CULTURE CLASH Galveston - September/October 2023

CULTURE CLASH

a venue for Galveston’s free thinkers

QUEER COMMUNITY

LETTER FROM PUBLISHER:

Galveston has this unexplainable draw. No matter where you come from or what your preferences are, you can find something to get into on our salty sandbar. The level of inclusivity that comes with lumping various lifestyles and backgrounds together makes for unique venues and experiences. So it is no wonder that Galveston is home to one of the most vibrant Queer Communities in Texas, offering countless LGBTQ+ friendly establishments, services, city support, and more.

Our history as a queer community dates back to the early 1900s and beyond. However, in the last 5 years, our island has seen a positive increase in queer activity and organization. So much so that our forefathers could never have imagined. We at Culture Clash Magazine are excited to be a part of that activity and are working with some of the city’s best and brightest LGBTQ+ volunteers and community leaders on reshaping possibilities for queer community. The energy is high and people East to West are gearing up for one of the most family-friendly Galveston Pride months of our time.

We hope this issue acts as a resource for you, no matter what your background. Browse the stories, attend the events, and show support for your queer community.

But most of all, we hope you enjoy and share.

Write us an email or shoot us a comment any time online: CultureClashGalveston.com

CultureClashGalveston@gmail.com

Janese Maricelli Publisher

ON THE COVER: Matt (he/they) is a trans bisexual artist based on Galveston Island. In the closet in his personal life, he finds support and love in Galveston’s queer community and in his friends. The artwork on the cover “Euphoria” is dedicated to his friends Babs, Ash, Nico, Crow, Ler, Bacon, and others who helped him discover his own queer and gender euphoria. It seeks to convey how the queer community is as diverse as it is beautiful. Follow his new Instagram account for upcoming designs made by a queer for queers @QueersideCreations or contact him at QueersideCreations@gmail.com

*This magazine

PUBLISHER Janese Maricelli-Thomasson

LAYOUT & DESIGN JanMar Agency

Madeline Morphew

EDITOR

Lauren Miller • Leslie Whaylen

CONTRIBUTORS Michael Cassavaugh

Cameron Dunbar

David Feil • Corlie Jackson

Danny Roe • Jessica Safavimehr

Brandon Wolfe

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By Brandon Wolfe

As long as there has been a Galveston, there has been a queer community. Galveston was the largest city in Texas until almost 1900. It was a port city, with a steady influx of various cultures. It had connections to the port cities of New Orleans and New York, and the kind of services available to gays in those cities eventually became available in Galveston.

Galveston’s Queer Community: A Step Back in Time Kon Tiki

In 1966, the Kon Tiki bar opened, and over the next years it was located at six different sites. After two of locations burned to the ground, the club inadvertently became a symbol of gay survival.

From 1966 to 1969, the Kon Tiki operated at 800 21st Street. The location is now a parking lot. From 1970 1971, its address was 215 19th Street. That structure burned to the ground, and today a warehouse sits on the land. Moving to 214 23rd Street in 1972, the club eventually expanded to include baths. The dance floor there was the Kon Tiki’s signature touch—colored squares that flashed on and off to the music and displayed silhouettes of male genitalia.

In 1983, the entire complex was lost to a fire caused by a gas leak in the wake of Hurricane Alicia. That site is now the lawn of an upscale café. The bar opened again in 1984 at 111 23rd Street, a location now occupied by a Stuttgarden. The club then moved in 1985 to 2011 Market, directly behind the Galveston Opera House. That structure was also demolished and is presently a parking lot.

In 1987, the bar made its final move to 315 23rd Street, and remained open until 2006 when the owner died. That structure (which is currently a private residence) is the only one of the bar’s six locations that survives, and dates back to around 1890 when it was a part of the three-story Marble Palace Hotel. (After a fire in the mid-1950s, the structure and a few neighboring buildings were rebuilt as “modern” storefronts. It was occupied by the Galveston Chamber of Commerce before the Kon Tiki moved there in 1987.)

Photo Courtesy of Galveston Historical Archive

John Sealy Hospital at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston

In 1965, the hospital began to see patients with gender-identity issues. In 1966, a 23-year-old underwent male-to-female sexual reassignment surgery (SRS). It was low-key and without media fanfare. In 1971, a second SRS was completed.

Houston transgender pioneers Toni Mayes and Phyllis Frye were both clinic clients in the early 1970s. Mayes underwent SRS in 1973. In 1976, the Janus Information Facility was opened in a building off-campus, providing gender-identity information worldwide. Although UTMB initially funded the facility and its mailing costs, they chose to close the clinic in 1980. That clinic building was later demolished, but the hospital where the pioneering surgeries were performed still stands and is now known as the John Sealy Hospital Annex. Located near 6th and Strand streets, it was likely built as a 1935 Works Progress Administration project. The reverse-cruciform hospital was once one of the largest and tallest buildings in Galveston, but the structure has since been conjoined with new hospital additions and is now barely recognizable from the street.

Rosenberg Clinic

When UTMB’s gender clinic closed, a private clinic was opened at 1103 25th Street. For years, it was one of the few gateways for persons seeking legal gender changes and/or sexual reassignment surgery.

Former Houstonian Jessica Wicks was a client in the 1990s. She recalls enjoying annual “reunions” where many past and present clients could meet and share experiences.

Although the clinic closed in 2010, the building that housed it is still standing and in excellent condition. The two-story blue-stucco structure features influences of the Prairie architectural style and was built circa 1915 in a residential area.

One would never guess that it was once a clinic with an annual client base of 450 transgender individuals.

Photo Courtesy of Galveston Historical Archive

Robert’s Lafitte

The oldest continually operating gay bar on the island is Robert’s Lafitte, which opened in August 1969. The club is located at 2501 Avenue Q, just a few blocks from the Galveston Seawall.

The club is named after the smuggler and pirate Jean Lafitte, who won a legal pardon by helping General Andrew Jackson defend New Orleans against the British in the final battle of the War of 1812. The name Robert was added to distinguish it from New Orleans’ Café Lafitte in Exile, the oldest continually operating gay bar in America.

Robert’s Lafitte survived Hurricanes Alicia and Ike, and is still in business today, over 50 years after its opening. The relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, and superb drag shows have made it an institution for local residents and a popular attraction for beachgoers. The two-story, broad-front commercial building is clad in brick veneer and was built around 1920. The original storefront has been altered for various uses over the years.

The author thanks the following people for their research that contributed to this story: Jo Collier in the Houston Public Library’s Texas Room; J.D. Doyle, creator of houstonlgbthistory.org; Randy Pace, historic preservationist, author and historian; and Loni Shibuyama at ONE Archive.

Photo Courtesy of Galveston Historical Archive

We organized in meeting rooms at Rosenberg, we made connections among our community and allies, we successfully fundraised, the permits were in our hands…until the world shut down.

BRINGING THE “Q” BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

BRINGING THE “Q” BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

By Danny Roe (He/Him/They)

My wife and I found our love in Galveston much like the star-crossed love between a certain Capulet and Montague, this IBC fell in love with a BOI at the corner of 25th street and Post office (then 3rd Coast Bar). The same things that stood out to me then are the reason I fall in love every day; her strength, love, compassion, fight, and care for others make her an amazing Galvestonian. Those qualities are what built our partnership, and now the community is bought into the love and care we bring back to our home here in Galveston.

Over the years, one or both of us have been involved in many LGBTQ specific initiatives on the island that we are proud of including Gulf Pride for Youth (GPY), World AIDS Day, the Rainbow sidewalk, Queer and Allies (Q&A), the soon-to-be GLSEN Gulf Coast Chapter and now our newest passion project, the Third Coast PrideFest.

Graphic Courtesy of Vecteezy

We began the process of bringing back a Pride island after 15 years. I remember getting nudged and Trey Click, both amazing community advocates right, who were ready to pass along the rainbow generation. I felt like we were prepared to run with some help from our larger community.

The community called for an event to bring everyone we answered. Between phone calls to the Downtown meetings with the city, Mardi Gras balcony parties Yaga’s entertainment, to grassroot meetings amongst stitched together a layout for an amazing 2020 after variant pushed our plans back and we ended involved in other things in Galveston but we never to bring a parade back to the island. Then a wave excitement hit early in 2023.

Word of a new bar, new organizations focused engagement, and pressing legislation pushing the political arena once again brought us back mode. We assembled in a shell of a bar in early celebrating the next bar to hit Seawall — Island dreamed of a community event that would bring LGBTQ community together again. Over the next few hours, a full October weekend itinerary rose from the 2020 ashes like a phoenix. The only thing missing was a name.

Should we keep our 2020 name, Galveston Pride Parade? How do we represent a larger community past the causeway? How do we truly represent a fun-filled weekend? In just a few days we found an amazing equalizer that spoke to our mission, Third Coast PrideFest. This, of course, was full circle for me and spoke to my heart on so many levels. I found community, love, and lifelong family members at Third Coast back in 2009, and now we can bring life back to the name for a new generation of Galvestonians and beyond.

glow nights, and a familyfriendly parade to our island.

We hope to see you in October!

By David Feil

Photo Courtesy of Author

In an auspicious coincidence, last year’s return of the Galveston Pride Parade marked the one-year anniversary of the first meeting of Galveston Queers & Allies (Q&A). It has been a rewarding year of collaborating with passionate and talented folks from throughout our area and a much-needed reaffirmation of the good will that abounds around us.

Q&A began, fittingly enough, with a lot of questions. Why isn’t there a local service organization that focuses on LGBTQIA+ issues and needs? What data is being collected that shows the issues that disproportionately effect LGBTQIA+ adults and youth in Galveston? Who (if anyone) has already done or is doing this work? But most importantly — Who should we talk to next?

To no surprise, Galveston has shown no lack of inquisitive, resourceful, generous, and good-hearted people. The more the initial conversations grew, the more potential seemed possible. A few themes resonated throughout these conversations as important starting points: creating more opportunities to socialize and build community, creating an official organization that could act as a hub for advocacy and resources, and supporting families and queer youth.

For the past year, Q&A has met once a month to work toward these goals. Along the way we have presented events with, volunteered with, raised money for, or otherwise partnered with some amazing organizations to whom we are very grateful: Access Care of Coastal Texas (ACCT), Galveston Island Fundraising of Texas (GIFT) and their Jerry Eubank Angel Fund, Third Coast Pride Fest, the School of Public and Population Health at UTMB, the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the Galveston Historical Foundation, the Galveston Arts Center, the Galveston County Health District’s Healthy Concepts program, and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Hike for Hope. And we are thankful for and celebrate the local businesses who have provided space and been gracious hosts of these activities, including Bar 43, MarMo, 23rd Street Station, Daiquiri Time-Out, Galveston’s Own Farmers Market, Galveston Island Brewery, and Island Time.

In the coming months, we are working hard to bring other initiatives to fruition, including community education programs and the establishment of a local chapter (as part of a national organization) that focuses on supporting youth, families, and educators.

Additionally, we are working towards building a coalition of local organizations that stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community in these tumultuous times. Since the first meeting, Q&A has described itself as an “informal grassroots effort.” We are not an official organization, and (at least for now) we don’t plan to be. Rather than being a disadvantage, this has helped to honor some of the core values and goals we are working towards. It means building partnerships and supporting the work of other organizations.

It means spreading out into spaces that aren’t typically considered part of the LGBTQIA+ scene and advocating for more allyship in addressing and representing queer issues and interests. It means being good allies ourselves and supporting the powerful work being done to advocate and work towards improving the quality of life for other marginalized communities and identities. It also means we have to share responsibility in order to make a lasting impact and we welcome new voices to help shape what we are about and where we are headed.

It has been disorienting at times trying to reconcile the overwhelmingly positive experience of sharing space, conversation, and inspiration within our group or at our events, against the larger social climate of hate, violence, and mistrust. As we’ve grown from private conversations into a more public platform, we have often had to sit with the heavy weight of fear and uncertainty in the lead-up to events, unsure what might go completely sideways, or worse; it’s gut-wrenching.

Galvestonians know loss and what it’s like to watch everything important wash away in a storm beyond our control. Galvestonians also know what it means to weather difficult times, to rebuild, and to celebrate uniqueness and difference. For Q&A, Galveston has shown itself to be true to its history as a city rooted in resilience, freedom, and welcoming.

Photo Courtesy of Unsplash

By Michael Cassavaugh, Island Time Beach Bar & Grill

Community means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. me, as a new business owner on the island, it means cooperationsomething that was sorely lacking for at least the past decade. There are several LGBTQ+ businesses, bars and non-profits on the island, and far too long they have operated independent of each other - often detriment to their own interests. Coming in as the new guy, I was able to help facilitate change and bring us together. In the short 4 months since Island Time has opened, I have witnessed cooperation between the 3 LGBTQ+ bars (The Island Sisters), their ally bars, and by our community partners.

It’s AMAZING! We are all now working together on Pride, Pridefest and social media, all marketing for each other to help promote big events and fundraisers that do good for our whole community. We have held several fundraisers and all three of the LGBTQ+ bars, and several of the ally bars have been involved in raising money for great causes here on Galveston Island - and we are just getting started!

Our next big step is completing the launch of GayGalveston.com, a single place for all things LGBTQ+ in Galveston. Working together is great, but our tourists (and even some of our locals) don’t know how many great organizations are here and the initiatives they take part in, bringing unity to our community. This new site will be a place to find all the great organizations as well as a community calendar that showcases all that’s happening. I am personally happy to be spearheading this amazing new site that is sure to bring us all closer together.

I cannot wait to see what our community will do in the next year- even in the face of state laws making it more difficult to be ourselves. This is the time for everyone to come together and be proud to be a member of a growing LGBTQ+ community right here in Galveston and I truly believe that together we will weather these challenges, prosper as a community, and come out stronger on the other end.

#GayGalveston

Photo Courtesy of Author

GrowinG up Gay-veston

By Cameron Dunbar

Everyone has their version of Galveston. I have to be upfront and honest from the onset: I’m an IBC.

For the uncultured swine who are not familiar with Galveston’s island lingo, that means “Islander By Choice.” But I’ve lived here for a decade now and have been visiting on weekends since I was 17 with my 10-foot blue longboard in the back of my red pickup.

Shortly after high school graduation, I told my family I was homosexual. We lived in Pasadena, Texas, just outside Houston and I always knew that it wouldn’t be a place I could stay. I had survived a very closeted puberty in evangelical Texas suburbia but needed somewhere I could thrive. I escaped many weekends to Galveston’s seaweed beaches and fell in love with the funky island town, skinny dipping with friends in the moonlight, drunken first kisses on the sand. The island has always been a refuge for me; a place where I felt comfortable to be myself. Maybe it’s the freedom of the open gulf, the laid-back island time that everyone seems to run on, or maybe it’s the lively, unfaltering queer community who have staked their claim on this coastal vacation hotspot and dared onlookers to tell them otherwise. “We’re here, we’re queer and this island is ours. Visitors beware.”

I started working as an actor at Island ETC Theatre in the spring of 2013. Little did I know I would one day meet my longtime partner in a production of The Rocky Horror Show at this same theatre in 2014. While the theatre acted as the backdrop to our “meet cute,” I fell in love with Justin Paul Gonzalez in 2015 during a Mardi Gras parade while we ate fried pickles and sat on a green park board

Photo Courtesy of Unsplash

bench listening to a zydeco band march by. Justin was a BOI (“Born On Island”, uncultured swine!) and he insisted on taking me to Mardi Gras for our first date. It was my first Galveston Mardi Gras and I was instantly mesmerized. Light up rings caught in the parade illuminated our faces briefly in colorful flashes with every ranch dipped pickle we brought up to our mouths. We were in the middle of a crowd of thousands but it felt like only us in that moment. Now, we’re fortunate enough to ride in these parades as members of two different krewes and have found a whole new love of the Mardi Gras season.

Our first apartment together was located in the historic Ashton Villa carriage house above the (then) Galveston Island Visitor’s Center. We watched weddings happen in the garden below our bedroom windows on hot summer nights and enjoyed walking to Art Walks, Fat Tuesdays, Shrimp Fests, Oktoberfests, Biker Rallys, and more.

I became a gay man in love in Galveston, and still am today. The thriving and boisterous queer community welcomed us with open arms. We explored the gay bars of the island, the drag night life. I even used to host karaoke at one of our local gay hotspots. I love those evenings when the gay community comes out to party. Those nights are plentiful in Galveston. It’s a gay Galveston rite of passage to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and watch fireworks on the balcony of a seaside gay bar that has changed names and owners so many times no one can keep count anymore (ticking off as many as you can remember is a favorite past time for long-time locals). Working with local activists to bring back the gay Galveston pride parade with Third Coast Pridefest has been a highlight of my involvement in the queer community these past few years. The community thrives and survives, much like our island itself.

Galveston has become my home, but also part of my identity. I feel most locals share this sense of pride. We’re survivors. Absorbing Galveston’s rich history as a staff member of GHF has opened my eyes to this beauty; this living, breathing, thriving, island that has endured hurricanes, fires, wars, pandemics, and ice storms and yet, still endures. I take tremendous pride in calling myself a Galvestonian — an islander. The very thread of Galveston feels woven into my being.

This is my Galveston.

Proudly serving Galveston County!

Coolture

“‘FUTURE SURVIVAL VEST 1” BY IAN GERSON

PHOTO BY JEAN SHON

Ian Gerson is a queer, multidisciplinary artist and educator living in Houston. His work Invisible Landmarks is a true testament to Galveston’s Queer Community. He has been researching queer and trans histories in Galveston for years. Here he has created an 8-page zine and audio track inviting the viewer to time travel to 1975 for a fictional night out at the gay bars and bathhouse that once existed near the Strand. He has looked through archival materials, mainly from local DIY publications in the 70s, and created drawings based on this research. The plan is to continue this project and to look more into what it was like to be trans in the 70s and attempt to access medical care through the early clinics in Galveston.

IAN GERSON

Photo Courtesy of The Artist

Ian is a 2022 Houston Artadia Awardee and just wrapped a show at Art League Houston. Their current works include found materials for use in sculptures and installations. Ian has recently been weaving with ropes found and collected from debris washed up on the shores of Galveston Bay and the Ship Channel. They started collecting these as a resident at the Galveston Artist Residency in 20202021. For the past two years, Ian has been weaving these ropes together with personal clothing scraps, mylar emergency blankets, construction netting, dried plants, and found plastic. The work calls attention to the impacts of capitalist extraction and climate crises, while also holding references to queer nightlife and transness.

Ian Greson is currently in residency at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft. To learn more about their work, check out crafthouston.org/artists/residents/current-artists/

Photos Courtesy of HCCC, Alex Barber, Art League Houston

Pulse pulse

2023 Calendar of Events

sept

PRIDE GALVESTON

Sept 1 - Sept 3

Labor Day Weekend Celebrations

For more Info visit: pridegalveston. com/2023-events

All Around Galveston

GALVESTON SAND CRAB 5/10K/

KID’S BEACH MILE

Sat Sept 9th | 6PM - 10PM

A great way to exercise under the stars on beautiful Galveston Beach.

$25 Advances Entry Fee

R.A. Apffel East Beach Park 1923 Boddeker Rd

WHITECAPS DAY

Mon Sept 18 | All Day

A celebration of alumni, faculty, staff, and students!

FREE

Galveston College 4015 Avenue Q

THAT 70’S PARTY WITH GAC

Fri Sept 22 | 6PM - 9PM

Funky fresh disco fundraiser supporting the Galveston Arts Center

$55 Early Bird | $75 at the door

More Info:

Galvestonartscenter.wildapricot.org/ event-5358848

Hendley Lofts 2016 Strand Street

ART

ICON SHOW

Fri Oct 20 | 8PM

The fabulous J. Jolie puts on an unforgettable show. $10 Entry Island Time Beach Bar 3102 Seawall Blvd.

90’S GLOW PARTY

Sat Oct 22 | 7PM - 11PM

Dance the night away with 90’s themed music and fashion. Be a part of the celebration, JUST DANCE. 23rd St Station 1706 23rd St

THIRD COAST PRIDE PARADE

Sat Oct 22 | 2PM -4PM

Celebrate Galveston’s queer community with this family-friendly Pride Parade. Running 24th thru 20th Streets, Postoffice to Market.

More Info: Gaygalveston.com

Downtown Galveston

POST PARADE EVENT

Sat Oct 22 | 4PM

Family-friendly event supporting Galveston’s queer community | FREE Marmo Plaza 2121 Market St.

drink up

BLOODY MARY’S

Each week has a different theme. Served Saturdays from open at 10 am until till gone.

LUCKY LOUNGE

904 AVENUE M.

Ian Gerson is a queer, multidisciplinary artist and educator living in Houston.

MORE @IANMILESGERSON

Photo Courtesy of Alex Barber, Courtesy of Art Leage Houston

VOTE IS A FOUR-LETTER WORD

By Corlie Holloway Jackson

When did VOTE become a nasty four-letter word?

Something to avoid like a curse word silenced in your mouth; something to suppress? Something to subvert? To steal? Something that can be bought and sold? Something is surely wrong!

Consider the history of our nation: it’s taken over 200 years, a host of constitutional amendments and two congressional acts to even suggest that equality in access to and participation in our government could be possible without recrimination or discrimination on the basis of sex, gender, race, ethnicity or religion.

We seem to have forgotten that the right to vote is one of the most basic promises of our democracy. In a democratic government, every person is considered equal and empowered to both participate in their government and speak on the issues that impact their daily lives. Through our votes we can express our values around our concerns, like climate change and health care, gun safety reform, criminal justice, banning books, taxes, and so much more. Voting is a way to make your voice heard. It allows you to participate as co-creator of your world, to make a difference in your community and the society at large; ensuring that the place and space in which you live, work, and love will not only be responsive, but truly representative, of who you are.

When you vote, you are choosing who will represent you and make decisions that affect your everyday life: candidates who support the issues that are important to you, such as education, healthcare, and jobs. When you vote, you are telling your elected officials what is important to you and holding them accountable for their decisions. It is our belief in democracy, as the core principle of our government, which makes our Republic truly great. As the pledge of allegiance says, “I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Even though voting is a fundamental right in the United States, it is under attack in Texas. It’s being used as matter and source of profound contention in Texas — and right here in Galveston County. They have reclassified the right to vote as political misnomer for a partisan agenda. In recent years, the state has not only passed several laws that make it more difficult for people to vote, but also intentionally gerrymandered our congressional and commissioner maps to perpetrate partisan domination and consolidate partisan control. This has been the ultimate insult to democracy by dismantling the one person, one vote promise.

One of the most egregious examples of voting suppression in Texas is the state’s voter ID law. This law requires voters to show a photo ID in order to vote, even though there is no evidence that voter impersonation is a widespread problem. The law disproportionately affects minority voters, both student and unhoused populations, who are less likely to have a photo ID.

Another example of voting suppression in Texas has been the state’s early voting restrictions. The state has cut the number of early voting days by two, making it more difficult for people to vote during their work hours or on weekends.

Texas has also cut the registration deadline by two weeks and voters still do not have the ability to register online. The removal of polling places from university campuses and places of higher learning has students scrambling to get transportation to polling places off-campus. Even by mail, the state requires voters to submit a copy of their photo ID with their absentee ballot application. These voting suppression efforts are a clear attempt to make it harder for people to vote, especially people of

color, low-income status, and students. These laws are a threat to democracy.

Democracy requires constant care and voting is our most powerful tool for change. We must all do our part to fight back against voting suppression in Texas. We must register to vote, make sure we are registered in time for the next election, and vote in every election. We must make sure that everyone has the opportunity to vote, regardless of their race, income, or zip code by volunteering to help register voters, donating to organizations that are fighting for voting rights, and contacting our elected officials and demanding that they oppose voting suppression laws.

In actuality, VOTE is a four-letter word, but so are LOVE, HOPE, FAIR, GOOD, and WORK. If you LOVE yourself, your family, your country and HOPE to live in a world where our laws are FAIR, and our governments WORK for the GOOD of the people, we must continue to VOTE!

NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY IS SEPTEMBER 19th, 2023

lwv.galvestontexas@gmail.com

Corlie Holloway Jackson is the president of League of Women Voters Galveston. She is an avid justice advocate, Galveston County volunteer deputy voter registrar and an election monitor.

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ENDLESS ATTRACTIONS FOR ALL AGES

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For the little ones, the Kiddie Coast offers pint-sized adventures, including water play structures, mini slides, and shallow pools, ensuring hours of giggles and splashes. Schlitterbahn is committed to safety, with lifeguards trained to keep a watchful eye on all the action.

No matter young or old, everyone can find a way to stay cool at Schlitterbahn Galveston!

people of GALVESTON

How

Regina Bishop

As a former middle school teacher on the island, I would like to see people think in terms of the LGBTQ children in the community. There are kids who still live in fear of coming out, not for the rejection of their peers, but fear of the close-minded adults in the community. It would be fantastic to see more business owners display LGBTQ flags to signify that theirs is a safe space for all.

By Jessica Safavimehr

I’m Yvonne Tutt, I have lived in Galveston 5 years now. With the help of my bestie Christy Poland we started our very own Galveston Island Rainbow Lesbian Society group (GIRLS) when we moved here. We are lesbians and are both married. Honing our vision in equality, members of the community can support the queer community in Galveston by becoming allies, showing up to our events and established queer spaces, and supporting queer owned businesses and organizations. Other than the month of June, we host events such as, Pride Galveston in September, drag shows all year round, and we have dance clubs that include bar and food. Pride Galveston is a yearly event. Another way to support us is by donating to our causes and helping us raise money for our nonprofit organization. We do everything on our own by putting on benefits to raise money. I am just one of the board members on the Pride Galveston committee along with Terry & Jamie Fuller-Waymire. We hope to see more people supporting us and standing behind us in Galveston. We welcome all!

can members of the community support the queer community in Galveston?

Yvonne Tutt aka Queen

Michele Nichols

Members of any community can always show love, support, and acceptance. I don’t like calling them queer, to me it sounds offensive. They’re gay, LGBTQIA, they’re still people regardless of what others in our community think. It’s all they want from us allies, support, a safe place, acceptance, to allow them to be themselves. And that’s exactly what myself and my husband do! We show them all we can, just as anybody on this earth that lives. Many have their opinions and beliefs. God, Alla, Javhova whoever you worship are all the same right?

I would tell them to get involved. There are many organizations that need volunteers. When you get involved, you can change things for the better. Help those that need it and make some great lifelong friends in the process.

I’m one of the owners and CEOs of Pride Galveston. It’s very simple to get involved helping the community. We advertise for volunteers all the time for charity events that we do throughout the year. Pride is always needing volunteers through the year for numerous things. They can go to our website www.Pridegalveston.org and we have a volunteers section or they can get our direct information or emails off the website.

Terry Fuller CEO, Pride of Galveston

Sheila Morton President, on the Board of Directors for GIFT