Savor the Taste of El Paso

Indulge in the warm and inviting culture of this thriving border town, home of exceptional eats and the iconic margarita. Whether you’re looking for authentic street tacos, the latest in mezcal and tequila-infused cocktails, or tortillas as good as abuela used to make, El Paso delivers on its title as the Best Mexican Food in the country. Scan the QR on the left to plan your next food adventure.

There may be 525,600 minutes in a year, but we have only blown through 174,180 so far as we greet the new month. With Theatre Under The Stars bringing the queer classic Rent, a Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, to the Hobby Center this month, we check in with director Ty Defoe for a preview of the production, which is showing May 16 through 28. We also hear from two other artists working to make Jonathan Larson’s Broadway masterpiece come to life.

Our Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month features spotlight two AAPI leaders in the Houston LGBTQ community who are working to better the lives of all LGBTQ Houstonians, as well as the city as a whole. We talk with Poonam Kapoor, an advocate for equi- table housing; Rafferty Laredo, a Filipino American whose heritage inspires his occupational-therapy work; Sharjeel Hanif, an activist working to challenge homophobia in the Muslim community; and Namrata Subramanian, an HISD magnet-school instructor who is a voice for education reform.

Also this month, we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month with features on two local leaders. Ari Rosen, the director of philanthropy for the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, works to create more inclusive Jewish community spaces, while Rabbi Adrienne Scott fosters a spirit of inclusivity at Congregation Beth Israel for everyone seeking a Jewish faith community, including their LGBTQ members. She also creates spaces for gender nonconforming members of the congregation and emphasizes a focus on gender justice.

We’re also observing Trans Visibility Month in the face of overwhelming anti-trans rhetoric. We talk with Loren Perkins, a genderqueer transgender woman whose speech at the State Capitol made headlines when she spoke out against a slew of anti-LGBTQ laws, including several that would prohibit drag performances across the state. These laws are being introduced because, Perkins says, “Lawmakers see the trans community as a threat to the straight-white-male status quo they’ve created.”

Up in The Woodlands, Conduit Coffee has created an LGBTQ-affirming spot, both to grab a cup of coffee and as a space for LGBTQ community connection. Unfortunately, the coffee shop has faced pushback as an openly queer-friendly and queerowned business.

As we prepare for a summer of travel, we note that Olivia Travel is celebrating 50 years of cruise and resort vacations specifically for lesbians and other LGBTQ women. And Joanna O’Leary fills us in on the many vacation options in Norway, a country that welcomes LGBTQ travelers with attractions to suit every taste.

We want to wish all of our readers and family of advertisers a fruitful May as we look forward to our June Pride Month celebrations that you can read about in next month’s issue!