30 YEARS OF ‘WHAT A WORLD’: 10 The origin story
THE GAY-ETY STARTS HERE! WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31, 2018 e VOL. IX, 16 Photo: Andrew Eccles/NBC
MONTROSE STAR .COM » Houston Rainbow Herald
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Eric McCormack’s Comedic Revolution
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The sitcom star on the value of ‘Will & Grace’ now and why the show ‘could’ve backfired’ p8
PAGE 2 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
HRH Report
Drag Queen Storytime spared, trans high schooler arrested and other top stories Johnny Trlica
C
T H E S TA R C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S JIM AYRES by day is an employee benefits 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@montrose-star.com JOHN BUCHANAN is originally from Florida but now calls Houston home for 20+ years. “Proud to be Gay and part of the Community – Your Gay Realtor of Choice!” johnwb214@aol.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 reflects 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 fixture 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. MARK KARIEL is from Marshall, Texas, but has called Houston home for almost 40 years. An accounting supervisor by day, he can be found working most Saturday nights at South Beach’s RuPaul’s Drag Race events. His RuPaul obsession began 6 years ago in Palm Springs. It will all be in his book, plus much more. Stay tuned! mark@sobehouston.com 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 B&B 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 fighting omplacency in the LGBT community.
ommentary: “Fire! Fire! Fire!” It’s like I’ve been yelling “fire” and no one listens. Our country has lost its way. A man sends at least 13 pipe bombs to prominent members of the opposition party and critics of the administration and is apprehended with a van plastered with pro-Trump stickers and pictures of his targets in the crosshairs. The president blames the media and refuses to tone down his own vitriolic rhetoric. A self-proclaimed white nationalist walks into a Pittsburgh synagogue, proclaims, “All Jews must die” and starts shooting, killing eight men and three women, ages 54 to 97. Yes, 97! The president all but blames the victims for not being armed (NRA talking points). Our country has lost its way. The entire Republican Party openly lies to its constituents about protecting pre-existing conditions in the healthcare debate while most of them have voted over 70 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which is the single piece of legislation that protects pre-existing conditions. Our country has lost its way. “Fire! Fire! Fire!” Early voting has begun and continues through November 2 with the general election on November 6. Most Texas counties are reporting record turnouts. With any luck and if voters choose wisely, perhaps, just perhaps we can find our way back and see if anyone has been listening. Judge halts efforts to end Drag Queen Storytime The show must go on! So says U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal, who decided against a conservative Christian group trying to stop Drag Queen Storytime, reports Houston Public Media. The Houston Public Library and Mayor Sylvester Turner were sued by anti-gay protesters over the readings that began last summer at the FreedMontrose branch. They claim the event promoted “obscene speech” and violated the Constitution’s Establishment clause. On October 27, Judge Rosenthal denied the group’s request for a temporary restraining order to halt the event writing there was “no basis” and denied the request. Transgender student arrested Was this a case of cyber bullies getting payback? A Tomball High School sophomore is out on a $2000 bond after being arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault, reported the Houston Chronicle on October 24. Tra’vez Perry, 17, is charged with brutally beating a male and female student in the hallway. “The victims were taken to a hospital, and Perry was charged with misdemeanor assault. Perry, who is transgender, told police that the female victim had taken her picture and posted it on Snapchat with a negative comment,” according to a Tomball police report. Videos obtained by police showed Perry, who is in CPS custody, grabbing the female victim by the hair while punching her in the Find us on P v Facebook.com & t Twitter
face and pushing the male victim to the ground. Perry then jacked him in the head and face. Mariah Carey to sweeten Sugar Land My, how the mighty have fallen. While Cher, Madonna, and Celine Dion are still selling out large arenas, Mariah Carey is bringing her Caution World Tour to the Smart Financial Center, reports Chron. com. The “Always Be My Baby” singer will play the 6,400-seat Sugar Land concert hall on March 1. The Fort Bend County date is the second date of the tour dubbed as Carey’s “most intimate tour yet.” Matthew Shepard has come home His brutal murder 20 years ago moved a nation to action and became a milestone for gay rights. Matthew Shepard, the Wyoming college student who was pistol-whipped and left for dead because he was gay, found closure during an internment service at the Washington National Cathedral on October 26, reports Reuters. “You are safe now,” said Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, in his opening remarks of the service. Robinson urged the crowd not to simply commemorate Shepard but to remember that discrimination against sexual minorities continues, especially transgender people, whom he called a “target” right now. Defining gender Photo via KHOU.com
e By
Blackberri at Drag Queen Storytime.
Remember candidate Trump’s promise to protect the LGBTQ community? That seems like a long, long time ago now. A proposal leaked by the administration to the New York Times would change the definition of gender to male or female based on the genitals of the person at birth. It would then be unchangeable later in life, reported Gay Star News. The news was cause of great concern to the transgender community with the crisis support hotline Trans Lifeline reporting a massive increase in callers in the one day since the memo was leaked. “Without being able to define their gender identity, millions of transgender people would lose their protections. Brought in by President Barack Obama, transgender people are protected in healthcare, schools and the military,” reads the report. In response, President Trump stated, “I’m protecting everybody. I want to protect our country.” e Johnny Trlica is the manager of the Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page, your source for the latest LGBTQ news and information. Contact him at HRHeditor@gmail. com.
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 3
OP-ED
Creep of the Week: The Trump Administration e By
D’Anne Witkowski
T
ransgender rights are human rights. Full stop. to recognize themselves — surgically or otherwise — as a gender Transgender people are human beings. Full stop. These other than the one they were born into,” The Times continued. things are not negotiable. So if the Trump administration does this, Trans people will Unfortunately, the people who are leading this country, be stripped of any protections they have received because people who represent literally the worst of America (hateful, they are no longer included in the very definition of gender. racist, sexist, uninterested, anti-science, spiteful, petty, violent Poof. Trans folks are gone into a semantic abyss. ... the list goes on and on) are in charge of every branch of the Only the genitals you’re born with and the sex assigned federal government right now. And the people defining the at birth would “count.” As the Times reported, “Any dispute rules want to define transgender people right out of existence. about one’s sex would have to be clarified using genetic Granted, that is not how language testing.” Trans folks are gone works. You can’t just say, “Oh, this This is terrible in all sorts of ways. means something different now” For one thing, it also erases intersex into a semantic abyss. and said thing ceases to exist. For people who are born with ambiguous example, if the federal government genitalia. Not to mention the fact wanted to declare that the term “Halloween candy” ONLY that chromosomes do not necessarily correspond with what’s refers to candy corn, that doesn’t mean Resse’s Peanut Butter between your legs. Pumpkins no longer exist. It does mean, however, that any The Trump Administration is basically calling for a penis/ statues that, say, protect Halloween candy from discrimination vagina registry. would only protect candy corn, all other candy be damned. There has been backlash against the Trump administration’s So when I say the Trump administration wants to define plan. “We must not give up the fight,” “Orange Is The New trans folks out of existence, that’s not technically true, because Black” actress Laverne Cox tweeted. “But in the face of this trans people will still exist as they always have. affront on my existence and the existence of my community I “The Department of Health and Human Services is choose love not fear. We exist and always have.” spearheading an effort to establish a legal definition of sex Cox continued, “Trans people have been under attack by under Title IX,” the Times continued. “The federal civil rights this administration from day 1 and in state legislatures for law that bans gender discrimination in education programs years now,” Cox said. “Let’s join together American and assert that receive government financial assistance.” #TransRightsAreHumanRights.” If you’ll recall, when Obama, a decent human being with a Cisgender folks, if there ever was a time to shout from the moral compass, was president the “legal concept” of gender rooftops that you support trans people, this is it. Because was “loosened.” According to the Times, “recognizing gender make no mistake, the Trump administration will not stop at largely as an individual’s choice and not determined by the defining gender to exclude trans people. Eventually they’ll sex assigned at birth.” decide who “counts” as a woman or a man and make the laws This helped transgender and gender non-conforming folks accordingly. I’ve read “The Handmaid’s Tale.” I’ve seen the secure some much-needed protections. Much-needed because rampant misogyny supported by Trump and his Republicans. transgender people are some of the most vulnerable people in our This isn’t headed anywhere good. society. They are the object of ridicule, scorn, hate and violence. So yes, as Cox advises, choose love not fear. But make sure “The new definition would essentially eradicate federal the thing you love the most is voting, because the only way to recognition of the estimated 1.4 million Americans who have opted turn back the tide of hate is to vote the haters out of office. e
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TOC OCTOBER 31, 2018 | VOL. IX, 16
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D’Anne Witkowski is a poet, writer and comedian living in Michigan with her wife and son. She has been writing about LGBT politics for over a decade. Follow her on Twitter @MamaDWitkowski.
COOKING WITH PAULA DREAM Colorful and flavorful fall recipes
6
PFLAG HOUSTON NEWS Focuses on transgender community with Rylie Jefferson
13
HRH Report.......................................................... 2 OP-ED.....................................................................3 Cooking with Paula Dream...............................6 Foodie Diaries.......................................................7 What A World................................................... 10 PFLAG Houston News..................................... 13 The Frivolist........................................................ 14 Out at the Theater............................................ 15 Across the Causeway........................................17 Community......................................................... 18 Community.........................................................22 Star Buds ............................................................24 Crossword Queeries.........................................24 Guide to the Clubs............................................26
October 31, 2018. None as of press time.
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PAGE 4 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
WE ARE HAVING A PARTY!
Celebrating Bering Memorial UMC’s 170th year 'Heaven Can’t Wait' and Bering Can’t Either. Bering is having a birthday… a big one!
W
ith a milestone birthday, Bering found a way to celebrate and underwrite its ministries: a play! Playwright Fernando Dovalina has written Heaven Can’t Wait, a musical revue that will benefit Bering’s ministries. The play will be performed at Bering on Nov. 3, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. Mr. Dovalina said, “Imagine if you arrived in Heaven and had to put on a show…” Without giving too much away, he promised that this would be fun and memorable. Esther Houser, event chair, plans to pack the house with over 500 people that night. All proceeds from the ticket sales will go directly to fund Bering’s ministries: Bering Connect, Open Gate, Children and Family Ministries, Latinx outreach, Harvey recovery, immigration advocacy, and community support.
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Pastor Diane McGehee speaks with great passion about Bering’s 170 year history as a German immigrant church that has stood and cared for Houston in times of great need: the Yellow Fever epidemic, the 1918 influenza pandemic, the homeless, those with HIV/AIDS, and homeless LGBTQ young adults and teens. She also spoke of the great need now in Houston and Bering’s response: homeless young adults and their young families, outreach to the growing Latinx community in our midst - many of whom are LGBTQ and have no spiritual home, the immigrant community, foster and adoptive children and families, ongoing Harvey recovery, and issues facing the global United Methodist Church. Do your part and buy your tickets here: https://conta.cc/2Pf2TLf. Your ticket purchase will guarantee a good time for you and Bering’s continued presence in the forefront of these important social justice issues in our neighborhood, our city, our country, and our world. e
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 5
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PAGE 6 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
Cooking with Paula Dream
Colorful and flavorful fall recipes e By Paula Dream (A K A K AL E HAYGO O D)
H
ey, guys! Where has the year gone? Halloween has come and gone; I thought about giving you some belated spooky recipes, but figured everyone had enough of those. Now we are staring Thanksgiving and Christmas right in the face. You have to try this Filipino chicken. My mother became friends with a little lady that was from the Philippines and, man, could she cook. That’s where this recipe came from. Your curiosity will get the best of you before you try the cornbread recipe. And the Carrot Honey Loaf is great for a quick breakfast heated with some butter on it. Everyone knows how Paula loves her butter! Thanks for remembering our advertisers. Be safe!
FILIPINO CHICKEN
1 cup white vinegar 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 whole garlic bulb, smashed and peeled 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon course ground pepper 1 bay leaf 2 pounds bone-in thighs or drumsticks 1 tablespoon canola oil 1 cup water
2 7 10 Montrose Blvd. Houston, T X 7 7 006
713.526.0202 Order Online www.pepperonis.net
Combine the first six ingredients. Add chicken and coat. Refrigerate covered for 30 minutes. Drain, saving marinade and pat chicken dry. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat and then brown chicken. Stir in water and the saved marinade. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered, until chicken is no longer pink and the sauce is reduced (usually about 25 minutes). Serve chicken with sauce on the side.
BLUEBERRY JAM-FILLED JALAPENO CORNBREAD For the jam:
2 cups fresh blueberries 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt For the cornbread:
1/2 cup whole milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1-1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1/2 cup sugar 3 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon butter (unsalted) 1 tablespoon honey 2 large eggs 1/3 cup canola oil 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced In a heavy large saucepan, combine blueberries, sugar, vinegar and kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring constantly for about five minutes. Let cool then cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the milk and lemon juice in bowl and let it stand a couple of minutes. In another bowl, whisk together flour, yellow cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and kosher salt. Microwave butter and honey on high for 30 seconds, then let cool just a bit. Whisk eggs and oil into milk mixture. Add butter mixture and whisk until well combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until combined, then fold in jalapenos. Pour two cups of the batter into wellbuttered 10-inch flute pan or Bundt pan. Spoon ½ to 3/4 of blueberry jam over batter. Cover with remaining batter. Bake until toothpick comes out clean or for about 30 to 35 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert on to cake plate. Drizzle remaining blueberry jam over cake.
CARROT HONEY LOAF
2 large eggs, room temperature 3/4 cup canola oil 3/4 cup honey 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups grated carrots Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine eggs, oil, honey and vanilla; beat until smooth. In another bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and baking soda for 30 seconds. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture until combined. Add carrots and mix well. Pour batter into lightly greased 9"x5" loaf pan. Bake until toothpick comes out clean, for about 1 hour. Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan. e Paula Dream (AKA Kale Haygood) owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based, home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.
Foodie Diaries
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 7
4412 WASHINGTON AVE | LAURENZOS.COM
Is AI taking over the food world? e By
Jim Ayres
I
noticed something strange at the airport on my recent trip to New York City. (Oh, glad you asked. It was wonderful. Beautiful sunny fall weather and none of the dreariness we’ve seen in Houston of late.) But as I often do when flying, if I have a few minutes to spare, I seek Airport of the future’s dining, today the Golden Arches. A rare dive into McDonald’s — the only 1950. There, red sauce fast food that counts — cuisine is elevated to is so comforting when an art. Fried calamari faced with hours on with their famous a plane. Well, on this marinara, pasta with journey, I didn’t find just a touch of cream them. Neither at IAH and shallots…it was nor Newark! dreamy. Instead, United Paul & Jimmy’s Even dreamier was Airlines in partnership another night’s visit to with OTG (which The Old Homestead operates more than Steakhouse. New 300 restaurants and York’s oldest retail concepts in 10 steakhouse was airports across North established in 1868. America) is serving us Service is full-on the future of dining. old school and I It’s easy to see. was captivated by a Just walk to your gate. Sarabeth’s Eggs Benedict boozy lobster bisque, Bars and cafes have a perfectly done been set up along the ribeye and an iceway where you take cold martini with blue a seat and order via cheese-stuffed olives. iPad. Want a burger Serafina is a mustand a Coke? Just tap try Upper East Side a few images, swipe institution. One of your credit card (or their specialties is pay with miles), and Pasta al Limoncello it’s done. As of this that I order each Serafina’s Pasta al Limoncello writing, food is served, time I visit, but even and drinks refilled, by their cheese pizza is actual humans. amazing in its flavor and simplicity. OK, maybe it’s not that And you can’t miss brunch at revolutionary. You can do this at Sarabeth’s — they practically invented Chili’s too. But the whole concept on it. Fresh baked muffins paired with an airport scale looks so futuristic. Sarabeth’s jams and preserves set the It’s 2018 as imagined in 1970. The stage for perhaps the most perfect food offerings are just as on trend. I Eggs Benedict I’ve ever had. had avocado toast — can’t get more So, the next time you fly, embrace modern than that! It was wonderful, the future. And when you get to your topped with radishes and microgreens. destination, salute its history! e All this extends to the other dining establishments in the terminal. According to OTG, “With dining venues conceptualized by celebrated 123 East 18th Street chefs, passengers get a taste of PaulAndJimmys.com the region from locally sourced menus that change with the seasons. Old Homestead Steakhouse Stunning spaces created by world56 9th Avenue renowned architects and designers TheOldHomesteadSteakhouse.com make travelers feel welcome, relaxed, and connected to their surroundings like never before.” 33 East 61st Street Once I got to the Big Apple, I SerafinaRestaurant.com stepped back into the present. My theme for this trip (don’t laugh) was “Old School New York.” Between walks through fall foliage381 Park Avenue South drenched Central Park and a couple SarabethsRestaurants.com of Broadway shows, I visited Paul & Jimmy’s, an Italian tradition since
ace in l p t s e b the et town to g prime rib. it. come get
French dip
Paul & Jimmy’s
Serafina
Sarabeth’s
prime rib pizza
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PAGE 8 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
Eric McCormack’s Comedic Revolution The sitcom star on the value of ‘Will & Grace’ now and why the show ‘could’ve backfired’ e By
Chris Azzopardi
E
ric McCormack auditioned for the role of gay lawyer Will on Will & Grace without realizing the effect he’d hav e on closeted teenagers. “I was worried about network executives and what the gay community would think,” he says, “but when I was thinking of the gay community, I wasn’t thinking of 16 year olds.” In 1998, when the sitcom touched down on NBC in a TV universe that was distinctly less gay, the show presented itself as farcical comedy. But by the time it ran its course, ending (or so we thought) in 2006, Will & Grace was, through sheer existence, a cultural landmark leading the way for LGBTQ inclusivity in entertainment and in the broader world. And those ’90s teenagers? “What has been revealed is that it was (them) sort of peeking over (their) parents’ shoulder going, ‘OK, I like this show, this show’s for me,’ and, ‘Hey, if my mom likes this show then I can do this,’” McCormack says. Eleven years went by without Will, his roommate Grace (Debra Messing), his gay pal Jack (Sean Hayes) and Jack’s rollicking, boozed bestie, Karen (Megan Mullally). Marriage equality happened. More queer characters – trans, of color – happened. And in 2017, with Trump jabs and jokes scoffing at discriminatory cake bakers, Will & Grace returned to NBC with a new agenda for the queer-comedy revolution it once led. Recently, McCormack, 55, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and this month, became the recipient of the Point Foundation’s Impact Award in recognition of his significant impact on the LGBTQ community. Here, the actor reflects on playing Will during a more conservative time in America, the episode NBC cut from reruns and the significance of gay actors portraying his love interests. When you first began playing Will, how much more attention did you get from gay men?
(Laughs) Well, I’m from the theater, so I was pretty much already gettin’ my share! But this is national primetime television, known to the world.
(Laughs) I think that was the most interesting journey, because in the theater, all through my 20s, when I first
started doing television guest spots in Toronto and Vancouver, I did a bunch of gay roles. I was a bartender at the gay bar, and I was the guy in the office who the girl thought was coming onto her – but I say, “Honey, I’m gay.” These roles accumulated for me, and nobody else knew I was doing them. When Will finally landed for me, I didn’t have to go out and do a lot of research. My best friends were gay men, I grew up in the theater. So, it was a natural extension. But when it suddenly, as you say became “national,” there was – yeah, you have to be careful with that (attention), though, because what happens automatically is NBC phones and says, “Hey, People magazine wants to do a thing on you,” and of course People magazine always features you and your wife in the kitchen making pasta, right? Or something dopey like that. (Laughs) So within two months it’s clear (I’m) married, but you don’t want it to look like you begged People magazine to show the world that you’re straight. It could’ve backfired, and that’s the thing I’m always grateful for: the LGBT community could’ve just said, “Eh, another one, no.” But they didn’t. Representation has evolved and shifted in the last 20 years, and now there’s more criticism of straight actors taking on LGBTQ roles. Can you reflect on that era versus now as far as straight actors portraying LGBTQ characters?
starting to get to a point where I think we’re missing the forest for the trees. Did you ever experience any pushback being a straight actor playing a gay character on TV?
There was a little. I remember Larry Kramer, who of course was such an activist in the gay community, said something and I thought, Does Larry Kramer even know what Will & Grace is? That was just amazing to me. So, I thought if anyone is gonna pushback, I guess it’d be him. But in terms of pushback from America, it didn’t really happen. There were no pickets, there were no letters to NBC. I think they were very wise and eased us into the weeks on Monday and then we eased onto Tuesday, and then the next thing you know it was Thursday and we were winning an Emmy and it was OK. America actually dealt with it very well.
I think the pendulum swings, and I really do think it’s project to project. I think what we’re doing with the trans community – first of all, that wasn’t even an expression for most Americans five years ago, so it’s important how we handle that because a lot of Americans will go, “Well, trans is like what? He puts on a dress?” A lot of people just don’t know. So, it’s important that, if there is a role that is specifically trans, we cast a trans actor so that we start to educate. The flipside to me is that whenever someone says you were straight playing gay, I say, “Well, yeah, Neil Patrick Harris played the biggest womanizer and he’s quite openly gay, so I feel like it’s OK.” So I think if there’s a balance, and if it happens in the right ways, if we make sure that people of color and women are represented, that we’re doing the right thing by all the communities that have needed it, then it’s great. But if we swing too far the other way, we’re Find us on P v Facebook.com & t Twitter
Do you have any real-life examples of how Will and Jack spoke to the part of America that didn’t understand or weren’t accepting of LGBTQ people?
The thing I always loved from the beginning: We were making a very rightdown-the-middle, must-see-TV kind of show that just happened to have two gay characters. But they were not matching gay characters, and to have those two as best friends who support each other but also occasionally criticize each other, I thought that was possibly the most educational piece for Americans who didn’t have a lot of gay friends. To see how Jack would criticize Will for not being out there, for not being loud and proud, for not dating enough, and Will would – there was an episode (called “Will Works Out,” in season one) that was quite amazing where we were in the same gym and Jack was flouncing
about. Will kind of mutters the “f” word under his breath – calls him a “fag” – and it’s something that when (Jack) says it to Grace, he’s like, “Will, what’s the matter with you?” And Will is like, “He’s embarrassing! He embarrasses me!” Will eventually apologies because it’s his own inability to be himself, but we tackle that. NBC stopped showing it in reruns for a while because it really was a big word to say, particularly from a character that we wanted you to love. When the revival was announced, there were people who weren’t sure what to expect from a Will & Grace in 2017 because the community had made so much progress since the show’s first iteration. Were you guys hearing the noise, and if so, how were you responding to it behind the scenes?
Most of the noise that we got came after everybody saw the piece we did for Hillary (Clinton), the 10 minutes
on YouTube, which just proved it was possible for us to do this again. People generally were excited about that. That’s what I heard, mostly. Then, as we got closer, there were pundits saying, “How valuable can it be in 2017?” And my response is always: It only needs to be this valuable because it’s a sitcom. We’re not a parade that is marching in city hall and shouting. We’re a sitcom, and we shout in our own way. Except you were a groundbreaking sitcom, so there’s a lot of social and political weight attached to the show.
Yeah, so: Will we live up to that in that way? It’s like your queer uncle that was marching back in ’78: Maybe he doesn’t have the loud voice, maybe he can’t march as fast now, but he is still just as important. And, in fact, those older gay voices – I loved that episode where Will educates (a character played by)
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 9
Ben Platt (in season nine). It’s like, “You young gays can’t take any of this for granted. This was fought for and people were beat up and died to get here so that your father and your mother could throw you a wedding with your boyfriend.” This is the result of a revolution, and so were Will and Grace and Jack and Karen. So, I think we kind of showed up, but we didn’t want to make it a victory lap, either. We wanted to make sure there was still currency, and I think the way in for that, particularly with Jack and Will, was: What’s life like when you’re almost 50 and you’re not the hottest guy on the block but you’re still living that life, you’re still in New York and you’ve loved and lost, as they both have? And what do you want out of life? That’s a cool, new storyline – and, again, nobody was telling exactly that story.
The show’s first revival season in 2017 tackled politics and other hot-button issues. What topic from this current season do you most appreciate the show working in?
I think, obviously, the umbrella topic they’re using in the ads is the idea of marriage. Jack is going to get married, and so that’s great. We had episodes (before the revival) where I had the closest thing you could get to marriage back then with Taye Diggs, and then again with Bobby Cannavale. I mean, to me, that’s one of my proudest moments on the show, that I actually had a commitment ceremony in Will’s apartment with Taye Diggs, a white man and a black man, a big, long kiss. Hall & Oates performed (laughs). And it was virtually not even spoken of. This is probably season six or seven, but it barely even made the press because people were so like, “Whatever. Who’s Will making out with this week?” But people don’t remember that always. They always wanna talk about, “Well, Will is a bit sterile.” It’s like, No, no; if you watch the show throughout, I had Patrick Dempsey, I had Bobby Cannavale. I had lots of hot guys and married a couple of them. And if anyone has forgotten, you get with Matt Bomer this season to remind people.
Well, first of all, he’s the greatest guy. So freakin’ funny and gay, so it’s not like the old days where we get another straight guy to come in and we both act gay together. Now there’s a bit more authenticity to it, and he was so great that I think we’ll see more of Matt. Is the dynamic different for you when your love interest is played by a gay actor?
Photo: Andrew Eccles/NBC.
When I think of last season, it’s three romantic moments I had and all three were with men who are actually gay and they were all Broadway guys, which was just great: Andrew Rannells and Ben Platt and Cheyenne Jackson. And yeah, for me I just loved that. It’s a step forward, and there will always be someone from the community saying, “Well, why aren’t they in bed?” And I’ll go, yeah, I know, but we still have the Ku Klux Klan. Let’s remember that this is a public network; it’s 9 o'clock, and we want young kids that haven’t been able to come out to their parents to watch the show and have that parent love the show. The show was never about overtly pushing buttons. We were competing
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with Sex and the City where they could do anything they wanted because they were HBO. We had to do it more surreptitiously, more subtly.
I’ve seen some steamy stuff on primetime, though. I remember Desperate Housewives had a lot of bedroom scenes with that gardener.
True, but there is a difference. We are actually a four-camera sitcom, so the way that we have to get under people’s skin, the way that we have to be shocking is different; we have to do it with a lot of care. We’re not callous about it. The jokes we choose, either politically or sexually, we play them throughout the week, we figure it out before we get in front of that audience, because we want to be around and we want to continue to be a voice and an example. Sometimes all it takes is one bad decision, one bad joke, one situation that turns people off and all of a sudden we’re not in the top 20 or 30. Everything is calculated so that we can stay around and continue to be us, and it’s certainly changed in 20 years, but it’s still a country where people won’t get their cakes baked by a freakin’ baker, so it’s changed, but not as much as we’d like to hope.
Sean alluded to possibly seeing Jack and Will together, romantically, in the future. Do you see that as a possibility?
In a gay way, that’s the Sam and Diane of it all. (Laughs) Early on, because that’s how conservative network television was, people were thinking, “Well, maybe Will and Grace will get together, maybe she’ll fix him!” And as time went by, they started to realize that’s not what this show is. This is not the gay-conversion comedy. But Will and Jack – it’s my favorite stuff to play. When he and I are together, we have so much fun. But we have to be careful how much we tease that out, because you do that and then that’s a different show. You played gay at a time when some straight male actors were told not to for the sake of their career. As a straight man auditioning for a gay role, did you or your team have any concerns?
I don’t remember that being a thing. I got two scenes into reading it and I just thought, “This is one of those shows. This is a Thursday night show. I bet they get Jim Burrows to direct it.” It just read like that, and that overpowered any fears. Plus, by that time, I’m 35, I’d been in the business a while, I’d been watching Seinfeld and Friends for years – that’s what I wanted. And I think probably the opposite happened, because I had played a number of gay roles – I’d done drag roles – so this not only didn’t scare me but it made me think, “This is the one whose head will rise above the crowd because it’s not just Suddenly Susan or Caroline in the City; this is its own thing. There’s no other show like this at the moment.” And that’s what proved to happen. But can you still walk in heels?
(Laughs) You caught me on a good day – I’m breakin’ in a new pair of pumps. e As editor of Q Syndicate, the international LGBTQ wire service, Chris Azzopardi has interviewed a multitude of superstars, including Meryl Streep, Mariah Carey and Beyoncé. Reach him via his website at www.chris-azzopardi.com and on Twitter (@chrisazzopardi).
PAGE 10 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
What A World 30 YEARS OF ‘WHAT A WORLD’:
The origin story e By
Nancy Ford
G
et this: “What a World” is 30 years old. Thirty years!? What a whirl! Many of you have asked how I began writing this column three decades ago, when I was a mere fiveyear-old child. Ahem. Well… In the beginning, as the earth’s crust was cooling and long before the Internet changed all of our lives, there was Dimensions, a proud little 24-page fold-over monthly publication based out of Lubbock for lesbians throughout the Gulf Coast region. Dimensions was an early source of information for us, though not a particularly financially rewarding enterprise for its publishers. Again, Lubbock. Book reviews, an advice column and the occasional press release from Lesbian and Gay Rights Lobby (which would later morph into Equality Texas) filled Dimensions’ pages. It was distributed via subscription and throughout Texas’s lesbian-friendly gay bars and businesses — places like Austin’s Nexxus, Dallas’s Buddies and Sue Ellen’s, San Antonio’s Bonham Exchange, and Houston’s Kindred Spirits and The Ranch. Good times. Eventually, Dimensions would also be found in Inklings, a bookstore for lesbians that would later be fondly remembered when, years later, one of its co-owners went on to become mayor of the City of Houston. More good times. Stacked amid copies of other free publications, Dimensions was our region’s sole “fag rag” that wasn’t anchored by an ever-expanding obituary department, relaying news of that week’s mounting losses to AIDS. It was a feminine oasis amid an unrelenting masculine aura of death of that era. While perusing a copy of Dimensions one night after a show, circa late 1988, it occurred to me that the magazine might be a good platform to scratch out material for my burgeoning stand-up comedy routine. An inquiry to its publishers Tasha and Roxanne landed me the assignment of providing 800ish words of lesbiancentric, quippy copy each month in exchange for $40 — not a bad freelance rate for post-oil bust Texas. I hadn’t expected them to accept my offer. Truth be told, I would have written for them it for free. Shhhh. As my first deadline approached, I sought the optimal environment for inspiration. So I grabbed a towel, a six-pack of cheap beer, a yellow legal pad and a Bic pen, and headed for Galveston. OK, now I’m a writer, I mused as I sat down in the sand to tackle my first column. But what should I write about?
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The answer came booming back to me in an alarmingly forceful, unfamiliar voice: Write about what you know. OK, fine, no need to shout, I internally replied. But what do I know? Well, I knew that just a few short years earlier that I had been on the fast track to longterm matrimony and motherhood in rural Ohio. I knew a few event-filled years later that I was just beginning to find my true voice as a newly out lesbian. I knew there had to be a lot of women out there who felt just like I felt — like I had an exciting and dangerous secret that I couldn’t wait to share with the world. I knew as I peered out into the Gulf of Mexico that day that I had burned a lot of bridges to get to that sandy beach. Mostly, I knew everything about my entire existence had changed almost beyond recognition, in a very brief period of time. Overwhelmed, I felt like a posttornado Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, plunked down into a new and different place — a place with vastly more colorful surroundings. “What a world,” I exhaled aloud in amazement, recalling the final line uttered by the Wicked Witch of the West before she melted into the floor. Oh. That could work, I again whispered in my inner monologue, scrawling the title across the top of the yellow page. And the rest, as they say, is herstory. Every month the columns continued. Sometimes I was additionally assigned interviews with lesbian celebrities who might be touring Texas. Just twenty-four hours after the horrific San Francisco earthquake in 1989, I interviewed a very funny but then-grieving woman named Kate Clinton. I learned while talking to her that night that a comic doesn’t always have to be funny to be effective. As time passed, readers responded— sometimes with fan letters, sometimes with admonishment that I, living high on the gay hog in the big, anonymous city of Houston, could not possibly understand the complexities of coming out in more rural locations where most Dimensions readers lived. But come out, some of you did, anyway. Learning of those comings-out was worth way more to me than the forty bucks. After appearing in Dimensions ’til the little magazine’s mid-‘90s closure, “What a World” has been published at least monthly without interruption by nearly all of Texas’s LGBT press: Houston Forum, Montrose (and Houston) Voice, TWT, Texas Triangle, OutSmart, AbOut, and so many others. And now, thankfully, “What a World” resides here in the pages of MONTROSE STAR where it has found a home of respect and encouragement. I appreciate that. Equally, I appreciate all of you for reading “What a World” all this time. I hope our 30-year journey together has been as good for you as it’s been for me. e
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 11
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PAGE 12 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
SOLUTION FROM p24
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PFLAG Houston News PFLAG HOUSTON MEETING
Focuses on transgender community with Rylie Jefferson P
Linda Bratsen
FLAG Houston cordially invites all to its monthly general meeting on Sunday, November 11, 2018 for an enlightening presentation by Rylie Jefferson, the new office coordinator for the University of Houston’s LGBTQ Resource Center and Women and Gender Resource Center team. Jefferson has advocated for the LGBTQ community and women’s rights for well over ten years, and is currently a board member for Save Our Sisters United, Houston’s first and only organization for transgender and cisgender women. November 20 marks the 19th anniversary of the Transgender Day of Remembrance. This event began in 1999 when Gwendolyn Smith decided to memorialize the murder of Rita Hester, her transgender friend from Alston, Massachusetts. Today, this international event is a call for activism in over twenty countries. The memorials begin with a reading of the names of transgender people who lost their lives during the preceding year. Unfortunately, a disproportionate number of victims include women of color and in particular, black women. Doors open at 3:15 p.m., and the meeting begins at 3:30 p.m. in the Jones Building at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street. Parking is available between Fannin and San Jacinto. Daylight Savings Time ends on November 4, so please remember to set clocks back one hour. Small groups, where members and visitors can confidentially share their individual journeys, immediately follows the program. Anniversary thanks. PFLAG Houston expresses its thanks to its many friends who joined in celebrating the group’s 40th anniversary and especially to Resurrection Metropolitan Community Church for providing the beautiful facilities. PFLAG Houston also expresses gratitude to the Montrose Star for invaluable assistance and to all its fantastic volunteers, sponsors and event patrons for their generous support. What fun it was to reminisce and pay tribute to those individuals who have passionately supported GLBTQ equality! We look forward to the future and the continued contributions of our members. Membership renewal is currently underway; all are invited to become a part of this historic and valuable organization. More PFLAG Houston meetings. PFLAG Houston is committed to supporting families and educating the public about LGBT issues, and invites all to consider the group’s numerous volunteer opportunities. PFLAG Houston is also passionate about advocacy to ensure equal human rights and end discrimination. PFLAG
Photo via UH.edu
e By
Rylie Jefferson.
Houston invites all family members, parents and/or youth who are having problems with coming out issues, and welcomes everyone, regardless of religious affiliation, ethnicity or political persuasion. The group is proud of its rich history and the continued contributions of members, and invites all to learn more about the organization and join in efforts to create a more diverse, accepting society. Find a home in PFLAG! PFLAG Houston’s Mid-Month Sharing Meeting meets on the third Thursday of each month, beginning at 7 p.m. The meeting is located at Bering United Methodist Church, 1440 Harold Street in Houston. Enter under the teal awning. The meeting is in the first room on the left. PFLAG Houston’s Clear Lake Sharing Meeting meets the fourth Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. at Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church in the fellowship hall. The church is located at 17503 El Camino Real Drive in Clear Lake. PFLAG Houston’s Katy Sharing Meeting meets the fourth Tuesday of each month, 7 ’til 8 p.m. at First Christian Church, located at 22101 Morton Ranch Road. Please enter the main building through the front doors and follow the signs. PFLAG Houston is excited to bring support, education and advocacy to the west side. asubscription list is confidential, and all members can immediately post messages to all other members of the network. Subscribers may search PFLAG Houston’s archives to look at all previous listings. e For information about support, upcoming events and meetings, as well as up-to-date news relevant to PFLAG Houston’s family and friends, visit PFLAGHouston.org, email PFLAG Houston’s hotline at helpline@pflaghouston.org or call 713-467-3524.
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MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 13
PAGE 14 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
The Frivolist
7 PIECES OF LUXURY FITNESS
Equipment to satisfying your inner bougie while working out e by
Mikey Rox
S
ummer-bod goals crash and burn by the middle of June? Join the club. But perhaps the best thing about fall (besides guys in grey sweatpants!) is that there’s ample time to concentrate more on exercise since you won’t be scouting dudes on the beach, getting shitfaced at pool parties, and stuffing your face at backyard BBQs as much. Feel like a million bucks when you snap back into a workout regimen with this self-starter luxury exercise equipment. Blue Goji Treadmill
1. NORDICTRACK X22I INCLINE TRAINER Whether you’re streaming high-energy workouts or joining trainer-led cardio seshes (incline-matching tech intuitively syncs with the ups and downs of the excursions hosted in breathtaking locations around the world), you’ll reach new heights and burn five times the calories with a 40-percent incline compared to walking at -6-percent incline at 2 miles per hour for 20 minutes. It feels super high-end as soon as you step onto it too, which makes the experience all the more satisfying. $2,999 (includes membership); nordictrack.com
2. PELOTON BIKE Other fitness equipment manufacturers began upgrading their outdated static bikes when the standard-setting Peloton hit the market a few years ago, but the innovative at-home cycling experience continues to edge out the competition with its ability to stream daily live classes from its NYC studio with 24-hour access. $2,474 for the Works Package; onepeloton.com
3. SOMASOLE FITNESS BUNDLE Ideal for homebodies, road trippers and outdoor enthusiasts, SomaSole from Finesse Fitness includes everything you need for an anywhere, anytime workout – including Link resistance bands, FitStrap bodyweight trainers, FreeWheel instability sliders, and a Stem dynamic workout bar, available in a backpack or duffel bundle – so you can keep your routine consistent and results on track when you’re away from a gym. $169-$299, indiegogo.com
4. NORDICTRACK FUSION CST Strength and cardio converge in the NordicTrack Fusion CST, a revolutionary combination of cabled resistance and a flywheel with Silent Magnetic Resistance that allows for muscle building and HIIT-style movements. Enhanced with iFit Coach LiveCast streaming technology, a 10-inch tablet console is included for well-rounded in-home personal training without the per-session price tag. $1,999, nordictrack.com
HockDumbells
NordicTrack Fusion CST
5. BLUE GOJI INFINITY TREADMILL Health and wellness gamification is upon us in Blue Goji’s Infinity treadmill, which allows for a high-intensity workout that features natural torso movement and tracking, bio-feedback, and interaction with compatible virtual-reality games for other-worldly cardio training. $15,000; bluegoji.com (available early 2019)
6. HOCK DESIGN DISKUS DUMBBELLS Your local gym equipment will look like clearance surplus after you pick up Hock Design’s set of 10 20kg DISKUS Dumbbells (with rack), constructed of turned, polished and oiled walnut flanked by grade 303 non-reactive stainless steel end caps. Are they worth the head-shakingly hefty price tag? Only if you’ve got serious money to burn and something ultra-narcissistic to prove. $14,700, shophock.com
7. TONAL An electromagnetic resistance engine controlled by an algorithm powers the digital weights in Tonal; there are no metal plates anywhere on the sleek, wallmounted system that’s about the size of a large flat-screen TV. It also replaces an entire gym’s worth of equipment for a smooth, precise workout that will help you lose weight and increase your athletic performance through on-demand personalized coaching with a monthly subscription. $2,995, tonal.com e Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He spends his time writing from the beach with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Instagram @mikeyrox.
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Tonal Digital Strength Training
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 15
Out at the Theater
e By
T
Randall Jobe
heatre Under The Stars continues its 50th season with The Wiz. Based on the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, this reinvention of the classic tale features a book by William F. Brown and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls. A TonyAward winner for Best Musical, The Wiz is a super-soul and energetic experience with a delightful twist on all of your favorite characters: Dorothy, Toto, the Wicked Witches and more. Through November 4. Hobby Center, 800 Bagby Street. Tickets: TUTS.com or 713-558-8887 (TUTS). The Alley Theatre kicks off its 2018-19 season with Twelfth Night, Shakespeare’s comedy classic of unrequited love, gender-bending hijinks and quick wit. Directed by Jonathan Mascone, this hilarious tale finds Viola assuming the disguise of a page boy for Duke Orsino, placing her at the center of an explosive love triangle in which identity, passion and gender all threaten to come undone. Bursting with vitality and romance,
Twelfth Night gives audiences one of Shakespeare’s most dynamic heroines matching wits with a host of captivating characters. Suitable for audiences high school-aged and older. Through November 28. 615 Texas Avenue. Tickets: AlleyTheatre.org or 713-220-5700. The Music Box Theater presents Back to the ’80s. The talented ensemble of Rebekah Dahl, Brad Scarborough, Cay Taylor, Kristina Sullivan and Luke Wrobel dazzle with a musical and comedic tribute to the 1980s. Energetic and engaging, it’s a perfect date night for any couple or as a group outing. Through December 1. Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday (November 4 and 25), 2 p.m. 2623 Colquitt. Tickets/ reservations: 713-522-7722. Mildred’s Umbrella and Classical Theatre Company present a staged reading of Cicely Hamilton’s Diana of Dobson’s. Young Diana unexpectedly comes into a large sum of money and decides to take on a life of luxury at a Swiss resort. During her escapades, Diana mingles with the aristocratic set, none of which have a clue
Photo by Jeremy Charles
’80s music and Christmas cheer. Too soon?
Nick Vaughan (left) and Jake Margolin, authors of A Landing on the Bayou, presented at The Alley Theatre.
about her financial situation. The play throws into sharp relief the effect money and the perception of it, have on people’s expectations and estimation of others. November 5. 4617 Montrose Boulevard, Suite 100. Free with donations welcomed. Tickets: 832-463-0409. Stages Repertory Theatre kicks off the holiday season with The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged). It’s the annual holiday Variety Show and Christmas Pageant at St. Everybody’s Non-Denominational Universalist Church, where all faiths are welcome because we’ll believe anything! There is just one minor problem: None of the acts scheduled to perform have arrived. Now it’s up to three quickwitted church members to perform the entire pageant all by themselves. It’s an irreverent, yet heart-warming romp through tradition with festive slapstick fun! November 7 through December 23. 3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 101. Tickets: StagesTheatre.com or 713-527-0123. Alley Theatre presents A Landing on the Bayou, a multimedia artist’s performance exploring Houston’s diverse, rich and political
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drag scene in the years between the Stonewall Riots and the beginning of the AIDS epidemic (1969-1985). Drawing from audio recordings and interviews the artists conducted with a wide range of community members including Hot Chocolate, Tasha Kohl, Ray Hill and Mary Hooper, the piece celebrates the legendary and amateur drag performances who together in the LGBTQ rights movement and held the community together during the darkest days of the AIDS crisis raising funds through their unbounded generosity and raising spirits through their luminous performances. This limited engagement is free to the public. November 8 through 9. 4th Floor Texas Room, 615 Texas Avenue. Tickets/ reservations: AlleyTheatre.org. Main Street Theater presents Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. A sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Miss Bennet is set two years after the novel ends and continues the story, this time with nerdy middle sister Mary as the unlikely heroine. Mary is growing tired of her role as the dutiful sister in the midst of everyone else’s romantic escapades . When the family gathers for Christmas at Pemberley, an unexpected guest sparks Mary’s hopes for independence, an intellectual match and possibly love. November 23 through December 23. 2540 Times Boulevard. Tickets: 713-524-6706. e
PAGE 16 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
Please note: Events, dates and times subject to change without notice.
Ġ Wed › October 31
Ġ Wed › November 7
Q Hobby Center’s Sarofim Hall: TUTS presents
Q Mi Luna Tapas Restaurant presents Lucia y Valdemar Flamenco Show and featured dancer this week is Graciela Burch, 7-9:30p, milunahouston.com Q Stages Repertory Theatre presents The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor (Thru 12/23) stagestheatre.com Q Tony’s Corner Pocket hosts ‘5-4-3-2-1 Wednesdays’ with Duckie & An’Marie, 9p, plus Hot Male Dancers 6 Nights A Week, 10p
the Tony Award®-winning musical The Wiz, 7:30p (Thru 11/4) thehobbycenter.org Q Miller Outdoor Theatre’s Movies at Miller presents Poltergeist, 7p, milleroutdoortheatre.com Q Tony’s Corner Pocket hosts ‘5-4-3-2-1 Wednesdays’ with Duckie & An’Marie, 8:30p, plus Hottest Male Dancers 6 Nights A Week, 10p Ġ Thu › November 1
Ġ Thu › November 8
Q DowntownFest Houston presents Day
Q Avenida Houston’s Party on the Plaza presents GRAMMY-nominated singer/songwriter Hayes Carll, 7p, avenidahouston.com Q Matchbox 1: Teatrx presents Life Is Shorts (La Vida Es Cortos), 7:30p (Thru 11/10) teatrx.org
of the Dead, a time to remember and honor lost loved ones, 4p (Thru 11/3)
Q Main Street Theater presents Macbeth Muet, a production of La Fille du Laitier, 7:30p (Select dates/ times thru 11/11) mainstreettheater.com Q Scream World Haunted House presents Houston’s most terrifying haunts (Thru 11/3) screamworld.com
Ġ Fri › November 9
Q Arena Theatre: Noches de Parranda presenta a José María Napoleón, El Poeta de La Canción, arenahouston.com Q Club Houston presents the Exposed Party, 10, theclubs.com
Ġ Fri › November 2
Q Discovery Green: Arandas Bakery presents Día de los Muertos, a free festival to celebrate and remember departed loved ones, 5p, discoverygreen. com/diadelosmuertos Q Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, presents 11 passionate films by Luchino Visconti (Thru 1/13) Info at mfah.org Q Rich’s Nightclub hosts an evening of entertainment featuring singer/songwriter Bobby Jo Valentine, a fundraiser for the youth of HATCH, 8p, Tickets: bit.ly/2n04gir Q Tony’s Corner Pocket presents an evening of entertainment with Houston’s Hottest Male Dancers, 10p
Ġ Sat › November 10
Q Arena Theatre: ESCAN presenta a Franco Escamilla RPM USA Tour, arenahouston.com Q Ensemble Theatre presents Christmas is Comin’ Uptown, from the book by Phillip Rose & Peter Udell (Previews thru 11/14) ensemblehouston.com Q Heights Theater presents Del Castillo with special guest Lisa Morales in concert, 8p, theheightstheater.com Q Hilton Americas: The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce presents their Annual Awards gala, a formal, black tie event to honor individual achievers of excellent, 6pm, houstonhispanicchamber.com Q Miller Outdoor Theatre: The Medical Musical Group of Washington DC and Houston’s Texas Medical Center Orchestra present a musical salute to honor American Veterans, 7p milleroutdoortheatre.com Q Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, presents Maria by Callas, the first film about the Greek-American superstar. Directed by Tom Volf, Noon, mfah.org Q Numbers Night Club: Liquid Motion & Bedroom Kandi present the 8th Annual Melee On the Bayou, Houston’s premier Pole Competition, houstonpolemelee.com Q Todd Mission, Tx: Texas Renaissance Festival Weekend – Theme: Heroes and Villains (Thru 11/11) texrenfest.com
Ġ Sat › November 3
Q 23rd Street Station, Galveston hosts Island Idol Season 4 with Carly Nation, every Sun 7p (Thru 11/11) 23rdstreetstation.com Q Matchbox 1: Lucía y Valdemar Flamenco and the Institute of Spanish Arts presents Olé Flamenco, by Escuela Flamenca de Lucía, 2:30p, flamencoinc.org Q Museum of Fine Arts, Houston presents Studio 54, the documentary about the rise and fall of the ultimate escapist fantasy disco club in the heart of NYC’s theater district, 2p, mfah.org Ġ Mon › November 5
Q Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, presents 11 passionate firms of Luchino Visconti (Thru 1/13) Info at mfah.org
Photo courtesy
Ġ Sun › November 4
Ġ Sun › November 11
Courtesy Photos
Q American Legion Hall, Post #472: The East End Collaborative presents its 5th Anuual Magnolia Park Día de Los Muertos Block Party with live performances by Los Skarnales, Zenteno Spirit and much more, Noon-7p, eastendcollaborative.org Q Bering Memorial United Methodist Church presents Heaven Can’t Wait, a musical revue and benefit celebrating the 170th birthday of Bering Memorial UMC, 7:30p Q Matchbox 2: Join Wayne Alday and The Lonestar Bluegrass Band for an evening of Bluegrass & Classical Country, 7p, lonestarbluegrassband.com Q Multicultural Education & Counseling through the Arts (MECA) presents a free screening of various short films about the themes celebrated during Día de los Muertos, 6p, meca-houston.org Q Rice University Stadium’s Greenbriar Lot: Filipino Young Professionals of Houston present the 2018 Filipino Street Festival, 11a-7p Q Todd Mission, Tx: Texas Renaissance Festival Weekend – Theme: Roman Bacchanal (Thru 11/4) texrenfest.com
Maria Callas
Q Minute Maid Park Conference Center: The Page Foundation Page presents Advocating Resilience through Environmental and Social Solutions (AdRESS) and will feature interactive panel discussions and focused breakout conversations, encouraging a multi-disciplinary holistic approach to planning and public policy. Local and national subject matter experts and participants will discuss lessons learned as well as community engagement as preparedness and resilience strategies are increasingly important (Thru 11/6)
Macbeth Muet Ġ Tue › November 6
Q Rumors Beach Bar - Galveston hosts Tequila Tuesday with Karaoke and Lip Sync Battles, 8p, rumorsbeachbar.com
Q Tony’s Corner Pocket presents Twisted Tuesdays variety show hosted by Amanda, Ashleey and Alexis Nicole, 9p, followed by Amateur Male Dance Contest, 10p
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Q 23rd Street Station, Galveston hosts Island Idol Season 4 with Carly Nation, every Sun 7p (Thru 11/11) 23rdstreetstation.com Q Rich’s Houston hosts a special benefit for the Montrose Center and features 10 local artists on display and for sale with 50% of all sales going to The Center, 4-7p, star.randalljobe@gmail.com Q Tony’s Corner Pocket hosts Sunday Funday featuring DJ Jeremy on the patio 4-8p, followed by Hot Male Dancers at 10p Ġ Mon › November 12
Q Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Houston Cinema Arts Festival presents Green Book, a film based on a real-life friendship that transcends race, class and the 1962 Mason-Dixie line. Directed by Peter Farrelly, 7p, mfah.org Ġ Tue › November 13
Q Tony’s Corner Pocket presents Twisted Tuesdays variety show hosted by Amanda, Ashleey and Alexis Nicole, 9p PLUS - Tony’s Amateur Male Dance Contest, 10p
» Crossword Queeries ....... 21
PUPPET LOVE
» Star Buds................................... 24
Vote like your health depended on it
MONTROSE STAR .COM
Across the Causeway
» Guide To The Clubs............. 26
Section
THE GAY-ETY STARTS HERE! WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 31,
2018
B
e VOL. IX, 16
Autumn leaves… us all a little bewildered! e By
F
Forest Riggs
inally, the weather gods have decided to bring a little cooler air and less humidity in which to swim. As summer has faded away and the season changes (hopefully), Galveston Island is ready for fall and all that comes with it. This column has often reported that fall is the beginning of the good-time, festival, party and celebration season on the island. With the cooler weather come many events on the Island that run through the winter and end with an explosion on Fat Tuesday. House parties are on the calendars, church and school bazaars, homecomings with parades and numerous fun-runs for myriad causes. The LGBTQ community on the Island is ready to host and participate in all the Island activities. It is a good time of year to be in Galvetraz. This time of year can be a bit hectic and even overwhelming, as it seems to be rushed or pushed upon us earlier and earlier each year. To borrow a line from Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, “I smell mendacity!” It seems the retail world starts bombarding us with Christmas in late August. By the time September rolls around, Halloween has already been overdone and passé. When the celebrated days finally do arrive, everyone is pretty much over it; worn out, if you will. Gone are the days when stores put out Halloween stuff on sale a week or so before and, though Thanksgiving came with some fanfare, Christmas items and music did not get on the shelves or television station until the first of December. My, how times have changed. Be that as it may, everyone loves the fall and the holidays. The other day, a great cartoon appeared in the newspaper. A man and women, clad in coats and scarves, are strolling through a forested area and the lady says, “There is the smell of gingerbread, pumpkin-spice latte in the air.” The man replies, “God help us all!” It is funny, but true. Is there anything into which they cannot add the pumpkin-spice odor and flavor? It is in beers, sprays, in incense and wax odor discs. Hobby Lobby and Pier 1 will gag you, and even the candy companies cashin on the fall season condiment. Someday, Trojan and other rubber companies will probably have
pumpkin-spice flavored condoms and edible body oils. There are already pills and edibles on the market that can flavor a man’s semen. Can you imagine a delicious pumpkin-spice cream filling? So what is in it for the L group in LGBTQ, the “cunning linguists,” one might say? A few years ago, while working in a medical office comprised of mostly women, I walked in to find every gal at her desk with a can of pineapple, sliced, chunked and in one cubicle, a whole pineapple cut into pieces. All the girls were busy nibbling like rabbits in garden. I walked over to a cubicle of a co-worker, who seemed to be doling out Dole slices. I leaned over and asked, “Did I miss something? Is this some new weight loss diet?” They all giggled. (They were all a tad…uh... how does one phrase it delicately?…big girls.) My rotund co-worker who went by the nickname BoomBoom looked up with her chubby little cheeks and sheepishly said, “Make my coochie taste good.” There you have it. Pineapple Eaters Anonymous. I stood there not knowing whether to laugh or throw up! Well, if that works then perhaps several meals a day of pumpkin-spice just might spice-up things down below. Humor aside, fall and autumn does bring about a change and usually positive in most people. It is cooler, there is a build-up to parties and gatherings, gift exchanges and so on. When you sit with a well-made martini in your hand, maybe beside a fire as rain cascades down an old, Galveston house window with antiquated, hand-blown glass panes, and listen to Edith Piaf sing “Autumn Leaves”, you cannot help but be moved. Old loves, romantic times, a longing for what was or never happened all come to mind — sometimes tearfully. “I miss you most of all, my darling, when autumn leaves start to fall.” Something about autumn makes it special, especially for lovers. Perhaps a cozy fire, cuddling on a couch, some music and adult libations — it is all magical when it happens. Given the pumpkin-spice and alleged pineapple “diet”, it could all make for a very tasty fall season.
“Mendacity” you say? There is certainly a lot of that going around these days. Not to take away from dear Tennessee Williams, but today, Big Daddy and Big Momma might enjoy consuming a lot pumpkin-spice and sliced pineapple! Happy fall to all. e Forest Riggs, a resident of Galveston is no stranger to the adventures of life. A former educator and business owner, he enjoys Island life and all that comes with it. He says he is a “raconteur with a quixotic, gypsy spirit.” Forest has written for several newspapers and magazines as well as other writing pursuits, including a novel and collection of short stories.
Photo via TwoWiseGals.com
PAGE 18 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
Community
Mayor Sylvester Turner (left), Executive Director Ann Robison and Judge Ed Emmett
District Attorney Kim K. Ogg
Nate Ward (left) and Nicholas Nguyen
Lynn Schwartzenburg (left) and Alex Mackzum
Amanda Anne Houston (left) and Regina Dane Find us on P v Facebook.com & t Twitter
Kennedy Loftin (left), Shae Keefe-Jacobs and Mark Jacobsv
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 19
Angelina DM Trailz (left), Rosemarie, District Attorney Kim K. Ogg, Marcus Hooks and Kennedy Loftin
Montrose Center’s annual Out for Good dinner highest in attendance O
n Thursday, Oct. 11, the Montrose Center held its annual Out for Good Dinner in celebration of National Coming Out Day and the Center’s 40th anniversary. This year’s dinner was the largest in Center history, raising more than $225,000 with 550 guests in attendance. The funds will ensure that the Center continues providing vital services to Houston’s LGBTQ community, as it has since 1978 to more than 100,000 Houstonians. The Center presented the 2018 LGBTQ Community Vision Award to District Attorney Kim K. Ogg for her advocacy, vision and tireless work on behalf of the LGBTQ community. Ogg represents more constituents than any other openly LGBTQ law enforcement official in the nation. Equal protection for the LGBTQ community in criminal law has been important to her since she witnessed, as a young lawyer in the special-crimes unit, the aftermath of the Montrose murder of Paul Broussard in 1991. Houston has come a long way since the murder of Paul Broussard. However, in the last 18 months the tides have turned. The LGBTQ national group, GLAAD, reports for the first time in history, a drop in the rate of acceptance of LGBTQ people and a significant national increase in discrimination and hate crimes faced by people in the LGBTQ community. According to a report by the National Coalition of AntiViolence Programs (NCAVP), Texas led the United States in hate-related homicides against LGBTQ people, which jumped nationally by 86 percent from 2016 to 2017. Eight LGBTQ Texans were murdered this year, including three in Houston. This phenomenon has been building for years. Its first indication was Houston’s failure to pass the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) in 2015; the transphobic bathroom campaign that has been modeled nationally.
“Coming out is revolutionary in itself,” Ogg said in her speech. “That’s why I’m so proud to be here tonight among such a wonderful group of people. There’s something revolutionary about everyone in this room.” The event was hosted by emcee Deborah Duncan and event chairs Linda Arnold and Lynn Schwartzenburg, Heath LaPray and Travis Torrence and David Ramirez. Speakers included board president Gretchen Myers, Judge Steven Kirkland, Rylie Jefferson with Save Our Sisters United, Inc. and hate crime survivor, Chris Bradford. Also in attendance were Miss Conception, Ben Dillon, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, Judge Phyllis Frye, Council Member Robert Gallegos, Mark Jacobs and Shae Keefe-Jacobs, Nicholas Nguyen, County Attorney Vince Ryan, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Nancy Sims and Nate Ward. Established in 1978 as a safe and affirming place for lesbian and gay Houstonians to receive counseling, the Montrose Center has emerged as one of the nation’s leading fullservice LGBTQ centers. Although counseling remains at the heart of what The Center does, services have expanded to meet the changing needs of a diverse community. These services include substance abuse treatment, support and advocacy for LGBTQ survivors of violent crimes, care and assistance for people with HIV/AIDS, free community wellness programs and activities, and programs for our community’s most vulnerable and isolated — youth and seniors. The Center sits at the center of the LGBTQ community and serves as a gathering place for LGBTQ organizations and groups. The Montrose Center is a United Way Agency. e Find us on P v Facebook.com & t Twitter
Robert Gallegos (left), Julie Countiss and Gilbert Lopez
David Ramirez (left), Heath LaPray, Deborah Duncan and Travis Torrence
Mayor Sylvester Turner (left), Phyllis Frye and Trish Frye
PAGE 20 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
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BENEFITTING ACCESS CARE OF COASTAL TEXAS
2018 GALVESTON HIV/AIDS SEAWALK NOVEMBER 11TH @ 11AM
with a triple Drag show to follow AT ALL THREE LOCAL GAY BARS
Walk with "porpoise"
LEARN MORE AT OUR WEBSITE OR SIMPLY USE OUR QR CODE www.accttexas.org Find us on P v Facebook.com & t Twitter
PAGE 22 | MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018
Community
Bobby Jo brings a Valentine to benefit HATCH e By
Randall Jobe
B
obby Jo Valentine, a talented singer/ songwriter brings his talents to Houston with a fan-funded concert benefitting HATCH. With roots deep in his Baptist upbringing, his songs are often inspirational, taking his own experiences and turning them into universal life themes. Taking time from his current tour, Valentine candidly answered questions for the MONTROSE STAR.
MONTROSE STAR: Bobby Jo, I have had the pleasure of seeing you perform and am especially taken with your thoughtful lyrics. When did you first discover your writing skills?
Bobby Jo Valentine: Thanks so much for the kind words! I loved writing ever since I was a little kid. I used to read all the time — my escape from a complicated childhood — and then I started writing poetry and short stories. I remember, when I was 13, I’d typed up about 100 pages of a science fiction novel at the school I attended. Then one day they switched out the computers without telling us, and it was all gone! I was devastated, but I kept writing. I felt there was something there. And then in college I discovered songwriting, and it
was all over; I’d found my big love. STAR: How do you select the subject matter for your songs?
BJV: Songs usually come to me out of very personal experiences. Songwriting was a form of healing from the trauma of coming out from a conservative religious culture. Since then, the ups and downs of a relationship, losing my home in a fire and the adventures of touring have provided plenty of material for songs.
WHAT:
WHEN:
November 2, 7 p.m. An Evening with WHERE: Bobby Valentine 2401 San Jacinto benefitting HATCH TICKETS: $25 to $250 INFO: MontroseCenter.org
STAR: When did you begin singing? Was that always a part of what you wanted to do?
BJV: We sang all through my childhood at our Baptist church, but I never really felt music deep in my bones until I stumbled upon the alternative rock and pop of my teens. Goo Goo Dolls’ song “Baby’s Black Balloon” was the first song that really blew me away. I loved the soulfulness, the power, and the mystery of it. I liked how it moved me without me knowing exactly why. STAR: What is your first recollection of performing and where was it?
BJV: There was an open mic at a little café in Pennsylvania called The Milk
Boy. I was still in church world, as a music director, but I was starting to feel like maybe I was supposed to be doing something more. I’d just learned Magnetic Fields’ “The Book of Love”, a beautiful version by Peter Gabriel. On a whim, I grabbed my guitar and went out to the open mic, and sang this song. It was one of those moments; a noisy café became quiet and by the end, the final note just drifted out into the atmosphere, followed by unexpected applause. STAR: Many of your songs have inspirational messages. How did that come about?
BJV: I write songs to figure out life, and I’m always learning. When I discover some deep truth with the power to change my mind or heart for the better, I’m always eager to put that in my own words and music and share that with others. STAR: How many CDs have you produced? Are they available online?
BJV: I’ve made four song collections: A Place to Belong, Home, Fox Eyes/ Find us on P v Facebook.com & t Twitter
Whale Heart and Maybe Stars. Most of them are available digitally, and one or two are only available on my website (BobbyJoValentine.com). STAR: Where are you from and what is your Houston connection?
BJV: I’m from Northern California. There are two venues I love performing at – a gay-friendly spiritual community called Resurrection MCC, and then the house of two of my dearest friends, Tim and Gary. I got to officiate Tim and Gary’s wedding, and they’re the ones who had the idea to put together the upcoming benefit concert at Rich’s. STAR: How often do you tour?
BJV: Too often. Haha! The issue is, I love travelling and sharing the music, and almost feel an obligation to do so, to get these songs out in the world. But I’ve been playing 125 to 150 shows a year and it’s been a little too much, especially the travel. So this year I’m only playing about 100, and hopefully in the coming years I’ll get it to a healthy medium of 80 to 100 shows arouvnd the country.
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 23
Bobby Jo Valentine
STAR: Haven’t you had other performers record your music? Are they names we would recognize?
BJV: There was a song that was actually pitched to Jeff Bridges by a friend when he had a country music moment, but no, I haven’t pursued having other performers sing my songs. I’d love to work on that one day, though. STAR: Where do you see your career taking you in the next five years?
BJV: We’ll see. I’d love to gather a team together to handle the noncreative elements of my work (booking, managing, etc.), and perhaps expanding my performances to some more storytelling/public speaking opportunities. I got to do a Ted Talk this year and it was a blast, and I feel like I might enjoy doing more of that. I might be looking into helping lead some songwriting and spirituality retreats. It’s exciting to look ahead! STAR: Do you have a performance “bucket list”?
BJV: I’d love to swap songs with some of the great artists of our day, whether on stage or off: Gregory Alan Isakov,
Josh Ritter, Brandon Flowers of The Killers. An opening tour with one of those folks would be spectacular. STAR: What are your interests beyond performing?
BJV: I love hiking, reading, skateboarding and spending time with good friends. RJ: What would you say to singer/ songwriters interested in a career in music?
BJV: Don’t rush to have your creativity support you financially. Instead, always try to support your creativity first. That way you’ll always have a “ground of being” to lean on when times get hard. Then, feed the fire until it burns so hot you can’t do anything else.
RJ: Thank you for taking time from your touring schedule to answer my questions. Any last thoughts you would like to add?
BJV: Just that I’m looking forward to seeing you and everyone else in Houston on November 2! Thanks so much for the opportunity. e
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Star Buds
Vote like your health depended on it e By
Crossword Queeries
PUPPET LOVE Across
Rena McCain
Happy Weedsday! I hope today finds you doing well. Election time is almost here and its almost time to vote, y’all! As you may or may not know, I am a Libertarian and I support our Libertarian candidates that are currently running for an assortment of offices across Texas. Every candidate I have spoken to that is running has a cannabis platform, believes it should be legal and is willing to do what it takes to make this happen. I have personally met with and spoken to each candidate and they understand the importance of cannabis legalization in our society. Texas needs cannabis to be legal because it’s time to stop the failed drug war. It’s time to stop denying its medical benefits. It’s time to stop lying to a society about why it’s illegal to begin with. It’s time to start correcting the damage that has been done to communities across the nation by the greed and profiteering of major corporations, the pharma industry and our government by denying access to this plant. The candidates listed here support legalization and will help fight for this cause. This is not a complete list. There are other libertarian candidates running that I failed to mention, mostly because there are too many to list here. I encourage every one of you to do your homework and make educated decisions before voting. Nature is wondrous! • Kerry McKennon, running for Texas Lieutenant Governor Facebook.com/kdouglasmckennon • Mark Tippits, running for Texas Governor Facebook.com/mark4gov/ • Clayton Hunt, running for Texas House, District 145 Facebook.com/ClaytonHuntLibertarian/?ref=brrs • Mark Ash, running for Texas Criminal Court of Appeals Facebook.com/markashfortexascourtofcriminalappeals/ • Peter Churchman, running for U.S. Representative for Texas, District 17 Facebook.com/ElectPeterChurchman/ • Brian Ellison, running for U.S. Representative for Texas, District 8 Facebook.com/Ellison4Congress/ • Anthony Cristo, running for U.S. Representative for Texas, District 15 Facebook.com/CristoForCongress2018/ e
10 Fruit fly feelers
that wasn’t horny?
11 Apt name for a cook
(acting)
1 Small quantities of lube, e.g.
45 Pro
5 Delany of Desperate
48 Billy Budd, for one
12 Title for T. Baldwin
Housewives
49 Bring to bear
20 Emanation from
9 “A Boy Named Sue”
52 Close call
Feniger’s kitchen
singer Johnny
54 Writer who modeled
21 Show agreement
13 Fortune-teller’s opening
19-Across after his relationship
25 Body of soldiers
14 Famous cookie maker
with Arnold Glassman
26 Site of Gay Games VI (abbr.)
15 Atop
58 Worked up
29 Moore of Striptease
16 Pronto, in the OR
60 Arthur of the AIDS Quilt
30 Jackie’s designer
17 Fly catcher
61 Magi origin
32 Rock group?
18 Coldcock
62 Former New York leather bar
33 On an Olivia cruise
19 Gay puppet pair
63 Woolen caps
34 Lesbos, for one
22 Passion that rhymes
64 1963 movie role for Liz
35 Thames college
with “harder”
65 Encouraging words
37 Ingredient in highballs
23 Jack of Flower Drum Song
66 Bette Davis feature of song
38 From here to eternity
24 Minnelli’s pair, on Lesbos
67 Cabaret’s “Mein
27 TLC specialists
Down
28 Sci-fi role for Rene
1 Bounce from the Eagle?
Auberjonois
2 To the rear, when cruising
31 “Puppy Love” singer Osmond
3 Women who date
33 Mauresmo of the courts
men who date men
36 Kitchen foray
4 Brief brawl
37 Kids’ TV show that
5 Shocking word, at the
features 19-Across
time, from GWTW
40 Emulated Greg Louganis
6 Surrounded by
41 Homes near polar
7 Bernstein’s staff members
bears, perhaps
8 Elroy Jetson stroked him
42 Planning meeting input
9
44 Bambi character
[Editor’s note: Publication does not necessarily endorsement by MONTROSE STAR.] Rena McCain is a co-founder of the Cannabis Open Carry Walks. Find her on Facebook at Rena McCain, or via Twitter @ sassikatt24 and Instagram at ganja_grrl420.
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”
39 Friar’s affair 40 Short one
fan tutte
43 Kerouac’s Big 45 Some like it hot 46 Rubber for your mistakes 47 Wise counselor 50 Imitate Dick Button 51 James Baldwin piece, e.g. 53 Navratilova, by birth 55 Many a moon 56 Quaint sigh 57 More, to a minimalist 58 Home st. of Harper Lee 59 Pearce of Priscilla fame
MontroseStar.com e | Wednesday October 31, 2018 | PAGE 25
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Guide to the Clubs HOUSTON
n MONTROSE - MIDTOWN Crocker Bar 2312 Crocker St, Houston (713) 529-3355 Large Deck | Karaoke George’s Country Sports Bar 617 Fairview Ave, Houston (713) 528-8102 Sports Bar | Pool & Darts | Patio Guava Lamp 570 Waugh Dr, Houston (713) 524-3359 • guavalamphouston.com Video Lounge | Karaoke | Mixed JR’s Bar and Grill & Santa Fe 808 Pacific St, Houston (713) 521-2519 • jrsbarandgrill.com Videos | Patio | Karaoke | Shows Michael’s Outpost Piano Bar 1419 Richmond Ave, Houston (713) 520-8446 Neighborhood Bar | Pub | Piano Rich's Houston 2401 San Jacinto (281) 846-6685 RichsNightclub.com Barcode Houston 817 Fairview Ave, Houston (713) 526-2625 • facebook.com/barcode77006
Shows | Neighborhood Bar | CD/Trans The Ripcord 715 Fairview St, Houston (713) 521-2792 • facebook.com/ripcordhouston Leather | Uniform | Fetish | Men
n DOWNTOWN / EADO Lucky’s Pub - Downtown 801 St Emanuel St, 77003 (713) 522-2010 • Luckyspub.com Sports Bar | Food Moon Tower Inn 3004 Canal St, 77003 (832) 969-1934 • damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com Hot Dogs | Beer Gardens Neil’s Bahr 2006 Walker St, 77003 (281) 352-7456 • NeilsBahr.com Premier Nerd | Gamer | Intellectual hangout Tout Suite 2001 Commerce, 77002 713-227-8688 • toutsuitetx.com Bakery | Cafe | Pub Voodoo Queen 322 Milby St, 77003 713-555-5666 • damngoodfoodcoldassbeer.com Casual | Po’ Boys | Games n DOWNTOWN / WARDS 1-4 Tony’s Corner Pocket 817 West Dallas Street, Houston (713) 571-7870 • tonyscornerpocket.com Neighborhood Bar | Pool | Dancers n HOUSTON - NORTH SIDE Ranch Hill Saloon 24704 Interstate 45, Spring (281) 298-9035 • ranchhill.com Country | Cowgirl | Neighborhood Bar The Room Bar 4915 FM 2920 Rd, Spring (281) 907-6866 • roombarspring.com Neighborhood Bar | Shows | Dance | Mixed
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n NW HOUSTON La Granja Disco & Cantina 5505 Pinemont Dr., Houston (713) 518-6753 • lagranjadisco.com Latin dance club Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon 11410 Hempstead Highway Houston, TX 77092 (713) 677-0828 • neonbootsclub.com Viviana’s Night Club 4624 Dacoma St, Houston (713) 681-4101 • vivianasniteclub.com Latino | Tejano | Dance n HOUSTON - SW Crystal Night Club 6684 SW Fwy, Houston (713) 278- 2582 • crystaltheclub.com Latin Dance | Salsa n HEIGHTS / WASHINGTON CORRIDOR Pearl Lounge 4216 Washington, Houston 832-740-4933 • pearlhouston.com Neighborhood Art Bar | Live Music | Women
GALVESTON
23rd Street Station 1706 23rd St, Galveston (409) 443-5678 • 23rdstreetstation.com Piano Bar | Pub | Live Entertainment Robert’s Lafitte 2501 Ave Q, Galveston (409) 765-9092 • galveston.com/robertslafitte Neighborhood Bar | Pub | Cruise | Shows Rumors Beach Bar 3102 Seawall Blvd., Galveston (409) 497-4617 • RumorsBeachBar.com Beach bar | Shows
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