, at Barnes & Noble, or on Amazon.
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READ OUT
MONICA, MEGAN, AND HOUSTON Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley connects two hometown forces in Bringing Wreck.
COURTESY
by DAVID CLARKE
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cholar and author Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley never met Monica Roberts. Like many who followed the pioneering Black trans journalist, she assumed there would eventually be more time. “I lived in Texas for many years, and I thought, ‘Oh, one day Monica’s gonna write a book, I’m gonna teach it all the time, and I’ll have a chance to meet her,’” Tinsley recalls. Roberts died in 2020, leaving Tinsley wondering what kind of tribute she could offer someone whose work had meant so much to her. The answer became Bringing Wreck: Megan Thee Stallion, Monica Roberts, and Other Houston Hurricanes, arriving October 13 from the University of Texas Press. Rather than simply catalog Roberts’ accomplishments, Tinsley wanted to explore the woman behind them. “I was interested in writing something that wasn’t just about what she did but what she loved,” Tinsley explains. One of those loves was Megan Thee Stallion. Tinsley remembers reading Houston Chronicle music critic Joey Guerra’s obituary of Roberts and being surprised to learn she was a Megan fan. Tinsley had expected Roberts, whom she describes as “so dignified” and “kind of Michelle Obama-esque,” to be firmly in the Beyhive. “So I thought, ‘Okay! Well, why not, right?’” Tinsley remembers. “What is it about Megan that would appeal to Monica?” The deeper she dug, the more connections emerged. Both Roberts and Megan came from Houston’s South Park neighborhood. Both earned college degrees. Both were supported and inspired by strong maternal figures. And both, Tinsley asserts, know how to “bring wreck.” “They’re there to wreck and tear down what no longer serves them and keep going,” she emphasizes. The metaphor also ties both women to the city that produced them. Tinsley, who previously explored another Houston icon in Beyoncé in Formation, found herself again contemplating what makes the Bayou City such fertile ground for Black women, queer people, artists, and activists. “Houston, in particular, is really a center for Black LGBTQ+ life, organizing, and culture,” she says. “There’s a long, deep, expansive, and diverse Black history in Houston.” Roberts spent years documenting that history herself. Through TransGriot, her activism, and her journalism, including her contributions to OutSmart, Roberts chronicled Black trans life with a depth largely absent from mainstream media. “When I’m looking for Black trans history in the United States, I still go back to TransGriot,” Tinsley reveals.
Tinsley was particularly struck by Roberts’ choice to describe herself as a griot. “Her selfdescription as a griot—which is simultaneously a historian, a storyteller, and a community builder—allowed me an opportunity to dive deeper into what it was that had fascinated me about Monica’s work,” Tinsley says. “They say when a griot dies, a library burns. That’s really apropos.” That archive is about more than tragedy. Roberts documented political candidates, history, community life, joy, and accomplishment while challenging journalists to treat trans people as whole human beings. “Monica challenged readers to think about trans people
making news the same way anybody else makes news,” Tinsley states. “She pushed for more rounded coverage.” Roberts also meticulously documented violence against trans women, creating a historical record that Tinsley believes simply would not otherwise exist. “We wouldn’t have this information if it weren’t for Monica. Just period,” she points out. For Tinsley, Roberts’ contributions to OutSmart reveal another dimension of that work. At a time when LGBTQ+ media often centered the “L” and “G,” Roberts insisted on making space for the “T.” She explains, “Her work in OutSmart is making sure that there’s the T. It’s making sure that folks know that those are all of our issues and all of our triumphs and successes.” Those articles also allowed Roberts’ fierce Houston pride to shine. “She really got to be her Houston self, front and center, which is always very charming to read,” Tinsley admits. That legacy continues whenever journalists cite Roberts, revisit her archives, include Black trans voices in their reporting, and document the people making history now. Tinsley hopes Bringing Wreck contributes to that record while inspiring others to add their own stories. “I think we need more and more stories, not just of Monica, but that are inspired by Monica,” she says. “The more stories that we tell that are inspired by her work, it does help make the world a little bit better place. And we need that. We need all the world bettering we can get right now.” Bringing Wreck: Megan Thee Stallion, Monica Roberts, and Other Houston Hurricanes is available October 13 at your local independent bookseller or online.
Monica Roberts (left) and Megan Thee Stallion, two Houston figures at the heart of Bringing Wreck. OutSmartMagazine.com
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WEDDING GUIDE
A BEND AND SNAP TO FOREVER Brandon Duran and Anthony Reyes celebrate seven years of love with a San Francisco wedding. by DAVID CLARKE | photos by DAVID EDUARDO
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It all started with a bend and snap. When Brandon Duran first spotted Anthony Reyes working in the fragrance department at Dillard’s in 2019, Anthony found a creative way to make sure the handsome shopper noticed him. “I thought he was incredibly handsome, but there was no way I was going to approach him,” recalls Anthony. “So, I did the next best thing: the Bend and Snap! Yes, from Legally Blonde!” The maneuver worked. A mutual friend who worked at the store told Brandon that Anthony’s suspiciously well-timed attempt to stock a bottom shelf was meant for him. Brandon left his number behind, Anthony texted, and a relationship neither man was particularly looking for began to take shape. “We agreed it wouldn’t be anything serious from the start, but here we are,” Brandon says. Both grew up around Lake Jackson and Freeport in Brazoria County, and today the couple lives in Jones Creek, about 45 minutes south of Houston. Their earliest dates were appropriately low-key. One particularly memorable night involved crawfish at Brandon’s house. “We were completely focused on enjoying the moment,” Anthony remembers. “After that, we watched a movie, talked for hours, and just enjoyed being together. Honestly, not much has changed. Some of our favorite nights still look exactly like that.” What began casually gradually became something neither could imagine living without. For Anthony, one revelation came shortly after his 21st birthday, when he introduced Brandon to his family. Anthony was nervous, especially because Brandon was the first man he had ever brought home. Instead of criticism, his family couldn’t stop talking about how much they liked him. “Seven years later, I can confirm that feeling was probably accurate,” Anthony jokes. “But seeing the people I loved fall in love with the same person I was already head over heels for told me everything I needed to know.” For Brandon, there was no single epiphany. “I think it happened gradually rather than in one single moment,” he explains. “As our relationship grew, I realized that Anthony wasn’t just someone I loved. He was someone
I genuinely wanted to talk to, be around, and give my attention to. He became my safe place, my partner, and the person I wanted beside me through all of life’s highs and lows.” When it came time for a proposal, however, Brandon abandoned their relationship’s understated beginnings and went big. He rented out The Dirty South restaurant and bar area, secretly invited approximately 50 family members and friends and decorated the space with more than 1,000 roses and candles. Anthony was told he was attending a
friend’s 30th birthday party. “Brandon somehow managed to pull off the impossible and surprise me,” Anthony states. “He transformed The Dirty South restaurant with flowers, rose petals, beautiful draping, and one of the most stunning proposal setups I’ve ever seen.” After Anthony said yes, their hidden loved ones emerged to celebrate with the newly engaged couple. For the wedding itself, Brandon and Anthony went in nearly the opposite direction. ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com
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WEDDING GUIDE | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
On September 22, 2026, the couple married at San Francisco City Hall, surrounded by loved ones who traveled from Texas for the occasion. Their original vision had been closer to an elopement, with Brandon expecting perhaps six people to make the trip. Instead, more than 20 friends and family members joined them. The intimate ceremony was officiated by Brandon’s aunt, Elizabeth Conley, who became ordained specifically for the occasion. The gesture had another layer of significance as Brandon had officiated her wedding a few years earlier. “We didn’t want a minister, someone who we don’t know, telling us about our love,” Brandon explains. “So it coming from her meant the world to both of us.” After the ceremony, the newlyweds returned to Hotel Zeppelin to cut their simple wedding cake before heading to Lori’s Diner for dinner. Then came the party bus, which carried the group through San Francisco for a night of bar hopping, music, drinks, karaoke, and plenty of celebration. The festivities also delivered one of Brandon’s favorite memories when he, Anthony, and three of his straight best friends unexpectedly landed at a gay bar on underwear night. “My best friend said, ‘Hey, let’s strip down in our underwear and take a photo,’” Brandon recalls. “That photo will go down in history! It’s me and my best friends just in our underwear, with our backs turned toward the camera, and in a gay club. It was very memorable.” The night eventually led everyone to the Golden Gate Bridge, complete with a midnight pizza stop. For Brandon, though, one of the most meaningful moments came when the excitement briefly quieted enough for him to take stock of what had just happened. “I just kind 58
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of looked back and I thought, ‘This is perfect. This is my husband. This is my moment. This is my friends and family,’” he reminisces. “That was a really big moment for me to step back and really look at what we had accomplished and every little thing that got us here.” The couple credits best friend Julissa with helping keep their unconventional celebration on track. Photographer Eduardo Alba captured their San Francisco memories, while Cali Party Bus carried the celebration through the city. Hotel Zeppelin hosted the couple, and Sephora makeup artists Nova and Audrey
helped get the grooms camera-ready. Most importantly, Brandon and Anthony got exactly the wedding they wanted, which was something intimate, personal, a little unpredictable, and unmistakably theirs. “I wanted a wedding that felt personal, meaningful, and fun, and that’s exactly what it was,” states Anthony. “The day felt less like a traditional wedding and more like a celebration of our love story with all of our favorite people.” Seven years after one perfectly timed bend and snap, that love story has officially entered its next chapter.
For more photo galleries, please visit our website.
Photos by DALTON DEHART AND CREW
Out ▼ There
SEPTEMBER 13, 2026 THE CAUCUS HONORS HOUSTON LEADERS AT 17TH ANNUAL EQUALITY BRUNCH The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus gathered community leaders, elected officials, advocates and supporters at POST Houston for its 17th Annual Equality Brunch. Held under the theme “United in Pride, Powered by Joy,” the event honored eight Houstonians for leadership in civil rights, political engagement, transgender advocacy, media and community service. Honorees included Dr. Melvin Roberts Jr., Lane Lewis, Debbie Patton, Courtney Sellers, Titan Capri, Atlantis Narcisse, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and State OutSmartMagazine.com |
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Out ▼ There
Photos by DALTON DEHART AND CREW
SEPTEMBER 20, 2026 LGBTQ+ VICTORY FUND HOUSTON BRUNCH LGBTQ+ Victory Fund brought elected officials, advocates and community leaders together at Hilton Americas-Houston for its annual Houston Brunch, themed “The Women Who Move Texas Forward.” The event honored Tammi Wallace, cofounder, president and CEO of the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce, for her LGBTQ+ advocacy and civic leadership. The program also featured Gina Ortiz Jones, Vikki Goodwin and Alejandra Salinas, while highlighting Victory Fund’s work to increase LGBTQ+ representation in public office across Texas and beyond. 60
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Photos by DALTON DEHART AND CREW
For more photo galleries, please visit our website.
AUGUST 22, 2026 UH LGBTQ ALUMNI NETWORK’S 2026 RED DINNER: THE ROARING RED The UH LGBTQ Alumni Network brought Roaring Twenties glamour to the University of Houston Alumni Center for its 2026 Red Dinner: The Roaring Red. Co-hosted by Pooja Lodhia and Carlos Hernandez, the fundraiser supported scholarships and emergency aid for LGBTQ+ students at UH. Emma Brockway received the 2026 Katy Caldwell Award for her contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. Guests included Houston Ballet principal dancer Harper Watters, State Rep. Jolanda “Jo” Jones, Ernie Manouse and Kevin “Special K” England. Drag entertainer Sasha Frost joined the evening’s performers, which also featured live entertainment, music and a silent auction. 62
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BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE
B E H I N D T H EBAR B A RGUIDE WITH . . .
BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE BAR GUIDE
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TO SHOW GRATITUDE TO THOSE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU AND TRULY APPRECIATE YOULOVE LOVELOVE ANDTRULY TRULY APPRECIATE Voted BEST ASTROLOGER The piano bar features daily drink Voted BEST ASTROLOGER Voted BEST ASTROLOGER Voted BEST ASTROLOGER Voted BEST ASTROLOGER Voted BEST ASTROLOGER Voted BEST ASTROLOGER specialsby and weekends are filled OutSmart Readers by OutSmart Readers by OutSmart Readers by OutSmart Readers OutSmart Readers bybybyOutSmart Readers OutSmart Readers 570 Waugh Dr, Houston TX 77019 with pulsing music, hot dancers, drag
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2024 PRIDE 2024 PRIDE 2024 PRIDE FESTIV AL &&PARADE FESTIV & PARADE FESTIV ALAL PARADE
SIGN OUT by KEVIN CASEY
FINDING BALANCE Libra season sets the tone for a reflective month. October is retrograde month. First up is Venus retrograde beginning on October 3 until November 13. Venus is the love planet and retrogrades can have us thinking about the past. Venus retrograde can tempt us to put a nice, glossy sheen over a past relationship, conveniently forgetting the glow in the dark-radioactivetoxic parts. Over the next six weeks we get an opportunity to leave the past in the past and practice suiting up and showing up for the life right in front of us. Mercury goes retrograde beginning on October 24 until November 13. Although a tiny planet, Mercury rules some of the most important aspects of modern life, like travel, transportation, emails, social media posts, cell phones, and negotiations. Understandably, when things go haywire we all have a tendency to tighten our grip, to try and control people and situations, but the higher purpose behind the madness is to unplug, slow down and let go, allowing the Cosmos to work its magic.
ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) This month, relationships are headline news for you, Aries. You rams are masters at getting what you want and you love maintaining your independence, even when in a relationship. Just like Alexis Rose sang in Schitt’s Creek, you’re a little bit single even when you’re not. The New Moon in Libra on October 10 says you’ll maintain your peace of mind in a relationship if you’ll compromise just a bit. Be careful of exes who may return when love planet Venus goes retrograde from October 3 to November 14. Leave the past in the past, Aries, and keep it moving. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) The New Moon in Libra on October 10 has you focused on taking care of your health. Food is one of your greatest pleasures, but it can get you Bulls in a lot of trouble if you overindulge, so it could be time to make a few changes to your diet. You’ve got love on the brain when love planet Venus goes retrograde from October 3 to November 14. When it comes to relationships, you have a tendency to sell yourself short just for security’s sake. It’s time for you Taureans to invest your time and energy into relationships that return the favor. Your feelings flow to the surface with the Full Moon in Taurus on October 26. Let it out, Taurus, there’s no use in trying to hide how you truly feel. GEMINI (May 21–June 21) This month’s New Moon in Libra, coupled with a Venus retrograde beginning on October 3, has you focused on love affairs, self-expression, and work. 64
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Of course physical attraction is important when it comes to love, but you Geminis must also be mentally stimulated or it’s a no-go. Highly emotional and clingy types have you looking for the nearest escape hatch. On October 23 the Sun joins Mercury and Venus in the sign of Scorpio. This puts you in a brooding and reflective mood at work, especially if you aren’t getting the recognition you deserve. Use this time to get clear about what you want, and when Mercury and Venus go direct on November 13, ask for what you want. Staying silent will turn you into a little bitter pill. CANCER (June 22–July 22) The New Moon in Libra on October 10 centers around the most important part of your chart, Cancer: home and family. A settled home and family situation gives you the roots you need to feel materially and emotionally secure. You’re an emotional mess, Cancer, if either of these is in chaos. Try to be patient with any family misunderstandings now. Tense family situations can be smoothed over when Mercury goes direct next month on November 13. Venus retrograde on October 3 and Mercury retrograde on October 24 could have you ruminating about past sorrows in love. You may even hear from an ex. Avoid getting stuck in the past, Cancer. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Venus goes retrograde on October 3, and Mercury retrograde begins on October 24. Both of these retrogrades center around home and family. Things could feel heavy with family right now. Be patient
with yourself and others. Instead of being reactive to a family member try to be reflective. The purpose of this Mercury retrograde is about improving your communication skills with family. This isn’t the best time to be looking for a home. If you’ve been struck with the need or want to move, it’s best to wait until next month when both Mercury and Venus go direct on November 13. If you absolutely must move, double and triple check the fine print before signing. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept.22) Libra season continues this month and reaches its peak with the New Moon in Libra on October 10. Your finances are the important topic right now. Revising financial plans and curbing impulsive spending habits are part of the New Moon in Libra benefits package for you Virgos. Venus retrograde begins on October 3. Besides love, Venus also rules luxury and beauty, so think twice about big purchases and cosmetic procedures right now. It’s best to wait until both Venus and Mercury go direct next month on November 13. After that, botox away. Mars in Leo wants to set you Virgos free, but first you must deal with any lingering resentments, anger, or bitterness you may be holding on to. LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 23) You’re still the star of the show as Libra season continues until October 23. You’re the relationship sign of the zodiac and tend to think in terms of “we,” but this month you’re in the spotlight, and it’s time to prioritize yourself and think in terms of me. Do something good just for you. This month’s Venus
retrograde on October 3 and Mercury retrograde on October 24 has you rethinking and revising your finances, and the Full Moon in Taurus on October 26 puts your relationships to the test. It’s time to dig deep, Libra. Embrace those messy feelings that you’ve tried to push way down and have that uncomfortable conversation you’ve been avoiding. SCORPIO (Oct. 24–Nov. 21) There’s a lineup of planets in Scorpio this month. Venus in Scorpio begins on October 3 and has you re-evaluating who gets your time and attention. “Go deep or go home” is your motto when it comes to love and relationships. When you’re with someone, you give them your focus and undivided attention. Those who find your laser focus “too much,” along with those who are flakey and don’t keep their word, are part of the “go home” crowd. Mars in Leo all month heats up your house of career. You may have to navigate a few conflicts in this area but you won’t be deterred. You’ve got your mojo back and you’re getting things done. SAGITTARIUS (Nov.22–Dec.21) This month’s New Moon in Libra on October 10 has you out and about networking and making new social connections. You may find yourself hitting the pause button on love and relationships when Venus goes retrograde on October 3. Beware of ruminating over past loves and think twice before
texting or sliding into the DMs of an ex. Venus retrograde warns you centaurs to leave the past in the past. Scorpio season begins on October 23 and launches a month-long process of clearing out and letting go. This clears the slate and gets you ready for a new you and a new year. Your moment in the spotlight begins next month on November 22 when Sagittarius season officially begins. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) New Moons are symbolic of new beginnings and this month’s New Moon in Libra puts your career in the spotlight. This New Moon makes a difficult aspect to Capricorn, so the new job, new position, new project or promotion can come with some friction and difficulties. You’ll be fine, Capricorn, you’ve had a lifetime of obstacles that’s given you plenty of practice in hanging tough. Venus retrograde on October 3 and Mercury retrograde on October 24 has you rethinking some of your friendships, and the Full Moon in Taurus on October 26 casts its bright light on your fears of rejection and being emotionally vulnerable, especially when it comes to love and romance. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Career is headline news for you Aquarians. Mars in Leo all month could cause some conflicts and friction with coworkers, so you’ll need to take some deep breaths and hold that Aquarian tongue that
can act as a weapon of mass destruction. This month’s Venus retrograde on October 3 and Mercury retrograde on October 24 has you rethinking your career goals, especially if you’ve been working yourself to the bone with little to no recognition. The New Moon in Libra on October 10 says you may be overdue for a vacation, so plan that trip you’ve been thinking about. The Full Moon in Taurus on October 26 says it’s time to put some loving attention on your living space. Your home has to be a place where you can recharge at the end of the day. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Staying present and rooted in reality without escaping into one of your imaginative fantasy worlds is your challenge this month. Pisces is associated with the water element, and your inner life can feel like a deep ocean of feelings, moods, and emotions. Sometimes these feelings can feel like an overwhelming tidal wave that you can’t handle, so you try to escape. The New Moon in Libra is stirring up some of your fears, phobias, and anxieties. New Moons are symbolic of new beginnings, so this is a time of renewal and regeneration, but you’ll need to practice staying present and facing those fears and phobias without trying to escape. Give it a go, Pisces, you’re braver than you think. Connect with Kevin at popastrologyreadings.com or on @p0pastrology.
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SCENE OUT Photos by DALTON DEHART AND CREW
Tony’s Place presented Voyage Under the Sea!, its signature fundraiser, at Artechouse on August 23, 2026. Pictured are Joel Luks and Sara Speer Selber.
On August 24, 2026, the Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Montrose Emergency Room. Pictured are Chamber staff, board members, and attendees.
On Aug. 29, 2026, the Empire of the Royal Sovereign and Imperial Court of the Single Star presented its Fire and Ice Ball at Los Robles, benefiting the Meredith Memorial Foundation. Pictured are Emperor 23 Chris Beck and Empress 23 Shyanne.
The Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association presented the Clarence Darrow Award and Sissy Farenthold Social Justice Award, honoring U.S. Reps. Al Green and Sylvia Garcia, at Bracewell LLP on August 27, 2026. Pictured are Ross Miller, Stephen Crain, Al Green, Sylvia Garcia, and Cawlyn Robinson.
Equality Texas presented the Barbara Jordan Garden Party on September 5, 2026. U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee received the 2026 Legacy of Barbara Jordan Award from state Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons. Pictured are Lauren Ashley Simmons, Christian Menefee, and Brad
Equality Texas presented the Barbara Jordan Garden Party on September 5, 2026. Brandon Mack received the 2026 Spirit of Barbara Jordan Award from Joelle Espeut. Pictured are Brad Pritchett, Brandon Mack, and Joelle Espeut.
On Sept. 5, 2026, the Diana Foundation and the Empire of the Royal Sovereign and Imperial Court of the Single Star presented Ava’s Turnabout at Pearl Bar. Pictured are Raya Sunshine, Gianna Christina Ramirez, Angie Moon Mercy, KC Sunshine, Penelope Pin, Geneva Treaty, and Tanner Williams.
Out at the Archives presented its It’s All About Mary’s Naturally display at MATCH Houston Sept. 9–13, 2026. Pictured are attendees at the soft opening.
The Executive and Professional Association of Houston (EPAH) presented Cocktails for a Cause, benefiting the Montrose Center on Sep. 11, 2026. Pictured are Ty David Lerman, Michael McIntyre, Kelly Nichols, Chris Robertson, Avery Belyeu, Brent Braveman, Jack Berger, Randall Hendrick, Mike Bodin, and Connor Hart.
Fort Bend County Pride presented its Futuristic Pride festival at the Rosenberg Civic Center on September 12, 2026. Pictured is Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy presenting a proclamation to the Fort Bend County Pride board.
The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce hosted its Elected Officials Reception at Hearsay Levy Park on September 24, 2026. Pictured are elected officials and Chamber members.
The Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce hosted its First Friday Meet and Eat at Hungry Like the Wolf on Sept. 4. Pictured are Chris Mendez, Joe Garcia, Joey Cantu, Britney Foreman, and Greg Ramos.
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