Houston Rainbow Herald

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Publisher / Executive LAURA M VILLAGRAN

Business Development Manager RANDALL JOBE

Production RAFA ESPINOSA News Features JOHNNY TRLICA

Copy Editor NANCY FORD Scene Writers JIM AYRES JANICE ANDERSON Distribution MIRIAM ORIHUELA ELIZABETH MEMBRILLO

THE STAR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

JIM AYRES by day is an employee benefts and human resources writer. By night he turns his creativity toward the local food and restaurant scene. Do you know of a restaurant that needs a review? Info@montrosestar.com

NANCY FORD has enjoyed a front row seat to the most remarkable and sparkly Cultural Revolution in the history of mankind. “What a world!” She refects appropriately. After moving to Houston from Ohio in 1981, Ford became a highly visible player in Texas’ LGBT publishing circles as an editor and contributor to myriad other local and statewide LGBT magazines and newspapers.

RANDALL JOBE has been a fxture in the Houston LGBT Community for several decades in marketing and promotions for top nightclubs, as an actor/director/writer for dozens of theatrical productions, and is also known for his whimsical art pieces. He is the author of the 12-part series “This Old Queen”, which summarized his many experiences living in the gay Mecca, Montrose.

VIC GERAMI is journalist, media contributor and Editor & Publisher of The Blunt Post. Vic grew up in LA and has a BA in Theater Arts. He spent six years at Frontiers Magazine, followed by LA Weekly and Voice Media Group. His syndicated celebrity Q&A column, 10 Questions with Vic, is a LA Press Club’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award fnalist. Vic is a contributor for Montrose Star, DC Life Magazine, Out & About Nashville, Q Virginia, GNI MAG, QNotes, Windy City Times, WeHo Times, GoWeHo, Los Angeles Blade, Asbarez, California Courier, Desert Daily Guide, Armenian Weekly, GED, The Pride LA, IN Magazine and The Advocate Magazine.

FOREST RIGGS is no stranger to the adventures of life, he bills himself as a “raconteur with a gypsy spirit.” A former educator, public speaker, hospital administrator, counselor and gay owner, he was instrumental in the formation of OutSmart Magazine in the early 1990s. He has written for several newspapers, magazines and other publications. Recently he completed a collection of short stories about his beloved Galveston and is working on a novel. He currently resides on the island where he can be found wasting bait and searching for the meaning of life.

JOHNNY TRLICA has called the Houston area home all of his life. Four years ago he founded and still edits the Houston Rainbow Herald and has worked in the apartment leasing industry for the past two years. His passion is keeping the battle for LGBT rights at the forefront of today’s headlines and fghting complacency in the LGBT community.

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The Montrose Star is published every two weeks and distribuited free of charge at choice establishments throughout Houston, the Bay Area & Galveston. Annual mail subscriptions are $54.

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Taking time to gloat and let scars heal

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By Johnny Trlica

COMMENTARY: IT’S THE THRILL OF VICTORY, the agony of defeat. And when the contest is over, we meet at midfeld, shake hands and go to happy hour together. In sports, yes, but not in politics. Politics is a blood sport and to the victor go the spoils. Long before a winner was declared in the presidential election, some people were calling for peace. A popular meme read, “After the election… If you win, don’t gloat. If you lose, don’t despair. Tis has been hard on all of us. Treat others the Photo Andrew Harkin way you want to be treated. We all will need it.” President-elect Joseph Biden delivers acceptance speech, While we appreciate the Golden Rule, it will November 7, 2020. take some time to come around to that line of thinking. Besides, the defeated president should be the one leading on uniting the nation since he, more than anyone, divided it. For the past four years, we have been harassed with names like demoncrats, libtards, snowfakes, demorats, and others not as nice. Trump used schoolyard names for his opponents. Crooked Hillary, Crazy Bernie, Shifty Adam Schif, Pocahontas Elizabeth Warren, Crazy Nancy Pelosi and, most recently, Sleepy Joe Biden and questioning his mental capacities. His tribe laughed uncontrollably at the taunts. Trumpers spent the past four years telling us, “Fuck your feelings.” Te fags and T-shirts were visible at every Trump rally and readily available on Amazon. Right-wingers embraced anything that would “own the libs,” even if it were harmful to the country or themselves. Tey placed twisting the knife in liberal’ stomachs as a top priority. Trump delivered. But now they want us to put the election behind us and have a Kumbaya moment together? When Trump won the presidency in 2016, he was anything but reconciliatory. Fully a month after his election win, the president-elect went on a victory tour. At every stop he used each opportunity to gloat about his come from behind victory and boasted about the emotional pain he had inficted on Democrats by winning. Te crowds ate it up because he was owning the libs. Troughout his presidency, Trump gloated that just by occupying the White House, he was mocked reporters and Joe Biden for wearing them. It was mostly Trump supporters refusing to mask up at stores and restaurants, throwing hissy fts that would embarrass a three-year-old. Trump mocked Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer for trying to keep her constituents safe and bragged about how “his” FBI caught the rightwing militia that sought to attempt to kidnap her, put her on trial and execute her. And his cult-like followers chanted “lock her up.” Owning the libs. It isn’t just the president who shows a lack of character. Te hypocrisy of the GOP was on full display when the Senate confrmed a Trumpappointed Supreme Court judge a week before the election this year. In 2016, they refused to do the same for a Barack Obama nominee because “it was an election year.” Republican voters re-elected Senators Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham despite their open hypocrisy. Take that, you libtards. President-elect Biden is encouraging all Americans to unite. “With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation. It’s time for America to unite. And to heal. We are the United States of America. And there’s nothing we can’t do, if we do it together.” We will eventually heed our new president’s advice, but for now, we need a little time to gloat. After years of mocking, ridicule, taunts, and gloating, one doesn’t walk away from an abusive relationship without scars. infuriating his critics. He’d say, “I’m here and they’re Epilogue not.” Tis year on the campaign trail, he’d stand in Writing this column has been especially difcult front of his admirers and wallow in recounting the as I have several family members and friends anguish of his opponents on election night 2016. Te who supported Trump. Tey are some of the crowd was in a frenzy as he was still owning the libs. most kind and gentle people I know. Tey were

While COVID-19 was spreading across the not the people riding around with “fuck your nation the president failed to take the pandemic feelings” fags and yelling, “lock her up” at rallies. seriously and admitted he “downplayed” it. But make no mistake, they supported His documented lies directly led to the deaths “a race baiting, xenophobic religious bigot,” of hundreds of thousands of Americans. (Lindsey Graham’s description), who was Republicans rose to their leader’s defense with leading us down the road to fascism. Tey statements like, “it’s not his fault,” and “it’s no can reconcile that with themselves. worse than the fu.” Anything less than complete Humans often are characterized by the company submission to their leader would be caving to the they keep. Are we to judge people by who they vote demoncrats, who were exaggerating the virus for as well? Perhaps this is a good time for all of us to make Trump look bad, according to them. to take time to refect and examine our core values.

Trump made the simple act of wearing a Does character still matter? Ten maybe we can put mask a culture war. Tose of us who chose to this national nightmare behind us and move on. e wear masks to protect others as well as ourselves became to subject of ridicule. Trump himself The views expressed in this article are entirely those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of MONTROSE STAR. Johnny Trlica is the administrator of the Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page. Reach him at HRHeditor@gmail.com.