The Agenda

VOLUME 02, NO.

04 • JUNE 2014

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VOLUME 02 ISSUE 04 JUNE 2014

Editorial

Editor-in-Chief KATE X MESSER Associate Editors DAVID ESTLUND,

SARAH MARLOFF, WENDY MARTINEZ

Contributors

ANDY CAMPBELL, DAVID ESTLUND, JOHN EGAN, SARAH MARLOFF

Art

Design Director RACHELLE DIAZ Photography DEVAKI KNOWLES,

TODD V. WOLFSON

Cover

Photography TODD V. WOLFSON Art RACHELLE DIAZ

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ON THE COVER: Margaret & Stephen Moser, sister and brother Austin icons; cover story, “All in the Family,” page 10

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s n e e u Q e h t e Long Liv Smart as a whip. Cute as a bug.

Bawdy. Devil-may-care. Dishy as all get out.

It’s tough to winnow initial impressions of rock writer Margaret Moser. We first met at the Hyatt Regency in 1990. A lot of folks are surprised to learn that the hotel was the site of early South by Southwests, but it was,and that’s where I met the queen of the Austin music scene. Austin was brand new to me, but I knew it well as I got to know Margaret’s distinct voice via a subscription to The Austin Chronicle mailed to my home in Florida.

Year’s later, when I came to live here, Margaret encouraged me to apply for a position with the paper, and under her wing, I moved up the editorial ranks. Her kind, payit-forward mentorship to so many Austin writers, musicians, and creative types was, in part, gratitude manifest for opportunities given her by alt-weekly journalism.

Her brother Stephen came to town in the late-Nineties. He and I became close – sometimes contentiously so, but most often (at least from my vantage point) affectionately – as editor and columnist. He authored, and I worked on “After a Fashion” for close to 14 years.

Both of my friends have been diagnosed with cancer. Both are fighting off the beast as best as humanly possible. Both of their recent retirements from the Chronicle

The Agenda is published quarterly by the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with The Austin Chronicle and is financed entirely by the support from the membership of the chamber.

The views and opinions expressed in The Agenda and austinagenda.com do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC), nor its officers or board of directors, nor The Austin Chronicle.

Any advice or opinions provided herein are for informational purposes only.

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have been felt… deeply… in that “balled pulp of your heart,” “mill of silence,” SylviaPlath kind of way.

The three of us sat down to talk about their experiences with, and impact on, gay Austin. It’s the first interview of its kind.

Photographer and Moser-confidante, Todd Wolfson lent shots from his stunning archive of the iconic Austin sibs.

There’s a lot more in this quarter’s issue of The Agenda, the only gay chamber of commerce magazine produced in collaboration with an alternative newsweekly. Trans activist Kayden Althen shares a personal story of transition in Part 2 of David Estlund’s interview, featuring gorgeous portraits by Devaki Knowles. Also in this issue, Sarah Marloff and I file the second in our series of Agenda Travel Dossiers, this time exploring Pride celebrations across Texas. And John Egan makes sense of the new Austin 10-1 city council race, through an LGBTQ lens, of course.

Our advertisers keep this ship afloat. Please do us a solid and check out their messages, their products, and their services. All are Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce members, and we are grateful for this trust they’ve put in us.

Kate X Messer | The Agenda Editor-in-chief

Copyright © 2014 Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. All rights reserved.

Unsolicited submissions (including resumes, articles, artwork, and photographs) are not returned.

PO Box 49216, Austin, TX 78765 512/761-LGBT (5428) contact@austinagenda.com

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10:1 Odds There Will Be Change It’s been said countless times, but we know it’s so true: Change is inevitable. In Austin, change is visible in many ways.

Obviously, Austin is changing as our population keeps growing. Construction cranes fill the skyline as workers scramble to put up office, hotel, condo, and apartment buildings. But even as Austin changes, there’s still a magical quality that draws people to our city, including scores of LGBTQ residents.

A significant change also is occurring in city politics. This November, Austin voters will elect City Council members based on 10 geographically divided districts, with only the mayor chosen by voters across the city. Under the current format, all seven members of the council are elected citywide. It remains to be seen how the new council configuration will affect Austin’s LGBTQ community.

Against the backdrop of the changes in our city and our political landscape, the Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC) has seen its own changes this year. This spring, I stepped up to the presidency of AGLCC following the departure of Jimmy Flannigan, who left our board to run for a seat on the City Council. Succeeding me as vice president of the AGLCC board was Ceci Gratias. Let me assure you that these leadership changes have not altered AGLCC’s commitment to ensuring that the vibrancy of Austin’s LGBTQ business community continues to percolate, and that Austin still reigns as a place where LGBTQ newcomers want to live, work, and play.

Edgar Gierbolini | Austin Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce President

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All in the

FAMILY

Back when

Margaret Moser actually officed at The Austin Chronicle proper, before she took her leave to write from the peace of her home, and before her retirement, she laughed when I called her “terminally straight.” Her gay father, her marriage to a gay man, her relationship with her very very gay little brother, her very supportive relationship with the queer community at large – I wondered if, in her 40 or so years in this town, she’d witnessed more comings out than Oprah and Jerry Springer combined. She’s iconic. One of the infamous Texas Blondes. A helluva raucous big sister (to so many of us). A champion of Austin music. And one of Austin’s best straight lady drag queens.

INTERVIEW BY KATE X MESSER // PHOTOS BY TODD V. WOLFSON

And who in Austin doesn’t know her brother. “After a Fashion” columnist Stephen MacMillan Moser? His years spent designing – even a stint for Divine – and his trials, tribulations, and observations about this fashionably hayseed town (Austin) in which he found himself. Say what you will about his methods, Your Style Avatar (as we dubbed him at the paper) ended up dragging us all kicking and screaming into a world where Austin is taken seriously, fashion-wise. His column, which ran in the paper for almost 14 years, was a uniquely autobiographical romp, never fully appreciated for its camp, for its audaciously firm tongue planted in a cheek that also took itself, Austin fashion, and by that very token, all of us very seriously.

The three of us sat down one spring day in 2013 to have a chat about a lot of things, not the least of which was…

PLAYING BARBIES Kate X Messer: Let’s start at the beginning – with childhood and Barbies. You grew up in New Orleans…

Margaret Moser: We lived there from 1963 to 1966. I got my first Barbie when we were living on Bordeaux. She was the bubblehead brunette – my first Barbie – not my Barbie of choice. There were Barbie clothes available, of course, but it seemed so much easier to go to my mother’s closet and find one of her old ball gowns and cut out a piece from the hem to make a Barbie dress that we would be punished for later.

Stephen Macmillan Moser: Or cutting a hole out of a facecloth and shoving it up like an asymmetrical circle skirt, decorated with Kleenex flowers.

MM: … that we had opened and fluffed into petticoats.

SMM: My favorite was the fashion show that we produced with the record my parents had of the 101 World’s Greatest Melodies: “Song of India,” “Waltz of the Flowers,” …

MM: “Swan Lake.”

SMM: We would dress those Barbies and our troll dolls in fashions that would coordinate with the songs. Then we’d strap them to the spindle of the record player. They’d go ‘round and ‘round. I specifically remember a black-haired troll for which I had designed a fabulous, polished cotton red-and-white polka-dot sari. It was one of my earliest couture creations.

MM: I can testify to this.

COUSIN AGNES MM: Bubble-head Barbie was 1963, right after the Kennedy assassination. Then everything changed with the Beatles, because not only was it about rock & roll, but it was about growing up and being a teenager – and that meant fashion. Fashion that was brought about by the Beatles in the early Sixties was quite an exciting, fun place

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to be for a little girl, let alone a thriving young queen.

SMM: It was also the time in which Margaret was able to start looking at clothes on her own rather than just stuff my mother bought her. As she began exploring fashion, she would share with me.

KXM: How were mom and the ladies of her generation expecting you to dress, and when did you finally cut loose?

SMM: Tearful. [laughter] What you’d have to wear for photographs. Socks. Dresses.

MM: Most of the girls were not wearing socks, and I had to wear socks. I remember being so bitter about it, because there I am in Fifth Grade at the end of the first row of girls, and the only other girl wearing socks is obviously the other dork in the class. I should have just taken them off and said fuck it, but I didn’t.

SMM: I knew people that would do that – wear what their parents made them wear all the way to school, then change.

KXM: Did you ever do that?

SMM: Well, only if I were to change into a dress or something. [laughter] MM: We did this thing. There was this little girl who lived down the street…

SMM: Oh my god…

MM: And, I feel kind of bad about it, except that we weren’t mean to her.

SMM: Not necessarily…

MM: She wasn’t quite completely… What was she? Did she have mild Down’s Syndrome, do you think? Nancy, was that her name?

SMM: Yes. Yes. MM: It was very mild, she could be very sweet. We would dress him [Stephen] up in my clothes and makeup, and what would we call you?

SMM: Agnes.

MM: Cousin Agnes. So then we’d call Nancy.

He’d put on panty hose and everything.

SMM: But I had on white boys underwear, though. [laughter] MM: We had this ritual we would do when my parents would leave. The minute they left, we’d go knock on the door. “Do you want to come play Barbies?” We incorporated this Agnes ruse into all the general secret things we did when the parents were gone.

SMM: Both of us were too old to be doing that, according to them.

MM: Oh, yeah. Playing dolls.

SMM: I was always “too old” for that. It wasn’t until I was designing my own professional wardrobe that I got any sort of approval on playing with dresses.

MM: I think I stopped playing with Barbies the same year I started dropping acid. The crossover arc there is pretty short.

NEW ORLEANS MM: Stephen and I had this incredible bonding experience that was so magical that we still talk about it. We were in New Orleans walking home from school one day.

There was one house, you couldn’t see it from the street because the hedges were so

high, and there was this old woman standing in front of it, and she greeted us. We stopped and started talking to her. She was very sweet, friendly, and obviously very lonely.

SMM: This was before the era of “Must not talk to stangers!”

MM: She invited us into her house. She must have been from some old New Orleans money. It was this huge house with all these rooms, and each room was done in the décor of a different country or era: one was India, one was Africa, one was China, one was England, one was Italian, the halls were lined with paintings.

SMM: I remember her showing us these objects.

MM: “This is from the Ming Dynasty!”

SMM: They were the treasures of her life. It really did affect us and influence our interest in art and culture – which our parents fostered as well.

MM: New Orleans had magic in every crack in the sidewalk, you know?

SMM: History everywhere. It was an influential place to grow up in. For the rest of my life I’ll always remember such visions of

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lost beauty and graciousness that were so old. Going into the public library where there were crystal chandeliers…

MM: It’s a grand old mansion on a hill, the Milton Latter Library on St. Charles. We took a streetcar to get to it. Stephen was always agog at the Mardi Gras parades, too.

SMM: Oh! The spectacle and glitter…

MM: There was one that ran right down at the end of our block near our house on Valmont Street – and there was one that went down Freret Street. So, here come all of these floats and everything with their majestic kings and queens and gowns, and he’s just in heaven.

knows that preacher’s kids are horrible, yet everybody thinks they’re supposed to be angels, and then it was a whole different type of [behavior] while they’re on campus. There was a time where my dad was teaching during the week and then preaching on Sundays. There was this sort of schizophrenic lifestyle split between what we were being taught and what we saw being taught.

SMM: Growing up, I know in retrospect now, that my parents were very critical and sarcastic.

MM: They wonder where we get it. [laughter]

SMM: I’ve been that way the rest of my life.

SMM: We learned viperous sharp tongues at a very young age, learning the power of words, and how to use them as weapons.

DAD’S CLOSET

MM: They had very wicked, intelligent senses of humor.

SMM: San Antonio: That must have been the era when my dad started coming out. Or at least making those noises.

SMM: It’s what shaped us into what we are now – that sharpness and wickedness.

Exactly what we traded on later in life.

MM: He was really out in New Orleans. We just didn’t know it. He taught at Tulane in New Orleans, and Trinity in San Antonio. By that time in New Orleans, he was standing at the doorway of the closet going, “Door’s open!””

SMM: My mother was appalled at how much money he was spending on clothes. He was quite the peacock, which is clearly where I inherited it.

MM: He was well dressed for the opera, stuff like that. And he loved his job. My dad loved teaching so much.

SMM: That joy was such a part of it, which is why we like to share what we know, because we learned the love of it.

He liked the big pageantry and epic tales and used to read to us bedtime stories. He would act out these wild things from the Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare, the different parts. I remember him teaching us about maleficence, all these things that made our minds spin.

MM: You know, he was a minister, too.

We spent this split life between being preacher’s kids and professor’s kids, which is a nasty combination. Everybody

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LAVERNE & SHIRLEY?!

SMM: When Margaret had returned to San Antonio and was well aware of what was going on with our father, she was adult enough to have wound up at gay bars with him during that era.

MM: It’s true. He would take me to this place on Broadway Street called the Arena. And it was one of San Antonio’s earliest, Stonewallera gay bars. I know that as early ‘71, he was taking me there to see drag shows. I wasn’t even old enough to go in real bars, much less this one. Those were my earliest drag queen shows I could remember seeing. There were a lot of lesbians there, too, so that was my first exposure to the lesbian dynamic. And these are the old school lesbians, we’re talking about the ones with the lacquered hair and pointy eyeliner. The butch – that old school caricature – the nicest, loveliest women. I remember sitting with them at the table – and the one that talked like a man… [great butch voice homage]. She was such a great lady. I wish I could remember their names. I always think of them as Laverne & Shirley, but that’s not right. It was something and Shirley.

continued on page 16 »

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ATX, DISCO, DIVINE & PUNK MM: We would go out a lot. I took [Stephen] to Raoul’s and the One Knite. Just part of the long history of me taking him into places to see music. Raoul’s wasn’t much different than going to gay bars; we’d dress up.

Obviously punk stuff, but…

SMM: Colorado Spring Station, Pearl Street Warehouse, places like that.

MM: And run around the corner from Raoul’s and pose in front of the Tri Delt house in our punk outfits. “Hi, Farah!” [referring to Fawcett] Oh, she’d never even lived in that particular Tri Delt house. [laughter] KXM: Did you start spinning [records, as a DJ] at some point, Stephen?

SMM: Not yet. This was when I was in ACC and wanted to be an actor. I wound up at Zach Scott, and started designing clothes.

Margaret and I started running around together. We even lived together for a while.

First in some apartments, then over on Holly Street.

MM: We walked a lot. We didn’t have a car between us, I didn’t even have a license. I’m in high heels, platform at that, and I didn’t think anything of it. I would just sashay wherever.

SMM: I regularly walked from Zach Scott and back all the time. I burned up shoes. Trying to be glamorous on a budget, just like I do now.

To find approval in the disco era from her, this die-hard rock queen…

MM: I liked disco!

SMM: It was really fun, and god, by the time 1979 came around, at the biggest punk party of the year, the most played record was “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer.

MM: There was affinity early on between the gay bars and the punk bars. We were all rebels. It was easy to recognize one another.

Gary Floyd [later of the Dicks] and I had developed a relationship outside Raoul’s because I used to work at a bookstore on the Drag. This was like the year before Raoul’s opened. So we were very friendly.

By the time he showed up at Raoul’s, we’re like, “Hey!” It was very clear that punk was everything that rock & roll wasn’t, at that

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point. Rock & roll was beautiful, glamorous people who lived a jet-set lifestyle. Punk rock meant you could be ugly, cast out, a misfit.

SMM: Seeing someone like Gary Floyd was definitely an affirmation to me, because even though I was going to gay bars here, I was never embraced by the gay community, I was still very much of an outcast. It was an era of a lot of self-exploration for me. I wound up out in San Francisco designing clothes for Divine at that time. That was such a wild thing. This was 1979. Then I left San Francisco and came back in like 1980 or so; we were living over on Medical Arts.

MM: It was 1981, the year the Chronicle started.

AUSTIN GAY TODAY KXM: Margaret, if this were not me asking, if this were another LGBTQ Austinite asking: Do you feel you’ve had a role in creating an Austin that’s much more accepting of queers and freaks and weirdos?

MM: That particular aspect is more spawned out of my desire to support female musicians than it is to say, “You’re gay, so I’m going to give you an extra measure of push here.” In the same way that I’ve watched out for young teen musicians, I’ve always had the eye on female musicians – many just happen to be gay. Having been a high school dropout, not having gone to college, I got hired on by the Austin Sun in 1976 [the alternative paper considered the precursor to The Austin Chronicle]. My job was to clean the office and answer the phone, it wasn’t to write. I weaseled my way into writing. I’ve come through the back door so much in my life, whenever I come through the front door, I run to the back door and see who I can let in.

There are always people waiting in the back door waiting to get in.

KXM: [laughter] When I describe our relationship to people, I say, “Margaret’s a very hand’s-off mentor. She opens doors and lets people walk through on their own volition.”

MM: I’ve always liked headhunting for the Chronicle, and I feel like I’ve done a really good job over the years.

continued on page 19 »

“We were all rebels.”

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JUST A CONVERSATION…

(that turned into a love letter)

As we drove over to meet up with Margaret and Stephen, my son asked me if the interview was for any specific thing. “No,” I told him, “Just a conversation.”

It wasn’t exactly the truth. It wasn’t a lie. I knew that there was some turf I wanted to cover. I knew that I wanted to sit together with them and hear their sibling banter, their ease with each other, their achingly adorable and often “wicked senses of humor,” their interminable youth.

“Interminable youth.” Ouch. That phrase is not meant as deluded, hopeful hyperbole. I’m going against my better judgment and leaving it there. I realize that it may land with a thud or be perceived as being pithy or clever or an attempt at the profound. After all, both of my friends,Stephen and Margaret have been battling cancer for longer than anyone would have predicted, wished on enemies, or sold souls to dodge. Despite this, Margaret and Stephen Moser remain forever young.

Forever cast in realms that demand so much from the young, that eat the young: Rock & roll, journalism, art, pop, fashion.

Oh, but all of this sort of stuff, you can read about elsewhere (see see “MORE MOZ,” page 20). I knew what I didn’t want. I didn’t want to talk about cancer.

The cancer. I didn’t want to ask Margaret about being a groupie or ask Stephen about working with Divine (yes, Margaret was a groupie, and Stephen worked with Divine). I didn’t want to rehash much of what had already been said – stuff you, dear reader, could dig around a bit and find: Stuff written by others about them or things written by them from within their combined Austin writing careers that span over half a century. Dig a little. They’re worth the effort.

I knew I wanted them flip, off­-the-­cuff, silly, naughty, finishing each other’s sentences the way inexorable bonds of love and shared DNA sometimes make you do.

What I didn’t exactly realize was that this doesn’t exist anywhere else. For the over 50 years that they commanded attention of one form or fashion in this town, rare (nonexistent?) is the glimpse into what they have with each other. What they are to each other.

The other thing that became perfectly clear was how much of an impact, subtle and not, that both of them have had on Austin queer culture. And I wanted to know what they thought about that. I wanted to know what they thought about what they are to us.

– KXM

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KXM: Stephen, how do you feel about your place in Austin’s gay community?

SMM: I’m of two minds about the whole thing. It wasn’t until I became a celebrity here in Austin that the gay community embraced me. I never felt like I should be a card-carrying, poster boy for gay society anywhere. A while ago, I was supposed to get an award from HRC. And I said, “Why is the HRC going to give me an award? I’m not an activist, I don’t go out and fight for gay rights.” The guy who was on the committee said, “Darling, every time you walk out of the house, you make a statement about being gay just by being you.” That was an awe-inspiring thing to realize. I didn’t quite believe it, but it’s a gift to have that kind of influence, no matter how I got it. It is there. I can’t ignore it anymore. I have tried to accept all that and understand it and return the gift that I have received. If I have that role now in gay society, I’m very proud of that.

KXM: Margaret, where do you see your place?

MM: I don’t see it as being anything that is contrived – and I mean that in a benign way – or an effort on my part. I think if you look at the history of the Austin Music Awards [which Margaret founded and ran for over three decades], we had some very highprofile gay acts in there, including that one year when we featured an all-lesbian act of supergirls. It was always done for the music, and to me the fact that they were gay gave them a certain amount of freedom to perform it however they wanted it. I always saw Biscuit [of the Big Boys] and Gary Floyd and Gretchen Phillips [of Two Nice Girls] that way – or anybody else like that who chooses to combine their pursuit of music with, “Hi, I’m gay!” I see myself more of an ambassador than anything else. Someone who says, Welcome! Welcome!” Be you, whomever you are.

KXM: I don’t want to speak for anyone, but I think there are active members of the community – maybe the Marcy Fletchers, the Scott Dingers – who see you on those terms.

MM: It’s very flattering to me. Both of them, for example, have done spectacular jobs and what they’ve done in their lives. My god, Marcilea Fletcher never will probably ever get the credit she deserves for a lot of the stuff that she did.

SMM: It’s true!

MM: There is no way to overestimate how much she has done and what an icon she really is. Sometimes just being a survivor gives you that aura of, “Ugh, you’re really been through a lot…”

Well, not really [laughter]. I’ve just lived a really long time.

KXM: Stephen, do you feel more accepted by gay society? – as you said. I love that you said “gay society.”

SMM: I do and I don’t. It never really mattered to me. I stopped trying to find approval, I stopped trying to be anything else. It was the Chronicle that gave me that opportunity and that platform in which to express who I was and develop that persona and that character. In some ways, it’s so closely melded on mine, and yet it is a complete defense that I use to keep the world at bay.

It’s self-preservation. Now I do like the ability to be influential with some of that. I find that most of the gratification that I get out of this is now in finding young gay kids who say, “Wow, you’ve done it all.” I like hearing that.

It’s really nice and affirming. It wasn’t that I felt I did so much for the gay community, just that they got around to appreciating who I was.

KXM: What do you think of the current crop of queens?

SMM: I rarely go out without the armor of my public persona. I know exactly the effect I have when I walk into a room. I love that I know how to work it. It is a tool of my trade. My operation is to go out and make the rounds of a place and go park myself and hold court, and that’s still pretty much what I do.

continued on page 20 »

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KXM: So it’s Sunday afternoon, you’re here to hang out with a friend to do an interview.

Please describe those pants?

SMM: It’s part of a transitional ensemble.

From high afternoon to early evening, the sun has now gone behind the clouds, and I have chosen to wear the pants from the grand finale of my fashion show last week.

They are a platinum-colored silk lamé, with embroidered silver spots of leopard all down the…

KXM: Cheetah.

SMM: Well, you know, a cat. I am smaller than all of my models now. These pants were tight on that model who wore them. He’s so skinny, I can’t believe that I have them on, and they’re big on me. That, to me, is my favorite thing about having cancer.

MM: Me, too!

SMM: I now have an absolute coathanger figure, and I can be the fashion icon that I wanted to be all my life, that I felt like inside. I’ll tell you, being awkward about being gay was always compounded by being overweight, because if you think that being fat in fashion is a hard thing, but being fat in gay society

is even worse. Talk about judgmental nonaccepting bitchy bitchy bitchiness. Fuck you, girls! [laughter] Hear it from me now! You made me miserable! Thank you so much. I’m supposed to love you and embrace you now.

Doing my best. [laughter] MM: I bought my pants at Wal-Mart [laughter]. They were the smallest pair of pants I had bought in probably 35 years.

SMM: I had a great role model all along. I had a role model that taught me to be fearless, that taught me to be brave, that it was okay to express myself, that it was okay to be colorful. All of those things I have had in my life. So much of it I attribute to Margaret and her enduring influence on me.

We know what interesting lives we’ve had.

It’s a hard thing to know sometimes. We’re both well aware of it. We’re both well aware of being in dramatic or dynamic or magical situations many times in our lives…

MM: Many times.

SMM: … and knowing that we were in it, and this was something for the history books.

Look at the eras we have lived through and are still relatively not in our dotage yet.

MORE MOZ Margaret and Stephen’s author archives at The Austin Chronicle: austinchronicle.com/authors/margaret-moser austinchronicle.com/authors/stephen-macmillan-moser For a great peek into Margaret’s life as a Texas Blonde, see Pamela Des Barres’ unflinching Let’s Spend the Night Together: Backstage Secrets of Rock Muses and Supergroupies under the chapter, “Slow Dazzle.”

Stephen is currently authoring the blog, Approaching the Veil (From Lime Light to White Light) at approachingtheveil.tumblr.com/bysmm

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AcrossH

Texas J The Lone Star State has a viable Pride circuit with celebrations all over creation

BY KATE X MESSER WITH SARAH MARLOFF

I

n a state as big as Texas, hubris is a given. Our pomposity is part of our charm. But the civic celebration known most commonly as Gay Pride, while enjoying rich histories in the main cities on the map – DFW, San Antonio, Houston, Austin – is really just now putting down roots across the state in smaller cities and towns.

Prides and LGBTQ parties make for great vacations. As municipalities and travel providers becoming aware of the power of our tourism, things like hotel group rates, rental car deals, and travel packages make these parties attractive and affordable destinations for travelers wanting to explore our culture across Texas.

Welcome to our second Agenda Travel Dossier.

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Tell the truth. Whenever you venture out of Austin, you seek kindreds as you travel Texas. Making a trek to a city’s Pride can put you in touch with that area’s gay community all in one fell swoop.

Two of my personal greatest Texas travel experiences involved Pride celebrations in other cities. In 2008, Houston Pride blew me away. I got to roll in the parade as the driver of the AGLCC car. Our small krewe of chamber officers, volunteers, and Chronicle Gay Placers brought some serious gAyTX love to the corner of Montrose & Westheimer. A few years before that, some GPers ventured on a lark to the annual Houston Splash Sunday beach day in Galveston, a tradition bringing together LGBTQ people of color for all-day fun in the sun. Splash = blast!

We can’t encourage you enough to go explore the state of our state’s gay culture via LGBTQ Pride and queer fests in our sister and brother cities. Here’s our list to help you on your gay way.

TEXAS PRIDES 2014 Houston Pride Week

June 20-29, 2014 pridehouston.org LGBT community takes over H-Town with a festival, parade, pool party, girl party, and so much more. Speaking of more, over 400,000 beautiful peeps from Houston and all over the world will be in attendance.

Beaumont Pride

June 21, 2014 fb.com/beaumontpride The first ever Pride celebration for BMT, with parade at 11am and block party, noon -10pm.

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Longview GLBT Pride Festival

June 21, 2014, 5-9pm fb.com/woodlandchristian Longview’s first at Heritage Plaza, then an afterparty at downtown’s Rainbow Members Club.

Austin Pride Stonewall Rally

June 26, 2014 austinpride.org Since Austin Pride moved her party to September, they’ve held this annual celebration on the front steps of the State Capitol to honor the brave individuals at the Stonewall Inn who began the modern day gay rights movement 45 years ago.

Queerbomb Dallas

June 28, 2014 queerbombdallas.org In blessed solidarity with the original Austin alternative Pride group, Dallas is coming out queer.

San Antonio Pride

July 5, 2014 pridesanantonio.org This parade and fest boasts SA’s “Bigger Than Texas” Texappeal.

College Station Pride Picnic

July 12, 2014 pridecc.org, fb.com/pridecc.org Big cookout at Brian Bachmann Park, 6-9 pm, with music and games for youth, special speakers and more. All ages event.

LubbockPRIDE 2014

August, 2014 fb.com/lubbockpride Family friendly and all ages. Come celebrate the diversity of West Texas!

Austin Chill Weekend

Aug. 28-Sept. 1, 2014 austinchillweekend.org Gay men’s social event for bears, cubs, chubs, and chasers. Bear Barge on Lake Travis. Grrrr!

Austin Splash Days, Last Splash

Aug. 29-Sept. 1, 2014 splashdays.com Austin congregates twice a summer at Hippie Hollow, thongs and all. Or not. Party barges and lots of afterparties in all the clubs.

SMTX Pride in San Marcos

Sept 6, 2014 fb.com/rainbownight Come hang out in Austin’s li’l sister city and congratulate them on their first ever Pride.

AGLIFF-Polari, Austin

Sept. 10-14, 2014 agliff.org Austin’s LGBTQ film festival held at the Alamo Drafthouse, S. Lamar.

Stargayzer Festival, Austin

Sept. 12-14, 2014 stargayzerfest.com Brand new, all-LGBTQIA music fest out on Carson Creek Ranch.

Austin Pride

Dallas Southern Pride and DFW Pride Movement

Oct. 2-7, 2014 dallassouthernpride.com and dfwpridemovement.org Celebrate Dallas Black Pride with these two fests.

Tarrant County Pride Week

Oct. 2-12, 2014 tcgpwa.org/pride-week-2014.html Saturday October 4 parade and festival: The Pride Parade in downtown Fort Worth begins at noon. The party continues until 6pm with the festival featuring live entertainment and vendors lining the streets.

Splash South Padre Island

Oct. 9-11, 2014 fb.com/splashsouthpadre The autumnal component of Texas biggest gay spring break. Gay Fall Break? Yes, please.

Back2theWoods9

Oct. 10-12, 2014 heartoftexasbears.org/bttw A weekend on the Texas Conference of Clubs (TCC) landsite at Buzzards’ Peak near Cameron, TX.

TEXAS PRIDES 2015

Sept. 20, 2014 austinpride.org Pride deep in the heart of Texas with morning Rainbow Run, all-day fest, fab entertainment, and nighttime parade.

OUTsider Festival, Austin

Dallas Purple Pride Weekend

GayBiGayGay, Austin

Sept. 19-21, 2014 purplefoundation.org/pride/484 Home of the Purple Party and Pride Reborn.

Mid-February outsiderfest.org Brand new multi-arts LGBTQIA festival in the heart of TX. Mid-March, last Sunday of SXSW gaybigaygay.com Annual family reunion of queers, music, and fun out in the springtime Austin sun.

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Fiesta San Antonio

Corpus Christi Splash

College Station Pride Film Festival

Queerbomb Austin

Mid-April qsanantonio.com SA’s citywide celebration generally has some sort of gayness afoot. The folks at Q SA are the place to consult.

Late April pridecc.org LGBTQ in Reveille VIII’s backyard.

Splash South Padre Island

Late April fb.com/splashsouthpadre SPI’s big annual gay blow out. Gay Spring Break, baby.

First weekend in June fb.com/julio.booker.7 The Coastal Bend celebrates gender expression at Packery Channel and on North Padre’s beaches.

First Saturday in June queerbomb.org The original Texas counter-Pride brings together diversity within diversity, gender outlaws, freaks, geeks, queers, and friends.

Rally, procession (that takes over Austin’s Dirty Sixth), and afterparty.

North Texas Pride

Second weekend in May houstonsplash.com H’town’s African-American Pride weekend that culminates in a grand gathering at Galveston’s East Beach on Sunday.

First week of June northtexaspride.com Held annually in historic downtown McKinney with video game truck, bounce house, balloon artist, face painting, magician, photo booth, cookie decorating, dancing, and more.

Houston Bears present: BearWatch

El Paso Sun City Pride

Houston Splash

Mid-May bearwatch.net Hot panda papis take over Galveston’s East Beach.

Houston Her Moments

Memorial Day Weekend, May, 2015 houstonhermoments.com Houston’s Black Pride weekend for women.

First Splash

Memorial Day Weekend, May, 2015 fb.com/firstsplash The first of Austin’s two gay summer bookend parties at Hippie Hollow.

RazzleDazzle Dallas

First week in June razzledazzledallas.net Dallas’ annual celebration of National Gay Pride Month. Dallas’ June LGBT Festival celebrating National Gay Pride Month.

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First week of June epscp.org/pridefest.html, fb.com/elpasosuncitypride Parade and festival deep in the western tip of Texas.

Worldwide Pride Interpride

June 28, 2014 interpride.org The world observes the 45th commemoration of the Stonewall Riots.

Kick your Prideventures up a notch and explore outside of Texas. Interpride is the international source for celebrations around the world honoring sexually diversity.

World Pride 2014

June 20-29 worldpridetoronto.com Toronto, Ontario hosts the world’s largest Pride event. More than two million visitors from around the world are expected.

TRavel Resources Austin aglcc.org austintexas.org austinchronicle.com/gay

El Paso visitelpaso.com lambda.org

Lubbock visitlubbock.org outwestlubbock.org

Beaumont beaumontcvb.com

Fort Worth fortworth.com/about-fortworth/diverse/lgbt

College Station glbtpn.tamu.edu visitaggieland.com

Galveston galveston.com/gaynightlife

North Texas discoverdenton.com visitmckinney.com visitplano.com

Corpus Christi visitcorpuschristitx.org gaycorpuschristi.com Dallas rcdallas.org dallasvoice.com visitdallas.com/things-to-do/ diverse-dallas/lgbt

Houston mygayhouston.com visithoustontexas.com outsmartmagazine.com

San Antonio qsanantonio.com sagaychamber.com visitsanantonio.com/english/ Trip-Ideas/LGBT

Longview longviewchamber.com/cvb

San Marcos toursanmarcos.com South Padre Island sopadre.com

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T TIME IN TEXAS PART 2: Trans man Kayden Althen comes all the way out

BY DAVID ESTLUND PHOTOS BY DEVAKI KNOWLES

Perhaps the gender police were on hiatus in the little town of Ridgefield, Connecticut,

a picturesque hamlet just north of the border with New York State. Perhaps enforcers of the patriarchy had all since fled to the village of Stepford. Or perhaps the follies of youth enjoy more leniency than elsewhere or in earlier times. It’s also quite likely that a tomboy just has a lot of leeway in a small American town that loves its sports. Whatever the reason, before Kayden Althen moved to Austin, Texas and began his journey of self-discovery, he was just one of the girls, playing on women’s teams and in women’s leagues, surrounded by a coterie of like-minded girlfriends, barely aware of the existence of identities beyond “goalie,” or “forward,” or “midfielder.”

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“I was in soccer shorts and a T-shirt until puberty hit,” says Althen. “That was when I started to notice the difference between girls and boys and started dealing with attraction stuff that everyone’s kind of learning at that time. I was really close with my soccer girlfriends, but I didn’t really have crushes on guys so much. That was how I came out first as queer. I’ve always gravitated toward ‘boy stuff,’ but so many of my girlfriends also did these things that it didn’t really stick out. It wasn’t until later, as I continued to dress androgynously, that I started to have run-ins with the gender police.”

A lot of people think of transphobia as the bare fact of stepping up and saying, “I am a trans man or woman,” only to have people push back saying, “That’s not real” or “That’s immoral and wrong,” but it’s not just that. Like racism, sexism, and homophobia, there’s an entire set of basic assumptions and unquestioned privilege that form the structural basis for a bigotry that even the most well-intentioned of us step in every day. As a number of recent mass media SNAFUs have demonstrated, simple wellintentioned ignorance can lead to a host of uncomfortable situations. Likewise, the trans experience can be as straightforward as a six-year-old insisting on identifying as the opposite of their birth identification, or it can be a gradual, fluid discovery. There’s a whole range of experiences that fall under the trans umbrella.

“I think the first big step for me was coming out as gay. I started to feel more comfortable with myself and started taking steps in that direction. My first girlfriend encouraged me to stop shaving my legs.

She fully supported my decision either way, but that was the first time someone gave me a pass there and started me thinking about gender and attraction and the possibility that whatever I chose to express, there might be somebody there who not only accepted it, but would embrace it, so I might as well find my most genuine expression.”

That coming out didn’t happen until Althen was a junior in college, a year before his move to Austin, so most of the journey took place right here at UT. “The university culture is relatively conservative, but really, the internet, especially YouTube videos, helped a lot in exploring the possibilities.

I learned about trans and genderqueer

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cultures, and realized top surgery was really appealing, but so many questions came up about how this would change my life and whether it was worth doing. What helped me come out eventually was the queer culture here, where people really want you to be your most authentic self.

If you’re trying to pass or hide something about yourself in Austin right now, you’re boring, so there’s a little bit of pressure to really explore who you are at the core.”

Austin seems to be right in the sweet spot in terms of self-expression. While small towns often tend to be conservative and intolerant, the big cities, the traditional LGBT hubs, like the East Village, West Hollywood, and the Castro, even the Montrose and Oak Lawn here in Texas, have their own pressures. “In the bigger queer cities, if you don’t fall into it, you kind of fall out of it. It can be kind of stand-off-ish. It can be a little more difficult for some, but people here seem really open to meeting new people and new kinds of people. People are really trying to find and be and succeed as themselves.”

Many trans people, however, don’t necessarily identify as queer, or at least don’t participate so much in the “queer community.” Many forge their identity outside of the L,G,B, and Q community, but their lived experience gives them capacity to relate to being queer. “Just living teaches us to evaluate ourselves, our relationships, and our experiences; so we tend to be clued in, whatever the company,” Althen says.

“Anytime we can create a space where trans folks can come together, we’re just so happy to be safe together with our shared knowledge, we can just enjoy the camaraderie.

“It’s important that people see their peers and mentors, and that they don’t just disappear. I met my friend Luke here who was already on T [testosterone hormone therapy] and had already had top surgery and a hysterectomy. He asked me, ‘So, when are you going to do it?’ Seeing his process and how happy he was, showed me how this could go. It gave me the impetus for setting up trans socials to build community. As far as we’ve come, we still struggle with doctor visits and things like that. Some doctors still feel like they’re doing a favor just by treating us. I don’t have solutions myself, but creating spaces where we feel comfortable coming

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What helped me come out was the queer culture here, where people really want you to be your most authentic self.

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together and mentoring each other is very helpful.”

Althen’s been called to volunteerism since he was a young teen, but when he first encountered Original Plumbing – a magazine for, by, and about trans men and their experiences – he realized his mission: “I wanted to do work that focused on celebrating people as who they are, and it was really rewarding to have people feel connected on that level.” He’s currently working on some ideas for projects within the queer community specific to Austin. “I don’t know much about Texas in general, even though I’ve lived here for five years, because this city is so different. Austin has so many people who are exploring queer/ trans identities but who don’t have spaces or faces to feel safe and celebrated. What works here seems so much different than what would work in other communities.”

Simply bringing together a community to build connections, communicate, commiserate, and organize is incredibly valuable. Likewise, it’s incredibly valuable to learn and understand relevant history: For example, 45 years ago in New York City, the closest thing to such a space of community connection for sexual outlaws was the Stonewall Inn, a seedy dive bar that was subject to regular police raids for that

very reason. Stonewall happened because a bunch of trans women, drag queens, and gay hustlers fought back against genderpolicing laws specifically. The modern gay rights movement – often focused on normative reforms like marriage equality and military service – was, in fact, ignited by a demand for safe spaces for nonconforming people. The flashpoint for moderate gay rights was Stonewall, a defense of radical acts.

Ironically, the mainstream equality movement, assimilationist by design, is dominated by interests and factions that are bigger, more moneyed, and more palatable to the intolerant. Too often, the most marginalized within the LGBTQ strata have to fight within the community to continually stake a claim. Althen sees the current state of trans struggle within LGBTQ politics this way. “They aren’t going to come back and pick us up once they’ve won their limited victories, and if we can’t team up and work for our own progress – if we can’t see each other – what hope is there for an eight-year-old trans kid in Bumblefuk, Texas?”

That eight-year-old is exactly why Althen continues hosting the safe space of the Austin trans social and why he continues to fight.

AU STIN GAY & L E SB IAN

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SEE HOW THEY RUN 10-1 meets LGBTQ in an increasingly interesting election season

BY JOHN EGAN For decades, Austin has proudly flaunted its status as the liberal oasis in a state where conservatives continue to control every statewide elected office. That status certainly has extended to the rights of the city’s LGBTQ residents. Twenty-one years ago, Travis County began recognizing domestic partnerships, even though Texas did not (and does not) allow same-sex marriage; Travis County remains the only Texas county that maintains a registry of domestic partnerships.

And in 2005, voters in Travis County stood alone among voters across Texas in rebuffing the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

As of late May, three openly LGBTQ candidates – Tina Cannon (District 10), Jimmy Flannigan (District 6), and Josiah Ingalls (District 7) – were running for three different seats on the City Council. If all three of those candidates were to win, it would be historic. At no other time has more than one openly LGBTQ politician been on the City Council. Randi Shade was the first and last openly LGBTQ person to serve on the council (she lost her 2011 re-election bid to current councilmember Kathy Tovo).

What’s ironic is that the potential for a true LGBTQ coalition on the council could be diluted under the council’s new setup. As it stands now, all seven members of the council, including the mayor, represent the entire city, although each one is linked to a particular geographic area by virtue of living there. That all changes with 10-1.

As Rich Bailey, treasurer of the Stonewall Democrats of Austin, points out, the drawback of the new 10-district system is that, unlike Dallas and Houston, Austin lacks a “gayborhood” – an enclave, of sorts, where LGBTQ residents, entertainment, commerce, and political power are concentrated.

“Therefore, no single district is considered an LGBTQ opportunity district, as with some other minority communities,” Bailey says.

Furthermore, Bailey says, the new geographyoriented council makeup could result in more conservative politicians capturing council seats. “But the majority will certainly continue to share more progressive values, especially with regards to LGBTQ issues,” he says.

Todd Canon of Austin, a board member of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, shares Bailey’s concern.

“I am a bit nervous that geographic representation will move our council to the right, and that the council may not be as eager to recognize the city’s large and diverse LGBTQ community,” Canon says.

map credit: City of Austin

Now, in 2014, Austin may be poised for another LGBTQ political milestone. However, with the new structure at Austin City Council – known as 10-1, in which 10 council members representing 10 geographically divided districts throughout the city will be elected from each district, as opposed to the previous make-up of six members elected by the entire city – the LGBTQ community very well could be saddled with a millstone rather than celebrating a milestone.

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“We could elect multiple members of the LGBTQ community who could have a positive influence on city policy, or we could see the council move to the right, and the opposite could happen,” Canon adds. “It will be very important for our community to stand behind candidates who support our issues.”

Bailey says the “great unknown” for the upcoming city council elections revolves around the brand of voters who’ll cast ballots. Midterm elections, those held in non-presidential-election years, tend to draw voters who are fiscally and socially conservative, according to Bailey. High turnout among conservative voters could harm the prospects of this year’s LGBTQ council candidates, he says.

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The progressive nature of city leadership that Austin’s LGBTQ community has enjoyed for so long actually might breed voter apathy

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Bailey says that if LGBTQ voters in Austin show up at the polls for the November council elections, the odds rise for at least one of the three LGBTQ candidates being elected, along with straight allies who are equality-minded.

Encouraging that turnout could be a challenge among the LGBTQ electorate, according to Bailey. The progressive nature of city leadership that Austin’s LGBTQ community has enjoyed for so long actually might breed voter apathy, he warns.

With more than 100 people a day moving to Austin, the LGBTQ community must remain politically active and must vote in every election, Bailey says.

“Potential problems could arise if there are no LGBTQ council members or the LGBTQ community does not remain actively engaged in the political process and ensure that the council has members who are attuned to the specific needs of LGBTQ groups and causes,” Bailey says. “As the city continues to grow, more demands will be placed on establishing budget priorities, especially given the inevitable geographic-district focus, and without advocates for LGBTQ concerns, they will quickly be moved down the priority list. As the old political saying goes, ‘If you’re not at the negotiating table, you’re on the menu.’”

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AUST IN GAY & LESBIA N

friends & FamIly

AU ST IN G AY & LE S BIA N

W = Gold Sponsor T = Silver Sponsor S = Bronze Sponsor

A directory of current AGLCC members

CIVIC A*FAB Help for fellow nonprofits. afabaustin.com

AUSTIN POLICE ASSOCIATION Standing in solidarity with the thin LGBT blue line. 512/474-6993, austinpolice.com

THE HANDSOME FATHER A community for gay dads and gay dads-to-be. 512/565-0506, brian. stephens@thehandsomefather.org, thehandsomefather.org

AUSTIN ROUNDUP Sobriety in the LGBTQIATX. austinroundup.com HILL COUNTRY RIDE FOR AIDS Ride your bike; help fight AIDS. ACC GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE Raise funds in this late-April AUSTIN WEIRD CITY SISTERS 254/338-5688, facebook.com/accgsa charity ride for non-profits Like real nuns, these sisses are fighting the good fight. all about the service (and the AIDS SERVICES OF AUSTIN HIV/ 512/371-7433, hillcountryride.org AIDS care in Austin. 7215 Cameron, getting down on the knees…). weirdcitysisters.wordpress.com 512/458-2437, asaustin.org HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN – AUSTIN Steering committee of the BOBCAT PRIDE SCHOLARSHIP S AISD COMMUNICATIONS AND FUND Support for our LGBTQ national organization. hrc.org/states/ COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT texas Texas Staters. Go, Bobcats!

This Austin Independent School bobcatpridescholarship.com District department links JEWISH COMMUNITY employees, parents, families, and ASSOCIATION OF AUSTIN CAPITAL METRO Get around with the community to one another.

Austin’s public transportation hub.

Where Jewish living and learning 512/414-9832, austinisd.org 512/474-1200, capmetro.org can thrive. 7300 Hart Lane, shalomaustin.org ALLGO Statewide resource for THE CARE COMMUNITIES Caring LGBTQ people of color. 512/472for those living with HIV/AIDS LEGALIZE HUMAN Envisioning a 2001, allgo.org and cancer. 512/459-5883, society where people are equal thecarecommunities.org in all aspects of life. 512/659-6617, AUSTIN ART IN PUBLIC PLACES legalize.human@gmail.com, facebook.

Local & national artists imbue com/legalize.human EQUALITY TEXAS Our front line Austin into cultural landmarks. at the Texas Lege.

512/474-5475, austintexas.gov/department/art-inallison@equalitytexas.org, LESBIAN & GAY PEACE OFFICERS public-places equalitytexas.org ASSOCIATION Supporting LGBT sworn, civilian, and retired AUSTIN GAY & LESBIAN CHAMBER members of the Austin Police FAITH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF COMMERCE Austin’s colorful Department. lgpoa-austin.org 1314 E. Oltorf, 512/444-1314 rainbow umbrella for gay-owned faithpresaustin.org and gay-friendly businesses.

LIFE IN THE CITY SERVICE: FIRST 512/761-LGBT, info@aglcc.org, aglcc.org UNITED METHODIST CHURCH FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Welcome and inviting Broadway fills us up when we AUSTIN GAY & LESBIAN PRIDE didn’t even know we were empty.

FOUNDATION Austin + Pride You = church.1201 Lavaca, 512/478-5384, The LGBTQ community’s biggest contact@fumcaustin.org, fumcaustin.org 512/478-5684, fumcaustin.org party, fest, and parade of the year.

GATHERING PLACE WORSHIP YOUTH & FAMILY ALLIANCE: 512/468-8113, austinpride.org CENTER Bible-believing, ChristLIFEWORKS Helping youth and centered, spirit-filled church.

7801 families achieve self-sufficiency.

AUSTIN GAY & LESBIAN SENIOR N Lamar, 512/323-9501, gpwcaustin.org 3700 S. First, 512/735-2400, SERVICES To ensure everyone’s lifeworksaustin.org golden years are rainbow hued.

GAY STRAIGHT ALLIANCE 512/628-1694, aglss.org WARRIORS These Texas A&M LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS OF University GSA warriors fight AUSTIN Austin’s chapter. 512/428AMERICAN MILITARY PARTNER 5475 ASSOCIATION Drop and give us 20 for education, equality, and acceptance, regardless of how (hugs for partners and spouses you swing and how you present.

THE OCTOPUS CLUB Raising the of LGBTQ service personnel and 1001 Leadership Place, Killeen, big bucks through fab parties vets). Ten hut! 202/695-AMPA 254/501-5874 for AIDS Services of Austin.

(2672), militarypartners.org octopusclub.org UT AUSTIN GLBTQA BUSINESS AUSTIN LGBT BAR ASSOCIATION STUDENT ASSOCIATION What do OUT YOUTH Support for our Working to promote and unite you have in your wallet? A stash LGBTQ (or questioning) kids. 909 E. the LGBT legal community in the of $3 bills, we bet. texasgbsa.com 49 1/2, 512/419-1233, out@outyouth. often byzantine realm of law. org, outyouth.org austinlgbtbar.org

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PFLAG AUSTIN Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays 512/302-3524, PFLAGAustin.org

DESIGN & MEDIA

AUSTIN GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL Founded in 1987.

512/302-9889, polarifest.com

ALT CREATIVE Philanthropic design firm. 512/535-0444, info@ alt-creative.com, alt-creative.com

PROJECT TRANSITIONS Serving Austin’s HIV/AIDS community.

512/454-8646, projecttransitions.org

APROPOS PROMO Swaggy promotions suited to your specific needs. 10601 FM 2222 Ste R-163, 512/241-1479, 888/705-2522, apropospromo.com

RAINFOREST PARTNERSHIP Tropical rainforest sustainability through civic engagement. rainforestpartnership.org SAN ANTONIO LGBT CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Where LGBT and LGBT-friendly biz concerns in SA meet. sagaychamber.com START OUT Champions for LGBT entrepreneurs. startout.org STONEWALL DEMOCRATS OF AUSTIN The Austin affiliate of the National Stonewall Democratic Federation, stonewallaustin.org TEXAS ADVOCACY PROJECT Free legal services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 800/374-4673, texasadvocacyproject.org TEAM PROHOMO The beasts behind the weekly Queer Ride and other most excellent Austin adventures. teamprohomo.org TRANSGENDER EDUCATION NETWORK OF TEXAS Educating the State of Texas about gender diversity. 877/532-6789, info@ transtexas.org, transtexas.org THE UNITED COURT OF AUSTIN, INC. Providing financial and physical support to other charitable organizations. unitedcourtofaustin.org UNIVERSITY BAPTIST CHURCH Come worship with “Austin’s progressive voice of faith.” 2130 Guadalupe, 512/478-8559, ubcaustin.org WATERLOO COUNSELING CENTER Austin’s nonprofit hub for LGBTQ support and support groups. 314 E. Highland Mall Blvd., #301, 512/4449922, waterloocounseling.org THE WRIGHT HOUSE WELLNESS CENTER Working to improve the lives of those living with, affected by, or at-risk for HIV and Hep C. 512/467-0088, thewrighthouse.org

ART DIVA CREATIVE Specializing in print and web graphic design for small businesses, non-profits, and special events. 512/934-8088, artdivacreative.com THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE Free altnewsweekly. Home of the “Gay Place” column and blog. 512/4545766, austinchronicle.com/gay BAD JOHNPAUL PHOTOGRAPHY facebook.com/badjohnpaul JANA BIRCHUM PHOTO-VIDEO A photographer, video producer for the web, and a storyteller looking for a story to tell.

Specifically yours. 512/297-7821, janabirchum.com BLOGPHILO NEW MEDIA Copywriting, filmmaking, and social media consulting. 512/5165544, brian.boyko@gmail.com, blogphilo.com BUMPERACTIVE Custom stickers and decals of all kinds . 8711 Burnet, Ste A-4, 512/465-9306, bumperactive.com CHERICO CREATIVE And we mean creative. jonn@chericocreative.com, chericocreative.com CELESTA DANGER PHOTOGRAPHY Brilliant art photography.

Specializes in unique and unabashed portraiture. celestadanger.com CURRY COMM Be it a brand new site, public relation polish, or just some good ol’ fashion social media, Curry Comm can make you shine. 919/623-1956, info@ currycomm.com, www.currycomm.com FLYINGDOGDESIGN Top dog David Carroll boasts 140 dog years of experience. 512/914-1270, david@ flyingdogdesign.com, flyingdogdesign.com FUN LOVING PHOTOS Count on Devaki Knowles to capture your good side. 512/298-9249, devakiknowles@gmail.com, funlovingphotos.net

GAY PLACE ONLINE Steer here, queers to the home of Dandy Unicornn, the Gay Place Krewe, the AggreGAYtor, Where the Girls Go/ATX, Mo’ Music, and the one, the only, the original gAyTX Fun Guide. . 512/454-5766, gayplace@ austinchronicle.com, austinchronicle. com/gay KILLER DESIGN TX Interior design for a complete graphic image makeover. rick@killerdesigntx.com, killerdesigntx.com MERCURY MAMBO A marketing agency focused experiential marketing, digital and sales promotion with a Latin flare.

512/447-4440, mercurymambo.com OUTCAST, KOOP 91.7 FM Tune your FM to 91.7 every Tuesday at 6pm. info@outcast.com, outcastaustin.com POSTNET - FAR WEST For all your printy needs. 3571 Far West, 512/231-1321, postnet.com/austin-tx157 PROSOCIAL MEDIA COACHING & MARKETING Social media and marketing strategies. 979/2293157, brad@prosocialmediacoach.com THEREPUBLIQ Chase Martin’s publication. therepubliq.com SITE STREET From the ABCs of SEO to crossing the Ts and dotting the Is of your web presence. 3009 N. Lamar Ste 3, 832-8383, sitestreet.com SHWEIKI MEDIA Heavy-duty industry publishers for all your gloss and matte needs. 512/4800860, shweiki.com SOUL MATTERS MEDIA GROUP INTERNATIONAL A select company where soul matters.

512/476-8999, fjonesesq@gmail.com SPOT ON ADS (KISKA SHULL LLC) Hi-Def ad distribution. Closed captioning, watermarking, and asset management services.

1927 Ravenscroft, 512/689-3394, spotonadsaustin.com BRENDA THOMPSON COMMUNICATIONS Providing strategic public relations counsel services 512/461-5644, brendathompson.com TRUE-FM ONLINE LGBT RADIO Texas LGBTQ music, talk, news. truefmonline.com

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TODD V. WOLFSON PHOTOGRAPHY For over 30 years, this regular Chronicle contributor has covered Austin’s creative class with class. fb.com/toddvwolfson30years, toddvwolfsonphotographer.tumblr.com

ENTERTAINMENT 3 OR LESS PRODUCTIONS New, local visual media production company. 512/897-7304, contact@3orless.com, 3orless.com AUSTIN CHAMBER MUSIC CENTER Expanding appreciation of chamber music. 3814 Medical Pkwy, 512/454-0026, austinchambermusic.org AUSTIN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA The high art part of the Live Music Capital of the Planet. austinsymphony.org CAPITAL CITY MENS CHORUS 512/477-SING, info@ccmcaustin.org, ccmcaustin.org CASTRO’S WAREHOUSE A boy bar named after the gayest neighborhood this side of the Mississippi. 213 W. Fourth, 512/3229981, www.castroswarehouse.com

DJS FINE & DANDY W/ KATE & ANDY 100% local, 100% loungey, 100% vinyl chill. 512/217-9223, facebook.com/djsfinedandywithkateandy DEPARTURE LOUNGE Upscale, high-tech coffee and wine bar/ travel agency. 311 W. Fifth, Ste.102, 512/322-9399, departurelounge.com THE IRON BEAR When the teddy bears leave the picnic, they hit up their favorite party spot. 121 W. Eighth, roger@theironbear.com, theironbear.com KAREN2 BARTENDERS EXTRAORDINAIRE Let these mobile bartenders take care of your next party. 512/537-1789, bartenders-extraordinaire.com LONE STAR LAMBDAS Boot scoot on over for a good time. 512/4181629, lonestarlambdas.org THE LONG CENTER Home of Austin’s creative community.

512/474-5664, thelongcenter.org NJ PHOTOGRAPHS Capturing the essence of life, love, culture, and art. 208/389-8152, njphotographs@ gmail.com, pinterest.com/ njphotographs31

PREMIERE PARTY CENTRAL Rentals for tenting, specialty linens, glassware, flatware, decor.

512/292-3900 or 512/870-8552, austinpartycentral.com S RAIN ON 4TH One of the mighty cornerstones of Austin’s gay warehouse district. 217 W. Fourth, 512/494-1150, rainon4th.com STARBUCK WEDDINGS Minister, officiant, counselor. 512/9060163, info@starbuckweddings.com, sacredaffairs.com STARGAYZER EVENTS, LLC There’s a new queer music festival coming to town. Everyone’s invited; everyone’s excited. 512/571-3522, stargayzerfestival.com

FINANCIAL ARCHER INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT Customized investment advice and financial planning for high-income professionals and successful families. 800/840-5946, archerim.com BB&T, BRANCH, BANKING AND TRUST Banking services to help you reach your financial goals. bbt.com

OILCAN HARRY’S Made Fourth Street what it is today. Fag/faghag HQ. 211 W. Fourth, 512/320-8823, BROOKS WATSON BENEFITS Group oilcanharrys.com benefits, individual medical, life insurance, and 401k retirement PARAMOUNT & STATE THEATRES needs. 512/320-0123, Premiere entertainment venues brooks@bwatsonbenefits.com, THE CITY THEATRE COMPANY in downtown Austin. 713 Congress, bwatsonbenefits.com New works, comedies, classics, 512/472-5470, austintheatre.org and musicals. 3823 Airport, Ste.D, 512/524-2870, citytheatreaustin.org COMERICA BANK Personal PLAY! THEATRE GROUP finance and business banking.

So new, the curtain hasn’t even 3801 Bee Caves Rd., 512/329-5095 DEEP STACK POKER CLUB Austin’s risen yet. Coming to the Eastside, comerica.com premiere free poker league.

Fall, 2014.

2411 Princeton, 512/809facebook.com/Deep-Stack-Poker-Club 0050, www.playtheatregroup.org CELEBRATIONS EVENT PLANNING Complete event planning for all of life’s celebrations. 512/567-7875, planningcelebrations.com

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AMY COOK, CPA Pride in managing your financial needs.

1514 Corona, 512/419-9696, amy@ acookcpa.com, acookcpa.com

NP FINANCIAL Individual and small businesses insurance. 512/5670681, n.pastuhov1@gmail.com, bestinsurancecheap.com

WORTHPOINTE WEALTH MANAGEMENT Award-winning investment manager and advisor.

512/445-2800, wpwm.com

DNA FINANCIAL GROUP Supporting your business growth through health, wealth, and accountability. 512/573-8800, dnafinancialgroup.com

SCHULZE & ASSOCIATES, INC. Over 30 years of financial experience. 512/371-1040, cole@ ledgersheet.net, ledgersheet.net

T VISA INC. Global payments tech company. visa.com

EDWARD JONES: MICHELLE REYNOLDS, FINANCIAL ADVISOR Develop a strategy to help achieve your long-term financial goals.

1211 W Sixth, Ste #200, 512/4808003, edwardjones.com EDWARD JONES INVESTMENTS – STEPHANIE EMORY A personal approach to investing and financial planning to help you reach your longterm financial goals. 512/442-5321, stephanie.emory@edwardjones.com W MASSMUTUAL SOUTHWEST Help with decisions for long-term financial success. 512/527-0671, southwest.massmutual.com NEW YORK LIFE Life and longterm care nsurance, annuities, and mutual funds. aeford@ft.newyorklife.com

THE SOLOMON GROUP Services for everyone regardless of financial status. 5508 W. Hwy 290, Ste. 300, 512/484-9578, afowlkes@ solomonwealth.com, solomonwealth.com SOUTHERLAND & ASSOCIATES An independent insurance and financial services firm. 1715 Capital of Texas Hwy. Ste 201, 512/329-0108, saprotects.com STRATEGIC PAYMENT SYSTEMS Full-service and cost effective solutions for payment needs.

2013 Wells Branch, 512/807-7015, spsinfo.com TITLEMAX Getting you the most bill$ for your car title since 1998.

8505 Springdale, 512/605-6037, ricky. guerrero@titlemax.biz, titlemax.biz

WELLS FARGO HOME MORTGAGE Steven Parrish, private mortgage banker. 512/703-0333, steven.parrish@wellsfargo.com, needamortgage.com S WERLE CONSULTING LLC Texas CPA. Invididuals & business.

Tax preparation & planning.

Bookkeeping. Consulting. 512/9372776, joseph@werleconsulting.biz, werleconsulting.biz

FOOD ALFRED’S CATERING Seasoned seasoning pros so thorough, “you’ll be a guest at your own party!” 512/785-8416, alfred@ alfredcatering.com, BeAGuest.net BEEF CAKE SHOP Classic comfort foods and familiar flavors custom crafted into delicious bite-sized patties. 512/554-4849, beefy@ beefcakeshop.com, facebook.com/ beefcakeshop

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CAPITAL CITY BAKERY All-vegan cupcakes and other small pastries that everyone can enjoy. 512/6667437, capitalcitybakery.com CHARLIEE’S HOT SPOT The only Puerto Rican food truck in Austin. 74 Rainey, 818/255-8110, charlieeshotspot.com CHEZ ZEE AMERICAN BISTRO Romancing Austin since 1988.

5406 Balcones, 512/454-2666, chez-zee.com DUE FORNI PIZZA & WINE Two ovens. Two styles of pizza: Neopolitan and Roman. 30 outstanding wines by the glass. 106 E. Sixth, 512/391-9300, dueforni.com EL SOL Y LA LUNA A great place to bring your amigas y amigos for some of the best Migas on the planet. 600 E. Sixth, 512/444-7770, elsolylalunaaustin.com S FROT VODKA Fraught about where your money goes at a local watering hole? Fret not. LGBT owned and operated.

512/966-4174, frotvodka.com GENUINE JOE COFFEEHOUSE LGBT and nerd haven up in the ‘burbs. 2001 W. Anderson, 512/2201576, genuinejoecoffee.com GUSTO ITALIAN KITCHEN + WINE BAR Everyday flavors of Italian cuisine. 4800 Burnet, 512/4581100, info@gustoitaliankitchen.com, gustoitaliankitchen.com IN GOOD TASTE CATERING & DESIGN Make sure everyone leaves your shindig saying “Omnom-nom.” 512/825-7573, john@ ingoodtaste-catering.com, ingoodtastecatering.com

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NOURISHMENT PERSONAL CHEF SERVICES Your own private cook in your own private home, serving up local, organic fare. 203/4300196, celeste.gustafson@gmail.com, nourishmentpersonalchefservices.com SATAY RESTAURANT Fine South Asian cuisine. 3202 W. Anderson, Ste.205, 512/467-4731, satayusa.com THIRD BASE SPORTS BAR Locally owned bar/restaurant. 9600 S IH 35 ; 13301 Hwy 183,B ldg E; 3107 S IH 35, Round Rock, thirdbaseaustin.com WILD WOOD BAKEHOUSE Glutenfree is synonymous with delicious here. It’s okay, we won’t tell that you’re not really allergic.

3016 Guadalupe., Ste.200. 512/3279660, wildwoodbakehouse.com

HEALTH & FITNESS ABSOLUTE DERMATOLOGY & MEDI-SPA Medical to cosmetic – you name it, Dr. Honeycutt does it. 1103 Cypress Creek Rd., Ste.100, Cedar Park, 512/257-7600, absolutedermatology.com, contact@ absolutedermatology.com ALPHA MEDICAL MASSAGE & REHABILITATION Massage the pain away. 595 Round Rock West Dr, Ste 601, Round Rock, 512/366-5483, alphamedicalmassage.com APOLLO WELLNESS Yoga, fitness training, and holistic care.

512/669-5695, apollowellness.com AUSTIN GAMBLERS BOWLING LEAGUE We promised ourselves that we would not make cheap jokes about balls. But come on, you know they’ve got big ones.

512/786-4013, austingamblers@gmail. com, facebook.com/austin.g.league

AUSTIN GAY BASKETBALL LEAGUE Bounce balls. Shoot hoops. Sign up to play or come out and support.

512/814-6495, info@atxgbl.com, atxgbl.com AUSTIN TENNIS CLUB For LGBT people who ‘love’ to make a racquet. austintennisclub.com BIG BLUE EYE CONSULTING, LLC Helping families and individuals overcome chemical dependencies and dual disorders.

1715 Capital of Texas, S., Ste.201, 512/971-4567, kimgallen1@me.com BODY BRITE A variety of treatments to ake your skin shimmer. 3701 Guadalupe, Ste.105, 512/454-2639, bodybriteusa.com RUSS BOYD, MA, NCC, LPC INTERN Psychotherapist working with the gay community. 512/632-4731, russboydcounseling.com BREAZEALE CHIROPRACTIC CENTER Bad back? They can help; have been for 20 years. 1515 Capital of Texas, S., Ste.220, 512/3283881, breazealechiropractic.com CITY OF AUSTIN HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES HIV counseling, testing, and outreach. 15 Waller, 512/972-5580, omar.lopez@ austintexas.gov, austinhiv.com DR PEA’S ACTIVE HEALTH CENTER Safe and affordable alternatives to toxic drugs and surgery. 1309 Singleton, 512/289-3225, drpeas@ gmail.com, drpea.com FEELGOOD SYNERGY What’s better than a professional massage that comes to you?

Nothing, that’s what. 512/5653406, feelgoodsynergy.abmp.com

CATHERINE M FORD, PHD, PSYCHOLOGIST Psychotherapy for adults: individuals, couples/ family, group, grounded in psychological science and offered in a conversational style.

Specializing in GLB concerns.

512/842-2223, catherine-ford.com T HAND & STONE MASSAGE & FACIAL SPA Professional massage, facial, and hair removal services. tevans@handandstone.com, handandstone.com HARMONY HYPNOSIS, AUSTIN’S QUIT SMOKING HEADQUARTERS Stressed out? Smoking too much? Hypnosis can help: Are you getting sleepy? 7703 N. Lamar, Ste.250, 512/200-4249, harmonyhypnotist@gmail.com, hypnosisaustin.com HAUSMAN CHIROPRACTIC & ACUPUNCTURE Your body can heal without the use of traditional medication. 8015 Shoal Creek, Ste.110, 512/4191000, drrobhausman@gmail.com, hausmanchiropractic.com HUMAN MACHINE ATHLETIC CLUB Private training studio that offers experienced, certified trainers for one-on-one and small group personal training. All ages and fitness levels. 512/765-6025, humanmachinetraining.com DEREK LEIGHTON, LMFT, LPC, NCC, CGP Promotes “healthy sexuality” and a better outlook on life. 3534 Bee Caves #114, 512/6582960, leightontherapy.com

JEFF LUTES COUNSELING & CONSULTING, LLC Psychotherapist in private practice with a specialty in helping LGBT couples. 512/419-0600, contemporarycouples.com THE JOINT Convenient, friendly, walk-in chiropractic services.

Open weeknights until 7pm and weekends until 4pm.

Memberships available.

9500 S. I-35, Ste. L-725, 512/2923500, dustin.sparks@thejoint.com, southparkmeadows.thejoint.com CYNTHIA NETTING COUNSELING Between couples and individuals, this psychotherapist is here to offer guidance.

1210 Parkway, 512/658-5452, cynthianettingcounseling.com APRIL O. OWEN, PSY.D., PSYCHOLOGIST Teens, LGBTQ issues, love lives, you name it, she can help. 4425 Mopac S., Bldg.3, Ste.505, 832/421-4968, dr_o@live. com, owenpsychology.com PIAZZA CENTER FOR PLASTIC SURGERY AND ADVANCED SKIN CARE Cosmetic and reconstructive plastic surgery.

512/288-8200, practiceadmin@ thepiazzacenter.com, thepiazzacenter. com/blog RIVER PLACE MOHS & DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY CENTER Experts in Mohs (chemo-) surgery, skin cancer treatments, reconstructive, and dermatologic procedures. 10815 RR 2222, Bldg.3a1, Ste.200, 512/767-7546, riverplacedermatology.com

RODAN+FIELDS DERMATOLOGISTS The creators of Proactiv. 512/8446514, suzyjuncker.myrandf.biz S SALUS CHIROPRACTIC Helping people of all ages live healthy lives, free from pain and illness. 512/2555252, drditto@saluschiropractic.com SOFTBALL AUSTIN Players of all expertise levels wait on-deck at their turn to bat more than just eyelids. softballaustin.org TEXAS GAY RODEO ASSOCIATION This is Texas, darlin’. Of course there is a gay rodeo. 214/346-2107, tgra.org TEXAS MAMMA JAMMA RIDE Awareness and much needed funds for folks coping with breast cancer. mammajammaride.org URBAN DENTISTRY Offering state of the art, gentle dentistry in a safe environment. 512/4405900, admin@urbandentistry.com, urbandentistry.com VOLLEYBALL AUSTIN Come out to set and spike the night away with these volley-lovin’ Q-ballers. volleyballaustin.com WHITEHEAD CHIROPRACTIC Providing fast, gentle and effective relief. 5775 Airport #300, 512/4510115, whiteheadchiro.com WORK IT PERSONAL TRAINING Get off your butt, and get fit.

512/426-2336, info@workittraining. com, workittraining.com

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INSURANCE ALLSTATE INSURANCE Home, auto, commercial, and life insurance 512/345-0005

CAROLE CALLAGHAN LAW Providing estate planning and probate services for the LGBT community. 512/861-2294, csclawaustin.com

CHRISTINE HENRY ANDRESEN, ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Any family lawyer who puts a portrait of the BRITTON & BRITTON Local allies service all your insurance needs at Addams Family on her website is A-OK with us. 905 W. Oltorf, Ste. the best possible rate. 512/334C, 512/394-4230, cha@chalaw.com, 6330, 512insurance.com chalaw.com CHAD COOK, METLIFE AUTO CAPPS LAW FIRM It’s all about & HOME Great for car and family. And keeping it legal. 7718 homeowners alike, and they’re Wood Hollow, Ste. 205, 512/338-9800, gay-friendly to boot. 512/644cappslawfirm.com 3039, ccook@getmetagent.com HARRISON INSURANCE AGENCY INC. Jenny offers over 19 years of experience – and customer loyalty – to back up the statement: “We’re here if you need us, but let’s hope you don’t!”

512/377-6869, harrison-insurance.com LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE Competitively-priced. One of the few companies in the industry to recognize domestic partnerships.

512/591-2172, ethan.mckay@ libertymutual.com, libertymutual.com/ ethan-mckay

LEGAL ADAMS, LONDON & WEISS LLC Helping you collect what’s your’s… from bad checks to merchandise recovery. 6250 Westpark, Ste.319, Houston, 713/266-7500, jdanek@ alwllc.com, alwllc.com BARNETT & GARCIA, PLLC Collecting debts and representing businesses in litigation. 3821 Juniper, Ste.108, 512/266-8830, barnettgarcia.com BRENNER LAW OFFICE Estate and family legal services for the Austin LGBT community. 512/217-8289, ebrenner@bajb.com, brennerattorney.com

LAW OFFICE OF KELLEY J. DWYER It’s your estate. It’s your business.

Make sure they are protected, legally. 9442 Capital of Texas, Ste 500159, 512/343-3630, dwyerlawaustin.com S THE FOWLER LAW FIRM PC “Law is a ministry if you come in with a pure heart and a good attitude,” according to founder, owner, ex-Navy JAG, and law firm matriarch Laura Fowler. 919 Congress, Ste.900, 512/441-1411, www.thefowlerlawfirm.com THE LAW OFFICE OF VIRGINIA W. GREENWAY Defense for people accused of crimes – from simple traffic up to first degree felonies.

811 Nueces, 512/573-3221, vwglaw@ austin.rr.com, virginiagreenway.com

LYNCH LAW FIRM Working with small companies to take care of business, all while minimizing expense. 4408 Spicewood Springs Rd., 512/298-2346, nlynch@lynchlf. com, lynchlf.com LYTTLE LAW FIRM, PLLC Immigration attorney with experience on LGBT legal issues.

1524 S. I-35, Ste.175, 512/215-5225, austinimmigrationlawyerblog.com JORGESON PITTMAN LLP Central Texas Family Law and Estate Planning Law firm. 512/320-0999, jptexaslaw.com LAW OFFICE OF KENT SCHUSTER Personal and business law firm.

979/279-5118, schuster442@gmail.com T SHEFMAN LAW GROUP PC Personal injury trial lawyers. 1002 West, 512/386-8117, lenore@shefmanlaw.com, shefmanlawgroup.com ATTORNEY ERIC TORBERSON Criminal Defense attorneys.

512/340-7300, attorneyeric1@gmail.com LAW OFFICE OF ARMANDO ZUNIGA Specializing in criminal defense, wills and probate, and personal injury. 603 W. 12th, 512/739-9965, azuniga@ zunigalawfirm.com, zunigaLawFirm.com

LODGING

JAN JACKSON, ATTORNEY, PLLC Probate and estate planning with an emphasis on trusts. 106 E. Sixth Ste. 900t, 512/658-1784

HILTON AUSTIN Towering 31 floors in the heart of the city, Hilton Austin is the largest hotel in the downtown area. Signature S LAW FIRM OF FRANCÉS J. JONES service along with high tech Specializing in entertainment conveniences and local charm. and arts. 1108 Lavaca, Ste 110-405, 500 E. Fourth, 512/682-2826, 512/476-8999 austin.hilton.com LEE, GOBER & REYNA - LAW FIRM “Family” lawyers who handle family, personal injury, and criminal matters. 11940 Jollyville, Ste 220, 512/478-8080, rwleelaw.com

HYATT REGENCY AUSTIN Perfect balance of the city’s vibrant energy and resort-like tranquility.

208 Barton Springs, 512/480-2036, christi.rein@hyatt.com, austin.hyatt.com

Insurance Agency home | auto | commercial | life

Ian Punjwani Licensed Sales Agent 3435 Greystone Dr Ste 107 Austin, TX 78731 Office (512) 345-0005 ianpunjwani@allstate.com

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LAKEWAY RESORT & SPA AAA Four Diamond award-winning resort nestled on the shores of Lake Travis. 101 Lakeway, 512/261-7396, gschneider@ lakewayresortandspa.com, lakewayresortandspa.com RADISSON HOTEL AND SUITES AUSTIN DOWNTOWN Ideally situated in downtown Austin.

111 E. Cesar Chavez, 512/473-1529 radisson.com/austin-hotel-tx-78701/ txaustdt SHERATON AUSTIN HOTEL Distinctively modern architecture, majestic downtown views, and warm, friendly service with a prime location: next door to the famed Capitol and just steps from the University of Texas, Sixth Street/Warehouse District, and more. 701 E.11th, 512/404-6942, sheratonaustin.com W AUSTIN HOTEL Austin’s step up in the hotel game, located close to the action, next to ACL Live and City Hall. 200 Lavaca, 512/542-3600, whotelaustin.com

PETS MUD PUPPIES Boarding, grooming, playcare, dog wash, and training. 12233 FM620 N. Ste.110-A, 512/249-2498, edward@mud-puppies. com, facebook.com/pages/Mud-Puppies PAWS & MORE Sit! Humans sit with your pups and kits and more. While you’re away, your mice and gerbils and sugargliders will play. 512/6953131, pawsandmore.com

PEOPLE AND PETS ENERGETICS LLC Energy health & wellness coach that helps people and their animals. 210/775-2696, peopleandpetsenergetics.com WONDERCIDE Pesticide with a safe-for-pets twist. Treat your pets to some holistic loving, or rid yourself of unwanted house guests the natural way.

9415 Neils Thompson, stephanie@ wondercide.com, wondercide.com

REAL ESTATE ARNOLD, JEFF - TEXAS LAND & LIFESTYLE LLC Working with everyone from 1st time home buyers/sellers to seniors looking to rightsize their homes/lifestyles.

3571 Far West #226, 512/6398838, jeffarnold.realtor@gmail.com, TexasLandAndLifestyle.com AUSTIN HOMES REALTY Real estate brokerage making finding realty in Austin a reality. 512/5078252, austinhomesrealty.com AUSTIN REAL ESTATE AGENT AT SKY REALTY AUSTIN - TEAM ENSOR Professional services for buyers, sellers, and leases. 4501 Spicewood Springs, Ste.1029, 512/522-8196, morganmatthewe@gmail.com, SkyRealtyAustin.com AARON W BEEMAN - CENURY21 SUNSET REALTORS Hill Country proud, Fredericksburg friendly.

408 W Main, Fredericksburg, 210/8847654, aaronbeeman@me.com

JOHN DOUCETTE, REALTOR - DOUCETTE PROPERTIES From downtown to Westlake and beyond. 512/828-2604, DoucetteProperties@gmail.com, DoucetteProperties.com DICK DUNBAR: YOUR HOME LOAN EXPERT Residential and commercial mortgages. 512/3232644, dick@dickdunbar.com T BILL DUNHAM, REALTOR AT BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES TEXAS REALTY Diligence and intuition in finding the perfect home to fit clients needs and desires. 512/940-1886, bdunham.com GOODLIFE MORTGAGE Convenient, online mortgage info services. 1114 E. Cesar Chavez, 512/582-7878, smy866@gmail.com, goodlifeloans.com BRANDI HALE - INDEPENDENCE TITLE COMPANY Licensed directly in 22 counties and supported by every major underwriter in the U.S. 901 S Mopac, Plaza II, Ste.150, 512/329-5299, independencetitle.com TROY HANNA, PRESIDIO Representing the realty interests of Austin’s LGBT community for over a decade. 1701 W. Koenig, 512/659-7093 JAN HILL MORTGAGE Help you with your financial homeownership needs. 512/4315223, jhill@janhillmortgage.com, janhillmortgage.com

DENNY HOLT REALTORS Working with buyers and sellers in all price ranges. 8708 Primrose, KELLI M. BURNS, REALTOR 12+ years in the industry. 1801 S. Mopac, 512/694-1103, denny@dennyholt.com, Ste.100, 512/423-2242, kellimburns.com dennyholt.com

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HOMESTART Teaching Austinites about where to start with real estate and mortgages. 2500 Bettis, 650/409-7444, www.homestart.us

MISSION RESOURCES Real Estate. RON REDDER, PRESIDIO With over Investments. Community. 512/541- 18 years experience, he might just 5826, missionresourcestexas.com be on to something. 1701 W. Koenig, 512/657-8674, ron@presidiogroup. com, presidiogroup.com LESLIE NEGRON - KELLER WILLIAMS The needs of the client HULSE PROPERTY GROUP AT KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY Michael always prevails. 12515-8 Research CHRIS RODRIGUEZ, AUSTIN REAL #100, 832/884-7738, lnegron@ Hulse - Realtor, Hulse Property PROS REALTORS Buying? Selling? kw.com, lnegron.kwrealty.com Group at Keller Williams. 1801 Navigate the home ownership S. Mopac, Ste. 100, 512/689world together. 512/921-1431, 0867, michael@michaelhulse.net, ChrisSellsAustin@gmail.com PATTERSON-RAUSCH TEAM searchaustintxhomes.net KELLER WILLIAMS From “urban to suburban,” Darian Rausch and SARAH SCHOENFELDER, REALTOR Rich Patterson of Keller Williams JACOBS & MIKESKA REALTORS Texas and California real estate Realty have Austin covered. licenses and specialize in residential Proudly Supporting the LBGT 1335 E. Whitestone, Ste.200, 512/663- real estate with a sub-specialty Community for 20 years!

5826, urbantosuburban.com in investment properties and 512/462-1866, AusTXrltrs@aol.com, redevelopment projects. 512/343jacobsandmikeska.com 4400, sjschoenfelder@gmail.com, BRADLEY POUNDS, WATTERS simplyaustinhomes.com INTERNATIONAL REALTY KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD HOMES Guaranteed Sale Program for Offering unique solutions for T THE STAGING GUY Gussy up sellers and Buyer Advantage unique situations. 512/297-3442, Program for buyers. 7801 N. theresa@keepaustinweirdhomes.com, your home to make it irresistable Capital of TX, Ste. 220, 512/736-3353, to prospective buyers. 7310 keepaustinweirdhomes.com BradleyPounds.AustinTexasResidence.com Manchaca Rd #152936 , 512/537-4489, thestagingguy.com MAGPIE GROUP Building homes that Austinites want to live in.

RIVER & OAKS REALTY LLC Stacy 512/814-7562, magpiehomes.com Bass specializes in outlying areas, like Driftwood, Lakeway, RETAIL & FASHION MIDTOWN INDEPENDENCE TITLE Wimberley, Dripping Springs, and When you cross the threshold into more.

512/413-7893, stacybassrealtor.com home owning this LGBT-owned ANNA LANI MAKEUP UT Technical co, has got you covered. 3009 N. Theatre grad lives to see creative Lamar, 512/459-1110, midtowntitle.com theatre, film, and print projects manifest. 361/442-3206, facebook. com/AnnaLaniMakeup

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BLUE GENIE ART BAZAAR An Austin tradition during the holiday shopping season, open daily 10am-10pm, through December 24th at the Marchesa Hall & Theater. 6226 Middle Fiskville, 512/222-7303, bluegenieartbazaar.com CAPRA AND CAVELLI Exception shopping, quality clothing, and tailoring since 1995. 3500 Jefferson Ste.110, 512/450-1919, capracavelli.com CAT’S CUSTOMS Contemporary tie dye: Psychedelic, hand-dyed clothing and accessories for the whole fam. 512/296-569, fb.com/ catscustomsofaustin COCO COQUETTE Wig out to look as divine as Divine. The higher the hair, the closer to Gawd. 2109 E. Cesar Chavez, coco-coquette.com COSMIC CONSIGNMENT Revamp your house with furniture from your grandma’s era, your mom’s era or just yours. Grab a secondhand guitar on your way out. 2604 E. Seventh, 512/547-6549, fb.com/cosmicconsignment ROBERT M. PROSSER @ ETHAN ALLEN One-stop shopping for your home, with décor consulting.

2817 W. Anderson, 512-615-9990, rprosser@austin.ethanallen.com, ethanalllen.com S FASCINATIONS Premier intimacy enhancing retailer encouraging exploration of sexual health. 7816 Burnet, 866/386-5683, yourfascinations.com FIAT OF AUSTIN The nation’s number one Fiat dealer. Ask for chamber member Casey Jordan.

11011 Domain Ste.124, 512/2283428, cjordan@nylemaxwell.com, fiatofaustin.com THE FLOWER STUDIO Stay out of the doghouse with a lovely arrangement. 1406 W Sixth, 512/236-0916, cobyneal.com GREAT OUTDOORS All things outdoors. 2730 S Congress, 512/4482992, greatoutdoorsnursery.com PACKAGE AUSTIN & TAPELENDERS High end men’s athletic clothes, swimwear, and underwear.

1114 W. Fifth, #201, 512/472-0844, packagemenswear.com PRIDE SOCKS How better to rock one’s inner unicorn than to don hooves in rainbow tubes of stretchy, nostalgic comfort? pridesocks.com

Q TOYS Phthalate-free, artisanal, and high quality sex toys will nake you come… back for more.

512/772-1614, qtoysaustin.com SOUTH CONGRESS BOOKS Used, collectible, vintage, and unique books and paper. 1608 S. Congress, 512/916-8882, southcongressbooks.com S VAPOR JOY E-cig and vapor wellness center. info@vaporjoy.com, vaporjoy.com, fb.com/theoriginalvaporjoy

SERVICES A-ONE ELECTRIC Full “circuit” of residential and commercial electrical services. 512/4971513, aoneelectric@hotmail.com, aoneelectricaustin.com ACE AUCTION COMPANY Going once, going twice, sold! . 512/ 2190209, aceauctioncompany.com ARRANGING IT ALL Professional organizers. info@arrangingitall.com ATRIA AT THE ARBORETUM An active lifestyle senior living center with spectacular views and upscale amenities. 512/346-4900, atriaseniorliving.com/atria-at-thearboretum-austin-tx/ AUSTIN AREA LANDSCAPING Residential and commercial lawn and landscaping services.

512/487-8820 AUSTIN QUEER WEDDINGS Erica Nix wedding photography. Over a decade experience working with “family.” austinqueerweddings.com B2 MANAGEMENT & CONSULTING Helping attorneys start, develop, manage, and grow firms. 701 Rio Grande Ste.B, 512/381-1500, b2-mgmt.com BLUE DRAGON PLUMBING No extra charge for 24/7 service. No word on fire-breathing. 512/9472491, gilbert@bluedragonplumbing. com, bluedragonplumbing.com CÉBÉ IT & KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT LLC Information and knowledge management.

7118 Las Ventanas, 281/460-3595, cebe-itkm.com

CITY OF AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT Cultural arts, music, international and emerging technology programs. 512/974-7819, austintexas.gov/department/economicgrowth S COOK-WALDEN Celebrate your loved one with a funeral and memorial service befitting of the life lived. 512/971-2449, cook-walden.com CROWN TROPHY - NORTH AUSTIN Corporate, golf, educational and religious awards, trophies, plaques, gavels, promotinal products, medals, ribbons, acrylics, crystal, name badges, and much more.

512/506-9790, crowncentral@gmail. com, crowntrophy.com/store-122 AUSTIN CONSTRUCTION PROS Specializing in reducing the stress and increasing the joy of home ownership. 512/413-2129, austinconstructionpros.com DEKLYND CHANNING HAIR DESIGN Artistic hair design, specializing in color with profound results. You … only better! 4303 Medical Pkwy., 512/323-6570, dc-hairdesign.com EXCEL GLOBAL PARTNERS Solutions to help accelerate and grow your business and navigate it through change. 512/501-1155, excelglobalpartners.com FRI Interior design and business furniture dealer. 9737 Great Hills #305, 512/371-1232, fri-texas.com GARBO SALON AND SPA Eclectic, colorful, urban eco-friendly salon ready to serve you with professional, cutting edge artwork that expresses you, not a clone, seven days a week.7739 Northcross, Ste K-L, 512/458-4162, garboasalon.com GREEN ISLAND CAR WASH AND DETAIL Full service car wash and detail shop. 12600 Research, 512/257-1799, greenislandcarwash.com HE’S FOR ME Find me a find a match, catch me a catch! Make a match, you busy gay professional.

300 Guadalupe Ste. 200, 855/4437463, H4M-Austin.com

INSTAFF Recruiting, hiring, CITY OF AUSTIN SMALL BUSINESS motivating, leading. A staffing firm with integrity. 8015 Shoal Creek Blvd., DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Assistance and business solutions Ste.210, 512/339-0777, instaff.com to emerging small businesses.

512/974-7800, austintexas. gov/department/small-businessdevelopment-program

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INTELLIGENT LIGHTING DESIGN Cutting edge iDesign LED lighting series for special events and weddings. 5002 Burelson, 512/5534226, events@ildlighting.com, ildlighting.com LJB SERVICES Personal assistance office management, landscaping, house and pet sitting, general property maintenance and cleaning. ljbaus@yahoo.com MCSWAIN CONSULTING,LLC Marketing consultant. 512/7504919, jennifer_mcswain@att.net MILLERSTEPHENS AND ASSOCIATES Focused on nonprofit, healthcare and social change initiatives. 512/422-6030, millerstephens.com NATIVE EDGE LANDSCAPE, LLC Creating responsible landscapes for a sustainable future. 512/5072006, info@nativeedgelandscape.com, expresslawnaustin.com NEW QUEST STAFFING SOLUTIONS Staffing resource and office solutions at your service. 210/8843321, g.drake@newquestss.com NOETIC OUTCOMES CONSULTING Business management doc diagnoses and prescribes ways to assist. 5501-A Balcones #136, 512/386-1402, noeticoutcomes.com PERSONALI-T-Z T-shirt printing with no minimum and no set up fees. 512/ 400-5023, personali-t-z.com PRAXIS FUNDRAISING SOLUTIONS Product-based fundraising. It gets the job done and the dollars farmed. 512/739-0214, shannonm@ praxisfundraising.com, praxisfundraising.com

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POWER OF TWO PROMOTIONS We can put your logo on almost anything! PTwoPromo.com RAINBOW SPECTRUM MEDIA Screen printing and embroidery. terry@rainbowspectrummedia.com SEND OUT CARDS Custom greeting cards to get your business noticed. 512/789-0267, getcardedonline.com SPAREFOOT SpareFoot, based in Austin, TX, operates the country’s largest online marketplace for self-storage. 512/705-6208, sparefoot.com

TIM YOUNG One-stop shop for increasing your business: product creation and funnels, Internet and creative marketing, social media, press releases, copywriting, and more. 1216 E. Seventh, 443/7223286, timyoungjd@gmail.com, milliondollarpizzaparty.com

TRAVEL BALBOA TRAVEL, INC Ranked among the nation’s top 1% of travel companies and are IATA, CLIA, Virtuoso & a founding ASTA member. 512/732-9400, balboavacations.com

SPECIALTY SPEED AUTOMOTIVE Quality used cars, mechanic work, and paint and body repair. 512/318- COMPASS GAY & LESBIAN 2895, specialtyspeedauto.com COMMUNITY CENTER OF PALM BEACH COUNTY LGBTQ S SUPERSHUTTLE & EXECUCAR OF community center for the Palm AUSTIN Your choice of sharedBeaches. 201 N. Dixie, Lake Worth, ride van or a premier luxury sedan 561/533-9699, 561/533-9699, to/from the airport. 512/929-3900 compassglcc.com TAILORED TEAM Let TT unlock your company’s full potential through their informative and fun training courses. 1103 Ridgecrest, 512/563-3845, bartnaustin@aol.com, jblmicrotraining.com STEVEN TOMLINSON Strategic communications consultant for Fortune 500 companies. st@steventomlinson.com, steventomlinson.com WINESHOP AT HOME In-home or In-office tastings and sales.

4800 Twin Valley, 512/750-7722, wineshopathome.com/christinebird

CENTURY TRAVEL Luxury providers worldwide, first class.

2714 Bee Cave #101, 512/327-8760, centurytravelaustin. com KEY WEST BUSINESS GUILD & THE GAY KEY WEST VISITOR CENTER Promoting Gay Key West to LGBTQA travelers. 305/294-4603, 800/535/-7797, events@gaykeywestfl. com, gaykeywestfl.com, kwbgonline.org VISIT FLORIDA The Sunshine State’s best ambassadors have LGBT outreach. visitflorida.com/lgbt

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austinchronicle.com/gay

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