Rich Arenschieldt, Susan Bankston, Troy Carrington, Karen Derr, Andrew Edmonson, Steven Foster, David Goldberg, D.L. Groover, Marene Gustin, Kim Hogstrom, Josh Inocéncio, Ryan M. Leach, Suzie Lynde, Don Maines, Laura McGuire, Natalie Mink, Joanna O’Leary, Lilly Roddy, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Henry V. Thiel, Megan Wadding, Lou Weaver, Brandon Wolf, Grace S. Yung
Contributing Writers Rich Arenschieldt, Susan Bankston, Aisha Bouderdaben, Troy Carrington, Kit van Cleave, Angel Curtis, Karen Derr, Steven Foster, David Goldberg, D.L. Groover, Marene Gustin, Blake Hayes, Suzie Lynde, Donalevan Maines, DavidElijah Nahmod, Neil Ellis Orts, Lilly Roddy, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Janice Stensrude, Brandon Wolf, Grace S. Yung
Photographers/Illustrators
Photographers/Illustrators
Dalton DeHart, Yvonne Feece, Mark Hiebert, Manuel Lara, David Eduardo Flores Perez
No words can describe the devastation experienced by countless residents throughout the Greater Houston area in late August. However, it’s our hope that O UTSMART ’s September issue will provide readers with a few reminders about what continues to make this city so special.
For starters, take our remarkable theater scene. This is our annual Arts & Entertainment edition, and D.L. Groover has a lively rundown of highlights from the upcoming fall season.
The theater district was hit hard by Tropical Storm Harvey, so you’ll want to double-check dates and showtimes. But it’s more important than ever to patronize these productions and support the casts, companies, and venues that make them possible.
Speaking of Harvey, what a coincidence that this issue also includes Kim Hogstrom’s cover story about a new book by Frank
Billingsley, chief meteorologist at KPRC-TV. Billingsley, who once again helped many of us weather the storm, joins O UTSMART for a booksigning at Urban Eats on September 28.
Indeed, the Bayou City is blessed with a ton of LGBTQ talent. For example, check out writer Ryan Leach’s profi le of Jim Sikorski, the longtime gay activist who’s been singing the national anthem at Astros games for 37 years. And don’t miss Andrew Edmonson’s piece on Malcolm Daniel, the former ACT UP member and world-renowned scholar who now curates the photography collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Of course, another quality that sets H-Town apart is our tremendous diversity, and writer Josh Inocéncio takes a look at the Iftikhar Community of Texas, a new local group for LGBTQ Muslims. Meanwhile, Andrew Edmonson examines the work of Mickalene Thomas, the “superstar” black lesbian artist who’s bringing an empowering exhibit to Rice University’s Moody Center for the Arts.
Finally, since our September issue was
already in production when Harvey hit, O UTSMART will devote its October issue to flood-related stories of LGBTQ heroes and survivors. For that reason, we’re postponing our Gayest & Greatest Readers’ Choice Awards until November.
In the meantime, please support one of the LGBTQ-related disaster-relief funds listed in Marene Gustin’s news story about Tropical Storm Harvey on page 17.
Stay strong, Houston.
His Adopted Mission Meteorologist Frank Billingsley's search for his biological parents (See page 50.)
Photo by Ashkan Roayaee
Art Direction by Alex Rosa
—John Wright
Bathroom Bill Dies, But Not Potty Politics LGBTQ advocates warn that anti-trans legislation isn’t going away.
By Ryan M. Leach
Photo by Josh Inocéncio
Anti-transgender bathroom legislation was once again flushed during Texas’ special legislative session that ended August 15.
However, Equality Texas CEO Chuck Smith warned that while this battle may have been won, the war is far from over.
“Proposed legislation like ‘bathroom bills’ are not going away—at least not until proponents of such legislation fully understand that the majority of Texans do not support discriminating against their fellow Texans,” Smith told O utSmart
After the Texas Legislature’s biennial 140day regular session ended in May, governor Greg Abbott called lawmakers back to Austin for the 30-day special session. Under the Texas Constitution, only the governor has the authority to call a special session and to set the agenda for what may be considered. Although special sessions are not uncommon in Texas, they’ve historically been limited to relatively few topics. But this time, Abbott listed 20 items, including bathroom bills.
Before any other legislation could be debated, Abbott insisted on the passage of a “sunset” bill allowing crucial state agencies to continue operating. Once this was accomplished, the House and Senate were allowed to tackle the remaining 19 items. The ultra-conservative Senate quickly got to work and passed all of Abbott’s items in the special session’s first two weeks.
Senator Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) again authored anti-trans bathroom legislation that would have prohibited cities and school districts from enforcing policies that allow trans people to use restrooms based on their gender identity. Her bill would have nullified local ordinances that protect trans people against discrimination in cities including Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio.
The Houston City Council passed a similar ordinance in 2015, but it was later repealed by voters.
Kolkhorst’s legislation, known as Senate Bill 3 in the special session, would have severe consequences for trans Texans like Pearland elementary-school student Kai Shappley. The Pearland district has prohibited Kai from using girls’ restrooms. Kai’s mother, Kimberley Shappley, says her daughter once urinated on herself while teachers debated which restroom she should use. The Shappleys have been among the most visible faces in the bathroom-bill debate, with their story featured by several national media outlets.
Grassroots Gratitude
LGBTQ advocates gathered at Houston City Hall in August to thank city officials for opposing the bathroom bill, and to call for a new Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.
“While we are truly thankful the Texas Legislature’s special session ended without a bathroom bill, the reality is that my daughter Kai has started her first day of first grade segregated from her peers—again,” Shappley said as Pearland’s 2017–18 school year commenced August 21.
The bathroom bill was the most prominent wedge issue between the Senate, led by socially conservative lieutenant governor Dan Patrick, and the House, led by the more moderate Republican speaker Joe Straus. Patrick and Abbott continuously accused Straus of stalling their agenda, even though the bathroom bill was also opposed by the state’s business community that Republicans across the spectrum have typically supported.
The conservative Texas Association of Business, the state’s chamber of commerce, came out forcefully against anti-LGBTQ legislation in both the regular and special sessions. However, the special session brought new players to the table as CEOs from dozens of major corporations—including oil and gas industry leaders in Houston— expressed their opposition in letters to Abbott.
Mayors from the state’s major cities, including Houston, also opposed bathroom bills for both economic and moral reasons, but Patrick and Abbott seemed to dig in their heels as the special session neared its close. Abbott began a “20 for 20” campaign to drum up support for the complete passage of his agenda. In the end, only half of his 20 items passed, including three bills putting further restrictions on access to abortion.
Abbott hasn’t ruled out a second special ses-
sion, but at press time it seemed unlikely. The main focus for Abbott and Patrick now appears to be ousting Straus, who has filed to run for a fifth term as speaker in 2019.
On August 17, the House Republican Caucus discussed changing the rules for electing the speaker. Under current rules, the speaker is elected by a majority of all House members, and Straus has maintained his position thanks to support from Democrats. But proposed new rules would require that the speaker receive approval from the majority party’s caucus.
Both Smith and Shappley said they hope the legislative theatrics of 2017 will influence Texas voters at the ballot box.
“The majority of fair-minded Texans—including the business community and mainstream people of faith—need to engage in the next election cycle to ensure that reasonable people are elected who care about solving the real and pressing issues we as Texans face,” Smith said. “We cannot, and must not, allow extremists to use vulnerable children and adults as pawns in their perverse pursuit of political power.”
Shappley encouraged people to get involved with Equality Texas and other LGBTQ advocacy groups. “I know we are all tired of hearing about bathrooms, but please don’t stop now,” she said. “We still need you.”
Ryan Leach is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine. You can follow him on Instagram at @ryananddoris or at medium.com/@ryan_leach.
What is TRUVADA for PrEP?
TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.
Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP?
Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP:
® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative.
® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.
While taking TRUVADA for PrEP:
Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?
Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you:
® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.
® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP?
Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include:
® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA.
® 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.
® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.
® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP:
® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months.
® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.
® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1:
® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners.
® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you.
® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners.
® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
® 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.
® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.
Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP?
® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. TRUVADA can cause serious side effects:
® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis.
® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA.
® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk.
® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-thecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.
I know who I am. And I make choices that fi t my life.
TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices.
® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex.
® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. Learn more at truvada.com
(tru-VAH-dah)
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP
Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP:
• You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.
• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.
While taking TRUVADA for PrEP:
• You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.
• You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
• If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.
• See the “How To Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information. TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including:
• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP
TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1.
• To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.
Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you:
• Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status.
• Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.
HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP
• Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1.
• Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
• Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices.
• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP
TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including:
• Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section.
• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.
• 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.
• Bone problems.
Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight.
These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP.
Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.
BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP
Tell your healthcare provider if you:
• Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis.
• Have any other medical conditions.
• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:
• Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.
• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.
HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK
• Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners.
• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you.
• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners.
• Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.
GET MORE INFORMATION
• This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV infection.
• Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5
• If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.
TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.
Houston LGBTQ community bands together in wake of Tropical
Storm Harvey.
By Ryan M. Leach
In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey, with so much destruction and so many in dire need, Houston’s LGBTQ community came together quickly.
“In the aftermath of Hurricanes Ike and Katrina, we learned that our community fell through the cracks,” said Kent Loftin, development director for the Montrose Center, the city’s LGBTQ community center.
“A lot of transgender people and [LGBTQ] youth wouldn’t go to the shelters, and some who did faced discrimination,” Loftin said. “So this time, we mobilized and sent counselors to the shelters immediately to help make them more LGBTQ-accepting.”
In addition, LGBTQ people are disproportionately uninsured or underinsured, and seniors may not have anyone to check on them, Loftin said. LGBTQ people are also more likely to live with friends, and the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) will not provide aid unless applicants can prove home ownership or a current rental agreement.
Before the rains even stopped, the Montrose Center established the Hurricane Harvey LGBTQ Disaster Relief Fund (TinyURL
.com/HarveyLGBTQRelief), and within five days, donations had totaled more than $300,000.
Loftin called the fund a “payer of last resort.”
“We don’t want to duplicate services,” he said. “We want to be here for people who fall through the cracks.
“Recovery will take a long time,” he added, “but we will get through this.”
In the wake of the storm, anti-LGBTQ pastors and pundits suggested that God was punishing Houston for electing the nation’s first out big-city mayor, or smiting the state over the Texas Legislature’s failure to pass an anti-trans bathroom bill. And even the Montrose Center’s fundraising efforts received criticism on social media.
Orange Is the New Black star Ruby Rose, who experienced backlash on Twitter over her $10,000 donation to the LGBTQ fund, responded with this post: “The LGBT center does not just help LGBT members in a crisis like this, it does not discriminate [against] people in need based on gender, sexuality, race, or religion. It is one of the most inclusive organizations I can think of.”
A Flood of Biblical Proportions
The main buildings at Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church took on 18 inches of water during Tropical Storm Harvey, according to pastor Troy Treash.
Other local LGBTQ organizations also mobilized quickly, including AIDS Foundation Houston (AFH), which was seeking donations to relocate, rehouse, and feed people with HIV/AIDS who were displaced by the storm, as well as to repair damage to some of the organization’s six housing facilities.
“We are gathering donations and helping people to get their medications,” said Kelly Young, CEO of AFH. “I know people can’t donate to everything, but I urge you to find your passion and give. If your passion is homeless LGBT youth, then donate to Tony’s Place.”
Tony’s Place, at TonysPlace.org, is a dropin shelter focusing on homeless LGBTQ youth in need of showers, Wi-Fi, hot meals, backpacks, and hygiene kits. The organization reported no damage to its facility and is open during regular hours.
Along with residents and nonprofit organizations, the Houston area has numerous LGBTQ-owned businesses that were impacted by the storm. The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce wasted no time launching a hurricane resource page for its members at Tinyurl.com/HarveyLGBTChamber.
“This disaster is unprecedented, and ➝
every area of our community is impacted, including business owners,” said Tammi Wallace, cofounder of the Chamber. “The Chamber will be working with key partners such as the Small Business Administration to get information to our members about business disaster-recovery resources and other pertinent information to help business owners manage through this crisis.”
Even some of the helpers were in need of help. Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church, which ministers to LGBTQ people and allies, was heavily damaged in the floods.
Pastor Troy Treash reported that the church’s main buildings took on about 18 inches of water. The church was accepting donations at ResurrectionMCC.org.
“We’ve been ripping up carpet and pulling sheetrock,” Treash told O utSmart on September 1. “Parishioners and even strangers have been showing up to help us. Only the gym wasn’t flooded, so we’ve set up folding chairs there and will be able to hold Sunday services. Plus, we’ll collect food and clothing donations.”
Meanwhile, representatives from Legacy Community Health said they were working to reopen their citywide clinics as quickly as possible, and seven clinics were operational by September 1. Legacy was accepting hurri-
cane-relief donations at LegacyCommunity Health.org, as well as reminding people to take care of their mental health by posting recommendations from the American Psychiatric Association.
Two trans-specific groups had also launched Harvey relief funds to assist clients in need. The Houston-based Transgender Foundation of America (TFA), which was accepting donations at TinyURL. com/HarveyTransHelp, said trans, intersex, and genderqueer people are especially vulnerable in natural disasters.
“This fund will be used to help this historically underserved community recover from this catastrophic event,” TFA wrote. “If needed, the fund will also help with burial costs for
Claire Saquin, Mitchell Wendorf, Kristian Johnson, and Alan Pruett.
, Alan De Herrera, David Sanford, Ben Workman aka Jumper Maybach, and Robby Bennett.
Stampede of Water
A view of Buffalo Bayou Park from the balcony of a high rise on August 27.
community members who’ve lost their lives in this historic disaster.”
The Organization Latina de Trans en Texas (OLTT), a Houston group for trans Latina women, was also seeking donations to support its emergency shelter program, Casa de Ana. For more information, email andream .tslatina@gmail.com (Spanish preferred) or info@transtexas.org.
“As of today, the shelter is housing many trans people displaced by the storm, and is running low on food, water, mattresses, and many other items,” according to OLTT.
Marene Gustin is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
More N ews on page 20
On July 28, Pride Houston hosted a Queen’s Ball for board members, chairpersons, and volunteers at the Montrose Center. Pictured are Anthony Ramirez, Paul Pettie, Jeremy Fain, Frankie Quijano-Kratochvil, Lo Moton, Dustin Sheffield, Dan Cato, and Kevin Nguyen
On August 3, the Alley Theatre hosted ActOut featuring Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps Pictured are Alex Ramirez, Joseph Hayden, Edgardo Aguilar, Lauren Pelletier, Brandonn Weinbrenner, Shelley Finley, and Randall Whitmore.
Photos by Dalton DeHart and Edgardo Aguilar
C ommu N ity
On July 25, Lambda NextGen hosted its July Happy Hour at Alabama Furniture. Pictured are Rion Enroth, Miguel Arellno, Sofa Sherri, Grace Charles,
From July 27 to 31, Houston’s LGBTQ film festival, QFest, was held at various locations. Pictured are Michael Robinson, Laura Kelber, Thirsty Burlington, Kristian Salinas, Lisa Thomas, Mary Lampe, and Stephanie Saint Sanchez.
On July 29, Numbers hosted a screening of The Jumper Maybach Story. Pictured are Pepe Serna
On August 4, the Lone Star Veterans hosted a social at Guava Lamp. Pictured are Shawn Kuehn, Cres Clippard, Alysha Tawney, Bryan Escobeedo, and Allen Devers
On August 4, the Houston Frontrunners hosted a social at Guava Lamp. Pictured are some of the Frontrunners members.
On July 23, Kindred Spirits hosted a dance kickoff honoring Trudy Denny and Marion Coleman at the Montrose Center. Pictured are Ann Robison, Tricia Lynn, Judy Woods, Michael Grover, Marion Coleman, Trudy Denny, Stewart Zuckerbrod, and Julie Laskowski
On August 19, Tony’s Corner Pocket hosted the 2017
of
are Mona Lott Gill, Shelly Montrose, Seanyboy McCabe, Christopher Daniels, Angela Mercy, and Clay Maverick
On August 6, Rich’s hosted Calling All Artists, and art show and sale benefitting the Montrose Center. Pictured are Randall Jobe, Heather Jones-Taylor, Kermit Eisenhut, Crystal Murley, Jieqi Ren, Alfred Sanchez, and Calvin Mills
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On August 15, the Executive and Professional Association of Houston hosted its August dinner meeting and elections at Kim Son. Pictured are Mark Johnson, Cynthia Corral, Kent Loftin, Marcus de Guzman, Jack Berger, Cindy Cuellar, Michele Laprade, and Jim Jamelka
Girl
Montrose contest. Pictured
On August 4, Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church hosted Hairspray, The Concert. Pictured are cast and crew.
On August 12, Gio Whitney hosted Sausage Fest 2, a fundraiser for Mr. Gay USofA, at Tony’s Corner Pocket. Pictured are Ingrid Diaz, Christina Estrada, Gio Whitney, and Nicole Lonidier
Caucus President Vows to Continue Intersectional Approach Frances
Valdez replaces Fran Watson.
By Josh Inocéncio
Houston GLBT Political Caucus president Fran Watson announced her resignation on August 7 to focus on her nascent state Senate campaign against Republican incumbent Joan Huffman.
Frances Valdez, an immigration attorney and Caucus board member, was elected to serve as president for the remainder of Watson’s 2017 term. Watson quickly rose through the ranks after joining the Caucus as a member in 2013. The following year, she was already sitting on the board as the volunteer coordinator before becoming vice president. In 2016, she was elected president after a contested race where her opponent ultimately withdrew. Watson, the first black female Caucus president, said she utilized her position to diversify the body of the organization.
“My proudest moment, I believe, [was helping to make] the Caucus reflect the way Houston looks,” Watson said. “This created a broader dialogue in the conversation on LGBTQ issues.”
Watson broadened Caucus partnerships to include Houston socialjustice groups that focused on reproductive rights, immigrant rights, and criminal-justice reform. On March 13, Watson led a coalition to the state capitol where a legion of political organizations met with legislators to show that Houston is united against any agenda that seeks to undermine equality.
Watson said she’s running against Huffman, who chairs the Senate Committee on State Affairs, because Texans deserve a politician who will facilitate dialogue with constituents rather than force through a partisan agenda. For example, after 15 hours of testimony against the anti-immigrant Senate Bill 4, Huffman refused to reconsider the bill.
“The Senate is supposed to be the place where you can discuss all this legislation, not the place to rush bills through,” Watson said. “It’s time for a change, and I believe I’m the person that can bring that change.”
While Watson has stepped down to run her “people-driven” campaign in District 7, she said she’s confident Valdez will maintain an intersectional vision as Caucus president.
“She has an ability to step back and listen to all the different perspectives,” Watson said of Valdez. “And then move forward without making people feel like their ideas are being shut down.”
Valdez remarked that although LGBTQ issues are important to her, she’s also “a Latina, a woman, and a person of color.”
“[We need to recognize that] our LGBTQ community is extremely diverse, and there are a number of issues,” she said. “Some people have families, so they’re interested in education.”
Before becoming president earlier this month, Valdez served as chair of two Caucus committees—Advocacy & Education, and Screening. The Screening Committee assesses local candidates and where they stand on issues. Recently, Valdez and the rest of leadership have begun interviewing candidates beyond LGBTQ issues.
“As Screening chair, we held our first candidate orientation,” Valdez said, referring to the Caucus’ Candidate Screening & Endorsement Process Orientation in July. “The purpose was for candidates and members to learn about our screening process, so they would be prepared for the November 2017 screening.”
And there will be more of these in the future.
“We’re making sure our endorsed candidates are making it into office,” added Valdez. “We’ll be asking candidates a lot about issues that pertain to our community.” LGBTQ people are a part of every community, Valdez noted, so they’re affected by a host of issues.
The Caucus, which meets at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month at the Montrose Center, will host its endorsement meeting for the November 2017 elections on September 9. n
Confederacy of Dunces
Trump, Charlottesville, and the bathroom bill.
Let me just start off this month by saying that I personally and strongly endorse the president going to war with North Korea. Not our military, of course—just the president.
I feel dead-solid certain that someone here in Texas will loan Trump a gun. And if you think about it, borrowing Buddy and Dwayne’s bass boat for a quick trip to invade North Korea may be the safest way for Trump to get away from this How-I-Screwed-Up-the-Whole-DamnPresidency thing.
Honey, I’m not saying Trump is nuts. I’m just saying he has really bad luck when it comes to thinking.
When the White-and-Not-Too-Bright Confederate Glee Club decided to fight the removal of a Robert E. Lee monument in Virginia, Trump immediately denounced “many sides” of the conflict. Well, there definitely were two sides: the side that was slamming a car into the crowd, and the equally vicious side getting hit by that car while standing there not doing a damn thing.
Trump’s press conference two days later was a damn goat rodeo on mescaline. He was so insane that David Duke, America’s whitesupremacist-in-chief, praised the president’s performance.
I have an idea. Instead of having to put up with protests over all these Civil War monuments, let’s just declare attorney general Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III a living memorial statue to the Confederacy. Think about it: if we were to replace him with any dead Civil War general we dig up, it’d be months before anyone noticed the difference.
Look, I have no problem with skinheads and other assorted idiots waving the Confederate flag around, as long they use the most recent one used by the Confederacy: a white flag. You’d think people wouldn’t be fluffy-proud to cheer the side that surrendered, but when you’re a loser anyway, I guess you ain’t got nothing to . . . uh . . . you know, lose. (Oh crap, I just realized that the skinheads just won the triple crown of losing.)
Now we gotta talk about the bathroom bill in the Texas Legislature. When polls started showing that the majority of Texans oppose
birth-gender-only bathrooms, and 63 percent of people who call themselves political independents have a just-let-my-people-pee-dammit attitude, Republicans dropped that bill like they were holding a hot Cadillac bumper on a Pasadena parking lot in August. Thank you, Sweet Jesus. So now, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is just going to have to find another way to look into your pants. And if that’s your thing, that’s really fine with me. I’m sure he’d be grateful to have that opportunity, but it ain’t my thing.
I want you to think about something else: you would think that the most conservative folks in America would be the military. But when Trump wanted transgender people out of the military, he faced some military leaders who are tougher than a five-dollar steak. The secretary of the Navy, Richard V. Spencer, said that while he is duty-bound to follow presidential orders, he believes that any—any!—patriot should be able to serve in the military. The Coast Guard commandant, Admiral Paul Zukunft, also offered support for transgender members of his service. I’ll salute that.
We heard recently that Trump is given a folder twice a day with flattering news articles and letters, along with photos of him “looking powerful.” It’s his Go-Go-Ego folder.
Through the miracle of modern big-time journalism, I was given a peek inside one of those folders. Here’s what I discovered in there:
Notification that the Ladies’ International Swedish Hockey Team just voted him as “The Man They’d Most Like to Knuggle With.” (King Joffrey came in a very close second.)
A Ziggy Toon, because everybody loves Ziggy. (Yes, they did have to explain this to Trump.)
Reminder scribbled on a Post-it note that the Nazis have their good points, too.
A love poem from Rick Perry written in iam-
bic pentameter (added to the folder after Rick finally thought of a word that rhymes with Trump that doesn’t make him giggle).
A s summer winds down, I want to share a story with you that, once again, reminds us that Florida outranks even Texas on the hillbilly scale. This is an honest-to-gosh true story, and you can look it up on the Google machine if you don’t believe me.
An Orlando couple decided to head out to the Central Florida Fairgrounds to grill something delectable to eat. After they had finished grilling and put their propane barbecue grill back in their rented red Kia Sorrento to head home, everything was hunky-dory until the wife lit up a cigarette.
It turns out that both the propane tank and the grill had been left on. They came damnclose to orbital speed, and had it not been for the highway pole that stopped the vehicle, it would have become part of the solar eclipse. The roof almost flew off of the Kia, and all the windows blew out.
Luckily, they escaped with non-life-threatening injuries, but nobody knows why. As you would expect, the husband was promptly arrested for having an outstanding warrant from a fleeing-and-eluding-arrest charge unrelated to this incident. And then he tried to flee from this incident.
I love yew, Florida. You take the gold over Texas in the redneck Olympics.
It’s back-to-school time, so get out your pencil box and superhero lunch kit to make all the other kids jealous.
Susan Bankston lives in Richmond, Texas, where she writes about her hairdresser at The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc., at juanitajean.com.
YOU MATTER AND SO DOES YOUR HEALTH
That’s why starting and staying on HIV-1 treatment is so important.
WHAT IS DESCOVY®?
DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. DESCOVY combines 2 medicines into 1 pill taken once a day. Because DESCOVY by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1, it must be used together with other HIV-1 medicines.
DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 infection or AIDS. To control HIV-1 infection and decrease HIV-related illnesses, you must keep taking DESCOVY. Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to reduce the risk of passing HIV-1 to others. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
What is the most important information I should know about DESCOVY?
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects:
• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV and stop taking DESCOVY, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.
What are the other possible side effects of DESCOVY?
Serious side effects of DESCOVY may also include:
• Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking DESCOVY.
• Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. Your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking DESCOVY if you develop new or worse kidney problems.
• 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.
• Bone problems, such as bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.
The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or don’t go away.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking DESCOVY?
• All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.
• All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how DESCOVY works. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist. Ask your healthcare provider if it is safe to take DESCOVY with all of your other medicines.
• If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if DESCOVY can harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking DESCOVY.
• If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Important Facts about DESCOVY, including important warnings, on the following page.
Ask your healthcare provider if an HIV-1 treatment that contains DESCOVY® is right for you.
(des-KOH-vee)
MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DESCOVY
DESCOVY may cause serious side effects, including:
• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. DESCOVY is not approved to treat HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking DESCOVY. Do not stop taking DESCOVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.
ABOUT DESCOVY
• DESCOVY is a prescription medicine that is used together with other HIV-1 medicines to treat HIV-1 in people 12 years of age and older. DESCOVY is not for use to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection.
• DESCOVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. Ask your healthcare provider about how to prevent passing HIV-1 to others.
BEFORE TAKING DESCOVY
Tell your healthcare provider if you:
• Have or had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.
• Have any other medical condition.
• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:
• Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.
• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with DESCOVY.
HOW TO TAKE DESCOVY
• DESCOVY is a one pill, once a day HIV-1 medicine that is taken with other HIV-1 medicines.
• Take DESCOVY with or without food.
IMPORTANT FACTS
This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY® and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF DESCOVY
DESCOVY can cause serious side effects, including:
• Those in the “Most Important Information About DESCOVY” section.
• Changes in your immune system.
• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.
• 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.
• Bone problems.
The most common side effect of DESCOVY is nausea. These are not all the possible side effects of DESCOVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking DESCOVY.
Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with DESCOVY.
GET MORE INFORMATION
• This is only a brief summary of important information about DESCOVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.
• Go to DESCOVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5
• If you need help paying for your medicine, visit DESCOVY.com for program information.
Same-sex couples who own property together can face unique challenges.
As the real-estate market continues to rebound, many are finding that it’s cheaper to buy a home than to rent one. But before you and your partner/spouse run out and start making offers, you should consider some basic protections.
While your home will certainly be a significant asset, your most important asset is your ability to earn income. That’s why protecting your income with disability insurance is essential. With this type of coverage, if you suffer a qualifying illness or injury and are unable to work, the policy will pay out regular income.
And in the event of an unexpected death, couples should also determine whether the surviving partner/spouse would be able to afford the mortgage payments. Although having two incomes may allow a couple to qualify for a larger mortgage, it can also put a surviving spouse/partner in jeopardy of losing the home.
With that in mind, one strategy that couples should consider is taking out life insurance on each other. Typically, a basic “term” policy (one without any cash value buildup) will be the most affordable, and you can correlate the length of the coverage with the number of years until your mortgage is paid off.
In addition to life insurance, be sure to have legal documentation to protect a surviving spouse/partner. Without this documentation, the deceased’s home could go to the next of kin, which is dictated by the state. The next of kin may be parents or other blood relatives. In this case, the surviving spouse/partner may or may not be able to continue living in the home.
Another important consideration is the manner in which you and your spouse/partner title your home, or the form of ownership you choose.
If you go with “tenancy in common,” each of you will own a set percentage interest. It doesn’t have to be 50/50, so you can choose 80/20 or any other percentage. With this type of ownership, each spouse/partner can choose how to transfer their portion of the asset.
If one spouse/partner purchases the home on their own, a “fee simple,” or “sole ownership,” structure would give that person complete control over what happens with the property. With this structure, the home may be subject to the probate process if the owner passes away, which puts it at risk of going to the next of kin.
W ith a “joint tenancy with right of survivorship” ownership structure, each spouse/partner owns the entire property. If one spouse/partner passes away, the survivor automatically inherits the deceased owner’s portion.
Although many couples purchase their first home together, in some cases one or both spouses/partners already own homes prior to the relationship. It’s also possible that each has been able to claim the homestead exemption.
To ensure that both spouses or partners are treated fairly in terms of homestead exemptions, it’s important to set up a legal agreement that covers three areas: waiver of homestead exemption rights, income from the sale of separate property, and what happens to property at divorce or death.
Finally, if your relationship doesn’t work out after you and your spouse/partner purchase
a home together, how can you both move forward without having to give up too much?
In a “community property” state such as Texas, assets—including homes—purchased during a marriage are considered to belong to both spouses. This means each spouse is allowed to keep their portion of the property when the marriage ends.
Therefore, you should have an agreement drawn up that establishes who will stay in the home, as well as what percentage of the home’s value goes to the partner who moves out.
Although it can be somewhat uncomfortable to talk about—especially during the happy times—this type of agreement can give both of you the peace of mind that things will go amicably down the road.
Grace S. Yung, CFP, is a certified financial planner practitioner with experience in helping domestic partners plan their finances since 1994. She is a principal at Midtown Financial LLC in Houston and was recognized as a “FiveStar Wealth Manager” in the 2014 September issue of Texas Monthly. Yung can be reached at grace.yung@lpl.com.
For Your Calendar
Check out these fabulous events co-sponsored by O ut S mart and our marketing partners.
September 16: 25th Houston Transgender unity Banquet unitybanquet.com
SAVE THE DATE
October 1: Bunnies on the Bayou Bunnies in Heat at Henderson Heights at 2pm. INFO: bunniesonthebayou.org
October 7: The Houston Walk For Mental Health awareness at Stude Park. INFO: thehoustonwalk.org
October 14 & 15: Bayou City art Festival Downtown INFO: bayoucityartfestival.com
October 14 & 15: Coming out Party presented by OutReach United benefits local charities. INFO: outreachunited.org
Help our LGBTQ community members displaced by the storm today by giving to the LGBTQ Disaster Relief Fund, managed by the Montrose Center. while the Montrose Center will focus primarily on empowering the LGBTQ community to rebuild after the effects of Hurricane Harvey, the Center serves all people in need regardless of their sexuality. For volunteer opportunities and to make a donation, visit montrosecenter.org.
Be social! Connect with
Hurricane Harvey disaster relief Fund
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‘Superstar lesbian artist’ comes to Rice’s Moody Center for the Arts.
By Andrew Edmonson
Mickalene Thomas is riding the crest of the wave of a dazzling career.
Over the last five years, the 46-yearold artist has had a slew of highly lauded solo exhibitions in museums and galleries across the country, from the Brooklyn Museum in New York City to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
Her work is collected by such blue-chip institutions as the Museum of Modern Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
She was commissioned to create the cover of Solange Knowles’ limited-edition EP, True And she directed the HBO documentary Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman that chronicled the life of her mother and muse, Sandra Bush, a 1970s fashion model.
The Advocate has dubbed Thomas “the superstar lesbian artist.”
At the end of September, she will make her first trip to the Lone Star State for the opening of the exhibition Mickalene Thomas: Waiting on a Prime-Time Star at the Moody Center for the Arts, Rice University’s stunning new $30
million, 50,000-square-foot art space. The exhibition, on view from September 28 through January 13, will feature paintings, photographs, collages, prints, and mixed-media works that explore the artist’s complex vision of female sexuality, identity, and power.
“Her work operates artistically at the highest level while inviting conversation about some of the most important issues facing our country today,” says Alison Weaver, executive director of the Moody Center.
“Her work is extraordinary for its sustained focus on the African-American ➝
Mickalene ThoMas
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female experience and its deep exploration of the history of art,” Weaver adds. “Through her paintings, photographs, and collages, Thomas activates the most traditional artistic genres— portraiture and landscape—with a fresh new perspective.”
Weaver says Thomas samples freely from art history, looking closely at works by Romare Bearden, Manet, Monet, and Matisse, while staying rooted in the contemporary cultural moment. “The resulting artworks are images that you can’t stop looking at or thinking about,” Weaver says.
Thomas told The Advocate in February that she hopes someone standing in front of her art will feel “a sense of possibility and accessibility.”
“Just as my muses insist on their visibility and identity, I want my viewers to feel present with fierceness and boldness,” she said. “It’s our right to claim this space.”
Born in Camden, New Jersey, in 1971, Thomas was raised as a Buddhist by a mother who struggled with substance abuse and turbulent relationships. She and her brother were exposed to art when their mother enrolled them in after-school programs at the Newark Museum and the Henry Street Settlement in New York City.
When Thomas came out as a lesbian in her 20s, her mother was supportive. She went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from the Pratt Institute and a master’s degree in fine arts from the Yale University School of Art. “I wasn’t seeing images of women that I could relate to that were deemed iconic images of art history. I wanted to see myself,” Thomas said.
“In order to do that, I started to look at my own environment, and work with women that were in my life,” she added. “[I started] using myself as a vehicle to place the black body in these hierarchical positions by re-contextualizing and formatting them [as reclining nudes]—in the same positions [used by] some of these painters we deem as champions, as groundbreaking revolutionaries.”
Houston had its first tantalizing glimpse of Thomas’ work in 2016, when her large-scale 2007 photograph “Lovely Six Foota” was featured in the Museum of Fine Arts exhibition Statements: African American Art from the Museum’s Collection. It was a highly theatrical, staged depiction of a sensual African-American woman, trailing Black Power glory in chic 1970s regalia with her legs spread slightly, looking boldly and directly at the viewer. The museum acquired the work for its permanent collection.
“All of the women in my work have a profound sense of confidence, and recognize themselves as the visible subject,” Thomas has
said. “Their directness is filled with agency and self-knowledge. They have all the power and control to demand [that] the viewer meets them in their own space, rather than being exploited or scrutinized.”
The title of Thomas’ exhibition at the Moody Center refers to a 1977 painting by the late African-American painter Robert Colescott, “Colored TV (Wishing on a Prime-Time Star).”
“Mickalene’s 2015 work, ‘I’ve Been Good to Me,’ which is in the exhibition, references Colescott’s earlier image,” Weaver says. “The shared wordplay draws from the politicized racial and sexual motifs recurring in both artists’ works.”
On September 28 at 6 p.m., Thomas will be interviewed by Melina Matsoukas, the Grammy-Award winning director of music videos for Beyoncé and Rihanna, as part of the Moody Center’s Artists in Dialogue series. “Both artists think carefully about the experience, identity, and vitality of African-American womanhood,” Weaver says. “It should be a fascinating conversation.”
Mickalene Thomas: Waiting on a Prime-Time Star is free and open to the public at The Moody Center for the Arts, on The Rice University campus (entrance 8 at University Boulevard and Stockton Street). Tickets to the Artists in Dialogue series on Thursday, September 28, are $15 and may be purchased at moody.rice.edu.
Andrew Edmonson has written about the arts for the Houston Chronicle , O utSmart magazine , Houston Ballet News , and the Houston Voice
Impressive lineup of fall shows will take your mind off our troubled world.
By D.L. GROOVER
Editor’s Note Due to the impacts of Hurricane Harvey, the dates and showtimes listed are subject to change. Please check with individual venues for updated information.
Considering all the news stories, wicked blogs, and infighting memes, the fall theater season is light on red state/ blue state woes, and maybe that’s a good thing. Politics come later in the season, with LinManuel Miranda’s mega-hit Hamilton bowing in April via Broadway at the Hobby Center, and Robert Schenkkan’s The Great Society, his LBJ sequel to his Tony winner All the Way, arriving at the Alley in January.
One of the blessings of theater in all its variants is its ability to help us escape our woes, lift depression, and lose ourselves in another world. There’s still plenty to argue over and debate, if you so desire, with good solid adult fare like Disgraced at 4th Wall or Enemies at Main Street. But politics be damned, let’s have fun. Everybody into their safe space—the theater!
Disgraced
September 7–30
4th Wall Theatre Company 1824 Spring Street
The 4th Wall opens its season with this distinguished Tonyand Pulitzer Prize-winner from Ayad Akhtar. In a posh dinnerparty setting that goes from simmer to full boil, lapsed Muslim Amir faces his ancient Pakastani heritage and the devastating effect it’s had on the current world. He lives the high life in a New York City penthouse with his white artist wife, but history has a nasty way of intruding into the personal. Cultures clash in this electrifying drama that is ripped from the headlines.
The Groundling
September 8–30
Theatre Southwest 8944-A Clarkcrest
In Marc Palmieri’s farce with a tinge of heartbreak, Bob (who is mesmerized by a production of Shakespeare he has just seen) writes a play about his marriage—in rhyming couplets, no less. He then stages it in his garage, has friends and neighbors act in it, and hires two bickering
former lovers to direct and star. Need I tell you that things go awry quickly, as they invariably do in backstage shenanigans? The Groundling premiered off-off Broadway in 2015, and the New York Times, usually not smitten with farce set on Long Island, was kind in its review: “Borrowing a neat trick from Shakespeare, Mr. Palmieri tops off the saccharine comedy with a bittersweet finish.” We’ll see.
American Idiot
September 15–16
Theatre Under the Stars Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Green Day’s blistering portrait of disaffected youth arrives for only two days, which isn’t nearly a long enough run for this classic rock opera. This is a production from the Humphreys School of Musical Theatre, so you know the cast will be age-appropriate—and perhaps shocked by what three young men experience in their American odyssey that takes them from vice dens, drug abuse, torrid love affairs, Vietnam, and the mean streets ruled by the seductively obsequious St. Jimmy. If this version has half the punch and electricity that Obsidian Theatre overlaid on it two seasons ago, then it will be gangbusters. Okay, kids, are we all ready for the needle number?
Describe the Night
September 15–October 15
Alley Theatre, 615 Texas
Perhaps the world premiere of any production in the fall, Rajiv Joseph’s Russian phantasmagorical drama opens the Alley’s fall season. Workshopped during the theater’s “2017 All New Festival,” Rajiv’s political play ping-pongs through the Russian Revolution, Stalin’s Great Purge, Cold War KGB activity, and the mysterious circumstances of the 2010 plane crash
in Smolensk, Russia, that killed most of Poland’s leading politicians. I don’t think Russian president Vladimir Putin will be in attendance. Young American playwright Joseph, among a handful of innovative contemporary writers, has resuscitated theater with his impressive body of works that includes Gruesome Playground Injuries (Alley world premiere, 2009); Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Pulitzer Prize nominee for Drama, 2010); and The Monster at the Door (Alley world premiere, 2011). The Alley should make him playwright in residence. Joseph has a winning way with the surreal, a true sense of style, and a darkly comic imagination that thrills when it’s not breaking hearts. Could Joseph be our Tom Stoppard? The Alley, I think, picked a winner.
Enemies
September 16–October 15
Main Street Theater
2540 Times Boulevard
Firebrand Russian writer/activist Maxim Gorky (he changed his name from Peshkov to “Gorky,” which means “bitter”) was perhaps the world’s first bum to become internationally famous. His tales and stories lacerate with their indelible portraits of the downand-outers and his railings against the czarist society that caused such degradation of his fellow citizens. Gorky’s outspoken writing and public support of other revolutionary writers gave him some powerful enemies. After being released from arrest following the 1905 revolution, he went into self-imposed exile
‹
Ready to Rock
Cast members rehearse for Theatre Under the Stars’ production of American Idiot at the Hobby Center.
Cast member Gopal Divan
Playwright Rajiv Joseph.
on the island of Capri. Not too shabby for a proletariat. When he returned to Russia prior to the big one—the 1917 Revolution—he had softened his positions and was aghast at the violence preached and the outright ditching of Mother Russia’s rich cultural past. He then founded both the House of Arts and the House of Scholars to give struggling writers a place to live and work. His gravelly voice never lowered, though, and any outrage he witnessed he wrote about with relentless, sanctified realism. His death in 1936 while in a Moscow hospital remains suspicious, and he was probably killed on orders from Stalin. A keystone of Gorky’s work for theater, Enemies (1907), a collaboration with the University of Houston School of Theatre and Dance, merges the humanism of Chekhov with the turbulent fervor of revolution bubbling under the surface, waiting to catch fire. Follow the smoke to Main Street to see this incandescent play.
Everybody Talks about the Weather . . . We Don’t
September 16–January 7
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston 5216 Montrose
Based in Berlin, queer duo Pauline Boudry and Renate Lorenz have worked together since 2004. Known for their 16mm film installations, their work has been shown at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Venice Biennale, and in galleries throughout Europe. I’m unfamiliar with their work, so I’ll quote from the press release for Telepathic Improvisation, a new film set to Pauline Oliveros’s 1974 score that is a major part of this show: “While the action of the film appears abstract, it nonetheless includes references to specific moments of leftist protest, queer S&M club life, acts of surveillance, and fantasies of new relations between human and non-human objects in an interstellar dimension.” Whoa, you had me at queer S&M club life!
Mayerling
September 21–October 1
Houston Ballet
Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas
On the morning of January 30, 1899, Crown Prince Rudolph, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, shot himself and his 17-year-old mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, at Mayerling, the imperial hunting lodge near Vienna. This was no Strauss waltz. The results were devastating for the imperial family, for the dynasty, and for the fate of Europe. The murder/suicide was immediately covered up, but the lurid facts persisted to haunt the royals. Without a male heir, the Habsburg line passed to Franz Joseph’s brother and then to his eldest son, the heir apparent archduke Franz Ferdinand. The empire was destabi-
Inter-gay-lactic
lized, and the factions in Austria and Hungary grew so contentious that a Serb national assassinated Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophia at a military revue in Sarajevo in June 1914. Those bullets were the first shots of World War I. Austria declared war on Serbia, and history begat utter chaos. English choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan created this dark, rich tapestry for the Royal Ballet in 1978, using orchestral and piano works of Franz Liszt— perhaps the most famous composer/pianist of the 19th century and the father-in-law of Richard Wagner. The ballet is fierce and lush, and contains a killer role for Rudolph, who has five demanding pas de deux and numerous solos throughout the evening-length work. Lust, dementia, absolute power, sexual dissolution— what’s not to like?
Russian Masters
September 28, 30, October 1
Houston Symphony
Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana
The Russians are coming! Not since Putin and Trump had that wrestling match in Red Square . . . oh, wait, that was only a bad dream. Not since, well, I don’t know when has the Houston Symphony blessed us with extraordinary Russian tunes led by an actual Russian maestro (Vassily Sinaisky, making his debut with the group). The program features Borodin’s gruff “Overture to Prince Igor,” Shostakovich’s youthful Symphony No. 1, and Tchaikovsky’s haunting Symphony No. 1, subtitled “Winter Daydreams.” Wave your red flags if you have them.
Mrs. Warren’s Profession
October 4–22
Classical Theatre Company 4617 Montrose Boulevard
The curmudgeonly Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (Pygmalion, Heartbreak House, Man and Superman) had an uncanny knack for knowing when to push society’s buttons. In this 1898 shocker, Mrs. Warren’s profession is the oldest one. She has raised daughter Vivie in luxury and social standing, but when mom reveals the family secret—and that mom is still practicing—liberal Vivie turns tail and leaves the house like Ibsen’s Nora to find her own way in the world. English censors had a field day with Shaw, a respected music critic and socialist pamphleteer, and most of his plays were banned or closed down. Mrs. Warren, which premiered in New York City, didn’t see the light of the London stage until 1925. Now you, too, can see what all the hypocritical gnashing of teeth was about, and be enthralled with that patented Shawian wit. Recently awarded a grant from the American Theatre Wing (home base of the Tony Awards), Classical Theatre Company is poised to continue its inventive stagings of the work of long-past writers, bringing their worlds thrillingly to life.
Balls
October 11–29
Stages Repertory Theatre 3201 Allen Parkway
This is a tennis game for people who don’t like
The Contemporary Arts Museum’s production of Everybody Talks About the Weather . . . We Don’t includes references to queer S&M club life and an interstellar dimension. (
George Bernard Shaw
Mar C o Borggreve
Russian maestro
Vassily Sinaisky
tennis. If this world premiere by Tony nominee Bryony Lavery and Edinburgh Stage award-winner Kevin Armento has the visceral excitement of Stages’ wrestling smack-down The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, then Stages has another winner. Set in the Astrodome in 1973 (still here, as we all know), this most physical play details the tabloid matchup between tennis queen Billie Jean King and 51-year-old male chauvinist and former champ Bobby Riggs. Billed as “The Battle of the Sexes,” it was the live-TV sporting event of the year with a $100,000 prize. Riggs was fresh off his “Mother’s Day Massacre” win over Margaret Court, the top female player in the world, when King accepted Riggs’ renewed challenge. Most of you are far too young to remember the over-hyped event, so you’ll have to see the play to learn about the outcome. Riggs and King remained great friends and competitors up until Riggs’ death from cancer in 1995. Game, set, match!
Feathers and Teeth
October 19–November 4
Mildred’s Umbrella
1824 Spring Street
Teenage Chris is not a happy camper. Not only is Mom dead from cancer, but Dad’s getting married to Carol, the sexy nurse who cared for Mom. In Charise Castro Smith’s ’70s sitcom/ horror parody, Chris’ all-too-real fear of what’s happening manifests into an evil little creature in a stock pot who has a yen for human flesh. Is this Chris id exploding? Did Carol kill Mom to get Dad? Will Boy Scout Hugo save the day? When Chris means to clear the house of its malicious vermin, does that include Carol? This little pot of horrors is the perfect addendum to Halloween.
Julius Caesar
October 27–November 10
Houston Grand Opera
Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas
George Frideric Handel goes to Hollywood in this inventive ’30s Deco production from James Robinson and his ace team: Christine Jones (sets), James Schuette (costumes), and Christopher Akerlind (lighting). Handel’s most accessible Baroque opera seria (1724) is full of political intrigue, bedroom romps, and those marvelously fluid arias that “the sublime Saxon” could pen in his sleep. Written for
Always a Great Experience
2550 S. State Highway 237 SEPTEMBER 16-30 roundtopcompound.com
Top Dealers in four Big Barns & the Gazebo • Free Entry & Parking Dining by Simply D’Lish & Picnic on the Green \ Wine & Margarita Bar \ Live Music
Join us on one or moreSouthern Nights Chef-created dining experiences on September 21, 26 , 27, 28th by fabulous Houston restauranteurs including State Fare Kitchen & Bar and ARMANDOS Tickets & Info online.
And, don’t miss listening to and meeting celebrity designers Carson Kressley, Kathryn M. Ireland, Beth Webb & Houston’s own Aaron Rambo. Symposium and Book Signings Sept 27, 3:00 pm by Julie Dodson/Dodson Interiors benefiting area animal shelters.Ticketed Cocktails & Dinner by ARMANDOS follow. Info & Reservations roundtopcompound.com TM
Tennis legends Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King
Fall arts Preview
continued from previous page
superstar castrato Senesino, the role of Caesar is treacherously beautiful, with its eight separate arias and two recitatives. It’s all over the map, and international opera phenom Anthony Roth Costanzo is just the guy we’ve been waiting to hear. Up-and-comer coloratura soprano Heidi Stober will no doubt join the pantheon after her debut as sultry Cleopatra. And as if more feathers needed to be flown from the Houston Grand Opera’s tricorn, the cast includes Stephanie Blythe as Cornelia, widow of Pompey, and male soprano David Daniels as Ptolemy, Cleo’s treacherous brother. All this is set on a movie soundstage with echoes of DeMille, Lubitsch, and Busby Berkeley. What a cast! What a show!
Some Enchanted Evening
October 28
Houston Chamber Choir
Miller Outdoor Theatre
6000 Hermann Park Drive
Sometimes you just can’t get enough Broadway show tunes. Our Bayou City’s oldest professional chorus supplies the alfresco pizzazz, you supply the bug spray. The history of the American musical, from Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s historic Showboat (1927), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel (1945), through Lin-Manuel Miranda’s current blockbuster Hamilton (2015), with its historic ticket prices, will come wafting over the great lawn and guarantee to conjure up the sparkle, the glitter, and the glory of the Great White
Way. If a wayward Life Flight helicopter flies overhead, pretend it’s from Miss Saigon.
Escape to Margaritaville
October 31–November 5
Broadway Across America
Hobby Center, 800 Bagby
Want laid-back entertainment, you Parrotheads—no doubt lubricated by ice-cold alcohol-infused drinks with umbrellas sticking in them? Does anyone portray this islander laissez-faire lifestyle any better than Carib-esque crooner Jimmy Buffett? Yes, men in ponytails and Hawaiian shirts also will be plentiful in this escapist show with book (?) by Greg Garcia (My Name Is Earl ) and Mike O’Malley (Shameless). Don’t look for O’Neill or Albee here on the islands, just shameless fun and infectious musical numbers given pagan life by Tony-winning director Christopher Ashley (Come From Away) and choreographer Kelly Devine ( Rock of Ages). Hey, it’s always five o’clock somewhere.
The Sonic Life of a Giant Tortoise: Youth Is Not the Only Thing That’s Sonic
November 3–18
Horse Head Theatre, 1506 Lorraine Street Japanese playwright Toshiki Okada is a rarity in Houston theater (hell, he’s a rarity in almost any theater), so we’re pleased to see Horse Head Theatre present him to us. He’s been called the “Thornton Wilder for the Google generation” (whatever that means), although Wilder constantly broke the fourth wall with his universal humanism. Be careful what you
wish for, Okada implies with a wink—what you long for is actually out there, lying in wait for the five restless shape-shifting and genderbending characters. Comfortable and without drama in their lives, they hope for more. In only 65 minutes, everything will be different. Well, they asked for it.
Italian Sirens
November 12
Ars Lyrica Houston Hobby Center, 800 Bagby
Now here’s something you don’t hear every day: music from 17th-century female composers. Leave it to artistic director Matthew Dirst to unearth these forgotten gems from Isabella Leonarda, Francesca Caccini, and Barbara Strozzi. Singer and composer Strozzi wrote mainly secular pieces that immediately set her apart from composers who were elbowing each other for attention in church. One of the most prolific composers of the Baroque era, Leonarda has the singular distinction of writing everything while a member of the Ursuline Convent in Novaro, where she was prioress and mother superior. Caccini is known as the first woman opera composer (The Liberation of Ruggiero, 1625) and highest-paid musician at the Medici court in Florence. All noteworthy women, to be sure.
On Your Feet!
November 21–26
Broadway at the Hobby Hobby Center, 800 Bagby
Meeting cute isn’t half as dramatic as almost dying cute, but this spirited backstage look at 1980s husband/wife dream-team Emilio and Gloria Estefan (including that car crash that almost put an end to it all) will satisfy any cravings you may harbor for times past. The Miami Sound Machine swept the charts in a crossover miracle. Salsa, conga, and gushy pop anthems abound in this formulaic jukebox musical, but its musical numbers, splashily augmented by Sergio Trujillo’s surging, pulsating dance moves, will certifiably win you over. “Look very closely at my face,” Emilio hisses at an unconvinced record producer who ➝
Welcome to Paradise
Broadway Across America’s production of Escape to Margaritaville comes to the Hobby Center in October. ( S ee below )
Wayback Machine
Broadway at the Hobby’s production of On Your Feet offers a behind-the-scenes look at Emilio and Gloria Estefan’s Miami Sound Machine.
Matthew Murphy
caused by an infection
IMPORTANT PATIENT INFORMATION
This is only a summary. See complete Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or by calling 1-844-722-8256. This does not take the place of talking with your doctor about your medical condition or treatment.
What Is Mytesi?
Mytesi is a prescription medicine used to improve symptoms of noninfectious diarrhea (diarrhea not caused by a bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on ART.
Do Not Take Mytesi if you have diarrhea caused by an infection. Before you start Mytesi, your doctor and you should make sure your diarrhea is not caused by an infection (such as bacteria, virus, or parasite).
Possible Side Effects of Mytesi Include:
• Upper respiratory tract infection (sinus, nose, and throat infection)
• Bronchitis (swelling in the tubes that carry air to and from your lungs)
• Cough
• Flatulence (gas)
• Increased bilirubin (a waste product when red blood cells break down)
For a full list of side effects, please talk to your doctor. Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or does not go away.
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.
Enough is Enough
Get relief. Pure and simple. Ask your doctor about Mytesi.
Mytesi (crofelemer):
• Is the only medicine FDA-approved to relieve diarrhea in people with HIV
• Treats diarrhea differently by normalizing the flow of water in the GI tract
• Has the same or fewer side effects as placebo in clinical studies
• Comes from a tree sustainably harvested in the Amazon Rainforest
What is Mytesi?
Mytesi is a prescription medicine that helps relieve symptoms of diarrhea not caused by an infection (noninfectious) in adults living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART).
Important Safety Information
Mytesi is not approved to treat infectious diarrhea (diarrhea caused by bacteria, a virus, or a parasite). Before starting you on Mytesi, your healthcare provider will first be sure that you do not have infectious diarrhea. Otherwise, there is a risk you would not receive the right medicine and your infection could get worse. In clinical studies, the most common side effects that occurred more often than with placebo were upper respiratory tract (sinus, nose, and throat) infection (5.7%), bronchitis (3.9%), cough (3.5%), flatulence (3.1%), and increased bilirubin (3.1%).
Should I Take Mytesi If I Am: Pregnant or Planning to Become Pregnant?
• Studies in animals show that Mytesi could harm an unborn baby or affect the ability to become pregnant
• There are no studies in pregnant women taking Mytesi
• This drug should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed
A Nursing Mother?
• It is not known whether Mytesi is passed through human breast milk
• If you are nursing, you should tell your doctor before starting Mytesi
• Your doctor will help you to decide whether to stop nursing or to stop taking Mytesi Under 18 or Over 65 Years of Age?
• Mytesi has not been studied in children under 18 years of age
• Mytesi studies did not include many people over the age of 65. So it is not clear if this age group will respond differently. Talk to your doctor to find out if Mytesi is right for you
What Should I Know About Taking Mytesi With Other Medicines?
If you are taking any prescription or over-the-counter medicine, herbal supplements, or vitamins, tell your doctor before starting Mytesi.
What If I Have More Questions About Mytesi?
For more information, please see the full Prescribing Information at Mytesi.com or speak to your doctor or pharmacist.
To report side effects or make a product complaint or for additional information, call 1-844-722-8256.
Houston’s Aaron Alon debuts film exploring gay teen suicide.
By Don Maines
Amovie-musical inspired in part by the 2010 suicide of gay 13-year-old Asher Brown will debut this month in Katy.
Bully, written and directed by gay Houstonian Aaron Alon, is about a fictional 14-year-old high school freshman named Sam Bradley, who gets roughed up by three classmates who call him a “faggot.” With their taunts still ringing in his ears, Sam rushes home and “shoots himself in the head with his father’s gun,” Alon says. Although Sam is the central character, he has only one line— actually, one word—in the entire film. “When people commit suicide, they lose their voice,” Alon says. “The movie becomes about all of these other people in the community, and how they react to Sam’s death. His parents, the bullies, school administrators, and others ask themselves, ‘What do we do in the wake of a suicide?’ The press even becomes a character in the film.”
Aaron Alon, below, began writing Bully in the wake of the high-profile suicide of gay Cypress teen Asher Brown in 2010. The film’s main character is Sam Bradley, above, who fatally shoots himself with his father’s gun.
be a film because the story I wanted to tell was on a larger level than just Houston.”
Alon says more than 100 people were involved in the making of Bully, including numerous Houston-area artists and students. With its budget expected to reach $35,000, the film has been paid for using private donations and grants from the Houston Arts Alliance and the John Steven Kellett Foundation. Once the film is finished in mid-September, Alon plans to enter it in film festivals for 2017–18.
Alon, 36, began writing Bully in 2011, the year after Asher’s high-profile suicide, which the teen’s parents said was in response to years of antigay bullying in northwest Houston’s CypressFairbanks school district. “It was so heartwrenching,” says Alon, a former music professor at Lone Star College-CyFair. “Asher Brown’s case was one of a number I studied, in addition to more evidence-based material. I wrote a draft as a stage musical, but I realized that it should
A South Florida native whose father was born and raised in Israel, Alon arrived in Houston in 2005 to study at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. “I moved a lot—16 times up to the present, including a year and a half in Israel when I was 6 or 7,” he says. “I completely fell in love with Houston, which is something I didn’t see coming.”
In late 2010, Alon co-founded Thunderclap Productions, a nonprofit dedicated to producing new, lesser-known, and under-performed plays, musicals, and screenplays. “We have a commitment to making the arts accessible to all patrons, and a special interest in producing works that
highlight issues of social justice and inequity,” says Alon, adding that Thunderclap produced Bully
Alon, who is currently a professor of music at Lone Star College-University Park, warns that Bully will be screened with a parental advisory due to its explicit content, and is not recommended for children. “The film, which is about an hour in length, contains strong language, violence, depictions of violence, and partial nudity that some may find objectionable,” he says. “Many people ask, ‘Why didn’t you make this more kidfriendly, to show it in schools?’”
Alon’s answer is two-fold: first, he says a truthful telling of the story demands mature content, and second, he believes some current anti-bullying messages “actually make a situation get worse.
“They teach bullies how to refine their actions,” he says.
Alon says he’ll explain this further in talkbacks following the screenings. The Katy screening’s talkback will be led by Allison Vogt, the director of sexual violence prevention and Title IX support at Rice University, who previously worked for the Montrose Center’s anti-violence program.
Don Maines is a regular contributor to Out Smart magazine.
Honoring Asher
disdains the band’s singing in English. “This is what an American looks like.” Big and brassy, too.
A Wynonna & The Big Noise Christmas
December 7
Society for the Performing Arts Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana
Just when I was wondering whatever happened to Wynonna Judd, one of my favorite country singers, here she comes (courtesy of Society for the Performing Arts) for a one-night-only concert. I don’t think there’s another living female singer in her league with such a resonant voice. Rich and chocolaty, her powerful belt is Merman-esque, if not operatic. She can growl like a rocker or purr like Fitzgerald. Unlike her mother, Naomi, I don’t believe Wynonna is a nasty woman. Her voice is too pure, her style too unique, her sassiness too down-home. Pumped by her band, The Big Noise (led by husband/manager/drummer Cactus Moser), Wynonna will shake it up for Christmas. Bring it on home, darlin’.
Hansel and Gretel
December 7–23
Rec Room Arts
100 Jackson Street
Sad to say, we missed Matt Hume’s innovative theater troupe’s inaugural productions The Rite of Spring and Dead Rock Star Sing-A-Long Club, so we don’t plan to miss this one. Amidst Mina Gaber’s wooded installation, Engelbert Humperdinck’s neo-Wagnerian 1893 fairy tale is ripe for the expressionist Hume treatment. When the thoroughly naughty Grimm Brothers’ youngsters wander into the woods, they meet the Sandman, the Dew Fairy, and their polar opposite, the Wicked Witch who wants nothing better than to turn the tasty kids into gingerbread. The witch is often played in bad drag, although the role was originally written for a female contralto. Humperdinck’s music is swellingly romantic, chromatic (thanks to his love of Wagner), and eminently singable. Next to Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Humperdinck’s festive opera is the perfect treat at Christmas. Why the Houston Grand Opera doesn’t program this—or Amahl, for heaven’s sake—for its annual family Christmas show is beyond me. Well, Rec Room Arts has, and we are greatly pleased.
D.L. Groover writes on the arts for the Houston Press , OutSmart magazine, Arts & Culture, and Dance Source Houston. He has received two national awards for his theater criticism from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia (AAN), and has previously won three statewide Lone Star Press awards for the same. He is co-author of the irreverent appreciation Skeletons from the Opera Closet (St. Martin’s Press), now in its fourth printing.
REDBUD GALLERY
By Gus Kopriva
From the Met to MFAH
Renowned photography curator Malcolm Daniel finds a home in Houston.
By Andrew Edmonson
by F. Carter Smith
Malcolm Daniel’s adventures as a curator have taken him from his native Baltimore to the grand galleries of Paris and Rome, the streets of Manhattan as an AIDS activist with ACT UP, and most recently to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH).
At MFAH, Daniel serves as the Gus and Lyndall Wortham Curator of Photography, nurturing and developing the institution’s renowned photography collection.
Along the way, Daniel spent 23 years in the august halls of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, America’s largest museum, where he rose to Curator in Charge of the Department of Photographs for nine years. During that time,
Exhibiting Excellence
Malcolm Daniel, a former ACT UP activist, is among the world’s preeminent scholars of 19th-century photography. He left New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to join the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in 2013.
he curated or co-curated some 25 exhibitions and emerged as one of the preeminent scholars of 19th-century photography.
But Daniel’s artistic passions aren’t limited to the distant past. He has championed the work of such exciting living artists as Vera Lutter and Fazal Sheikh. MFAH is a beneficiary of his relationship with Sheikh, whose stunning exhibition Homelands and Histories: The Photography of Fazal Sheikh is on view through October 1. It celebrates the museum’s acquisition of 75 images by the American-born photographer who possesses a piercing ability to capture the dignity and beauty of refugees trapped in extremis
Daniel made the decision to come to Houston in 2013 to succeed Anne Wilkes Tucker, the revered founding curator of MFAH’s photography department. Tucker spent four decades building the nascent collection from 141 pieces upon her arrival in 1976 to over 29,000 items by the time she retired in 2015.
“Anne Tucker and I were speaking about her future plans, and she indicated that she wanted to retire, but couldn’t unless a worthy successor were found,” recalls MFAH director Gary Tinterow, who worked with Daniel for two decades at The Met. “‘There is only one person in the world, and he isn’t available,’ she said. I responded, ‘Well, let me give it a try.’”
Photo
Clairvoyant Tarot READINGS by
Tinterow says Daniel makes an exceptional curator because, in addition to expertise in his particular field, he has a genuine curiosity about all art. “He is an esteemed scholar, a fine writer, and an excellent mentor to junior colleagues,” Tinterow says. “He believes in his profession and he believes in the public. Confident in his abilities, comfortable in his skin, he is at the same time modest and very, very funny.”
Art, Activism, and Love
As a double major at Trinity College in Connecticut, where he studied studio art and art history, Daniel got to spend a semester in Rome. “That experience of studying art history by standing in front of great works of art, rather than looking at 35mm slides or blackand-white reproductions in books, was really transformative,” he says. “Over the years, the more great art that I saw, the more humble I became about the work that I created. So that pushed me more and more toward art history.” Daniel went on to complete his doctorate at Princeton University, where he became interested in 19th-century France while studying under professor Tom Crow. He later sought to combine this interest with the excitement he felt in photography history seminars taught by Peter Bunnell. “As it turned out, that was a fortuitous path to follow,” he says. “In 19thcentury painting, you can spend years reading what other scholars have already written about the great artists. Then, if you’re smarter than everyone else in the past 100 years, maybe you’ll have a little something to add. In the history of photography, there were 19th-century artists of the first rank about whom virtually nothing had been written. Much research still remains to be done, and so there’s an exciting sense of discovery.”
In 1988 and ’89, Daniel spent a year in Paris, researching for his dissertation on Édouard Baldus, the French photographer of landscape and architecture.
In September 1989, Daniel returned to the U.S., settling in New York to dive into the work of the activist group ACT UP, where he met his future husband, Darryl Morrison. Daniel recalls that Morrison was selling T-shirts at the entrance of the Gay and Lesbian Center on 13th Street. “I asked him, ‘Are new people supposed to go someplace special?’” Daniel says. “He responded with something funny like, ‘At a certain point in the meeting, they’ll take you off the floor for the initiation ritual.’ And I said to myself, ‘He’s cute.’”
For the next few months, Daniel says, he and Morrison would exchange glances across the room, catching each other looking “like we were in fourth grade.” Finally, they ended up next to each other at a planning meeting for a “Stop the Church” action at St. Patrick’s From
Cathedral. “We introduced ourselves shyly, gave each other a tiny little kiss, and decided to be marshal buddies for the ‘Stop the Church’ action,” Daniel says. “By the end of the month, we were together. That was 1989, and we’ve been together since.”
As a member of ACT UP, Daniel says he found “an amazing sense of empowerment and community.
“Although I was out as a gay man, it was the first time that I really felt that,” he says. “I got arrested only once with a couple of other activists, one of whom was the daughter of William Kunstler, the famous lawyer for the Chicago Seven and the Catonsville Nine. So the moment he showed up, we were all released. There were many people who did a lot more daring and important things than I did. I was a foot soldier, at most.”
When they relocated to Houston in 2013, Daniel and Moore found a home in west Montrose and adopted a three-month-old terrier mix from the SPCA named “HOW-ston”— pronounced in the way that New Yorkers refer to Houston Street in the SoHo neighborhood (SoHo being the local shorthand for “South of Houston”).
quarter-century on giving voices to marginalized and displaced peoples. He spends time getting to know the communities he photographs, asking for their permission and collaboration. “The pictures that he makes take some of those very large issues—refugees, Muslims and the West, women’s rights—and brings them down to a very personal, compelling level,” Daniel says. “Instead of thinking about ‘Afghan refugees,’ you’re looking at a specific person who has a name and a particular story, and it’s impossible not to relate to them on a human level. That’s what makes the pictures so special.”
Focused on Humanity Daniel recently prepared an exhibition featuring the work of photographer Fazal Sheikh. The exhibition continues through October 1.
For the first 12 years Daniel and Morrison were together, they lived in a 330-squarefoot fifth-floor walk-up apartment in SoHo. After 9/11, they moved to a larger apartment on the Upper West Side. Although it was nice by New York standards, their Houston home is two to three times larger. “Our roof deck here is bigger than our old SoHo apartment,” he says. “We have found Houston to be a warm and welcoming place. Here in Houston as well as in New York, I always introduce Darryl as my husband; we’re married now. No one has ever responded any way except warmly and positively.
“Statewide politics appall us, of course,” he adds. “To go from having Chuck Schumer as your senator to Ted Cruz is definitely going from one extreme to another. But Houston’s another story.”
‘Building on the Bookends’
For the first part of 2017, Daniel focused intently on preparing an exhibition surveying 25 years of the work of photographer Fazal Sheikh, whom he met at Princeton in the 1980s. “Fazal Sheikh is an incredibly sensitive portraitist and master photographic printer,” Daniel says. “He’s one of the best human beings that I know. I think that comes through in his work.”
Daniel says Sheikh has focused for the last
Currently, Daniel is putting the finishing touches on a retrospective of the distinguished American photographer David Levinthal, which opens at MFAH on October 14 and runs through February 18, 2018. Levinthal first came to Daniel’s attention through a book he did with Garry Trudeau called Hitler Moves East. “They look like photos taken by Robert Capa, taken in the heat of battle, but they’re all G.I. Joe pictures taken on the tabletop,” Daniel says. “In a certain way, the photos are about space toys, cowboys and Indians, G.I. Joes, and Barbies. But equally, they are pictures about pictures. Our experience of World War II isn’t shaped by an actual experience, but by photojournalism, documentary film, and Hollywood movies. Our perception of it has been shaped by popular culture and media.”
Daniel is also devoting considerable energy to expanding the museum’s photography collection for the 2019 opening of the new Nancy and Rich Kinder Building, the crown jewel of MFAH’s $450 million campus transformation project. The facility, designed by Steven Holl Architects, will showcase the museum’s collection of 20th- and 21st-century art.
Daniel says Tucker, his predecessor, created a world-class 20th-century collection with broad international representation, from European modernism to Japanese postwar photography. Now, he’s “building on the bookends” by strengthening MFAH’s 19th-century materials while also focusing on its 21st-century collection.
“With the opening of the Kinder Building, I want to make sure that we have the kind of contemporary photographs that can play a significant role [alongside] painting and sculpture and other media that will be represented in the new building,” he says.
Andrew Edmonson won the Award of Special Merit from the Texas Chapter of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.
No Drama ...Just Results
Faith and Pride Sean McGlasson (l) and Erum Rani are among the co-founders of the Iftikhar Community of Texas, based at the Montrose Center.
Queering Islam
Houston group offers LGBTQ Muslims a safe space and a political voice.
By Josh Inocéncio
Photo by Ashkan Image
After attending a California retreat for Muslims who identify as lesbian, Erum Rani wondered why there wasn’t a group for queer followers of Islam in the Lone Star State.
Earlier this year, along with fellow Houstonians Naushaba Patel and Sean McGlasson, Rani founded the Iftikhar Community of Texas. “‘Iftikhar’ means ‘pride’ in Arabic,” Rani explains. “As I went through the Quran to find a group name, I wanted a word that uplifted queer Muslims. We want to emphasize the love of Islam.”
In 2014, following the National LGBTQ Task Force’s Creating Change conference in Houston, McGlasson formed a private Facebook group as a safe space for queer Muslims. He has since merged that Facebook group with Iftikhar, which pivoted toward a more public profile with its celebration of Ramadan this summer.
The Iftikhar Community of Texas, based at the Montrose Center, offers a place where queer Muslims—and particularly those still closeted to their families—can be open. However, Iftikhar’s leaders have also incorporated activism into their mission. “Because the group is more public now, it has the ability to change a lot of minds,” Patel says. “It’s an opportunity to collaborate with other LGBTQ organizations, religious communities, and Arab groups. We want more visibility.”
Rani, Patel, and McGlasson, who’ve all had to reconcile their faith with their sexuality, agree on one thing about Islam: homophobia lies within Islamic cultural mores, but not in the religion itself.
McGlasson, a white gay man and former Catholic, converted to Islam when he was 19 after studying the Quran. “I grew up around an extended Muslim family, and I had lot of Muslim friends at school,” he recalls. “Basically, I was curious about the Quran. So I started reading it, and it’s hard to explain, but I realized this was for me. Around the same time, I was also coming to terms with being gay. That was a struggle, but I never felt that God hated
me.” Although he doesn’t think Islam’s sacred text is antigay, McGlasson says he’s faced challenges from followers of Islam who believe homosexuality is sinful. He adds that it was harder coming out to his mother as a Muslim than as gay.
While the Quran has several passages that depict homosexuality, the meaning of the verses is subject to interpretation and debate. There’s a story about Sodom and Gomorrah, but just as in the Bible, the narrative centers around a gang rape and the sin of being inhospitable—not the morality of consensual gay sex. As Christopher van der Krogt, a history lecturer at the University of Massey, notes, “In practice, homosexual encounters, including with young male prostitutes, seem to have been quite common in Islamic societies. They were no more or less a cause for moralistic concern than other forms of illicit sex.”
Indeed, a recent Pew Center poll noted that U.S. Muslims are more accepting of homosexuality than Christian evangelicals. Nevertheless, stigmas about gay Muslims persist.
Patel and Rani are both Pakistani immigrants who had struggled with conservative Muslim communities in Houston during adolescence. “Originally, I was just going to give in to the arranged-marriage pressures to make my parents happy,” Patel says, recalling how nonchalant she was about the Pakistani custom at first.
While studying for her master’s degree in New York City, Patel began exploring her sexuality. “I remember sitting in a class and learning how everything is on a spectrum. And I realized I must be, too,” she says.
Patel decided to utilize her science background and test her sexuality by dating three men and three women. “I’m a researcher,” she says, eliciting chuckles from Rani and McGlasson. “At first, I was 15 percent bisexual, but then I kept moving further along the Kinsey Scale. For all intents and purposes now, I’m same-gender loving,” Patel says.
“Reconciling my faith with Islam has never been a difficult thing for me,” Patel adds. “But
it’s still really difficult with my parents. We don’t really talk about it. I think they’re most anxious about [the reaction from our] extended family in Pakistan.”
Rani, whose father served as president of the Islamic Society of Houston, says she was in the public eye with her family. “I knew who I was at an early age, but I didn’t know how to tell my parents,” she says. “I was in Pakistan when I officially came out to my father. He told me he would love me, no matter what.”
Now that Patel, Rani, and McGlasson have made their LGBTQ group more public, they’re ready to proudly represent their faith and their sexualities. During Ramadan, they hosted an event at the Montrose Center involving food and prayer. Eid, which refers to the end of Ramadan when followers break their fasts, coincided with Pride weekend in Houston. “[Ramadan] is the month during which the Quran was revealed,” Patel says, reflecting on the significance of aligning their public “coming out” with the Islamic holiday. “For me, it’s a month to be more conscious of who I am as a person, and to live more charitably.”
Amid its celebrations, the Iftikhar group has faced backlash from conservative Muslims in Houston. After Iftikhar leaders joined a large Houston-area Muslim group on Facebook, one of them shared an article on a gay Muslim wedding that took place in the United Kingdom. “The post blew up and got more than 1,000 comments,” McGlasson says. “The backlash was largely based on misconceptions on what homosexuality is. But we were just making a point that there are queer Muslims, that we’re here, and that we deserve respect. Just from saying that, we got mostly negative reactions. People told us we were an oxymoron, that we were sinful, that we were pedophiles.”
Rani anticipated the vicious backlash, and was glad that McGlasson handled the group’s response on Facebook. “I’m not sure if I’m mentally ready for all that negativity from our own [Muslim] community,” she says.
But in addition to the criticism, Iftikhar has also received immense support from
Queering islam
continued from previous page
Refusing to Hide Iftikhar co-founder Nashauba Patel gave a speech against Islamophobia during the Equality March in Austin in June.
non-queer Muslims. In fact, the Iftikhar Facebook page jumped from 85 likes to 700 within a week, and LGBTQ Muslims who didn’t know about the group were able to connect after seeing the post about the gay wedding. Even though Iftikhar is based in Houston, the group now has followers from Austin, Dallas, and Beaumont. The diversity of members across the LGBTQ spectrum has increased, too, with more transgender and genderqueer people.
Buoyed by this support, Iftikhar’s leaders are motivated to move the group forward with further political appearances and community events.
The group’s main concern, however, is the increased Islamophobia that all Muslims have endured since President Trump’s election last November. Patel’s parents even wondered whether they should leave the U.S. and return to Pakistan, fearing violence from fellow Americans.
But the Iftikhar leaders, while shaken by Trump’s rise and his extreme policies, remain undaunted. Before they formalized the public group, they appeared at the 2016 Republican primary debate at the University of Houston with signs to protest then-candidate Trump and his Islamophobic rhetoric. They also participated in the airport protests after Trump announced his first Muslim ban in January. And in June, they were at the Equality March in Austin where Patel gave a speech against Islamophobia in front of the capitol.
In short, these Iftikhar Community of Texas leaders are ready to take on any criticism, whether it be from Muslims, LGBTQ people, or Islamophobes.
“I don’t just want tolerance, I want celebration,” Patel says. “I don’t want to be treated like a second-class citizen. I’m not doing anything sinful. I’m a good person.”
To learn more about the group, visit Facebook.com/IftikharCommunityofTexas.
Josh Inocéncio is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
His Adopted Mission
Gay meteorologist Frank Billingsley went looking for his biological parents. You’ll be surprised at what he found.
By Kim Hogstrom
Photo by Ashkan Image
For 22 years, KPRC-TV chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley has amassed fans while sharing good news and bad with Houstonians regarding our unpredictable weather.
Billingsley’s calm, gentle, reassuring demeanor helped millions of us through the fallout of Tropical Storm Allison and the widespread devastation of Hurricane Harvey. We needed him.
And who can forget that it was Billingsley who spent six hours in a chopper flying over Galveston to relieve our fears after Hurricane Ike? He even helped determine the condition of individual homes for distressed call-in viewers live, on the air. He was not only a meteorologist that day, but a caring, compassionate member of our “Houston family.”
Can a human being really be so nice?
A tall, handsome man with sparkling blue eyes, blonde-ish hair, and a quick wit, Billingsley could easily have become just another celebrity douche bag, stewing in rancid memories of childhood injustices and abandonment. He is anything but, and he has a new book to prove it.
Billingsley recently published Swabbed and Found, a memoir about his grueling search for his biological family. In addition to being an out-and-honest gay man, he’s an out-andhonest adopted person.
Even for those who were not adopted, the author’s emotional generosity makes Swabbed and Found a page-turner, complete with entertaining chapter titles (such as “My Walk-in Closet” and “Numb and Numb-er.”)
Identity crisis
Born in 1960 in Arkansas and reared in Alabama, Billingsley says his salt-of-the-earth adoptive parents, Jim and Pat Billingsley, never made his adoption a secret.
Several times he posed the question: “Mom, what would I be like if I were your real son?” Pat Billingsley always gave the same answer. “Not as good,” she would say. “Not as good.” Still, it was difficult. Adopted children often see themselves as different and feel the need to be perfect to earn their place in the family. Billingsley faced a double-edged sword. As he grew older, he started to feel different in other ways feelings he resisted.
“I was busy being the best all-round boy,” he says. “Being gay was an added element, for sure. People who don’t understand that being gay is biological, and not a choice, sometimes turn to parenting as the explanation. I didn’t want my parents to go through that. I think
that’s why I didn’t come out to them until I was 27 years old.”
Curiosity was never far from the young man’s side. Billingsley once asked his mother to describe his biological parents. Pat Billingsley told him that his biological mother was very pretty, and that his biological father was an athlete. “As time went on, I wrapped my genetic identity in my mom’s little story and moved forward with my life,” he says.
‘Aisle Be There’
The image of a pretty mom and an athletic dad sustained Billingsley for years until it didn’t. In 2013, his dear friend and coworker Dominque Sachse shared a story about an adopted man who found his biological parents through DNA testing. The pilot light was lit.
Soon after, Billingsley took the first swab of the inside of his cheek and sent it off to a DNA matching service. He also started to learn all he could about DNA the 23 pairs of chromosomes that serve as a genetic map of every human being.
Results from the testing trickled in, often leaving Billingsley with many questions. Still, it was more information than he had previously, and dead-end rabbit holes didn’t deter him.
The handsome weatherman has been in a relationship with the love of his life, Kevin Gilliard, since 1995. One of my favorite chapters in Swabbed and Found is “Aisle Be There.” It’s the story of the couple’s wedding in New York in 2012. “We like to think we put the ‘Man’ in Manhattan,” Billingsley says.
Again, the author writes with beautiful honestly about the joy of that event, beginning with the start of the couple’s relationship and their journey to a marriage that they were never certain would happen in the U.S.
KPRC reported the wedding on the air, showing photos of the happy grooms. Billingsley lost 500 Facebook friends overnight. A week later, he’d gained thousands more.
Connecting the dots
I won’t reveal the outcome of Billingsley’s search for his genetic background, other than to say he has identified 17,538 family connections and several ethnicities. I will share some details about his biological mother and his journey to meet her, because it reveals so much about him.
Susan, his biological mother, was 19 and unwed when she gave birth to Billingsley, the result of a one-night stand. After delivering Frank, Susan was encouraged by doctors to “put the birth behind her.” She did just that.
When Billingsley finally found her, she was living in Arkansas and married to a man who knew nothing about him. The couple had no children.
Susan was also a rigidly religious Christian, a Tea Party patriot, and an Obama “birther.” Susan’s biological sister described her as “a person without a liberal bone in her body, who tends to judge others.” It was not the portrait of a woman who would likely embrace a long-lost gay son.
Love Wins
After KPRC reported on Billingsley’s 2012 marriage to Kevin Gilliard (r), he lost 500 Facebook followers overnight. A week later, he’d gained thousands more.
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His Adopted Mission
continued from previous page
As one would guess, Susan was not happy to hear from Billingsley when he first called her. But he gently persisted in trying to meet, which must have taken courage.
He also learned something of his birth mother’s own challenges during his search. Susan’s life had been riddled with hardship, poverty, abandonment, cruelty, and loss. She, too, was born out of wedlock, but was eventually abandoned by her family as a “bastard.”
Billingsley, accompanied by Guillard, finally met Susan in the Little Rock airport. Having watched KPRC’s coverage of Billingsley’s wedding online, she already knew he was gay.
“At least I didn’t have to come out to a family for a second time,” he says with a smile.
The meeting was warm and welcomed, and the three of them embraced in long hugs. Susan has Billingsley’s sparking blue eyes, and a heart that was clearly full of longing and love for him.
After a gracious lunch and honest conversation, Susan took Billingsley’s hand. “I’m worried about when we die,” she said, looking into his face. “I will go to heaven and you will go to hell. That’s what the Bible says, and I don’t want to lose you again.”
Did Billingsley throw something at the woman who had abandoned him 50-plus years earlier? He considered it. Then he remembered
Reunited at Last Billingsley is shown with his mother, Susan (l), and aunt, Janie.
that Susan’s life had been rife with loss. He chose to look at her through the prism of the traumas she had endured. It was an act of unbelievable compassion.
Today, Billingsley enjoys a warm relationship with Susan. He says that moment of hurt as well as his years of searching were both worth it.
What did he learn from it all?
“I learned that most of us are related,” he
says. “I learned that we share 99.5 percent of our DNA. I think that if everyone realized how connected we all are that we are all related we would be a lot kinder to one another.”
On a journey so life-altering, there were sure to be some disappointments.
“I had to give up my fantasy of being born under a rainbow, the product of two unicorns,” Billingsley says. “If an adopted person enters the search with the thought that he or she might be a Kennedy or a Rockefeller, well, good luck with that.”
And there is one more thing Billingsley learned. He discovered he’s very distantly related to his husband, Kevin Gilliard. It was destiny after all.
Swabbed and Found will launch at Barnes & Noble in the River Oaks Shopping Center on October 7. Visit frankbillingsley.com for a signed/inscribed copy. The book will be available on Amazon and the Barnes & Noble website October 1. The cost is $24.95.
Kim Hogstrom is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
Frank Billingsley will sign copies of his book, Swabbed & Found, on September 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Urban Eats, 3414 Washington Ave. in Houston.
Sponsored by O UTSMART magazine and Urban Eats, the book-signing will
PATRICIO
After ‘After Hours’
Houston’s 30-year-old late-night LGBTQ radio show goes off the air.
By Andrew Edmonson
It’s the end of an era for LGBTQ radio in Houston. After a glorious, freewheeling three-decade run, After Hours—the local late-night queer institution—will celebrate a bittersweet milestone. On September 9, which marks its 30th anniversary, the show will sign off the air for the last time.
With its sassy tag line, “Queer Radio with Attitude,” After Hours won a devoted following with its queer variety-show format—a unique mix of music, news, chat, risqué antics, gossip, and above all, activism. Beginning in 1987, the program reigned supreme on the airwaves of KPFT 90.1, Houston’s left-leaning Pacifica outlet, in the wee hours of Sunday morning. It entertained club-goers tuning in for the latest dance mixes on their way home from the bars. It educated its fans about the LGBTQ community’s many nonprofit and social organizations. And it reached out with special compassion to isolated, closeted listeners who were not yet ready to come out, but wanted to vicariously experience the panoply of queer life in Houston.
Over the years, the program’s hosts threw their studio doors open to welcome many groups— ranging from Hatch Youth to the proponents of Pagan Pride, from denizens of the International Mr. Leather contest to titleholders from the Empire of the Royal Sovereign and Imperial Court of the Single Star. Along the way, After Hours blazed a trail by frankly discussing HIV and safer sex on the radio at the height of the AIDS crisis, back when such candor was considered controversial.
It also provided a media platform for transgender Houstonians 20 years before the mainstream media began to take note of their
movement. Trans activists Sarah DePalma, Vanessa Edwards Foster, and Monica Roberts all served as cohosts of the broadcast from the mid-1990s to 2001. “Jimmy Carper on his After Hours show was practicing intersectionality and inclusion during a time when it wasn’t cool in some quarters of this community to do and practice that value,” Roberts wrote on her blog, TransGriot, in 2014.
On July 8, when executive producer and host Chris Arasin announced the end of the show, it provoked an emotional outpouring of responses on Facebook. “After Hours was the voice I heard through the radio when I was just
Radio Activists
After Hours founder Buddy Johnson (l), shown with former host Jimmy Carper, says he started the show in 1987 because the LGBTQ community needed a voice in the midst of the AIDS crisis. Below, representatives from After Hours marched in the 1988 Pride parade, carrying a banner with the show’s early tagline, “Radio celebrating life from the heart of Montrose.”
trying to understand myself at 16,” posted Tim Bratcher, a Conroe native who now lives in Dallas. “In a world where gays weren’t talked about and the Internet did not yet exist, it was the voice in the darkness for me when I was a child. It was my very own ‘It Gets Better’ every Saturday night. And I am thrilled that it has persisted so long.”
For noted LGBTQ historian JD Doyle, the show had a profound impact. “I got my start by Jimmy Carper inviting me on the show to play queer music back in late 1999. It was a major turning point in my life, for which I’m ever grateful. For so, so many, this show was a lifeline.” His experience on After Hours ultimately led to the creation of his acclaimed website, Queer Music Heritage, a nationally respected resource for LGBTQ history and culture.
After Hours had its twohour debut at 2 a.m. on Sunday, September 6, 1987—initially on a two-month trial basis. “We started this show because LGBT people were hurting and needed a voice. All our friends were dying of AIDS,” After Hours founder Buddy Johnston says.
“I thought the show would last about 15 minutes,” Johnston adds. “I was terrified. But I always thought it would be a big ➝
After ‘After Hours’ continued from previous page
deal as an openly gay man doing a radio show in the middle of the night.”
Johnston, who served as executive producer and host of the show for its first four years, was an unlikely trailblazer. At that time, he was employed as a dispatcher by the Houston Police Department and was deep in the closet. But his newfound radio gig (and blunt outspokenness on the air) quickly earned him notoriety.
“Since I was on a 100,000-watt stereo radio station screaming ‘I’m here and queer,’ it was sort of hard to stay in the closet,” he explained to the Houston Voice in a 1994 profile. After coming out, he went on to be elected president of the Houston Police Support Personnel Union, which he led for several years.
From the start, he was wise enough to recruit a cadre of dedicated volunteers for the show. Longtime volunteer Judy Reeves, a moving force behind the Gulf Coast Archive and Museum, still saddles up on Saturday nights at midnight to welcome guests and continue the three-decade party that she has helped to host.
At the heart of the enterprise was beloved community volunteer Jimmy Carper, who served for 23 years as executive producer and host after Johnston left the show in 1991. Named male grand marshal of Houston’s Pride parade in 1997, Carper was a tireless and exuberant champion of LGBTQ rights, thriving in the face of HIV with resilience, grit, and campy gay humor that endeared him to his listeners. He hosted the show until several weeks before his death in 2014.
Carper nurtured other talent such as current executive producer Chris Arasin, who began listening to the program as a teen in the Houston suburbs. Arasin later joined After Hours as a production assistant, and has helmed the show for the last three years, working with a dedicated team that includes Wes Lavergne, Papa Merlyn, Jose Galvan, and Mark Sauer. Over the last three decades, Arasin calculates that the all-volunteer team has programmed and hosted 1,500 episodes ranging in length from two to three hours each.
It was Arasin, in consultation with his team of volunteers, who decided to bring the show to its conclusion. “The airwaves are a precious resource, and even more so on a community radio station where the funding comes from listeners instead of corporate advertisers,” he observed in a Facebook post. “At the end of [each] show, I have a long drive home and think about the show we just put on and I wonder, more often than not, did we put on a program that was worthy of the gift of the airwaves?
“We have had a lot of shows lately that really have been lacking in quality. We have noticed, and some of the listeners have noticed as well,” Arasin added. “For the past year, we
have asked the listeners for suggestions for programs and solicited new voices to come on the show, all to no avail. So we decided it was time to step aside and let someone else get the opportunity to speak to whatever community they are a part of, and [give them] a chance to thrive.”
Arasin and his team are looking at options for extending the After Hours brand after its final broadcast show on September 9 by promoting music on its Facebook page and possibly producing a podcast. “It is understandable for people to feel they must move on,” observed Deborah Moncrief Bell, a veteran lesbian activist who served for many years as cohost of KPFT’s other LGBTQ program, Queer Voices “I am sure After Hours will be missed, leaving a vacuum—but perhaps it will open doors to something else. It is a different world than it was 30 years ago. We aren’t done by any means. Just think of the hundreds of people who have sat at those mics through the years—the music, all the volunteers (both on-air and behind the scenes), and the laughter.”
Andrew Edmonson is a member of the board of directors of The Oral History Project, which is chronicling Houston’s response to the AIDS crisis.
This article drew significantly on the research done by LGBTQ historian JD Doyle and the website houstonlgbthistory.org, which he curates.
‘A Renewed Call to Action’
As Lesbian Health Initiative marks 25 years, founders fear impact of Obamacare repeal.
By Marene Gustin
Photo by Dalton DeHart
The year was 1992, and when it came to healthcare in the LGBTQ community, all the headlines and research funds were devoted to HIV and AIDS.
But some members of Lesbians in Business were meeting regularly at the Montrose bookstore Inklings, owned by activists Annise Parker and Pokey Anderson. As that core group talked about issues facing the community, one that stood out was the lack of access to healthcare for lesbians, particularly those battling breast cancer.
“It was just a radical idea, helping lesbians access healthcare,” says Aurora Harris, who would become Lesbian Health Initiative’s second full-time staff member and second director. Although Harris left LHI earlier this year after the organization partnered with the Montrose Center—a move that allows it to provide more services to the community—she still serves as a volunteer.
This month, LHI will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a fundraiser hosted by the Executive and Professional Association of Houston.
Naushaba Patel, LHI’s current director, says the fundraiser will include over 100 prominent community members, and has already raised more than $10,000—with more pledges to come. “I’m so excited,” Patel says. “It’s going to be a celebration of LHI’s 25 years of serving the health needs of the most vulnerable in Houston’s LGBT community.”
From the early lesbian health fairs LHI hosted to the landmark study it co-sponsored with the Montrose Center, “ Healthcare Needs Assessment for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Women,” the organization has been a mainstay in promoting research and access to healthcare for Houston’s LGBTQ community. “I had
never heard of anything like it,” Harris says. “It was very exciting to be involved in it.”
Harris worked under and eventually succeeded Liz James, the organization’s first full-time staff member. “I could not have accomplished what I did without the help of Aurora [Harris] and Ann Pinchak, who was president of the board at that time,” James says. “Nothing in my life was like being a part of LHI.”
James had a longtime career in high-tech business development before deciding to make a life change and join the nonprofit world. She took some classes at Rice University while volunteering at various small nonprofits in Houston. “I started volunteering with LHI in 2010, doing their books for them,” she explains.
“I was a lesbian, and I was without insurance, so I could relate,” she says, adding that she was also a cancer survivor.
Back then, LHI was an all-volunteer nonprofit. “One day I quipped to Ann [Pinchak], ‘Have you ever thought of hiring an executive director?’” The next thing James knew, she
became the first full-time employee at LHI in 2011, with the title of CEO. She stepped down in December 2015 after bringing on Harris and greatly expanding the organization’s reach.
“The reality is, LGBT folks are disenfranchised from healthcare, and there is an enormous need for organizations like LHI in ‘the alphabet community,’” James says.
Indeed, LHI’s own research shows there are 100,000 self-identified LGBTQ individuals and their families with no health insurance in greater Houston. Lesbians and transgender men are at an increased risk for heart disease and cancers including breast, cervical, lung, and colorectal. And even those with insurance face a medical community that sometimes lacks basic knowledge about their needs.
Medical students receive an average of only five hours of training on LGBTQ health issues. Among the services LHI provides is education for healthcare professionals. The organization also provides direct access to healthcare and engages in advocacy.
“When I started with LHI, you could ➝
Plenty of Initiative
Former Houston mayor Annise Parker (l) was a co-owner of the Montrose bookstore Inklings, where the Lesbian Health Initiative was founded in 1992. Parker is shown with Liz James, LHI’s first full-time employee, at the organization’s Valentine’s Day banquet in 2010.
Google ‘lesbian health funding,’ and there was very little,” James says. “That’s better now, but I could not have accomplished what I did without the Affordable Care Act. Most people think it subsidizes health insurance and protects pre-existing conditions, but it also set a nondiscrimination policy.”
Unfortunately, Republicans have been trying to repeal the ACA (often referred to as Obamacare) for seven years. Despite failed attempts this year in Congress to repeal and replace the act, president Donald Trump is now calling for a straight-up repeal with no replacement. “I think this is a renewed call to action,” James says. “We are even more vulnerable now.”
Harris is even more adamant. “This administration is very anti-LGBT,” she says. “Repeal would be devastating.”
What: Shout Out Loud for LHI, hosted by Executive and Professional Association of Houston (EPAH).
When: September 16, 7 to 11 p.m.
Where: Bradshaw-Carter, 1734 W. Alabama Tickets: montrosecenter.givezooks.com
Marene Gustin is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine. ‘A
Getting a Second Run
Gay 10K partners with Legacy, sees increase in signups for September race.
By Natalie Mink
One year ago, I accepted the challenge of participating in Houston’s first-ever Gay 10K. I ended up completing only the 5K, but it’s the effort that counts, right?
When I first heard about the Gay 10K, which celebrates and raises funds to support greater Houston’s LGBTQ community, I was ecstatic. But I was also apprehensive, due to my cerebral palsy and my general lack of knowledge about how to get ready for such an event.
After four months of working with a personal trainer, I finished the 2016 5K in an hour and 28 minutes. But this year, I feel I’m better prepared to conquer the streets of downtown Houston on September 23.
First, though, I sat down with Gay 10K cofounder Stephanie Warren to talk about what’s new with her second annual event. “There has been an overwhelming increase in sign-ups since last year, so that’s exciting,” says Warren, a social worker who has a passion for helping others.
Warren adds that unlike last year, when teams of participants could choose to represent individual organizations, the Gay 10K is partnering with Legacy Community Health as its charity sponsor. “It will be a lot more unified now because people will be running for a cause.”
The Gay 10K has also expanded its marketing, including a radio spot on KRBE 104.1 FM. On the night before last year’s Gay 10K, I was hit with an overwhelming fear that I would lag behind and be laughed at. But when I got into the crowds and saw how many people were just out there having fun, it changed my perspective. I think that’s what participating in an event like the Gay 10K is supposed to do—bring people together who have common interests.
I saw participants wearing tutus and Speedos, but there was no judgment. The energy during the race was unlike anything I had ever experienced. My legs felt like Jell-O by the end, but meeting so many great people made it all worth it. It didn’t feel like a competition, and I’m betting this year’s event will be no different.
With a motto of “One Love, One Finish,” the Gay 10K strives to welcome all—and organizers are proving that no matter where you are in life, you can participate.
One of the competitors this year will be Lindsey Reimer, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on July 6. Reimer is now cancer-free after undergoing treatment, and the Gay 10K is supplying her with a wheelchair from Orion EMS, one of the event’s sponsors.
Warren said she learned about Reimer through her partner, Ashley Burnaman. Burnaman used to run competitively, but stopped when life got in the way. Then she met Reimer, who took an interest in running and has already completed three 5Ks.
Due to their conflicting schedules, the couple hasn’t always been able to participate in events together. But despite Reimer’s cancer diagnosis, they never gave up on the Gay 10K.
One Love, One Finish O utSmart columnist Natalie Mink, below left, will again be competing in Houston’s Gay 10K, which was co-founded by Stephanie Warren, below right. Other participants in 2017 will include Lindsey Reimer, above right, who was recently diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Reimer is shown with her partner, Ashley Burnaman.
“This year, it just so happened we were going to be able to run the Gay 10K, and Lindsey was so happy because that was the race she was really wanting to run,” Burnaman says. “To be honest, our community is known for dancing, drinking, and the nightlife. But for some of us, we’ve already moved past that, and to be able to be a part of something that is so much more than that is amazing.”
What: The Gay 10K
When: September 23
Where: Fish Plaza, 501 Texas Avenue Details/Registration: thegay10k.com
Natalie Mink is a frequent contributor to OutSmart magazine.
‘We’ve Only Taken a Tiny Step Back’ Transgender
By Josh Inocéncio
Unity Banquet to celebrate 25 years of progress.
Photo by Dalton DeHart
In 1992, representatives from Houston’s sparring transgender groups met for dinner to discuss how to make peace with one another. That informal gathering gradually transformed into the annual Transgender Unity Banquet, which raises scholarship money for LGBTQ people and will celebrate its 25th anniversary on September 16 at the Houston Marriott North.
“The organization was formed because several transgender groups in Houston and Galveston had disagreed with each other and were not really getting along,” says Alexis Melvin, chair of the Unity Committee, which puts on the banquet. “They decided to all sit down and discuss the problems that were occurring. So they had a ‘unity’ dinner at a restaurant on the Gulf Freeway and worked a lot of things out.”
Jackie Thorne, a founding Unity member who was at the 1992 dinner, recalls that there was a single trans group in the 1980s, but it was open to both transgender people and cross-dressers who were mostly heterosexual and bisexual men. Then in the early 1990s when these two factions splintered, trans groups began focusing on how to make Houston safer for the community. This culminated
in the 1992 dinner. One task included finding bars where trans people could be open without harassment.
“We did our job too well,” Thorne says, noting that eventually people skipped some of the monthly events because they started feeling safer in a variety of places. “With Caitlyn Jenner, there’s not as much hostility and animosity toward the transgender community. There’s not the fear that there once was of going out in public.”
Although anti-trans violence and legislative attacks have spiked in the last few years, Melvin wants to keep the tone of this year’s banquet positive and focus on the community’s gains. She’s even optimistic that President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on trans military service members won’t last long.
“We’ve only taken a tiny step backward,” Melvin insists, referring to the anti-trans bathroom bills sweeping the nation. “Never before have we had major corporations supporting our views, never before have we had people in the Texas House and Senate supporting our views, and never before have we had people in the U.S. Congress supporting our views.”
Although speakers for this year’s banquet
Transcen-Dance
Despite recent political attacks, the annual Transgender Unity Banquet, shown in 2013, will focus on gains the community has made since it began in 1992.
had not been confirmed in mid-August, Melvin says their remarks will center on the progress that has been made. Kevin Anderson, founder and CEO of The T.R.U.T.H. Project, will serve as emcee for the banquet. The T.R.U.T.H. Project creates “social art that heals” for LGBTQ communities of color and their allies.
The banquet is now a fundraiser for LGBTQ scholarships for students in Houston and across Texas. The Unity Committee is part of the Transgender Foundation of America, where Melvin serves as treasurer. Throughout the year, the committee honors trans people who were killed in acts of anti-trans violence. The committee also participates in Houston Pride activities.
Melvin encourages people to buy tickets for the banquet as soon as possible. The event has become popular in the broader LGBTQ community and typically sells out.
“Everyone’s invited and always has a good time,” Melvin says.
For tickets, visit UnityBanquet.com.
Josh Inocéncio is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
Pitch Perfect
Gay activist Jim Sikorski has been performing the national anthem at Astros games for 37 years.
By Ryan M. Leach
Everyone at Minute Maid Park seems to know Jim Sikorski. From the ticket attendants to Houston Astros president Reid Ryan, they all greet him with excited smiles and warm handshakes.
Sikorski is a rare openly gay fixture in Major League Baseball, having regularly performed the national anthem before Astros games since 1980. “There have only been two seasons where I sang only once,” Sikorski says. “That was my first season in 1980, and then again in 2000 when they opened the new stadium. Everyone wanted to sing that year.”
Although many Astros fans are familiar with his bright tenor voice, they probably don’t realize that Sikorski is also a longtime LGBTQ
In addition to performing the national anthem at Astros games since 1980, Jim
activist, as well as a veteran actor who’s performed with the likes of Theatre Under the Stars and Houston Grand Opera.
From the Midwest to Montrose
In the late 1970s, Sikorski moved to Houston from his hometown of Milwaukee to take a job as a teacher at Dulles High School in Sugar Land. Sikorski was in his 20s and recalls coming out in the Bayou City, then one of the nation’s few gay meccas.
“It was around 1982 or ’83, and I went to Numbers that night,” Sikorski recalls. “I noticed this guy wearing a DECA [Distributive Education Clubs of America] jacket, because I was a teacher as well. I started talking to him. His cousin then met us and we became
friends, and I just thought, ‘There are people just like me.’ Then we formed this little group of friends.”
It was a tumultuous time for the local queer community. The AIDS epidemic was beginning to emerge, and violence—perpetrated by both criminals and police officers—was common in Montrose. “I had a friend who was attacked on a side street near JR’s,” Sikorski says. “He was hit in the head with the butt of a rifle, and they stole his wallet and car. That was not an uncommon occurrence in those days. It wasn’t until Kathy Whitmire became mayor that things started to change. When [gay banker] Paul [Broussard] was murdered [in 1991], the media finally started to focus on what was going on.” ➝
‹ O Say Can He Sing
Sikorski has appeared with both Theatre Under the Stars and Houston Grand Opera.
Across the nation, young gay men like Sikorski were dealing with the harsh reality of the early days of AIDS. “Every Friday we would go down to Montrose and pick up the T.W.I.T. [This Week in Texas], which was a gay magazine that told us the latest news in the community,” he says. “By the time the late ’80s and early ’90s rolled around, it was more like a death notice. I remember thinking that I just couldn’t go to another memorial service or funeral. I don’t know exactly how many friends I lost, but it was many, many, many.”
Sikorski wanted to do something to support the community and the organizations that were emerging, so he started throwing a Christmas party that’s become an annual tradition. In its inaugural year, partygoers brought canned goods to support Stone Soup, a food pantry that served the Montrose community and those living with HIV/AIDS until the early 2000s.
The party has grown every year since then, and Sikorski now hosts it at Gloria’s Latin Cuisine in Midtown. “Every year I underwrite the party, and it always supports a cause, but there is no suggested donation,” he says. “Guests just give what they can. I think it is important to provide an opportunity for everyone to give back. I was invited to a black-tie event one year, and the tickets were $75, which was a lot of money back then. I just thought that those ticket costs can be prohibitive for so many people who want to contribute but can’t afford to, so I make sure this party provides an opportunity for everyone.”
A Performer at Heart
You can see Sikorski come alive as he performs in front of thousands of Astros fans in Minute Maid Park. After 30 years, he shows no signs of being nervous, and he has no reason to be. He’s a seasoned professional who was trained in vocal performance at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater near his hometown.
“I was going through a period in my life where I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do,” he recalls, adding that he happened upon the university while driving around, and walked in to check out the academic programming. “This professor came up to me and asked me what I was interested in, and then he asked me if I was interested in auditioning right there, that day,” Sikorski says.
He found some music that he knew and performed it for the professor and a few other faculty members. “I stepped outside, and then when I went back in they asked me if I would like to enroll, and said that if I did, I would be eligible to receive a scholarship—all that same day,” he says.
When he moved to Houston after graduation, Sikorski led a quartet called The Innsiders that was invited to sing at an Astros game.
After the performance, Sikorski casually asked if the Astros were looking for regular national-anthem singers. They were, and the rest is history.
But Sikorski’s performances have hardly been limited to the ballpark. In 1981, Sikorski called TUTS to inquire about a production of The Music Man that was about to open. He asked management if they’d found a barbershop quartet—an integral part of the production. To his surprise, they hadn’t, so he assembled his group. “We arrived at the rehearsal space, and when we got there, they shouted, ‘The quartet is here!’ I kept thinking, ‘This is so stupid. We could be awful!’”
The quartet was hired, and performed in the production at Miller Outdoor Theatre where they were a big hit.
Sikorski performed several more times with TUTS in productions like Brigadoon and My Fair Lady, which led to a connection with the HGO. One of Sikorski’s fondest memories came during a 1984 production of Sweeney Todd, which had just finished a successful Broadway run. Stephen Sondheim himself traveled to Houston to work with the production. “It was exciting seeing him work with the performers,” he says. “It was like watching a kid in a candy store. He would hear things, and it would just come alive for him. He was also out at the leather bars every night.”
Out on the Field
Sikorski now works as a donor-relations representative for the United Way, where’s he’s made a career out of his ability to motivate people to give. And he still gives of his own time to sing for the Astros.
Although there’s been tension between the Astros and the LGBTQ community at times, Sikorski says he has always been treated with the utmost respect, and he calls former team owner Drayton McLane a friend.
Sikorski receives no compensation for his ballpark performances, outside of free tickets to the games. He says he does it because he genuinely loves to sing. Over the years, he’s met Astros greats Nolan Ryan, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell. He was there when the team went to the World Series in 2005, and he’s been there when they were nowhere near the World Series. Sikorski has witnessed both the team and the city change.
As Sikorski waited to take the field before a game in August, team president Ryan shook his hand and said, “Hey Jim, I am glad you’re here.”
“He’s a great singer,” Ryan told those standing nearby.
A great singer, and a whole lot more.
Ryan Leach is a frequent contributor to OutSmart magazine. You can follow him on Instagram at @ryananddoris or on Medium @ryan_leach.
Coming Up Roses
Houston’s Violet S’Arbleu wins Miss Gay Texas, heads to national finals.
By Don Maines
by Michael Andrew Voight
There she is, Miss Gay Texas America 2017. Houston favorite Violet S’Arbleu won the coveted title in July on her fourth attempt, once she realized the crown requires excellence, not perfection. “I went this year with a new mentality—that it’s okay to be a work in progress,” she explains. “It’s okay to just be me. I don’t have to be perfect—just as close as I can be.”
Her victory at the July 18–21 pageant in Dallas propels her to the upcoming Miss Gay America (MGA) pageant October 4–7 in New Orleans, along with fellow Houstonian Grecia Montes Docca, who was named first alternate Miss Gay Texas.
Also competing from Houston for the granddaddy of all national drag titles will be Dessie Love-Blake, who qualified for the national pageant as Miss Gay Northeast America.
Love-Blake was Miss Gay Texas 2014, and has twice made the Top 10 at MGA. Last year, O utSmart readers voted Love-Blake the city’s Most Divine Drag Queen, while S’Arbleu won that fan vote in 2015. At MGA, “everybody has their eyes on Miss Gay Texas,” Love-Blake says. “Everybody knows that she has already beaten 30-some contestants, so you’re one to watch.”
On the other hand, Love-Blake adds, “As Miss Gay Texas, you’re not sure you want to win [the national title] because you lose your whole year as Miss Gay Texas. You want to do well, but you also want to stay Miss Gay Texas.”
By winning Miss Gay Texas, S’Arbleu joins a list of legendary entertainers who have worn the crown since 1974, including the “Fabulous Four”—Naomi Sims, Donna Day, Hot Chocolate, and Tasha Kohl. Other winners from Houston have included Lindsey Love, Sabrina Delorean, Tina Renee, Coco, Amazing Grace, Dyan Michaels, Lauren Taylor, Kofi, and twins
Blooming Star
After winning Miss Gay Texas in July, Houston’s Violet S’Arbleu will head to New Orleans in October to compete for Miss Gay America.
Tara Dion and Kara Dion.
Houston titleholders swept this year’s Top 5, with S’Arbleu and Docca followed (in order) by Evelyn Syde (Miss Gay Harris County), Ivanna Cupcake, and Hu’Nee B.
Cupcake is one of seven contestants who competed as newcomers in Dessie’s Drag Race and advanced to the Miss Gay Texas competition as the winner or first alternate at a preliminary pageant. Among the seven, Natalia Crawford, Chloe Knox, and Rebekkah W.J. Ross were also Top 12 semifinalists.
S’Arbleu, a former Miss Gay Houston, advanced to the state finals by winning the Miss Gay Galveston pageant at Rumors Beach Bar. At the state finals, 30 entertainers competed in male interview, presentation, evening gown,
onstage question, and talent.
For the talent round, S’Arbleu lip-synched to Dolly Parton singing “Just a Lil’ Bitty Pissant Country Place” from the 1982 movie musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Her backup “singers” were six puppets created by S’Arbleu’s alter ego, Jacob Chaput, a native Houstonian whose drag persona was born his freshman year at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia.
The puppets were operated by some of Chaput’s closest friends and supporters. “I call them the House of Blooms,” S’Arbleu says. “I finally have a clique or squad or tribe, which is something I haven’t had since college, over 10 years ago.”
S’Arbleu looks forward to traveling ➝
Photo
throughout Texas and to other states to perform as Miss Gay Texas. “This title provides an amazing opportunity for growth,” she adds. “I’ve always felt that one year I would be Miss
Texas—it was not a matter of ‘if’ but ‘when’— and it would be the best possible year for me to work hard and shape myself into a more confident symbol of excellence.”
Don Maines is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
Miss Texas 2017 Adopts
LGBTQ-Friendly Platform
Miss Texas 2017, Margana Wood, has a message for everyone: “You belong.
“It’s important for everyone to hear the phrase, because they do—everybody belongs,” says Wood, who will represent the Lone Star State at the 91st Miss America pageant, to be broadcast live September 10 on ABC-TV.
The Houstonian’s platform, “You Belong,” is subtitled, “Creating a judgment-free generation.”
“We live in the era of the bully,” she explains. “You can hardly open a newspaper, watch TV, or listen to the radio without hearing about some sort of reference to the current bullying epidemic. For this very reason, my campaign speaks to all people, of all ages. ‘You Belong’ empowers communities to foster a judgment-free attitude where people respect differences and value kindness—a place where everyone feels like they belong and are accepted.”
Wood’s cause might be the most LGBTQfriendly platform of any Miss America contestant since that of Miss New York 2010, Claire Buffie, who championed queer equality, calling it “the civil-rights movement of my generation.”
Pageant lovers helped vote Buffie into the semifinals as one of two fan-picked America’s Choice winners. This year, fans only get to place one contestant in the Top 15, through votes cast via Facebook at missamerica.org/vote. Voting ends at 8 p.m. on September 5.
The following night in Atlantic City, New Jersey, preliminary competition will begin in swimsuit, talent, and evening gown/onstage question.
Among the judges will be beefcake model/ actor Rusty Joiner, who portrayed the chiseled cosmetic surgeon in RuPaul’s campy video of the 2004 dance/house tune “Looking Good, Feeling Gorgeous.”
For her talent round at Miss America, Wood will perform a contemporary dance to Adele’s 2015 release “When We Were Young.” The number was choreographed by Shea Sullivan, who also mapped out routines for the raucous 2014 off-Broadway revival of Pageant, in which men in drag portrayed contestants competing for the title and tiara of Miss Glamouresse.
In that musical comedy, says Manhattanbased Sullivan, “Miss Texas was the most talented. They explain that her daddy had flown a New York choreographer to their ranch in Texas to practice with her. She threw in everything but the kitchen sink. Miss Texas rode out on a hobby horse, then she did splits and high kicks, she tapped, jumped rope—everything you can think of.”
Sullivan also choreographed talent numbers for this year’s Miss America state representatives from Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, and South Carolina.
Wood graduated in 2013 from Lamar High School in Houston, then completed her degree in corporate communications this spring at the University of Texas.
Fans can follow her reign at “Miss Texas Margana Wood” on Facebook, where she recently posted that she’s preparing for the swimsuit competition with Jay Johnson, the official trainer for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
— Don Maines
Queer Eye for the Antiques Guy
Carson Kressley visits Round Top for Designer
Dream Spree.
By Marene Gustin
There are lots of things to be excited about in September—including slightly cooler weather. But Houstonians also know that September is the time to shop the antiques shows in Round Top.
One of this year’s biggest shows will be at The Compound, a 57-acre venue that hosts special events year-round. The Compound’s weeks-long Antique Show, now in its fifth year, draws visitors from across the country and dozens of sellers who set up temporary shops.
“The show barns have open doors and chandeliers,” says show director Kathy Johnston. “They were all built for special events, and they’re beautiful.”
This year’s Antique Show will feature pop-up dinners from Houston restaurateurs Armando Palacios and Lee Ellis. But the big draw will be a Designer Dream Spree on September 27, put on by Houston interior designer Julie Dodson.
Panelists this year are Kathryn M. Ireland, Beth Webb, Houston’s Aaron Rambo, and Carson Kressley. Kressley, who will also do a book-signing and fashion show, is the fabulous fashion stylist from Bravo’s Emmy Awardwinning Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. He later went on to host Carson-Nation, How to Look Good Naked, and has appeared on Dancing with the Stars and RuPaul’s Drag Race
But as they say on late-night TV, there’s more. Kressley is a best-selling author, raises money for AIDS charities and the Human Rights Campaign, and is a board member for Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Fund. In his spare time, he shows his world-champion American Saddlebred horses.
Kressley tells O utSmart that he’s looking forward to his trip to Round Top. “I happen to adore Texas,” he says. “I worked for Ralph Lauren for years and often visited on business trips to work with Neiman Marcus in Dallas and Foley’s in Houston. We even taped a special group of episodes of Queer Eye for the
Still Stylin’ In addition to the Designer Dream Spree, Carson Kressley will host a fashion show and sign copies of his latest book, Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big? ‹
Straight Guy in Dallas, Plano, and Fort Worth.”
What is he most looking forward to? “I have heard about the great antiquing and treasure hunting in the Hill Country,” he says. “I live for the thrill of the hunt, and I have always wanted to visit this market. I absolutely cannot wait.”
Kressley also offered some impromptu design and fashion advice. “A lot of people wouldn’t believe me, but I’m a bit of a classicist,” he says. “I love all things Tom Ford, Gucci, and Ralph Lauren. The same translates to my taste in interiors. I keep it classic, with an emphasis on quality and good taste—and then of course I give it my own twist with interesting accessories or artwork.”
Kressley has a Park Avenue apartment that he describes as “classic New York,” with a sunken living room, French doors, and a terrace featuring a view of the Chrysler Building. “Along with the mirrored furniture and leopard rugs, I have a lot of equestrian pieces that create a look I like to call Kentucky Regency,” he says.
When it comes to choosing a style, Kressley advises that people should be true to themselves. “No one is better at it than you,” he says.
On September 27, Kressley will sign copies of his latest book, Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big? “It’s a cheeky (pun intended) guide to finding your own personal style and feeling sexier in your own skin,” he says. “It’s really about taking the stress out of getting dressed in the morning and demystifying put-
ting great looks together that put you in your best light. It’s also pretty comedic, if I do say so myself, because getting dressed is supposed to be fun.”
Kressley is certainly having fun these days with all of his projects, which you can follow at CarsonKressley.com. Or you can also catch him on the show-horse circuit. “Horses have always been my first love, and they continue to be one of the greatest joys in my life,” he says. “I think I have seven American Saddlebred horses now. But sometimes I forget one or two. I still compete, and I was at the World Championship Horse Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in August.”
Those who wonder about Kressley’s horse obsession might want to do some research on American Saddlebreds. “[The Saddlebred] carries himself with an attitude that is elusive of description—some call it class, presence, quality, style, or charm,” according to the U.S. Equestrian Federation (USEF). “This superior air distinguishes his every movement.”
Oh, and the riders compete in top hats and tails. It’s definitely the most stylish of horse shows.
Antique Show at The Compound September 16–30 RoundTopCompound.com
Marene Gustin is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
New TUTS Artistic Director Vows Plenty of Panache
Out NYC theater veteran
Dan Knechtges returns to Houston.
By Don Maines
The new artistic director at Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) hopes audiences will feel as welcome at the Hobby Center as Houstonians’ hospitality made him feel last year when he guest-directed and choreographed a show for TUTS. “For the month and a half I was in Houston, everyone was so welcoming—in ways that larger cities often aren’t,” Dan Knechtges told O utSmart last month after TUTS announced that the out Tony Award nominee had won the post in a national search.
“What I found so interesting about Houston’s LGBT community is how large and diverse it is,” Knechtges added. “My time directing for TUTS last year was incredibly fulfilling, both creatively and personally—so much so that I was drawn to becoming a permanent part of the community in Houston.”
With Knechtges at the helm, he says, “Shows at TUTS are going to be very fun and smart, with panache.”
In the 48th season of TUTS, Knechtges directed and choreographed a relevant revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1962. Its Houston run during the last month of the 2016 presidential campaign allowed Knechtges to poke fun at slimy supporting character Bud Frump (rhymes with “Trump”) and the “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Knechtges hails from Ohio, the mother of all battleground states, but most recently lived in New York City until moving to Houston, just in time to prepare for the Theater District’s 24th annual Open House.
Among his New York theater credits are Xanadu, starring Cheyenne Jackson; Clinton the Musical, which spoofed politics in 1990s Washington DC; and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, in which the two gay dads
of Logaine SchwartzandGrubenierre were helicopter parents.
“Spelling Bee was phenomenal and lifechanging,” recalls Knechtges. “One of those times where you feel you are absolutely in sync with the art that you are making and the place and time in which you are making it. I don’t know if that kind of experience will ever happen again, but I’m hoping.”
In 2007, Knechtges choreographed 110 in the Shade, which starred six-time Tony Awardwinner Audra McDonald as Lizzie Curry in a musical of N. Richard Nash’s play The Rainmaker. “In pre-production,” says Knechtges, “I casually asked Audra if she would mind doing a cartwheel in her number ‘Raunchy,’ and her reply was ‘Which side? Right or left? I can do either!’ How fabulous is that?”
Knechtges also has fond memories of working with Liza Minnelli. On short notice, the two were once called upon to choreograph the TV Land Awards together. Knechtges
Hooked on Houston
Dan Knechtges says he found the Space City so welcoming during a six-week visit last year, he decided to return as TUTS’ new artistic director. ‹
recalls that after meeting with the producer, he scrambled to cast 50 dancers, pulling from friends and colleagues he’d worked with. A few days later, during a camera rehearsal, she told the producer she didn’t want any dancers. “I was flabbergasted,” he says. “Why didn’t that get communicated to me earlier and save a whole lot of stress and money?”
About 10 minutes later, the producer came over and told Knechtges that Minnelli wanted to speak with him. “I went up to the set and, behind a large set piece where Liza was going to make her entrance, she pulled me down and said in her trademark wobble voice, ‘I was a dancer, too, you know, so what if we don’t cut the dancers and we just have them come out from the key change?’” he recalls. “So, that’s what happened and that’s what we did. If ya can’t laugh about that, get out of show biz.”
Don Maines is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine.
AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18). Relationships continue to be your focus this month. Over the last month, you came to a better understanding with your partners. Even if you are single, you are clearer about your own needs. You will want to take your relationship to a deeper and more intimate level. We can build trust and security by working on projects together. This is true for both business and personal relationships. By the end of the month, you are ready to step away from your routines and clear your head. Your communication and writing skills improve at the end of the month.
PISCES (February 19–March 20). Relationships become the focus of your attention, especially after the 9th. This is a great month to renew those bonds, or if you’re single, it’s a good month to put yourself out there. Your charisma is stronger than usual, and others will be attracted to you more easily. You can also use this energy to promote your business or services. You are making better decisions about your career direction and what you are going to do with your time. Friendships are changing around you. Look for new people to come into your life in October!
With Love and Gratitude
Madison and Krystal O’Brien honored LGBTQ pioneers at their wedding— then honeymooned at the National Equality March.
Field of Their Wedding Dreams Krystal (l) and Madison O’Brien chose Shirley Acres for their big day so they could have an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception at the same venue.
By Henry V. Thiel
adison and Krystal O’Brien met in 2013 in College Station, through a mutual friend who’d been trying to set them up for more than two years. “He fi nally convinced us to join him at the movies,” Madison says. “I remember asking him if I could wear sweatpants. He said Krystal was getting dressed up, so I put on something a little nicer and my camo rain boots—I had to draw the line somewhere—and o we went to see The Great Gatsby.”
The next day, when Krystal graduated from Texas A&M University, she and Madison texted throughout the ceremony. A few days later, Krystal asked Madison out for a date. “Of course I said yes,” recalls Madison, who’s also an Aggie alum. “And the rest is history.”
places, so from the beginning it was made clear that our relationship had a strong chance of not lasting. But that summer we spent every single free minute we had with each other, and at the end of it, I knew that we would get married and that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.”
Krystal proposed to Madison on a camping
“Since I wasn’t allowed to see her before the ceremony, we stood in a corner and held hands. This moment of calm and unfi ltered love allowed all the chaos to fade away and reminded me that I was marrying the love of my life. Who cared if everything wasn’t perfect?”
“I don’t think there was a specific moment that I knew Madison was the one, but a whole summer,” Krystal says. “When Madison and I fi rst met, we spent a whole summer together. We both knew that at the end of the summer we were probably going to live in di erent
trip in March 2015. “I knew back in November [2014] that I was going to buy Madison a ring, but my lovely wife had a very specific ring in mind,” Krystal explains. “It took me a few months to get the ring made. From the beginning, I had stressed to Madison that I wanted to see at least one sunset on our camping trip, and she needed to make it happen.”
As they hiked and kayaked, Krystal missed a lot of beautiful places where she could have proposed. When they arrived back at their campsite an hour before sunset, Krystal was stressing as Madison began making a dinner that included grilled corn on the cob. At around 7:30, Madison realized that if they were going to see the sun set, they needed to go. So they grabbed some ears of corn, lathered them in butter, and headed out.
“This was possibly the most pathetic, anti-climactic sunset we both have ever seen in our entire lives,” Krystal says. “It was awful. There was some random guy in a canoe while Madison slurped up the butter on her corn-on-the-cob. I thought to myself , ‘I can’t propose here,’ so we turned to walk away.”
Even though this wasn’t what she’d planned, Krystal realized she couldn’t wait any longer—especially with her friend Eric standing nearby and egging her on. “Also, having the ring for three months was way too hard for me,” she says. “I am the worst at keeping secrets.” ➝
Suddenly, Krystal’s friend Eric took Madison’s corn and threw it in the tall grass.
“I turned and put my arms around her, and told her nothing that I had rehearsed,” Krystal says. “But she thought the whole thing was very romantic and perfect and I asked her to marry me.
“Madison was completely shocked, and she cried, and of course she said yes,” Krystal adds. “We laugh about the story now, and love telling it because it’s not a perfect proposal, but it was a memorable one. And it was perfect for us.”
On April 15, 2017, Krystal and Madison got married in Houston at Shirley Acres, with Mike Sampson officiating. “We chose [Shirley Acres] because it allowed us to have a beautiful outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception at the same location,” Krystal says. “It was all-inclusive, which made it cost-effective for us.”
Madison says the best moment of the day came as the ceremony was about to begin. “We were minutes from starting the ceremony, and chaos was everywhere when Krystal and I had our first touch,” shares Madison.
“Since I wasn’t allowed to see her be-
fore the ceremony, we stood in a corner and held hands,” Madison says. “This moment of calm and unfiltered love allowed all the chaos to fade away and reminded me that I was marrying the love of my life. Who cared if everything wasn’t perfect? That moment was truly magical—almost as magical as seeing her walk down the aisle.”
The couple chose not to walk down the center aisle, but instead came in at the same time from the front aisles on either side so they were walking toward each other for their “first look.”
“We also chose to not light a unity candle,” Madison says. “However, at the entrance to the ceremony, we lit a rainbow candle with this tribute sitting beside it: ‘This candle burns in loving memory of all those that have fought, died, or sacrificed for us to have the right to be joined in marriage and the pride to share a life together. We give you thanks.’”
For their pre-honeymoon trip, the brides attended the Equality March for Unity and Pride in Washington in June. They reside in Corpus Christi.
Henry V. Thiel is a regular contributor to OutSmart magazine. He loves camo rain boots.
Wedding Wizardry
Tony Gray (l) and Keith Liles were the stars of a Wicked -themed reception that earned National Wedding of the Year honors for Harold Kelly of Melange Catering.
One ‘Wicked’ Party
Tony Gray and Keith Liles’ reception earns national award for its Broadway-musical theme.
By Henry V. Thiel
Anthony “Tony” Gray and Keith Liles met 10 years ago through the ManKind Project, a men’s self-development organization. “We had mutual friends in the group, and our paths crossed at different trainings and service projects over the years,” says Liles, who serves as clinical director and program manager for Harris County’s STAR Drug Court Program.
It was during a social dinner in October 2007 that they first recognized a deeper attraction that would lead to the type of connection neither had expected.
When Gray, an accountant in the oil industry, finally worked up the courage to ask Liles out, he learned that Liles’ heart belonged to another—Baylor University. To this day, Liles jokes that Gray is first in his life “behind Baylor.”
The two were as different as two men could be. “Keith is a proactive planner who will have every detail scheduled weeks or even months in advance,” Gray says. “I, on the other hand, can plan ahead but typically do not. In the early days, his intense focus on planning and my carefree spontaneity resulted in much friction.”
It was while sheltering in Gray’s high-rise condo with two dogs and a cat during Hurricane Ike that they decided to heed Cupid’s call and make a life and home together.
When it came time for Gray to pop the question, he knew only one location would do: anywhere the musical Wicked was being performed.
“The reason Wicked is so appealing to me is that it’s a story about the power and persever-
ance of underdogs,” Liles says. “As gay men, especially at our age, who grew up during a time when being closeted was the norm, verbal and physical abuse was common. In Wicked, Elphaba and Fiyero have to fight against society’s persecution so that they could be true to themselves. In doing so, they find love—just as we did.”
Gray planned a New York City trip in July 2015 so they could see Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre, and secretly arranged for a backstage tour after the show. While Liles was inspecting the props and special effects, Gray patiently waited at center stage. When Liles joined him, Gray dropped to one knee, and with the cast of Wicked present, Gray popped the question.
Liles and Gray wed on Saturday, October 29, 2016, in the rooftop garden of the historic National Cash Register Building in downtown Houston, which now serves as the residence and offices of their friends, attorneys ➝
an exquisite water front venue in El Lago, Texas. We are able to comfortably seat over 250+ of your wedding guests in our open 5,000 square foot indoor/outdoor facility.
Wedding guide
continued from previous page
Deborah Keyser and James Stafford.
The private event for 45 family members and close friends was officiated by judge Denise Bradley of Harris County’s 262nd Criminal District Court, one of Liles’ colleagues at the county’s STAR drug program .
The vows they exchanged were taken from notes written eight years prior, two months into their relationship, when they discussed their future together. “I told Keith that my intention was to hold on to him, this great guy I was learning to love,” Gray says. “I couldn’t believe how lucky I was that he was interested in me. I saw a future with him that was—and is—full of possibilities. If he could see [himself] through my eyes, he would see a father to the lost, a steadfast son, a protector of animals, and an amazing, loving, giving, and patient partner. We waited so long to find the right one. We are beautiful together and deserve the gifts we bring to each other.”
Gray recalls the exact words he said to Liles on their wedding day: “I take you today as my husband, and see this as enhancing what we have shared for nine years. You complete me.”
In his vows, Liles called their relationship “the most beautiful connection of two souls I’ve known.”
“My intention around this relationship is to live for the day, not to dwell in the past or to dream too long about the future, and most of all, to not in any way sabotage out of fear what God so graciously gave us,” Liles says. “I want to know this love every day and every minute, and celebrate it and rejoice in it, for we deserve it.”
After their rooftop garden ceremony, the wedding party was transported to The Grove restaurant at Discovery Green for a buffet-style luncheon. The reception was held that evening at the Parador in the Houston Museum District.
The theme of the reception was Wicked, of course. More than 200 friends came in costume for a one-of-a-kind cocktail and dining experience complete with life-sized puppets, a Cirque du Soleil acrobat who performed while suspended overhead, a live performance of “Defying Gravity” sung by the lead characters of Wicked, and a costume contest with prizes of Wicked memorabilia. Finally, internationally renowned female impersonator Tasha Kohl, who is a friend of the grooms, tore off the roof with her comedic rendition of “It Shoulda Been Me”—complete with a wedding gown and veil.
Pulling off what amounted to a Broadway production was Harold Kelly of Melange Catering, who acted as both caterer and wedding coordinator extraordinaire. Kelly’s supporting cast included Puppet Pizzazz, the Parador, La Victoria Bakery, Dream Bouquet, J&D Entertainment, Bright Star Entertainment, and Capital Beverage.
Kelly, a member the National Association for Catering and Events, won the group’s Wedding of the Year award for the creativity of the event. “So much planning went into this,” Kelly says. “It took months to secure all the talent, and two days to build the sets and stage. Every drop of sweat was worth it when I saw the smile on Keith and Anthony’s faces.”
For their honeymoon, Gray and Liles went on a cruise from Galveston with four other couples. “We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our nuptials than with some of our dearest and most supportive and loving friends,” Gray says.
To watch a video from their wedding and reception, go to vimeo.com/191513370.
Henry V. Thiel is a principal with The Epicurean Publicist, a boutique public-relations company that works exclusively with chefs and restaurateurs. He loves Broadway theater.
From 25-200+ guests on our 12 picturesque acres, let the event professionals at Haak Vineyards and Winery create your special memorable moment! And all of our tours end up in the Tasting Room!
WEDDING CEREMONIES
REHEARSAL DINNERS
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ANNIVERSARIES • BUSINESS MEETINGS • CORPORATE DINNERS
(NBC, KPRC, 8/29/17, Ryan Korsgard)
It’s our duty as Americans, period. . . . This is what military people do without question. It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, Hispanic, Muslim, Christian, gay, fat, skinny it doesn’t matter. You just have to do it.
Too Masculine?
▼
Harvey Volunteer Pink ▼
Pink (seen here at last month’s Video Music Awards) teaches her daughter how to make a pearl.
(Out.com, 8/28/17, Dennis Hinzmann)
Amid the performances and memeable moments [at the Video Music Awards] came a particularly empowering speech from Pink, when she accepted the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award from Ellen DeGeneres. [After Pink’s daughter] worried that she was “the ugliest girl I know,” . . . Pink went the multimedia route, crafting a PowerPoint presentation of “androgynous rock stars” including Freddie Mercury, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Price, Janis Joplin, George Michal, and Elton John. “When people make fun of me, that’s what they use that I look like a boy, or I’m too masculine, or I have too many opinions, or my body is too strong.”
After directly relating to the worries of her daughter, Pink reinforced her: “Do you see me growing my hair? Do you see me changing my body? Do you see me changing the way I present myself to the world?” After her daughter conceded “no” to all these points, Pink asked, “Do you see me selling out arenas all over the world? So, baby girl, we don’t change. We take the gravel in the shell and we make a pearl, and we help other people to change so that they can see more kinds of beauty.”
Kathy Griffi n
(The Huffi ngton Post, 8/28/17, Julia Brucculieri)
Ever since Kathy Gri n shared that infamous photo of herself holding a fake, bloodied Donald Trump head, her career has been in crisis-management mode. Despite her apology and an emotional press conference, the controversy led her to lose money, jobs, fans, and even close friends among them Anderson Cooper. . . .
Cooper, with whom she hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast, was among the many stars who publicly denounced the photo. “For the record, I am appalled by the photo shoot Kathy Gri n took part in. It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate,” the CNN anchor tweeted.
Gri n understood her former colleague was in a tough position; however, as she told The Cut, she felt she at least deserved a text or phone call before he shared that tweet with his millions of followers.
To make matters worse, Cooper told Andy Cohen during an episode of Watch What Happens Live that he and Gri n were still friends, yet she says he still hadn’t reached out to [her]. His comments hurt Gri n, who ended the friendship herself after Cooper fi nally reached out to her via text, months after the controversy unfolded.
Tim Cook
(Out.com, 8/18/17, Justin Moran)
(Apple CEO)
[Tim Cook,] who’s also gay, will make two separate $1 million donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League.
The announcement came in an email Cook sent to global Apple employees, asking them all to “stand together” against hate. “Like so many of you, equality is at the core of my beliefs and values,” he wrote. “The events of the past several days have been deeply troubling for me, and I’ve heard from
Compiled by Blase DiStefano
World Tour
Kathy Griffin’s “Laugh Your Head Off” world tour is going to travel the world, but, sadly, the United States of America is not one of its stops.
Still, Gri n remains angry at Trump, and by the sounds of it, she’s done apologizing. “Why are people still expecting me to apologize and grovel to a man that tweets like this?” Gri n said. “I’m a comedian; he’s our f--king president.
“President Trump just pardoned Joe Arpaio, who was essentially running a concentration camp in the Arizona desert,” she told the outlet. “He said there are some good Nazis, and he’s kicking out young adults who were brought here as kids by their parents, and I’m the one who has to continue to apologize?”
many people at Apple who are saddened, outraged, or confused.”
Cook compared hatred to a “cancer.” When left unchecked, the CEO says “it destroys everything in its path. Its scars last generations. History has taught us this time and time again.”
He also criticized Trump’s delayed response and blaming of both sides. “I disagree with the President and others who believe that there is a moral equivalence between white supremacists and Nazis, and those who oppose them by standing up for human rights,” Cook wrote. “Equating the two runs counter to our ideals as Americans.”
By Steven Foster
‘Baby Steps’
Noble goal, a little shaky on its feet.
Through the mid-’80s and ’90s there was no greater cinematic powerhouse of Downtown Abbey -style cinema than a Merchant Ivory production. British acting royalty such as Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson ( Remains of The Day ), Julie Christie ( Heat and Dust ), Maggie Smith, Judy Dench, and a now-retired Daniel Day-Lewis ( Howard’s End ) filled the screen with rapacious longing against the suffocation of Edwardian social mores and class. One of their most affecting works is Maurice, now released on home video for its 30th anniversary. Groundbreaking at the time, Maurice still packs a deeply emotional punch, thanks to James Wilby as the titular gay hero, a babyfaced Hugh Grant as his more cautious love interest, and Rupert Graves as a seductive servant. In 1987, the world was not yet ready for such an in-your-face gay romance, no matter how repressed its characters were. But in 2017? A must for your gay canon . Cohen Film Collection (cohenmedia.net).
— Steven Foster
And
InSet : Cheng and Hamilton’s characters tie the
Twenty years ago, producer
Li-Kong Hsu introduced the world to a then-unknown Ang Lee with The Wedding Banquet. Now, two decades later, he’s looking to repeat that hat trick with Baby Steps, a comic drama about a Taiwanese-American gay couple navigating the rocky waters of surrogacy, with a Taiwanese tiger-mom meddling all the way. He’s going with a novice again, this time Barney Cheng (best known for a small part in an even smaller Woody Allen movie, Hollywood Ending ).
There is a Taiwan connection (Cheng is Taiwanese, Lee was born there), and Cheng is also the writer and director of his film, just as Lee was. The critical difference is that Cheng is an actor. And apparently the temptation to cast himself in the movie, playing one-half of the gay
couple, was too much for him to resist. You can’t fault the guy. If there are no roles for you in Hollywood, as the insider mantra says, write your own. But the trifecta of writing, directing, and starring is heavy lifting even for the most talented auteur (at least Tarantino relegates himself to supporting roles), and the movie shows the strain of the weight.
The picture has the common freshman mistakes far too many scenes, a too-long runtime, uneven camera work (the almost Hitchcockian tilt shot, wildly out of tone), and the occasional painful casting (looking at you, lesbian TSA agent).
But Cheng has an ace in the hole: he was wise enough to put “the Meryl Streep of Asia,” Grace Guei, at its center, though it’s difficult to tell where Guei’s talent
begins and Cheng’s direction ends. Guei plays Cheng’s mother, a woman who will do anything to get a grandchild anything except to accept the fact that he’s gay. Guei has a mask-marvel of a face, and she can show a tumult of emotion with just a look something many actors can’t summon during a whole movie. Cheng and his male co-lead (Michael Adam Hamilton) have talent, and in a more seasoned director’s hands, they could probably shine, but they’re just tsunami’d by Guei. She makes one almost overlook the film’s slights.
The film has power, though. The State Department played it during the Obama administration, and shortly after its release, the high court of Taiwan legalized samesex marriage. Same-sex adoption, however, is still not a thing. Maybe Cheng’s next film will solve that. Gravitas Ventures (gravitas ventures.com).
Steven Foster is a regular contributor to Out Smart magazine.
Maurice
Baby Makes Four Grace Guei (from left), Barney Cheng, and Michael Adam Hamilton star in Cheng’s directorial debut, Baby Steps. The film deals with a gay couple attempting to find a surrogate for their first child and the tiger-mom who interferes in the process.
knot.
QUALITY DENTISTRY
By Gregg Shapiro
12 x 2
The Judds, The Secret Sisters, The Chainsmokers, and more.
COriginal Broadway Cast Recording War Paint
Ghostlight Records has released a slew of Broadway soundtracks for all you musical lovers, among them Bubble Boy, Holiday Inn, and God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater. But the one that Broadway hounds are waiting for is War Paint, the musical based on the lives of makeup mavens Helena Rubenstein and Elizabeth Arden, played by Great White icons Patti Lupone and Christine Ebersol, respectively. These two powerhouses duke it out on a disk that showcases each diva’s dynamic performance perfectly. Ghostlight Records (sh-k-boom.com). — Steven Foster
Bria With a Twist
The Wall Street Journal declares she “looks like a Scandinavian angel (or Thor’s girlfriend), plays trumpet like a red-hot devil, and sings like a dream.” With that kind of adulation, it’s no wonder Bria Skonenberg was greeted with open arms by music critics and jazz aficionados alike. Her part-Broadway/part-cabaret styling fits in their Yes column and perfectly between your jazz standards and classic pop playlists. Thor’s a lucky guy. OKeh (okehrecords.com). Steven Foster
ountry duos are nothing new. Think about Johnny and June, Porter and Dolly, George and Tammy, and so on. The Judds put a different spin on the coupling of country singers by teaming up a mother, Naomi, and her daughter, Wynonna. The Judds were a prevailing pair from the early 1980s until the beginning of the 1990s, at which time Wynonna embarked on a solo career that made her an even bigger star. The 21-track compilation All-Time Greatest Hits (Curb) includes everything you might expect on a collection such as this, including “Mama He’s Crazy,” “Why Not Me,” “Have Mercy,” “Grandpa (Tell Me ’bout the Good Old Days),” “Rockin’ with the Rhythm of the Rain,” and “Love Can Build a Bridge.”
Keeping with the family theme, we come to singing siblings Laura and Lydia Rogers, aka The Secret Sisters. For You Don’t Own Me Anymore (New West), their third album in seven years, The Secret Sisters worked with lesbian singer/songwriter Brandi Carlile and her regular band members Tim Hanseroth and Phil Hanseroth. This combination of exemplary talent results in The Secret Sisters’ best album to date. Alternately rousing (“King Cotton,” “He’s Fine”), riveting (“To All the Girls Who Cry,” “The Damage,” “’Til It’s Over,” and the title track), and reverent (a gorgeous cover of Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song”), The Secret Sisters are no secret anymore.
Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) returns to his insurgent country roots as producer of The Siren’s Song (New West) by Canadian cousins Kacy & Clayton
The duo adds a distinctive twang to their trademark brand of folk on “The Light of Day,” “Just Like a Summer Cloud,” “The World Has Seven Wonders,” and “White Butte Country” (on which Clay-
ton takes the lead). However, songs such as “A Lifeboat” and the title cut qualify as some of the most appealing examples of modern folk music.
Also hailing from Canada, married musician couple Melissa McClelland and Luke Doucet comprise the duo Whitehorse. Their new album Panther in the Dollhouse (Six Shooter) features a stable full of musical styles that has been accurately described as “psychedelic surf, arid border rocks, lo-fi ingenuity, and icy ’80s sparseness.” Standout selections include “Die Alone,” “Boys Like You,” “Trophy Wife,” “Manitoba Death Star,” “Nighthawks,” and “Kicking Down Your Door.”
Since 2006, Baltimore duo Beach House has put out six well-received studio albums, two of which were released in 2015 alone. Talk about being prolific! Now comes the 14-track B-Sides and Rarities (Sub Pop) compilation. As Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand put it, “Bsides are not songs we didn’t like as much, just ones that didn’t have a place on the records we were making.” In addition to two previously unreleased songs (“Chariot” and “Baseball Diamond”), culled from the Depression Cherry/Thank Your Lucky Stars sessions, the album includes a cover of Queen’s “Play the Game” (featured on an AIDS-research benefit compilation), as well as a song dating as far back as 2005 (“Rain in Numbers”).
Juliana Giraffe and Ari Balouzian of Midnight Sister bring their mutual artistic vision to their debut album Saturn Over Sunset (Jagjaguwar). Both have a background in the visual arts, which gives the 14 songs on the disc a candy-colored movie soundtrack quality. Beginning with the fluttery swirl of “Canary,” Midnight Sister wears influences such as The High Lamas (“Leave You”) and Of Montreal
(“Daddy Long Legs”) on its 100-percent polyester-knit sleeve. Other notable numbers include “Blue Cigar,” “The Crow,” “Hitman,” “So Young,” and the aptly titled “Shimmy.”
Easily the most inexplicable success story of the last couple of years, The Chainsmokers finally got around to releasing its fulllength debut album Memories . . . Do Not Open (Disruptor/Columbia). This is the best example of the worst that can happen when producers/“DJs” decide to make an album of original music. Formulaic, lacking in diversity, and dull as Jared Kushner’s inner dialogue, not even guest artists such as Coldplay (“Something Just Like This”), Emily Warren (“My Type”), and Florida Georgia Line (“Last Day Alive”) can prevent this from being a lazy and repetitive recording.
Silhouettes (Harvest), the debut album by UK duo Aquilo (Tom Higham and Ben Fletcher), is a downer. But it somehow narrowly avoids the redundant nature of The Chainsmokers’ disc, thanks in part to the subtle variety and drama the pair works into their music. “Never Hurt Again,” “You Won’t Know Where You Stand,” “Complication,” and “Always Done What You Say” do manage to pick up the pace. Still, it’s best not to listen to this disc while behind the wheel on a late-night drive.
Piano/violin/vocal duo Gracie and Rachel bring some much-needed modern feminist energy to this month’s lineup with their eponymous debut disc available at gracieandrachel. com. First and foremost, the eight songs are nothing less than gorgeous a perfect combination of orchestration and vocalization. This is best experienced on the songs “Only a Child,” “It’s Time,” “Sing Song,” and “Go.”
The duos Peridot and Seasaw both have roots in Wisconsin, where Peridot’s Hillary Reynolds and Trevor Jarvis met before getting better acquainted as students at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Seasaw’s Melissa Gotz and Eve Wilczewski still call “America’s Dairyland” home, and the folk-pop duo’s Too Much of a Good Thing (singseasaw.com) is sure to appeal to fans of The Ditty Bops. Peridot is more on the pop-folk end of the spectrum, and goes for a fuller sound on its eponymous debut (peridotband.com).
Finally, there’s yet another Wisconsin connection to Awake and Pretty Much Sober (Partisan), the full-length album debut of Violents and Monica Martin. Some may know Violents as musician/producer Jeremy Larson. Others may recognize Monica Martin from the Wisconsin-based band Phox. The pairing of these two talented folks has produced an album of stimulating and soulful electro-pop sort of an updated version of what Sade was doing back in the day, as you can hear on “How It Left,” “Spark,” and “Equal Powers.”
Gregg Shapiro is a regular contributor to Out Smart magazine.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
‘Making Midcentury Modern’
Tulip chairs? Mad Men style? Palm Springs pad décor? They’re baaaaaack.
“You’re in the Wrong Bathroom!”
Laura Erickson-Schroth and Laura A. Jacobs
The transgender issue. You’ve got questions. You’ve got a zillion of them, as do your friends and family— especially if you’re thinking about transitioning. “You’re in the Wrong Bathroom!” by Laura Erickson-Schroth and Laura A. Jacobs can answer 20 of them. Beginning at the basics with “Identity,” the book takes the most common lore about the “T” in LGBT and gently corrects any wrong beliefs that may be lurking in readers’ minds. That’s a good start, but there are times when the authors seem too nice; more adamant language might have been appropriate. And at some point, this book transitions more toward gender-noncomforming readers and less toward cisgender folks. Even so, there’s a good sense of mind-easing in most cases here, followed by a carefully-measured MYOB tone. If you need something to help set the naysayers right, “You’re in the Wrong Bathroom! ” will work. Beacon Press (beacon.org). Terri Schlichenmeyer
Just imagine you’re now a homeowner! Finally, after saving and planning (and a ceiling-high pile of paperwork), you’ll never forget the feeling of having your new front-door key in hand. At last you can go home, shut the door behind you, and know that it’s all yours. So how do you reflect your style in this home you love? Begin with Making Midcentury Modern by Christopher Kennedy. (Kennedy lives in Palm Springs, California, with his husband.)
When he was a young lad, Kennedy’s parents taught him the proper ways to a well-mannered life: his mother made him write thank-you notes, and she taught him how to “make a good first impression,” while his father advised him to “live each day to the fullest.” Those lessons were learned in “simpler, more gracious times.” Kennedy insists it’s not nostalgia that makes him love interior design from that period. Instead, he just likes the trend, and he doesn’t see it “slowing down any time soon.” In this book, he shows
how you can include Midcentury Modern into your home, even if it was built last month. You can start in the entrance. Those first impressions matter when it comes to a home, says Kennedy. Paint your front door in a Midcentury Modern color to welcome guests warmly.
On the topic of colors, Midcentury Modern isn’t shy. Orange is the “caffeine of the color wheel,” and it really pops. Think pink (Mamie Eisenhower’s favorite color), turquoise, white, red, or any shade of blue. Don’t just color walls, though; be bold with furniture, rugs, and accessories. Pillows in out-there colors are inexpensive ways to dip your toe into the design.
Know the “secret to a beautiful and easy-to-make bed”— and for guest rooms, consider twin beds. Go ahead and mix metals, bring childhood treasures out for display, and recall Mom’s kitchen or bathroom for ideas. Take your indoors to
the outdoors, weather permitting. Pare down; Midcentury Modern isn’t cluttered (so on that note, hide your TV). And finally, have fun. “Above all,” Kennedy says, “never take your home too seriously.”
Sometimes, it’s easy to feel indecision or paralysis when it comes to décor. What if you make a mistake?
What if you have Making Midcentury Modern ?
With 100 easy-to-use (and surprisingly budget-friendly) tips, author Christopher Kennedy gives readers the inspirational boost they need to make a home dazzle. You’ll see how simple color will transform a house’s entire look, and where cherished possessions can become unusual displays. Kennedy fully admits that many of his favorite pieces were discovered online or at thrift stores, an idea that’s somehow very delicious. And pillows? Pile ‘em on!
The one criticism I have with this book isn’t with the information it’s with getting that information: the font colors can be very difficult to read. White print on a yellow background, for example, is nearly hidden.
It’s a design flaw in a book about design. Go figure.
That’s not insurmountable, though: there are enough photos to make this coffee-table book a can’t-miss full of fun. If you need your house to feel groovier, no matter when it was constructed, Making Midcentury Modern may be the key.
Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was three years old, and she lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.
Making Midcentury Modern by Christopher Kennedy Foreword by Barcaly Butera
Gibbs Smith (gibbs-smith.com)
Photos by Dalton DeHart & Edgardo Aguilar
and Memorial
July 30 and August 19
Montrose Softball League Association Awards Banquet and Bomb Squad Tournament, at Neon Boots
LifeSmiles by Randy Mitchmore, DDS 1722 W. Alabama ..........................713/592-9300
Bruce W. Smith, DDS/Bruce Smith, DDS 1006 Missouri ................................713/529-4364
HealTH C are- eM ergenC Y CenTer S SignatureCare Emergency Centers 1007 Westheimer ...........................281/709-2897 1925 TC Jester ................................832/850-4338 1014 Wirt Rd....................................832/924-0312
M. Sandra Scurria, MD 6565 West Loop South, Ste 300 ..281/661-5901
HealT H Ca re-Pla ST i C SU rgeO n S Eisemann Plastic Surgery Center
CosmeticSurgeryHouston.com ...713/790-1771
H e alT H C a re –Servi C e S
Houston Area Community Services/HACS 2150 W 18th St. ..............................713/426-0027 Legacy Community Health Services 1415 California Street 832/548 5000
Ryan White Planning Council
RWPCHouston.org.........................713/572-3784 St. Hope Foundation
Vitality IV Studio 535 W. 20th, Ste 100 ....................713/861-4848
H e alT H C ar e –Skin C ar e Heights Dermatology/Alpesh Desai, MD 2120 Ashland .................................713/864-2650
Skin Renaissance Laser/Octavio Barrios, MD 507 West Gray ................................713/942-7546
Rd ....................713/957-3672
H O M e re MO d eling / r e n OvaT i O n S Luria Construction LuriaConstruction.com...............713/828-2155 H O M e r e MO d eling/ Pa in T in g Luria Construction LuriaConstruction.com.................713/828-2155 in SU r an C e ag en C i e S /ag en T S Jeffrey Bules/Insurance Associates Group Insuranceassociatesgroup.com ...713/23-9400 Marie Hejtmancik/OPES Insurance Agency Kelly Heftmancik/OPES Insurance Agency 281/648-OPES ................................832/867-2518 Patrick Torma/State Farm 3329 Telephone Road, Ste B ........832/649-4311 je W eler S Silverlust 1338-C Westheimer ......................713/520-5440 Zadok 1749 Post Oak Blvd .......................713/960-8950 l a ndSC a Pi ng/ g ardening Joshua’s Native Plants & Antiques 502 W. 18th St ................................713/862-7444 MaSSage THeraPiSTS Ryan Fugate, RMT RyanMassageWorks.com .............713/269-7926 Joel Leal, RMT ..........................................................713/397-8808 Pe ST CO n T rO l Servi C e S Andy’s All Star Pest Control ...........................................................713/732-7742 Natran Green Pest Control Natran.com ....................................832/478-8220 Pe T S e rvi C e S & S U PPlie S Aquarium World 13157 Northwest Fwy ...................713/329-9989 Get your business listed here. Call 713/520-7237 ext 10 for
Sam Houston Hotel 1117 Prairie St. ...............................832/200-8800
Water’s Edge Venue 901 NASA Parkway ........................281/291-9900
Thank You for supporting
Saturday, September 16, 8pm
Bradshaw-Carter ***
Underwriter Reception 7pm
Make your reservations today!
$40 General Admission
$100 VIP Ticket includes Underwriter Reception
Benefiting the Lesbian Health Initiative
Eliminating Barriers to healthcare and promoting health and wellness for LGBT-identified women and transgender men
For ticket information: Facebook.com/EPAH.Houston/
IDEAL FOR SUMMER INTERNS
OutSmart Marketplace
HOUSTON PRIDE RIDERS
A new LGBT motorcycle riding group is being put together for those in the Houston area who like to get out and ride! I’d love to have group rides/social gatherings every month, possible fund raiser rides for the community, etc.. All motorcycle types welcome - From Harley’s to Hayabusa’s, crotch rockets and cruisers - all are welcome. All rider experiences welcome! Please contact jasonmwilson@sbcglobal.net or look for Houston Pride Riders on Facebook.
Bar & C luB Guide
Houston
BAYOU CITY BAR & GRILL
This fun party bar opens daily (7am–2am Mon.–Sat., 11am–2am Sun.), serving fantastic food daily. 2409 Grant St. • 713.522.2867 bayoucitybar.com.
BLUR
Multi-level dance club featuring an upstairs lounge and balconies. Ladies enjoy Wet and Wild Wed., 18-year-olds welcome Thurs., Latin night on Sun. Happy hour 8–10pm; free cover before 11pm. 710 Pacific St. • blurbar.com.
CLUB 2020
Located downtown, this urban club features Clubbers Friday with male and female dancers. Its 6,400 square feet also offers theater-sized viewing screens and VIP rooms. 2020 Leeland • 713.227. 9667 club2020houston.com.
CLUB CRYSTAL
Find many of Inergy’s former staff and décor at this two-room Latin/hip-hop club. Sunday evening drag shows rule the roost. 6680 Southwest Frwy, next to Colorado 713.278.2582 • crystaltheclub.com.
CROCKER BAR
This comfortably remodeled Montrose nightspot also offers karaoke on Tuesdays and Thursdays and extended happy-hour prices throughout the week. 2312 Crocker • 713.529.3355.
F BAR
This boutique nightclub offers elegance without arrogance and features a stage, dance floor, VIP area, glass-encased quiet bar, and attractive patio. Tues. and Sun. drag. 202 Tuam St. • fbarhouston.com 713.522.3227.
GEORGE
Regulars rule at this comfortable neighborhood sports bar. Sports Saturdays and Sundays start at 3pm with dart and pool tournaments. 617 Fairview • 713.528.8102.
GUAVA LAMP
This trendy and friendly video and cruise bar gets busy during happy hour and stays busy ‘til closing. Karaoke on Wed. and Sun. 570 Waugh Dr. • 713.524.3359 guavalamphouston.com.
HAMBURGER MARY’S
The iconic LGBTQ franchise features lunch/dinner service with full bar and late-night dancing with DJs. Check website for weekly show schedules & performers. 2409 Grant St. • 713.677.0674 hamburgermarys.com/houston.
HOUSTON EAGLE
Part of the Eagle worldwide family, this neighborhood watering spot is the place to cruise and dance. Featuring DJs on weekends. Multiple patios. Leather shop is open the same hours as the bar. 611 Hyde Park Blvd. • houstoneagle.com.
JR’S BAR & GRILL
This Montrose standard offers drag and strip shows throughout the week, karaoke Thurs. and Sun., plus pool tables and male dancers. 808 Pacific St. • 713.521.2519 jrsbarandgrill.com.
MICHAEL’S OUTPOST
Jerry Atwood, Clay Howell, Neil Massey, Steve Wheaton, and Roger Woest take turns at the keys at this comfortable neighborhood piano bar. 1419 Richmond Ave. • 713.520.8446.
NEON BOOTS
DANCEHALL & SALOON
Houston’s only LGBT country dancehall opens Wednesday–Sunday. Wednesday features Steak Night and Bingo. Free dance classes on Thursdays and Karaoke. 11410 Hempstead Hwy • 713.677.0828 neonbootsclub.com.
Pearl BAR
This LGBT-friendly lounge in the Washington corridor features daily highlights like open-mic night, steak night, and drink specials. 4216 Washington • pearlhouston.com.
BEHIND the BAR BEHIND
RICH’S HOUSTON
Houston’s most iconic and largest LGBT dance club, with multiple levels featuring a video/show bar and a private VIP lounge. No cover before 10:30pm. 2401 San Jacinto • 281.846.6685 richsnightclub.com.
THE RIPCORD
This multi-roomed leather bar boasts a busy patio, especially on the weekends. The Black Hawk Leather shop located inside the club. 715 Fairview Ave. • 713.521.2792.
RUDYARD’S
The eclectic British pub is known for its craft beers as well as for the burgers. Most weekends you’ll find up-and-coming local bands rocking the house. 2010 Waugh Dr. • 713.521.0521 • rudyardspub.com.
SOUTH BEACH
This mega-dance club is a frequent winner of O UT S MART ‘s Gayest and Greatest awards. No cover before 11pm. 810 Pacific St. • 713.529.SOBE • sobehouston.com.
TC’S SHOWBAR
With the longest daily happy hours in Montrose (8am–10pm), this neighborhood watering hole is very popular. Drag shows Wednesday–Sunday. Karaoke Monday & Wednesday. 817 Fairview • 713.526.2625 • tcsshowbar.com.
TONY’S CORNER POCKET
This comfortable club has one of the friendliest bar staffs in town. Amateur dance contest each Thurs., Fri., & Sat. at 11pm. Opens daily at noon. 817 W. Dallas • 713.571.7870 tonyscornerpocketbar.com.
VIVIANA’S
Happening weekend-only gay dance club with Latin DJs, singers, talent shows & Sunday strippers. 4624 Dacoma • 713.681.4104.
WHO Dionna Davis
WHERE
Bayou City Bar & Grill
2409 Grant St.
713.522.2867
WHAT’S UP
Great weekly calendar
Throwback Tuesdays, Strip Off Wednesdays, Puro Latino Thursdays, Fabulous Fridays, Rated R Saturdays, and Seductive Sundays.
Check BayouCityBar.com for details.
BEAUMONT
ORLEANS STREET PUB AND PATIO
The place to hang for food, fun, and booze in a newly renovated pub, in good weather or bad. Open every night from 7pm–2am. 650 Orleans • 409.835.4243.
BRYAN/COLLEGE STATION
HALO VIDEO BAR
The only LGBT dance club in Bryan/College station, this sleek spot is open Thurs.–Sat. smack in the middle of Aggieland. 121 North Main • 979.823.6174 • halobcs.com.
GALVESTON
23RD ST. STATION
The bar features daily drink specials and the weekend is filled with pulsing music, hot dancers, drag shows, and a Sunday Tea Dance. 1706 23rd St. • 409.621.1808.
ROBERT’S LAFITTE
The Island institution features private patio with swimming pool. On Sat. and Sun. nights, the Ladies of Lafitte show takes the stage. 2501 Avenue Q (at 25th) • 409.765.9092.
SPRING
RANCH HILL SALOON
With its two pool tables, 52-inch plasma televisions, and large dance floor, this popular northside spot also offers DJs Thursday–Saturday. 247041 I-45N, Suite 103 • 281.298.9035 • ranchhill.com.
THE ROOM BAR AND LOUNGE
This bar and video lounge has a laidback atmosphere including daily drink specials, karaoke, free pool, drag shows, and live DJs several nights a week. 4915 FM 2920 • 281.907.6866 • roombarspring.com. ■
By Lilly Roddy
The Direct Approach
This month, Mercury, the planet of communications and travel, is direct.
The most important thing to know this month is that on September 9, Mercury, our planet of communications and travel, is direct. We are able to start our new projects, push forward on our career plans, and purchase a new smartphone! The Full Moon on the 6th really plugs us into our psychic energies that will be very strong from the 4th through the 8th. Make sure you keep good people around you then. Our speed and momentum pick up, and we are more ready to make decisions through the rest of the month. The sun begins the month in Virgo, but then enters Libra on September 22, the first day of fall. Mercury starts the month in Leo, but quickly reenters Virgo on the 9th. Mercury leaves Virgo on the 29th and enters Libra, while Venus starts the month in Leo but enters Virgo on the 19th. Mars starts in Leo and also enters Virgo on the 5th! You can see that the mutable signs (Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces, and Gemini) will be the most influenced by all of this Virgo energy of exactness. We are all more analytical and nerdy with so many planets in Virgo.
ARIES (March 21–April 19). You have been getting your life in order over the last month, and now you are ready to get back to your routines. This is a great month to start any type of exercise or health program. You are cleaning up your work area this month and setting boundaries with coworkers. Relationships require your attention toward the end of the month when you’ll have a lot more energy for that. This will stimulate your career sector, and it will be a much better time to meet with clients, potential clients, or even possible business partners.
TAURUS (April 20–May 20). As the month opens, you are continuing your focus on your family and home. You could be doing remodeling or even considering moving. As we get into the middle of the month, you are in a creative and peaceful time. You want to connect more with your children, or to be more playful on your own. This is an especially productive month for you, but you have to focus on the things you like to do and not on your duties. By the end of the month, you are more ready to get back to your routines.
GE MINI (May 21–June 21). With your ruling planet direct, you can clear out the cobwebs and start making some decisions. Your home and family are the topics for this month. This can
be a time when you clean things up, do some remodeling, and perhaps even relocate. The beginning of the month will go slowly, but you will pick up momentum as the month progresses. The weekend of the 16th through the 20th could be a tense time for you. Avoid any drama if you can, but don’t back away from a challenge. Choose your battles wisely.
C ANCER (June 22–July 22). You have been very focused on your money and your future financial picture, and now you are ready to take some action on the plans you have been considering. Writing, advertising, and self-promotion are all positive activities this month. Don’t give up on your health program. You are making good progress even though you slowed down last month. Watch your spending this month you will be tempted to satisfy your needs without thinking everything through. At the end of the month, family life takes over your plans.
LE O (July 23–August 22). You had a lot of energy and drive last month, but it was hard to put your ideas into action. This month will flow along much smoother. Relationships are accentuated this month. If you are involved, this is a good month to renew those intimate emotional bonds. If you are single, your animal magnetism is much stronger. This can also be helpful if you are marketing your business or services. By midmonth, you are looking at how to manage your finances better. It can be easy to spend money this month!
You will be more psychically sensitive to your environment and the people in it. This can be a great time to get away from your routines and focus more on your inner life. Family life can still be demanding, but you will need some time to yourself. This is a good month for doing some planning, connecting to the things that give purpose and meaning to your life, and limiting your commitments to activities that increase your sense of security. By the end of the month, you are ready to break out of your cocoon and reenter the world.
SCORPIO (October 24–November 21). With Mercury retrograde in your career sector, you spent most of last month reviewing your plans. After the 9th, you are ready to put those plans into action. An undercurrent of energy is building that wants you to reinvent yourself. This process gets even stronger as we get into next year. You are more social this month, so working with groups and/or getting more involved in community activities can be very beneficial for you. This is also a good time to step up and take on a leadership role at work and in your neighborhood.
VIRGO (August 23–September 22). Happy Birthday to the Virgos! This is your yearly cycle when you look back to assess your past year and look forward to new projects for next year. After the 9th, you will be ready to act decisively. Mars (planet of action, courage, and short tempers) will be visiting your sign until October 22. You will want to improve your overall health, step forward to establish your boundaries and goals, and focus on your specific needs.
LI BRA (September 23–October 23). September is a month of rest and retreat for you.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 21). You have been in a big holding pattern since last month. After the 9th, it’s time for you to put your ideas into action. Your career sector is very busy this month. You could easily take on a new position, start your own business, or set up a new marketing program to improve your current conditions. You will not be the most patient person to be around, and it may be harder for you to sleep. Be sure to put some energy into working out! Your social energies increase by the end of the month. You are ready to get out with friends and have a good time.
C APRICORN (December 22–January 19). As you start the month, you have been looking at and reassessing your long-term investments. You are moving into an even more serious time (how can that be?) marked by a focus on your career. You want to make the best use of your time and energy. September can be a great month for marketing your business, looking for other employment, or working with foreign companies. Your negotiating skills are improved. By the end of the month, you are moving full steam ahead. Relationships become a bigger part of your focus by the end of the month.
DAVID EDUARDO FLORES PEREZ
On July 20,
On July 22, the Harris County Democratic Party
and attendees.
On August 2, the Diana Foundation hosted a Happy Hour at Tenenbaum Jewelers. Pictured are Nathan Wright , Daniel Irion, Matthew Moncivais, Sharon Lord, Leslie Jackson, Michael Broderick , and Juan Rodriguez
On August 12, the Rising Roses hosted Celebrating the Talent of Modern Prodigies at the Ballroom at Bayou Place. Pictured are Kim Watson, Fran Watson, Mel Rose, Morena Roas, Audrey Natividad, and Mike Henderson
August
On July 30, the
On August 5, Kiehl’s in Highland Village hosted the eighth annual Kiehl’s LIfeRide for amfAR, benefitting the Foundation for AIDS Research. Pictured are Tim Martinez and Brian Teichman, with members of the Kiehl’s staff.
On August 12, Rec Room hosted the Dead Rockstar Sing-A-Long Club, featuring the music of George Michael and Sharon Jones. Pictured are Gerardo Velasquez , Orlanders Jones, Mahoganee Renee, Wesley Whitson, Alex Smith, Daleton Lee, Nathan Richardson, and Tasha Gorel
On August 19, the Montrose Softball League Association hosted the Bomb Squad
Tournament at Memorial Park. Pictured team is the tournament-winning Austin Outlaws team.
On August 9, the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce hosted Brewing Up Business at Balani Custom Clothiers. Pictured are Tammi Wallace, Scott French, Corrie Rhabby Domingo, Paul Franzetti, Kaitlyn Penkert , Nick Grizzaffi, and Gary Wood
On August 13, Equality Texas
at Eureka Heights Brew
Sunday
Pictured are Ryan Leach, Shelley Eichenlaub, Rob Eichenlaub, Casey Motes, Lori Motes, Patrick Dickson, Chuck Smith Front : Evan Wolfson, Annise Parker, Mark Phariss, Vic Holmes, and David Collins
August 29,
On
18, Jessica Merrill received Math Teacher of the Month from Conoco Phillips at Minute Maid Park, during the Astros-Athletics Game. Pictured are members of the Tanglewood Middle School contingency with Merill.
the Houston Pride Band hosted Cultured Cocktails at Bar Boheme. Pictured are Elizabeth De Los Rios, Kevin Taylor, Gonzalo Agudelo, Joe Dombrowski, and Adrian Leyva.
hosted a Pride celebration at Hamburger Mary’s. Pictured are performers
Softball
PWA Holiday Charities hosted Christmas in July at Neon Boots. Pictured are Crystal Rae Lee Love, Debra Duncan, Regina Dane, Lisa Foronda, Don Gill, and An’Marie Gill.
On
Neon Boots hosted Daddy Don Dowden’s Dynamic Dog Dayz of Summer Extravaganza at Neon Boots. Pictured are Regina Dane, Marcia Mink Ann Gill, Dalton DeHart , An’Marie Gill, and Don Gill
hosted
Funday
Co.
Photos by Dalton DeHart and Edgardo Aguilar
YOUR BODY. YOUR HEALTH. YOUR CHOICES. YOUR LIFE. The chance to end the spread of HIV is here. The choice to take action is yours. PrEP is an FDA-approved medication that, taken once daily, significantly reduces the risk of contracting HIV from a positive sexual partner. PrEP does not protect against other STDs, so practice safer sex and use condoms along with PrEP. It’s your life. Own it.
