JUNE 2021

HOUSTON'S LGBTQ MAGAZINE

JUNE ’21

CELE BRAT E All MONTH LG L GB BT TQ Q evve e en nts ts yyo ou u ccaan n’t ’t m mis isss!!

Pg Pg

MEDIA INFLUENCERS

.722 .7

Three journalists spotlight H-Town diversity Pg.88

QUEER COMMODITIES Must-have rainbow apparel Pg.84

REMEMBERING PULSE Artists commemorate fifth anniversary at Texas Capitol Pg.107

Pride 2021

HOUSTON’S BEARDED BEAUTY BLACKBERRI PUTS LOCAL DRAG ON THE RADAR Pg.44

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Houston’s LGBTQ Magazine

FEATURES JUNE 2021

60

68

50

48

44

107

88

44 PROUD PERFORMER

48 MOVER AND SHAKER

From club gigs to the Super Bowl, Blackberri puts drag on the radar

Jack Wolff is helping pave the way for young LGBTQ dancers

56 60 CAPTURING HISTORY The Banner Project’s Sara Fernandez and Kirk Baxter

MODELING CONFIDENCE

Transgender rapper Uncle Tino’s rainbowthemed album was five years in the making

Transgender judge Phyllis Frye’s journey to acceptance began with her late wife, Trish

62 A BRIGHT FUTURE

68 A SPARKLING

COMMENTARY

Brandt Wild aspires to become an advocate for troubled LGBTQ teens

72 PRIDE

80 PLAYING WITH PRIDE

Over a dozen celebrations that you won’t want to miss

84 PRIDE

88 PRIDE IN THE MEDIA

Queer commodities for Pride Month

Food and travel writer Dom McGhee; Arts publicist Eric Skelly; and FOX 26 reporter Tiffany Justice

6 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

52 A LIFE WELL LOVED

Madelyn and Margo Whitley take the fashion world by storm

EVENTS CALENDAR

SHOPPING GUIDE

50 COLORFUL

Three local sports teams host Pride-themed games this month

130 WIGGING OUT Tina Turner tribute artist Dana Roxanne sets out on a new path

ADVOCATE

Diamond Stylz rose from adversity to lead Black Transwomen, Inc.

Give yourself every advantage.

When you want to aim higher, choose a more powerful partner.

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JUNE 2021

DEPARTMENTS NEWS & COMMENT 18 NEWS

Remembering Iris Santos; Houston’s LGBTQ judges to be honored; Chevron’s LGBTQ employee network turns 30

30 LEFT OUT

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The cicadas stage a big coming-out; Texas says No to the bankrupt NRA

34 SMART HEALTH

Don’t let shame get in the way of developing a real sense of Pride.

38 MONEY SMART

When moving to a new job, consider moving your retirement plans from previous employers as well

107 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Artist Renee Rodriguez honors the 49 Pulse nightclub victims; A new documentary examines the bond between Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams; Country artist Ty Herndon previews his June concert

OUT & ABOUT 14 CALENDAR 117 OUT THERE 122 WEDDING GUIDE 127 BAR/CLUB GUIDE 128 SIGN OUT

ADVERTISERS INDEX 124 ADVERTISERS 126 CLASSIFIEDS MARKETPLACE

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ON the COVER PRIDE 2021

Houston’s bearded beauty Blackberri puts local drag on the radar.

Photography by Frank Hernandez

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY & HEALTHY PRIDE MONTH

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RE-ELECT

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STATE Dean of theSENATE Texas Senate John Whitmire

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Texas State Senator John Whitmire wishes everyone a HAPPY PRIDE month!

Pol. adv. paid by the John Whitmire Campaign.

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OutSmart is published monthly. Estimated readership in Houston and surrounding areas is 60,000. OutSmart Media Company is not responsible for claims and practices of advertisers. The opinions and views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the staff or management of OutSmart. Inclusion in OutSmart does not imply sexual orientation. ©2021 by OutSmart Media Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Unsolicited material is accepted. No manuscript returned without SASE.

EDITOR’S NOTE

P

ride Month is a time to celebrate—and also a time to reflect on the past, present, and future of our LGBTQ community. This special June edition of OUTSMART looks at where we’ve been and where we’re going by showcasing queer Houstonians who continue to shape our local history.

For instance, our fabulous cover star Blackberri is putting Space City’s one-of-a-kind drag talent on the radar. Writer Sam Byrd interviews the “bearded beauty” about her February appearance in a Super Bowl commercial, and her commitment to nurturing up-and-coming performers.

This issue also spotlights activists like Black Transwomen

Inc. executive director Diamond Stylz and The Banner Project’s Sara Fernandez and Kirk Baxter.

Writer Brandon Wolf sits down with Fernandez and Baxter to discuss their pop-up exhibit that highlights Houston’s LGBTQ history, while writer Marene Gustin chats with Stylz about her national nonprofit organization that creates better opportunities for Black transgender women.

We’ve also asked three notable local leaders to interview out and proud colleagues in their respective fields who are making a difference. Houston Ballet soloist Harper Watters introduces you to ballet dancer Jack Wolff, District Attorney Kim Ogg interviews Judge Phyllis Frye, and fashion model Jessica Zyrie interviews glamorous

influencers Madelyn and Margo Whitley. And, as an added bonus, photographer Frank Hernandez (also known as drag queen Barbara Coa) captured the images for our cover feature and three other stories.

In our Smart Health column, therapist Daryl Shorter encourages those who struggle to embrace their identities to let the Pride Month festivities spark a deeper sense of gratitude for the progress we’ve made as a thriving community.

Elsewhere in this June edition, we highlight three queer and ally journalists who are helping local media outlets create more fully realized portrayals of Houston’s many diverse communities.

Writers Connor Behrens, Rich Arenschieldt,

PRIDE 2021

and Lillian Hoang interview reporters Dom McGhee, Eric Skelly, and Tiffany Justice, respectively.

Finally, with the COVID-19 restrictions being lifted just in time for Pride Month, writer Adriana Salazar’s roundup of over a dozen June events will help you celebrate in style.

Happy Pride!

Lourdes Zavaleta Managing Editor

OutSmartMagazine.com

|

JUNE 2021 11

IMPORTANT FACTS FOR BIKTARVY®

This is only a brief summary of important information about BIKTARVY and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and your treatment.

(bik-TAR-vee)

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:

BIKTARVY may cause serious side effects, including:  Those in the “Most Important Information About BIKTARVY” section.  Changes in your immune system. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that may have been hidden in your body. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new symptoms after you start taking BIKTARVY.  Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider should do blood and urine tests to check your kidneys. If you develop new or worse kidney problems, they may tell you to stop taking BIKTARVY.  Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.  Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain.  The most common side effects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

 Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. Your

healthcare provider will test you for HBV. If you have both HIV-1 and HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking BIKTARVY. Do not stop taking BIKTARVY without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

ABOUT BIKTARVY BIKTARVY is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in adults and children who weigh at least 55 pounds. It can either be used in people who have never taken HIV-1 medicines before, or people who are replacing their current HIV-1 medicines and whose healthcare provider determines they meet certain requirements.

BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS. HIV-1 is the virus that causes AIDS. Do NOT take BIKTARVY if you also take a medicine that contains:  dofetilide  rifampin  any other medicines to treat HIV-1

BEFORE TAKING BIKTARVY Tell your healthcare provider if you:  Have or have had any kidney or liver problems,

including hepatitis infection.  Have any other health problems.  Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if BIKTARVY can harm your unborn baby.

Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.  Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed.

Do not breastfeed. HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:  Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-

counter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may affect each other.

Ask your healthcare provider and pharmacist about medicines that interact with BIKTARVY, and ask if it is safe to take BIKTARVY with all your other medicines.

These are not all the possible side effects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with BIKTARVY.

HOW TO TAKE BIKTARVY Take BIKTARVY 1 time each day with or without food.

GET MORE INFORMATION  This is only a brief summary of important information

about BIKTARVY. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more.

 Go to BIKTARVY.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5  If you need help paying for your medicine,

visit BIKTARVY.com for program information.

BIKTARVY, the BIKTARVY Logo, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, KEEP ASPIRING, and LOVE WHAT’S INSIDE are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. Version date: February 2021 © 2021 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. BVYC0370 04/21

BVYC0370_BIKTARVY_A_8-125X10-75_OutSmart-Dimitri_r1v1jl.indd All Pages

DIMITRI LIVING WITH HIV SINCE 2018 REAL BIKTARVY PATIENT

KEEP ASPIRING.

Because HIV doesn’t change who you are.

BIKTARVY® is a complete, 1-pill, once-a-day prescription medicine used to treat HIV-1 in certain adults. BIKTARVY does not cure HIV-1 or AIDS.

Ask your healthcare provider if BIKTARVY is right for you.

See Dimitri’s story at BIKTARVY.com.

Featured patient compensated by Gilead.

Please see Important Facts about BIKTARVY, including important warnings, on the previous page and visit BIKTARVY.com.

5/13/21 11:12 AM

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

By Adriana Salazar

QUEER THINGS to DO

Resolve to stay involved with the help of our weekly planner.

Visit OutSmart Magazine.com

NIGHTLIFE

June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

CHARLIE’S ANGELS ON TUESDAYS AT JR’s

JR’s Bar & Grill presents Charlie’s Angels, a weekly event featuring local drag performers Blackberri, Chloe C. Ross, Kofi, Kalani Ross Kahlo, Roofie Dubois, and Jewel Seymour. Food is available from What-A-Taco kitchen, and masks are required for entry. tinyurl.com/m9duxddd

STAGE

June 25

An Evening with Christina Wells Houston singer Christina Wells skyrocketed to success as a semifinalist on America’s Got Talent in 2018. Today, the lesbian artist continues to inspire audiences with her songs about love and acceptance.

With this attitude in mind, Wells and her band will perform “a love letter to Houston’’ at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. The evening 14 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

will feature songs that brought Wells national attention, such as “I Know Where I’ve Been” and “I Am Changing.” Tickets will be available online starting on June 18, masks are mandatory, and covered seating is limited.

The performance will also be livestreamed for those unable to attend. tinyurl.com/tmeh5rhu

COMMUNITY

June 5

COMING OUT SUMMER FLING

The Houston GLBT Political Caucus hosts a Coming Out Summer Fling fundraiser, the organization’s first in-person event since the pandemic began. The John Paul Barnich Justice Award will be presented to distinguished LGBTQ Houston judges Shannon Baldwin, Jason Cox, Jim F. Kovach, Beau Miller, and Jerry Simoneaux. tinyurl.com/2djewkvb

SPORTS

June 26

PRIDE SPORTS HOUSTON DODGEBALL OPEN PLAY

Pride Sports Houston presents its fourth annual Dodgeball Open Play season at Q&B Sports Soccer and Indoor Futsal. The event is open to all sexual identities, races, and skill levels. $5 cover, and you must be at least 20 years old to play. tinyurl.com/3tzh4tv3

ART

COMMUNITY

SOCIAL

MONTROSE ART MARKET

DISCUSSION AND LEGISLATIVE DEBRIEFING WITH REP. ANN JOHNSON

HANDHELDS CONNECT!

June 5

July 5

BUDDY’S Houston hosts their monthly Montrose Art Market, a one-stop shop for crafts, wall art, sculptures, and more, all made by local artists. Admission and parking are both free. tinyurl.com/ph9bde6s

Texas State Representative Ann Johnson (D-Houston), an out LGBTQ activist, invites the public to her new district office for a conversation about the 87th Texas Legislative Session, which wrapped up on May 31. tinyurl.com/yspashnn

June 8

The Houston Gaymers hosts its first inperson meetup in over a year at Memorial Park. The event will allow participants to play Nintendo Switch games and the smartphone app Pokémon Go. Consoles and phonecharging stations will be available. tinyurl.com/56zr556z

COMMUNITY

SOCIAL

SOCIAL

NIGHTLIFE

CELEBRATING TRANS VOICES

BRUNCH-CADE WITH THE GAYMERS

BAEWATCH X SALVATION

BLACKBERRI’S BIRTHDAY BASH

June 9

The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce teams up with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to present Celebrating Trans Voices. The virtual event features stories, music, and special guests. tinyurl.com/mddkumkr

June 13

The Houston Gaymers celebrate Sunday Funday at Cidercade, an arcade and bar located in EaDo near downtown Houston.

Admission is $10 and includes access to over 275 games and a bar with 24 different ciders, seltzers, and wines. tinyurl.com/53wx69n6

June 19 Pride Houston and Lesbians of Color (LOC) Nation Entertainment present Baewatch x Salvation, an official Pride Houston pool party. The event is 21+ and pool attire is strongly encouraged. tinyurl.com/km76cn67

June 19

Houston’s bearded beauty celebrates her birthday with a drag show at ReBar. Hear performances by RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 12 star Crystal Methyd and local artists Roofie Dubois, Luna of the Lilies, and Ondi. $10 cover. tinyurl.com/n6ed2jfh

NIGHTLIFE

COMMUNITY

ART

SYMONE AT ReBAR

SENIOR LIVING CENTER GRAND OPENING

MARTY

June 20

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 winner Symone will perform at ReBar for one night only.

Hosted by Blackberri, the event also features performances by Hu’Nee B, Dey’Jzah Opulent Mirage, and Amya Jackson-Ross. Buy your tickets on the ReBar Facebook page and skip the line. tinyurl.com/r23f9fpj

June 24

The Montrose Center presents the grand opening of its Law Harrington Senior Living Center, an LGBTQ-affirming senior-living facility in Third Ward. The opening will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by two scheduled receptions in order to limit crowd size. Reserve your ticket here: tinyurl.com/5cabz9mn

June 26 Art League Houston’s annual MARTY (Montrose Art Party) is going virtual again this year. Hosted by Radu Barbuceanu, the online event is free and features dancing, performances, games, and a silent auction of works by local artists. Proceeds go to Art League Houston’s Healing Art Program for adults living with HIV/AIDS. tinyurl.com/7nkmycms More Queer Things to Do ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 15

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

QUEER THINGS to DO

SAVE the DATES

SOCIAL

July 17–18

Comicpalooza Comicpalooza is back at the George R. Brown Convention Center for two days. This

pop-culture festival features celebrities, shopping, and activities that will keep you entertained. Tickets available on the Comicpalooza website. tinyurl.com/48sb4wa2

NIGHTLIFE

June 25 July 18

Gottmik at ReBar RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 13 finalist

HAPPY PRIDE!

Gottmik—the first trans man to ever compete on the show—visits ReBar for a night of show-stopping performances. tinyurl.com/d2xtzj8m

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COMMUNITY

July 30

Heavy Hitters Pride The Hilton Houston Westchase hosts the sixth annual Heavy Hitters Pride convention, which provides safe spaces for urban gay men, their admirers, and allies. The two-day event features networking, bond-building, and a wide range of activities. tinyurl.com/kraxp8rs

Submit your events at calendar@outsmartmagazine.com

BERINGCHURCH If you’ve left or avoided church because you were told you were incompatible with God, come home.

Bering Memorial Church is a fully open and inclusive congregation that is no longer affiliated with the discriminatory theology of the United Methodist Church.

You are celebrated here. No exceptions.

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IN MEMORIAM

Remembering Iris Santos Activists demand justice for the 22-year-old trans woman’s murder.

By BRANDON WOLF

Iris Santos loved the theater. When she was in middle school, she appeared in numerous productions and won festival competitions. At Alief ISD’s Elsik High School, she helped out backstage and with makeup for the theater productions. “She wanted to go to Hollywood,” Santos’ mother, Maria Carreon, says. “She kept dreaming all the time, and [believed] that no one can take away your dreams.”

Instead, the 22-year-old transgender Houstonian became the latest statistic in the relentless wave of violence against trans women of color.

On Friday, April 23, Santos was sitting at a picnic table outside of the Chick-fil-A restaurant at 8609 Westheimer Road when she was shot and killed. Houston Police Department (HPD) investigators are still searching for her murderer.

Santos is one of at least 25 trans or gendernonconforming people murdered in the United States this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign. A majority of the victims, including Santos, were trans women of color under the age of 30.

A Kind Soul

Santos was born and raised in Southwest Houston, the youngest child in her family with two older sisters and an older brother.

She was a determined student who loved her classes, and especially the science courses.

Carreon remembers Santos often coming home and telling her how her day went and which teachers she liked the best. She once entered a spelling bee contest and won first place.

Santos had her mother’s full support when she transitioned as a teenager in high school.

“She wore a dress to the ninth grade, and was so happy,” Cameron recalls.

Tamika Caston-Miller, an out teacher at 18 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

kind soul, and a fighter for justice and truth.”

“She was very spiritual,” Carreon adds.

“She was so happy and full of dreams about what she wanted to do in life. She loved Mexican traditions, and wanted to travel and do so many things. There was no evil in her. She was always reaching out to help someone.”

After her high-school graduation, Santos built up an online business selling candles and soaps. She also did makeup consultations and even provided tarot card readings for her clients.

Carreon last saw her daughter on the Sunday before the murder. “She was excited, and was planning to attend a big convention for people who do tarot readings. Before we parted, she hugged me extremely hard and kissed me and said goodbye, and that she loved me. Then she came back and hugged me a second time.”

Twenty-two-year-old Iris Santos, a native Houstonian, became the latest statistic in the relentless wave of violence against trans women of color.

Elsik High School, was a sponsor of the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club when she met Santos. “She became part of the GSA, and it was very important to her,” Caston-Miller says. She later became one of Santos’ mentors, and kept in touch with her until her death.

After the ninth grade, Santos attended her first LGBTQ Pride parade. “She decided to stand in front of a group of protestors, speaking her truth. She was very brave,” Caston-Miller says. The next year, Santos joined a coalition of other schools and marched in Houston’s Pride parade.

Following graduation, Santos agreed to participate in a panel of Episcopal Church leaders who were advocating for trans acceptance in the church. “She fought for her identity,” Caston-Miller says. “She was a really

A Call to Action

Jovon Tyler, president of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, remembers Santos as a beautiful young woman who had her whole life in front of her. “As human-rights activists, we owe her our all in helping to elect politicians who will create laws that will protect those future Iris Santos’s yet to come. The act of violence was an outrage, but it’s our duty to turn that outrage into positive actions.”

Anandrea Molina, a trans activist and the director of Organización Latina de Trans in Texas and Casa Anandrea, organized a rally at City Hall on May 6 to protest Santos’ murder and the lack of civil-rights protections for trans people of color.

“The murder of Iris Santos is the tip of the iceberg,” Molina tells OutSmart. “Trans women have been murdered in Houston, and no one does anything. [It seems] their efforts are limited, because [other trans murders] still follow. The trans community in Houston, Texas, holds the local authorities ➝

IRIS SANTOS | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

lently ended it. That is the tragedy.

“We are on track for 2021 to produce more violent deaths of transgender people than any other year on record,” Melvin emphasizes.

“This escalating violence is unacceptable, and we call on our law-enforcement agencies to vigorously investigate and prosecute these crimes, and on our elected officials to pass legislation to protect everyone, not just a select few.”

DALTON DEHART

The Ongoing Investigation

The May 6 rally at City Hall was organized by trans activist Anandrea Molina. accountable; the City of Houston owes a historic debt to our trans population.

“We must demand that the police department continues [to work toward finding justice for trans murder victims] and that the mayor takes responsibility and creates inclusivity, rights, and protections for trans women in employment, housing, health services, and people with experiences in using the sex trade for survival. [We also call on] the Harris County Commissioners Court, including Judge Lina

Hidalgo, to seek to improve the quality of life for criminalized and vulnerable trans women.

“We need to fight together,” Molina concludes. “If we don’t fight together, they kill us separately.”

“Iris Santos was a young 22-year-old woman who had her life ahead of her,” says Alexis Melvin, president of the Transgender Foundation of America. “We will never know what that life may have brought to the world, because a currently unknown assailant vio-

Officer Jo Jones, HPD’s LGBTQ Liaison, says that Santos’ murder is still an active, open case. Jones has been working with the detectives and members of the community to find more information, and she wants to assure the community that HPD is determined to bring the case to a successful close.

Jones reports that HPD detectives suspect there are people who have vital information about the case, but they might be reluctant to come forward. She stands willing and able to guide anyone with information through the entire process of working with HPD’s homicide division.

Anyone who has information about Santos’ murder should contact Officer Jones at 713-308-3257.

Do not leave kids or pets in a closed vehicle for any amount of time!

Cars can become an oven in just 10 minutes!

ALWAYS

. Park safely . Look in your back seat . Lock up To report kids/pets in hot cars call 911 Offic e of Di s t r ict At tor n e y h a r r i s c o un t y, T X

Kim Ogg

H a r r i s Co u n t y DA . COM 20 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

From how far we’ve come to how far we’ll go, there’s PRIDE in progress.

As a proud ally to our LGBTQ+ customers, associates and neighbors, Regions recognizes PRIDE doesn’t just celebrate the community that has been built. It also celebrates the challenges this community has conquered and the changes it will create. So as the LGBTQ+ community continues to push for progress, Regions will continue to push our advocacy through our support and services.

regions.com/LGBTQ

© 2021 Regions Bank. Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

NEWS

Order in the Court Houston’s GLBT Political Caucus honors five local LGBTQ judges.

By MARENE GUSTIN

O

penly LGBTQ Houston judges Beau Miller, Jason Cox, Jim Kovach, Shannon Baldwin, and Jerry Simoneaux all won their electoral races in 2018. And before the so-called “Fab Five” start campaigning for re-election this November, the group is being honored by the Houston GLBT Political Caucus.

“After being in the pandemic for over a year, we are excited to be able to gather in-person to honor five distinguished judges from our community,” says Caucus President Jovon Tyler.

“Each of them works tirelessly on behalf of all Houstonians to ensure fairness and justice within our city, and they do so as out and proud members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

During the Caucus’ Coming Out Summer Fling on June 5, the organization will present all five of the judges with the John Paul Barnich Justice Award, which was named for Houston’s first openly gay municipal judge. He died from a diabetes-related illness in 2009.

“I think, out of all the ways I’ve been recognized, this is the most memorable because I knew Judge Barnich,” says Judge Jerry Simoneaux of Harris County’s Probate Court No. 1.

“He was a friend and a mentor of mine.”

Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4 Judge Shannon Baldwin—who is the first openly LGBTQ African American judge in the county, and only the second in the state— agrees that the award is an honor. “[John Paul Barnich was] described as being thoughtful, compassionate, and having a friendly disposition,” she says. “He was also described as having an enormous capacity for empathy. I only hope to have those same traits. I try daily!”

“It’s especially meaningful when you consider the prior recipients of this award, such as Monica Roberts, Fran Watson, Ana Andrea 22 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Left to right: Jerry Simoneaux, Harris County Probate Court No. 1; Beau Miller, 190th Civil District Court of Harris County; Jim Kovach, Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 2; Shannon B. Baldwin, Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 4; and Jason Cox, Harris County Probate Court No. 3.

Molina, and Judges Steven Kirkland and Daryl Moore, among others,” says Judge Jason Cox of Harris County’s Probate Court No. 3.

“Judge Barnich was the very first openly gay judge, and he was a trailblazer for us,” says Judge Jim Kovach, of Harris County Civil Court at Law No.2. “As the first openly gay Harris County Civil Court Judge elected by Harris County residents, it shows you how far we have come in terms of acceptance.”

“I’m tremendously grateful to Judge Barnich and the other trailblazers who made it possible to run and serve the people of Harris County as an out LGBTQ+ individual, and I’m proud to receive the award with colleagues who I admire greatly,” says Judge Beau Miller

of the 190th Judicial District Court. Miller is a trailblazer in his own right, as the first openly HIV-positive elected official in Texas.

Campaigning for the November election has officially begun, and The Fab Five tell OutSmart that they are ready.

“I look forward to being re-elected so that I can finish the job and give Harris County the criminal-justice and bail-bond reform they deserve,” Judge Baldwin says. “I’ll campaign hard because nothing is promised, and I’ll humbly ask for the citizens’ vote again! I will welcome the opportunity to earn their support and their vote in 2022.” She would also like to decrease the ever-growing backlog of cases resulting from Harvey and COVID-19 in a ➝

ORDER IN THE COURT | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22

second term. “Because of Harvey’s [flooding throughout downtown], the criminal courts were displaced for the past three-plus years. In the first two years of my term, we were moved three times! Just when we thought we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, COVID shut us down. (Well, not completely, but we were forced to severely limit cases.)”

“I’m excited to get back on the campaign trail and talk with the people of Harris County about their needs and concerns, and how we can continue to provide the best services we can,” says Judge Cox. He presides over a probate and mental-health court, and says the best part of his job is helping people suffering from mental illness and their families find solutions for their care. “It’s very often a team effort, with the courts, the Harris Center, the Harris County Attorney’s Office, and our [court-appointed] attorneys working together to achieve that goal,” he says.

As a lawyer with 30 years of experience, Judge Kovach loves his new job and is ready to run on his merits. “The best part is helping the parties to a case solve a problem and bring a resolution to the matters,” he says. “Litigation

DURING THE EVENT ON JUNE 5, THE CAUCUS WILL PRESENT ALL FIVE OF THE JUDGES WITH THE JOHN PAUL BARNICH JUSTICE AWARD, WHICH WAS NAMED FOR HOUSTON’S FIRST OPENLY GAY MUNICIPAL JUDGE. is stressful, and the parties need closure, so that is what I provide to them in a fair and impartial manner. As a prior activist for the LGBTQ+ community and other progressive causes, the worst part of the job is having to refrain from making any public comments, because it is inappropriate for judges to do so.”

Regarding the changes he’s seen in the courts over 30 years, Kovach is enthusiastic. “When I started as a judge in 2019, the County civil

courts were still passing paper folders between the clerk’s office and the judges. By eliminating the paper files, we have saved the county an enormous amount of money, including the cost of several thousand square feet of fileroom space.”

Judge Simoneaux says his team is going into high campaigning mode as well, and hopes his accomplishments in implementing new technology will keep him on the bench. “We were the first to hold remote video hearings— even before COVID, so we never had a backlog during the pandemic,” he notes.

Judge Miller’s civil court was the first in Harris County to hear a virtual bench trial, and the first to have tried an in-person jury trial during COVID-19. “Although we have all been challenged by the pandemic,” he says, “I do believe, as Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’”

What: Houston GLBT Political Caucus’ Coming Out Summer Fling When: June 5, 7–9 p.m.

Tickets: secure.actblue.com/donate/fling2021

HappyPride!

BE PROUD!

24 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

POL. ADV. ANN JOHNSON CAMPAIGN

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NEWS

Employee P.R.I.D.E. Chevron celebrates 30 years of LGBTQ inclusion.

By RYAN M. LEACH

H

ouston is world-famous for its oil and gas industry, and Chevron is prominent among the local industry giants.

This year, the company’s P.R.I.D.E. Employee Network is celebrating thirty years of inclusion. This is a major milestone for a company that has set the standard for corporate awareness of their LGBTQ employees.

“The origins of the P.R.I.D.E. network date back to 1991, when a group of gay and lesbian Chevron employees in the San Francisco Bay Area decided to form an employee association.

They sent a letter to the Chevron chief executive officer announcing that they had formed, and that they were looking for certain rights and protections,” says P.R.I.D.E. president Brian Redmond, 37. “Employee networks, at that time, were not sanctioned, so it started a back-and-forth between the group and our executives. Eventually, the Chevron Lesbian & Gay Employees Association was formed.”

P.R.I.D.E. stands for Promote Respect, Inclusion, & Dignity for Everyone. The worldwide network boasts over 2,000 employee members across 20 countries, with about half located in the U.S. As the first affinity group to be formed within the company, P.R.I.D.E. opened the door for twelve other affinity-based employee groups. Collectively, they act as a resource for attracting and retaining talent, and enhance Chevron’s reputation through community activities and outreach. These groups also provide formal mentoring programs, aid in diversity recruiting, and offer opportunities for skill building and development.

The employee network has been integral in making Chevron one of the most inclusive companies in the world. In 1993, Chevron became the first oil and gas company to add “sexual orientation” to its nondiscrimination policies, which now also include gender identity and gender expression. In 1998, Chevron 26 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Chevron employees at the 2018 Out and Equal conference. added domestic-partner benefits for same-sex couples. Since 2005, the company has achieved a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, and in 2011, Chevron became the first major oil company to extend healthcare benefits to transgender employees and offer official guidelines for transitioning at work.

“P.R.I.D.E. offers a variety of programming and training to help raise awareness and drive inclusiveness for LGBTQ employees. Above and beyond our Ally program, Chevron has made gender-neutral bathrooms available at our largest locations. We participate in local LGBTQ+ community events and, overall, celebrate how our diversity makes us a stronger company that partners more effectively as one team,” says Redmond.

For the past several years, Chevron has been one of the major participants and spon-

sors of the annual Houston Pride festivities, and they will continue that tradition this year when the downtown parade returns with “DiverCity” as its theme.

“Chevron has been participating in the Houston Pride celebration for years,” Redmond notes. “We strongly believe in supporting the communities in which we live and work, and by participating in our annual Pride celebration, we not only support our LGBTQ+ workforce in Houston, but also the Houston LGBTQ+ community more broadly.”

In addition to its presence at Pride celebrations all over the world, Chevron will be raising the Pride flag at all of its corporate locations to show its commitment to the LGBTQ community. Although many of the company’s celebratory events will continue to remain virtual this year due to COVID-19, there are many learning and development ➝

CHEVRON | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

events being hosted on topics such as trans allyship within the Women’s Network, and a deeper dive with the Native American Network into the concept of being Two-Spirit.

Early on in the P.R.I.D.E. group’s history, Richmond explains why there was hesitancy around its development. “Initially there was hesitation because the concept of an employee network was not well understood. The understanding that affinity groups can help grow the talent of underrepresented communities within companies was not as commonplace as it is today. And the LGBTQ+ community was more fringe than it is now, as well, so it took some meaningful dialogue to allow for the group to become officially sanctioned. But once it did, it quickly began making impacts on the lives of the LGBTQ+ employees at the company.”

Part of the reason for the group’s early success, according to Redmond, was that Chevron’s headquarters are located in San Francisco, which is famous for its large LGBTQ community. The P.R.I.D.E. network’s mission is to build an impactful and inclusive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary/ gender-nonconforming, queer, plus, and ally workforce, and all intersections of identity.

28 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

San Francisco Pride 1990

It strives to enable all employees to bring their authentic selves to work and have the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

The group has had a deep impact on Chevron’s culture over the decades. That impact is sustained by its ongoing work with other groups to keep things moving in the direction of equality and inclusion.

“Chevron partners with many national leaders in this space, including the Human Rights Campaign and Out & Equal,” Redmond

adds. “This enables us to continue to learn from others about what we need to do to continue to evolve our workplace into one that models the best in terms of inclusion and benefits, as well as to share our best practices with other companies to help them grow in their LGBTQ+ equality journey.”

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/kfv2xvxc

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LEFT OUT

By SUSAN BANKSTON

Coming-Out Time After 17 years, cicadas want the world to know.

Cicadas—those bugs that emerge from the ground every 17 years—are known to screech like banshees for about six weeks while they do what humans politely call “mattress thrashing.” After their whoopee time is over, they lay eggs deep in the ground, where they wait to emerge in another 17 years.

This is their big coming-out year—the first time we’ve heard from them since the spring of 2004.

Back then, love was also in the air for LGBTQ couples in Massachusetts, which became the first state to legalize gay marriage.

That happened on May 17, 2004. Nifty, right?

Also in 2004, Bush was president, Mark Zuckerberg was busy launching Facebook from his dorm room at Harvard, and Janet Jackson had her “wardrobe malfunction” with Justin Timberlake during her Super Bowl halftime show in Houston (another comingout moment, of sorts, for the female anatomy, if you catch my drift).

There are those who say that the cicadas will be screeching this time around when they find out that the minimum wage has only increased by $2.10 since their last appearance.

Or that the final episode of Friends was also in 2004. Or that their carefully tended MySpace page was sent hurtling into the sun while they were busy tunneling underground.

For the most part, cicadas are Yankee critters that stay up north. They say there are no cicadas in Houston, but I don’t believe it.

Everyone heads down south at some point, and the most outlandish and fun cicadas would love Houston. But my friend Thelma over at the hardware store says cicadas won’t come to Houston because the word cicada sounds charmingly edible, so we’d figure out how to fry ’em up and eat ’em before they could even make it to the whoopee part.

It used to be that people couldn’t find Houston with a map, a sherpa, and a mission 30 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

“THERE ARE THOSE WHO SAY THAT THE CICADAS WILL BE SCREECHING THIS TIME AROUND WHEN THEY FIND OUT THAT THE MINIMUM WAGE HAS ONLY INCREASED BY $2.10 SINCE THEIR LAST APPEARANCE, OR THAT THEIR CAREFULLY TENDED MYSPACE PAGE WAS SENT HURTLING INTO THE SUN WHILE THEY WERE BUSY TUNNELING UNDERGROUND. “ statement. But Darlin’, all that has changed.

Now we’re famous. And once the word gets out, you know what’s next: kudzu, cicadas, and a few fads that have worn out their welcome in Austin.

Look, if something is going to make a comeback after 17 years, it ought to be go-go boots. Or maybe swanky smoking jackets, fancy Jello molds, and waterbeds.

And if there were any cicadas here 17 years ago to dig in and wait for 2021, they’d never reemerge today because we’ve paved over every damn thing. All you’d hear is the sound of their poor little heads bumping up against some parking-lot asphalt.

In other news, here’s something that will make you smile: the National Rifle Association (NRA) filed bankruptcy papers after its leaders spent millions on yachts, tailored suits (which still look like they went through the dishwasher), living expenses for girlfriends, bonuses, lobster dinners, and stuff you’d never think of owning yourself.

The NRA had planned to go belly up, stiff their creditors in bankruptcy court, and then immediately reopen in Texas (where corporate malfeasance is both expected and admired).

Not only did a federal judge in Dallas throw out their Texas scheme, but here’s the dandy part: that judge’s name is The Honorable Harlin D. “Cooter” Hale. No, seriously. It’s on his letterhead. Honey, a Texas man named Cooter took down the NRA. I could not be prouder.

Happy Pride, y’all.

Susan Bankston lives in Richmond, Texas, where she writes about her hairdresser at The World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc., at juanitajean.com.

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• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take DOVATO. This is only a brief summary of important information about ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of DOVATO and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider passing HIV-1 to your baby. about your condition and treatment. ° One of the medicines in DOVATO (lamivudine) passes into your breastmilk.

What is the most important information I should know ° Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby. about DOVATO? Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and infection and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can herbal supplements. cause serious side effects, including: Some medicines interact with DOVATO. Keep a list of your medicines and show • Resistant HBV. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV infection it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. before you start treatment with DOVATO. If you have HIV-1 and • You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that hepatitis B, the HBV can change (mutate) during your treatment with interact with DOVATO. DOVATO and become harder to treat (resistant). It is not known if DOVATO • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your is safe and effective in people who have HIV-1 and HBV infection. healthcare provider. Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe • Worsening of HBV infection. If you have HBV infection and take DOVATO, to take DOVATO with other medicines. your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking DOVATO. A “flare-up” What are possible side effects of DOVATO? is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before.

DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: ° Do not run out of DOVATO. Refill your prescription or talk to your • See “What is the most important information I should know healthcare provider before your DOVATO is all gone. about DOVATO?” Do not stop DOVATO without first talking to your healthcare ° • Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if provider. you develop a rash with DOVATO. Stop taking DOVATO and get ° If you stop taking DOVATO, your healthcare provider will need to check medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; your liver function and monitor your HBV infection. It may be necessary blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling to give you a medicine to treat hepatitis B. Tell your healthcare provider of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing. about any new or unusual symptoms you may have after you stop taking • Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus DOVATO. may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening For more information about side effects, see “What are possible changes in certain liver tests during treatment with DOVATO. side effects of DOVATO?” Liver problems, including liver failure, have also happened in What is DOVATO? people without a history of liver disease or other risk factors.

DOVATO is a prescription medicine that is used without other HIV-1 Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver. medicines to treat human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the in adults: who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past, or to following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the replace their current HIV-1 medicines when their healthcare provider white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; determines that they meet certain requirements. HIV-1 is the virus that light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is not known and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area. if DOVATO is safe and effective in children.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Too much Who should not take DOVATO? lactic acid is a serious medical emergency that can lead to Do not take DOVATO if you: death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir the following symptoms that could be signs of lactic acidosis: or lamivudine. feel very weak or tired; unusual (not normal) muscle pain; trouble breathing; • take dofetilide. Taking DOVATO and dofetilide can cause side effects that stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms may be serious or life-threatening. and legs; feel dizzy or lightheaded; and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before using DOVATO? • Lactic acidosis can also lead to severe liver problems, which can Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, lead to death. Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may including if you: develop fat in your liver (steatosis). Tell your healthcare provider right • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection. away if you get any of the signs or symptoms of liver problems • have kidney problems. which are listed above under “Liver problems.”

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. One of the medicines in DOVATO • You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver (dolutegravir) may harm your unborn baby. problems if you are female or very overweight (obese). ° Your healthcare provider may prescribe a different medicine than DOVATO • Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution if you are planning to become pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed during Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right ° If you can become pregnant, your healthcare provider may perform a pregnancy test before you start treatment with DOVATO. away if you start having new symptoms after you start taking DOVATO. ° If you can become pregnant, you and your healthcare provider should talk about the use of effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with DOVATO. ° Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are planning to become pregnant, you become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant during treatment with DOVATO.

Important Facts About DOVATO

©2021 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

DLLADVT210015 March 2021 Produced in USA.

SO MUCH GOES INTO WHO I AM HIV MEDICINE IS ONE PART OF IT. Why could DOVATO be right for you? DOVATO is proven to help control HIV with just 2 medicines in 1 pill. That means fewer medicines* in your body while taking DOVATO. It’s proven as effective as an HIV treatment with 3 or 4 medicines.

Learn more about fewer medicines at DOVATO.com DOVATO is a complete prescription regimen to treat HIV-1 in adults who have not received HIV-1 medicines in the past or to replace their current HIV-1 medicines when their doctor determines they meet certain requirements.

Results may vary. *As compared with 3- or 4-drug regimens.

What are possible side effects of DOVATO? (cont’d) • The most common side effects of DOVATO include: headache; nausea; diarrhea; trouble sleeping; tiredness; and anxiety.

These are not all the possible side effects of DOVATO. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Where can I find more information?

• Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Go to DOVATO.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved labeling.

Trademark is owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

March 2021 DVT:6PIL

New to treatment? Considering a switch?

Ask your doctor about DOVATO.

S M A R T H E A LT H

By DARYL SHORTER, MD

Developing a Real Sense of Pride

Shame may be stopping you from proudly celebrating your identity.

The 2021 Pride season is upon us. Rainbow flags, parades, and parties will again sweep the nation, immersing the queer community in a spirit of festivity.

But amidst all of the fanfare, many LGBTQ people will struggle to feel like proudly celebrating their identities. This year, we should allow the Pride festivities to spark a deeper examination of our relationship to self and community.

Shame: The Opposite of Pride Shame is an emotion experienced at our core that negatively impacts our identity and our view of self. While guilt or embarrassment might make us feel bad about ourselves in the moment as the result of a specific action or behavior, shame directs us to feel negatively about ourselves in a much more pervasive way. Shame is based largely on our feeling that we have not lived up to the values that have been communicated to us through society’s messaging. It is the thought that I am a bad person who is unworthy of love or care because I do not fit neatly or cleanly into the norms or expectations that have been set out by my family, community, or culture.

Shame is also the opposite of selfacceptance, and it not only impacts how we see ourselves, but also how we view the world. Shame creates stress and strain in our relationships, and can drive us to behave in inexplicable ways in order to avoid or escape it. Shame can manifest as a lack of care or concern for ourselves and our future, making it easier to behave destructively in the present.

It can cause us to feel as though we deserve negative outcomes in life with regard to family, relationships, health, and lifestyle.

While the world might tell you, “Something is wrong with you,” shame is when you actually believe it.

The Roots of Shame Understanding the roots of queer shame can be an important step in developing one’s personal brand of Pride. Society places 34 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

value on certain types of behaviors, like being heterosexual or conforming to narrow definitions of gender. These values are communicated both explicitly and implicitly, though the messaging around these values may be nuanced or even contradictory. In cases where an individual lives in a way that runs counter to society’s broader values, or if there is a specific aspect of one’s life that is highly devalued, then that person can experience discomfort and distress around self-esteem. When the gulf between identity and value is great, the space in between can be easily be filled with negative emotions—guilt, embarrassment, disgust—and shame. This shame, then, is what elevates the value of another person’s morality over your own right to freedom of thought, choice, and action.

In addition to the implicit values communicated by society through the media, there are other forces that contribute to the creation of queer shame. These forces include heteronormativity, toxic masculinity,

homophobia, and trans-negativity. While it may not always be easy to identify how these forces impact our lives, we can begin to unearth the subtle and overt ways that these forces impact our way of thinking about the world by asking ourselves some relatively straightforward questions. For example, how would you complete these sentences?

“Men don’t___________” “Women wear ___________.”

“Gay people are ___________.”

“Lesbians are ___________.”

“Transgender people are ___________.”

This thought experiment reveals how we are all impacted by the messages we receive from society. That most people can fill in many of the blanks with negative stereotypes speaks directly to just how widespread these ideas are in our society, and how those messages were firmly planted in your thinking even if

continued on page 37

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SMART HEALTH | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 34

you didn’t grow up in an overtly intolerant environment.

Recovering from Shame Uprooting these types of beliefs requires that we recognize they are present. Only then can you begin the harder work of challenging them. Whenever you get a sense of shame in the pit of your stomach, ask yourself, “What is at the core of this feeling? Is there a particular voice that I’m hearing? Is there a message that I’m getting from my family, my church, or society?” A closer examination of these types of thoughts can give you clues about how best to address the origins of your shame.

It is also important to remember that becoming entirely shame-free is not a destination, but rather something that we work toward over the course of a lifetime.

Shame recovery begins with moving into a space of self-acceptance.

Perhaps you can begin by paying yourself a compliment. What is one thing that you like about yourself? Can you think of any more things you like? When you look in the mirror, what is it that you see? Can you find love and compassion for that person?

Embracing all of who you are means accepting your flaws as part of your humanity.

These are the things that make you a one-of-akind individual. Couple this with a belief that others can and will accept you, even with your flaws.

Sadly, one of the major obstacles to accepting ourselves is the world’s constant demands to transform how we look and act.

To be “happy,” we need to make more money or have a better body, a better job, or a better partner. How can we possibly withstand that type of pressure? We can begin by rejecting the notion that others know what is best for us as individuals. Who, besides you, can define what would make you whole or complete?

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Pride: A Deeper Love In addition to making plans with friends and family to celebrate Pride this year, take time to reflect on all of the ways that you can develop a deeper sense of appreciation and gratitude for the wonder that is you. The forces of shame are always conspiring against us, so actively doing this work can be one of the best ways to deepen your sense of Pride, even after the parade is over.

Daryl Shorter, MD, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is board certified in both general and addiction psychiatry. His clinical practice focuses on veteran care, and he lectures widely on LGBTQ mental health.

Voted Best Female Physician

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 37

MONEY SMART

By GRACE S. YUNG, CFP

Moving to a New Job? Consider moving your retirement plans from previous employers as well.

Your big day is here. After months of networking and interviewing, you’ve landed an exciting new job, and you’re about to meet your new team.

It’s a time of transition, learning, and new beginnings. You’re bringing your best self to your new role.

But with all the excitement, have you thought about moving the retirement plan you left behind at your previous company?

And if you’re an LGBTQ woman, moving and combining retirement plans from previous jobs may require additional nuanced planning, depending on the complexities of your earnings and savings. It has been well documented by the Human Rights Campaign and other advocacy groups that LGBTQ women, like all women, have been traditionally underpaid across industries. And as caretakers, women are often focused more on caring for others rather than taking care of themselves. Not only do women make less than men, they also save less. So take this opportunity now to increase your retirement savings.

Rethinking Your Savings Options In general, you have two ways to combine (or “roll over”) your retirement plans from previous jobs and ideally increase your savings when starting a new job.

• Your new company may offer a 401(k) or a 403(b) plan that accepts rollovers.

• You might choose to roll over your plan into an individual retirement account (IRA) 38 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

with your new company or with a financialservices firm of your choice.

If you feel you need more time to decide about rolling over your former employer’s plan, you could wait 90 days until you are comfortable in your new role before making a change. If you choose this option, consider enrolling in your new company’s retirement plan as soon as you start your new job in order to begin saving right away.

Why Combining Plans Matters Reimagine and rebuild your retirement.

It’s possible that your former employer’s retirement plan has not been fully meeting your needs, particularly if you were not reviewing your contributions and allocations regularly.

Your new job presents an opportunity to reassess your retirement needs based on your situation today. For LGBTQ women, this means taking a close look at your earnings, income gaps, and savings.

Take control. If you keep your retirement plan with your old employer, you might be missing an opportunity to take control of your retirement by consolidating your accounts.

If you have two 401(k) or 403(b) accounts, for example, it can be difficult to stay on top of allocations and contributions, and you might be duplicating efforts unnecessarily.

When you combine your accounts, a best practice is to contribute the amount that your new employer will match. In addition to combining accounts, you might also want

to consider other retirement-income options such as a guaranteed income annuity, which provides income you can count on when you need it. This can be an especially attractive option for employees who have caretaker responsibilities, Explore catch-up provisions. If you haven’t been able to save as much for retirement as you had hoped to, you might explore the various IRS catch-up provisions. These provisions may apply to 401(k), 403(b), SARSEP (Salary Reduction Simplified Employee Pension), and governmental 457(b) plans, which currently allow people over 50 to save more for retirement by contributing up to $6,500 in 2020 and 2021. The exact amounts differ by plan type.

Additionally, you can make catch-up contributions to your traditional or Roth IRA of up to $1,000 in 2020 and 2021. Take care to carefully review IRS requirements for catch-up provisions and deadlines, per the IRS website at irs.gov.

Align values with investing. Combining plans presents an opportunity to align values with investing, which is a priority for many LGBTQ clients. Many 401(k) and 403(b) plans do not have “Environmental, Social, and Governance” (ESG) fund options that may better reflect your values. For example, a fund’s underlying investments might have supply-chain issues that contribute to serious and unacceptable social problems such as systemic racism. You have an opportunity now to reimagine how your retirement ➝

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MONEY SMART | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 38

investments can reflect your values. Take the time to look under the hood of your new retirement offerings. If you are not satisfied with your new firm’s 401(k) or 403(b) offerings, consider an IRA account.

Protect your loved ones. Now is the time to review retirement-plan beneficiaries and ensure that you are protecting your loved ones.

When you combine plans, make sure that you have named your partner, spouse, or loved one as a beneficiary. (Here is where additional nuances occur for LGBTQ women.)

• If your former spouse is still named as a beneficiary, this should be updated.

• If you’re not married and you leave your retirement to your partner or significant other, your beneficiary would have to empty your retirement account in 10 years (per the SECURE Act of 2019), which may trigger tax penalties. This situation can quickly become complicated, and your partner might not be prepared for the tax expenses. The specific tax implications will depend on your partner’s age and the type of retirement account being divested, e.g., an IRA or a 401(k).

• If you are single, you will want to consider naming loved ones or family members as beneficiaries. You might also want to consider assigning charitable organizations as beneficiaries, if this is important to you.

How to Move Forward As you take this exciting next step in your career, be proud of what you’ve accomplished, and seize the moment to take control of your retirement-savings plan.

Finding a financial-services professional who can guide you through the process of restructuring your retirement accounts can help you feel more confident about your retirement-planning choices. In addition, working with an advisor who is knowledgeable about LGBTQ issues can provide an added benefit, because various laws regarding samesex couples should be a consideration in your overall plan.

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June is Pride Month, when we honor the LGBTQ pioneers who paved the way for all of the civil-rights gains in recent decades. Opportunities for queer Americans to flourish have only grown since the Stonewall Riots sparked the LGBTQ civil-rights movement in 1969.

In this Pride edition of OutSmart, we highlight some of our local LGBTQ personalities who are flourishing as artists, historians, and activists.

We asked three notable local leaders—Houston Ballet soloist HARPER WATTERS, Harris County District Attorney KIM OGG, and fashion model and activist JESSICA ZYRIE—to interview colleagues in their respective fields who are making a difference.

Pride 2021

From the field of entertainment, we feature drag artist BLACKBERRI, dancer JACK WOLFF, and rapper UNCLE TINO. Then we introduce you to out historians SARA FERNANDEZ and KIRK BAXTER of The Banner Project, while judge PHYLLIS FRYE remembers her late wife PATRICIA “TRISH” DOOLEY FRYE. Finally, we profile four leading LGBTQ activists—Black Transwomen Inc. president DIAMOND STYLZ, emerging youth advocate BRANDT WILD, and models MADELYN and MARGOT WHITLEY.

And don’t miss our expanded Pride events calendar, as well as our Pride-themed shopping guide to help you celebrate Pride Month in style.

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 43

PRIDE 2021

Proud Performer From club gigs to the Super Bowl, Blackberri puts Houston drag on the radar.

By SAM BYRD Photo by FRANK HERNANDEZ

B

lackberri is one of Houston’s funniest and most famous drag queens. The tireless bearded beauty, who works six days a week throughout the Houston area, is also recognized nationally for her appearance in Facebook’s 2021 Super Bowl commercial. To really appreciate her meteoric rise to drag stardom, though, one must first understand her humble beginnings.

Blackberri, née Darius Vallier, moved to Houston from Louisiana in 2010 to attend the Houston Art Institute. “I went to school for fashion design. One of my friends was a drag queen at the time, and I would use her as a model for some of the pieces I created for college. That got me into the drag world,” she says.

“I figured I could also throw my hat in the ring and start performing in drag.”

And diving in—wig first—is exactly what she did. Blackberri entered Season 7 of Desi’s Drag Race, and after 10 weeks, she won.

“My first night in drag was the first night of Desi’s Drag Race, and that kicked off my drag career. I honestly went into the competition not thinking I would win. But I had a musical theater background, and I could make costumes. I had all the tools to put on a good show.

I went week by week, not thinking I would win, but just doing my best. It turns out that all the chips were laid out for me to win,” she says.

That was in 2016, and Blackberri’s star has

44 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

been rising ever since.

“Desi’s Drag Race started my career, but once the competition is over, it’s all up to the entertainer. It’s a good push, but what do you do with it in the end? I set a goal to get to the level of the entertainers I admired. I continually pushed myself and bettered my craft every week,” she adds. “I started focusing on making better costumes, perfecting my makeup, and working on my hosting skills.

“Because of Desi’s Drag Race, I got to host my own show for a month. Then other bars started reaching out because they thought I was a good host, and that fueled my desire to become an all-around great entertainer.”

“I THINK PRIDE IS AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR KINGS, QUEENS, AND ALL ENTERTAINERS TO EDUCATE PEOPLE AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT DIFFERENT ISSUES.” —Blackberri

Houston’s bars and audiences did indeed take notice. The entertainer currently works at JR’s on Tuesdays, either The Room Bar or Ripcord on Wednesdays, ReBar on Thursdays and Sundays, Hamburger Mary’s on Fridays, and Michael’s Outpost on Saturdays.

With so many performances, Blackberri has to be strategic about carving out free time.

“On a day off, I sleep almost the entire day and maybe do a load of laundry. UberEats has been my best friend. You get into a cycle that’s the same each week; you know what you have to do—running errands, working on costumes, refreshing old wigs. It becomes a pattern that you get into,” she explains.

Then there’s the once-in-a-lifetime gigs— like the time Facebook asked her to appear in their 2021 Super Bowl ad promoting its Groups feature.

“They actually reached out to DM me. I thought it was a scam, and I didn’t initially respond. Then they got my phone number somehow, and they explained the whole situation. It sounded pretty good, so I figured, why not. I had to drive to Austin, and once I saw the setup, I realized how big this was going to be.

We filmed for nine hours. It was an amazing experience. I didn’t know when it would be released, and I didn’t know it was going to be as big as it was.”

The reaction in Houston’s thriving drag community was almost instantaneous.

“My Facebook flooded with people tagging me in pictures and videos. It’s something you don’t expect from a Black, fat bearded queen ➝

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 45

BLACKBERRI | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

from Texas. It was an amazing opportunity, and I’m glad I got to do it. I got to showcase ‘alternative drag’ for Middle America, [where they] probably think I’m the devil,” Blackberri laughs.

Even after carving out a place for herself in Houston’s drag scene, Blackberri still likes to give new performers the same opportunities that she once had. That’s why she created the Drag It On competition, which highlights local up-and-coming hopefuls. “I thought it would be a good idea for me to create something that is inclusive for all forms of drag—AFAB (or Assigned Female At Birth) entertainers, alternative queens, bearded queens. You can showcase your talent, and it’s not graded on who’s the best dancer. [We look for] who’s the most polished in their form of drag. The crowd votes each night, and the judges only critique the performers on what they think will elevate their talent.”

Blackberri just wrapped Drag It On 5–All Stars, which was held at ReBar on Thursday evenings. The competition started with nine contestants in weekly elimination rounds, and culminated with the crowning of Carmina Vavra as the season’s winner.

Now that Pride Month has arrived, Blackberri plans to take her drag out of the bars and into the community.

“I think Pride is an amazing opportunity for kings, queens, and all entertainers to educate people [and raise] awareness about different issues. I do a lot of work with the Montrose Center and Montrose Grace Place each Pride Month. It’s a great time to highlight our heroes in the LGBTQ community. It’s good to step out of the shadows and be in the forefront. I use Pride to better my community any way I can,” she emphasizes.

The performer has also partnered with Chevron for a Drag Queen Story Time event for Chevron employees and their kids at the end of June.

Even though Blackberri likes to give back to the community whenever she can, there’s always a little time for fun, too. “My favorite memory at Pride was meeting Big Freedia and getting to twerk onstage,” she laughs.

Follow Blackberri on Instagram and TikTok @Theblackberri or Facebook @Blackberri.

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PRIDE 2021

Mover and Shaker Jack Wolff is helping pave the way for the next generation of LGBTQ dancers.

By HARPER WATTERS Photo by FRANK HERNANDEZ

H

ouston native Jack Wolff was 6 years old when he took his first tap-dancing class. Three years later, while taking ballet classes, he realized that he wanted to become a professional dancer.

Now 20, Wolff is living his dream as a member of the Corps at Houston Ballet, where he has worked for three years. In his spare time, he has also started teaching other aspiring Houston dancers ballet, tap, and contemporary.

In honor of Pride Month, Wolff—an out and proud dancer—chatted with openly gay Houston Ballet soloist Harper Watters about his background, LGBTQ influences, and the future of dance.

Harper Watters: What is your relationship to the LGBTQ community?

Jack Wolff: I am a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and identify as a cis-gay male. I’ve been out since I was 15 years old, and luckily have a supportive family-andfriends group.

What does Pride mean to you?

For me, Pride is about celebrating who we are, and our queer culture. But it’s also about recognizing how far we have come from our previous oppression, and thanking those who fought so hard for us in the past. Due to their hard work, we can safely have Pride, [be seen by society], and comfortably talk about who we are and who we love. This year, I plan on going big for Pride. I was actually born in June of 2000, so this year I’ll be combining my Pride celebration and my 21st birthday celebration.

I’ll be spending it with friends, family, and coworkers, all of whom have been vaccinated.

I’m lucky to be living in a time where I can be who I am, and feel safe.

48 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

What is the best part about working for the Houston Ballet?

As a member of the Corps at Houston Ballet, I love being in such a large company that [has] so many dancers to look up to. All of us have worked so hard to get to where we are, and we continue to work to keep our careers going. I’m lucky [that I could] start my career in such an accepting and inspiring company.

Have you ever been surprised by what you have discovered about yourself through dance?

There have been many moments of my life in which dance has taught me about myself. I’ve learned that when I’m going through a rough moment, I need to explore and process my feelings rather than compress them. And the best place for me to do that is in the dance studio.

There’s an emotional release that comes with the physical release of dancing, and being in the dance studio so often not only helps me improve upon my art form, but also improves my day-to-day happiness.

What does LGBTQ representation in dance mean to you?

fantasy is the straight Cinderella-type story. I hope to see a male protagonist find his Prince Charming, and portray that story through dance.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I’ve actually started teaching ballet, tap, and contemporary dance classes in the Houston area. I enjoy sharing my love for dance and educating aspiring dancers in their art form.

Apart from the dance studio, I love photography, embroidery, and trying new things with friends.

Favorite gay guilty pleasure on TV and on Instagram?

Honestly, I don’t have any “guilty” pleasures on TV or social media, because I don’t think we should feel guilty about what we like to watch.

Yes, I watch Drag Race and follow gay meme accounts, but I’m proud of it. I believe we need to eliminate any kind of shame that we have about liking something because it would be seen as a “gay guilty pleasure.” We’ve come so far in being proud of who we are; let’s keep that momentum going.

I find that representation in dance is extremely important. Luckily, I have great co-workers and choreographers that I look up to, who are proud members of the LGBTQ+ community.

However, I find there’s a lack of representation when it comes to performances, and what’s presented onstage.

Who are some LGBTQ+ icons that inspire you?

What do you think dance will look like in 10 years?

Overall, I’m very proud to be who I am, and hope to inspire queer dancers and individuals in the future. We’ve come so far, and I know we’ll go even farther.

I feel that within the next 10 years, we will be growing to tell [more] gay, lesbian, trans, and queer stories through the art of dance. And I hope I get to be a part of that representation on stage, to show that not everyone’s dream

RuPaul, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and, most recently, Lil Nas X. Lil Nas X is really bringing awareness to our culture, attitude, and what we like—all through his music and videos.

Any final thoughts?

Keep up with Jack Wolff on Instagram @jackwwolff.

“I’M VERY PROUD TO BE WHO I AM, AND HOPE TO INSPIRE QUEER DANCERS AND INDIVIDUALS IN THE FUTURE. WE’VE COME SO FAR, AND I KNOW WE’LL GO EVEN FARTHER.” —Jack Wolff

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 49

“I’M JUST SO FOCUSED ON THE MUSIC AND BEING ME AND UNAPOLOGETICALLY TRANS. I WANT TO CREATE A BLUEPRINT FOR OTHER LGBT PEOPLE.” —Uncle Tino

50 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

PRIDE 2021

Colorful Commentary Rapper Uncle Tino’s rainbow-themed album was five years in the making.

By ZACH McKENZIE Photo by FRANK HERNANDEZ

K

nown to his fans as “everyone’s youngest tío,” transgender artist Uncle Tino is taking a major step toward making a name for himself in the local rap scene. Formerly known as MC i Ckan Ryme, the 26-yearold Houston native recently underwent a professional rebranding that promises to take his work in a new, more authentic direction. Today, the out and proud rapper is riding the high of his latest album, Color Fool, and is laying the foundation for a bright future in music and activism.

Uncle Tino points to his introduction to slam poetry as one of his early epiphanies as a writer, which later translated to his raps. A desire to take his creative hobby to the next level led the musician to take matters into his own hands.

“I just kind of figured out how to do it,” he says in regard to creating his own music. “I went online and looked up a couple of videos on how to record at home. I have a desk mic that’s pretty flimsy, [so I used] a Guitar Hero mic.”

The innovative use of that video-game attachment held the keys to Uncle Tino’s kingdom.

“I looked up how to record internal sound through the mic, and found a website that explained how to make beats. I started to write, and just kept going and didn’t stop.”

Pulling inspiration from the likes of Mac Miller and the titans of other genres, Uncle Tino speaks about his latest Color Fool album, which began as a commentary on the colors in the Pride rainbow flag. “I wanted to write an album that was about how colors make you feel. It was originally based off of the LGBT flag, but then we added more colors,” he says, laughing. “I wanted to base it off of things I’ve felt while transitioning, [while also] making it relatable to everyone.

The album started five years ago with a song titled “Blue”—a project that Uncle Tino’s

producer and best friend was working on. “I listened to it and thought it was amazing,” Uncle Tino recalls. “He sent me another beat titled ‘Green’ and I was like, ‘Yo, this is sick’ and I wrote a song about my grievances and observations about money.” Then the color theme took off. “I said, ‘F--k it, let’s do the rest of the rainbow flag.’ It was going to be my stand, like, ‘I’m here and queer—get used to it.’ During this process, I was really coming into my trans identity.”

Like all musicians, the rapper yearns for the post-pandemic day when he can once again perform for a crowd. “I love this album a lot, and it’s a lot of fun. It’s going to be so much better when I can play it live, and continue to develop the show and make it different and better each time. Performing is one of the big reasons why I love making music. I love being able to jam out to my own stuff and see other people jam out, as well.”

A collaborator by nature, Uncle Tino reflects on his experiences working alongside other rappers and musicians. “So far, I feel like [being trans] hasn’t been as harmful as people may think it is, but maybe I’m just oblivious,” he says. “I’m just so focused on the music and being me and unapologetically trans. [I want to create] a blueprint for other LGBT people.”

Life off the stage isn’t always as affirming, though, Uncle Tino notes. “I’ve had things

shouted at me before, but not as a performer onstage. I can detect the disrespect and confusion of others, wondering if I’m a male or female. I’ve been caught in that limbo with other rappers.”

Although the rap genre is a form of protest by nature, Uncle Tino chooses to focus first on the music, and then on activism. “I don’t think I’ve gotten to [the activism] part of my music writing yet. I definitely want to,” he says earnestly. “Right now, I’m just trying to get a bit more known as an artist. I don’t think I’ve reached the part where I’m using my platform to spread a message, as I was with my previous album.”

Acknowledging the power that music has, Uncle Tino is more than happy to join the masses and work his way to the forefront of the movement. “[My previous album wasn’t] so much open activism, it was me marching from behind, trying to get to the front. It was me speaking my truth and asking, ‘Does anyone else feel this way, or am I the only one?’ I’m trying to inch up to the activism part as a trans guy who raps, when rappers maybe aren’t as comfortable with trans people.”

Without hesitation, Uncle Tino speaks directly to LGBTQ folks who are hesitant to fully embrace their artistic passions. “You don’t grow if you’re comfortable. You definitely don’t become you if you’re comfortable. You need to be comfortable being uncomfortable,” he emphasizes. “That’s my mantra as I live as a person in transition. There are things you can’t change about yourself, and things you can change. You need to be wise enough to know the difference, and do what the fuck you love to do. There’s always someone out there that can take something away from your art, so it’s important that you are proud of what you do, and do what’s best for you with love and grace.”

For more information on Uncle Tino, visit linktr.ee/reallyuncletino.

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JUNE 2021 51

Phyllis Frye holds a photo of her late wife, Trish.

52 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

PRIDE 2021

A Life Well Loved Transgender judge Phyllis Frye’s journey to acceptance began with her late wife, Trish.

By KIM OGG

In Houston and across the country, Phyllis Frye’s name is synonymous with words like trailblazer, icon, and legend. As the first openly transgender judge in the nation, Frye made headlines during her years of pioneering activism in the transgender community.

But she did not do it alone. For 47 years, Patricia “Trish” Dooley Frye, her wife and best friend, stood with her in public and wiped her tears away in private.

Before meeting Trish, Phyllis graduated from Texas A&M with an engineering degree, married for the first time, and became a lieutenant in the Army. But then as she struggled with her gender identity, her life started falling apart and she soon became suicidal. She was forced to resign from the military, and then she divorced from her first wife.

Phyllis met Trish, a school teacher, through a mutual friend in 1972, before Phyllis had started to socially transition. Trish died of brain cancer in September of 2020. As a tribute to her late wife, Phyllis sat down with Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who had long been inspired by the groundbreaking couple during the years she spent navigating Houston’s legal landscape as an out lesbian.

Kim Ogg: Tell me about marrying Trish and coming out to her as transgender.

Phyllis Frye: We got married in 1973 [when] I was 25 and she was 29. Let me tell you, she was an independent lady, and so incredibly brave.

When we met, I was still trying to be “a guy” even though I knew I wasn’t. I was screwed up.

I had just been run out of the military. I was in the middle of a divorce. I was in the middle of

a guilt trip. [My] wrist was in stitches. I was trying to find help in religion. But I was honest with her. I opened up to her, and she said, “Oh, well, I’ve never heard about that before, but you’re a very nice person and I can still be your friend.”

And now, being accepted has changed and the law has also changed. When did you decide to use your legal skills to change the world?

I became a lawyer by accident. The University of Houston had a joint MBA and law-degree program. I was originally going for an MBA and I thought, “What the hell—maybe when I become a lawyer, I can scare the hell out of the neighbors and get their kids to leave us alone.”

And that’s why I became a lawyer.

So, harassment was the motivator?

Absolutely! [Laughs]

Was Trish patient or angry about the discrimination that the two of you faced?

She was pissed. We had our house egged a lot.

We [also] had our driveway spray-painted, our tires slashed, and soiled baby diapers dumped out on the front porch. We didn’t give out candy at Halloween. We were scared that if a kid in the neighborhood got poisoned, we would be blamed.

It sounds like she was very centered. It seems like a lot of us in the LGBT community find ourselves in dramatic situations, especially in our younger years.

She was much more centered than I was.

We met in September of ’72. We started dating off and on in October, and fell in love in January. In February, I was fired from my job as an engineer for cross-dressing. I found a job in Pittsburgh, and she said, “If you’ll come back in June, I’ll marry you.” She was gutsy.

Patricia was a schoolteacher. Did she face discrimination in the workplace like you did?

(I know you faced discrimination not just from my predecessor, but from many of the attorneys we both practiced with.)

No one would hire me. Trish’s legal name is Patricia, and at work she was known as Pat. That was her closet. She didn’t come out at work.

She was very protective of that. She had to be.

She was working with children, and if you had any kind of LGBTQ identity at that time, [people believed] you didn’t deserve to be around children. Did she face that?

She didn’t. But she knew it would happen, and she was scared of it. You have to remember ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 53

PHYLLIS FRYE | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

that the first Christmas after I transitioned in ’76, we were struggling so badly [to make ends meet] that our church brought us food because we were ‘the poor family.’

I think she found my honesty refreshing.

And just to skip ahead 48 years, when Trish got sick, I had to watch her die every day for 13 months. [Pause to wipe away tears] And I grieved during that time. And then she passed almost eight months ago, and I’ve been grieving since then. But it gets a little easier. I still cry, but not as often. We had such a good love that I want love again. Not everybody [gets that kind of love]. I did. And six weeks ago, love found me again. Another woman has fallen in love with me, so I must be doing something right.

And then did you get court appointments?

Yes, that’s what saved us. I started getting appointments, and I found out I was a really good lawyer.

As a member of the LGBTQ community, you inspired me because you were pushing the envelope, and you did it as a professional lawyer. It was impossible to discredit your professionalism, so the attacks were merely personal.

Well, I think you’re a unique property, to say the least, and a good catch at any time.

It’s interesting that last June, when Trish was still alive, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1964 Civil Rights act, with respect to employment nondiscrimination based on sex, included sexual orientation and gender identification. I know for a fact that if I had not done all that I had done back then, [the court ruling] would not have included gender identification.

It was very liberating for both of us.

What do you think Trish saw in you that led her to sign up for such a controversial life?

And when COVID is over, I’ll be back on the bench in person.

Since you intend to continue working as a lawyer and judge, do you have a message for our colleagues in the profession?

Phyllis Frye (l) and Kim Ogg

Yeah. If you’re queer, come out of the closet.

You’ve got to come out of the closet. You’re crazy. You’re terrified. You’re dealing with so much angst if you’re worried about what other people are going to think. They’re going to think what they’re going think anyway.

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56 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

PRIDE 2021

Capturing Houston’s LGBTQ History The Banner Project creators Sara Fernandez and Kirk Baxter discuss their educational pop-up exhibit.

By BRANDON WOLF

H

ouston lesbian activist Sara Fernandez was visiting museums in New York City in the spring of 2013 when she first became inspired to bring her hometown’s LGBTQ history to life.

While the exhibits she visited there were not highlighting the LGBTQ community, LGBTQ history was included in both. One exhibit documented queer life on the Lower East Side in 1993. The other featured a permanent display of 20th-century activists that included suffragettes, civil-rights icons, and gay-liberation pioneers.

After returning from New York, Fernandez shared her dream of creating a Houston LGBTQ history exhibit with the Houston Area Rainbow Collective History (ARCH), an organization that encourages cooperation among local LGBTQ historians.

Later, when it was announced that Houston would be the site of the National LGBTQ Task Force’s 2014 Creating Change conference, Fernandez attended early planning meetings and convinced the organizers to let her display a Houston LGBTQ history timeline.

“When I first learned that the project was approved, I was thrilled,” Fernandez remembers. “Shortly thereafter, there was a hurricane of thoughts: where would I find the history, who would work with me, how would we cover the costs, and was I out of my realm? I stayed motivated because I was optimistic about getting the community to support this project.”

Fernandez eventually decided to go with a visual timeline consisting of 27 banners, each one measuring about 2 feet wide and 5 feet tall.

Those banners would be hung side-by-side

to create an eye-catching overview of events, people, and organizations that made a difference in Houston’s LGBTQ community from 1930 to 2003.

Fernandez worked with local LGBTQ history buffs to decide on the 27 topics to feature on her banners. Historian JD Doyle, who became deeply involved with the project, provided her with numerous photographs for each banner. The topics included key events such as the controversial Anita Bryant protest in 1977 and the shocking murder of gay banker Paul Broussard in 1991.

“THAT IS WHAT THE BANNERS ARE ABOUT: LIFTING UP MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, BOTH PAST AND PRESENT.” —Sara Fernandez

Fernandez approached gay Houston graphic artist Kirk Baxter to design the banners.

The two had met after the iconic Mary’s bar was sold. Baxter had organized a Make Mary’s Matter campaign to memorialize the popular gay bar’s history.

Baxter recalls his initial hesitation to take on the banner-design project. “At first, I was very apprehensive. I am self-employed, and this was to be a pro-bono project, which was fine, but I was extremely busy with office projects and deadlines.”

With just two weeks until the banners were to be exhibited at the Creating Change conference, a final design still hadn’t been decided on. “After talking with Sara over the phone, I realized that I needed to step up and do this for the community. Sara had talked with others, but they had restrictions. My work does involve exhibit design, so it became a natural fit.”

With the production cost of the banners estimated at $2,500, Baxter and Fernandez found the funding they needed through the Kellett Foundation and other generous community benefactors.

After successfully displaying their banners at the 2014 Creating Change conference, Fernandez and Kirk’s project continued to grow.

The pop-up exhibit has been displayed at many LGBTQ galas, and has also been featured in the University of Houston’s MD Anderson Library each year in October since 2016. In April, the banners were displayed at the Houston Rockets’ first LGBTQ Pride Night at the Toyota Center.

The Banner Project now includes 46 banners that showcase Houston’s LGBTQ history through 2020. The newest banner celebrates the life of the late Monica Roberts, a Black trans activist and award-winning journalist who created the nationally recognized TransGriot blog.

“Thanks to Tammi Wallace and the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, who connected us with the Rockets, we have become more visible and demand for the banners has increased,” Fernandez says. “It is exciting to see new requests, but it’s also a bit overwhelming since there is work involved in managing the banners.”

Between exhibits, the banners are carefully rolled up in acid-free paper and placed into large packing cartons. Then they are stored ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 57

THE BANNER PROJECT | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

in Fernandez’s closet. “That keeps the exhibit very compact,” she laughs. “I have a small closet!”

Baxter says his design work for the Banner Project feels very rewarding. “The banners have been in existence for seven years now, and have been displayed at a variety of venues. That kind of exposure gives me a sense of pride that they are being seen outside of our community,” he says. “The response has been enthusiastic!”

Fernandez, 69, was born and raised in El Paso. She moved to Houston in 1994 when her husband was transferred here for his job.

She has two children and two grandchildren.

Outside of the Banner Project, she is currently involved with the Association for Family and Community Integrity (AFCI) and their UnderstandingGay.org website, and is also busy recording oral histories from local LGBTQ activists.

Baxter, 65, is a native of Washington, DC. He moved to Houston in 1981 with an architectural firm he was working for. He is currently involved with The oH Project, a local collection of AIDS oral histories. He also does pro-bono graphics work for a variety of local LGBTQ groups.

Join Join powerhouse powerhouse vocalist, vocalist, and and Houston Houston native, who gained national notoriety as a semi-finalist on America’s got Talent for an evening of story and song, in what

CHRISTINA CALLS HER “LOVE LETTER TO HOUSTON.” 58 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Baxter says he has learned a great deal about Houston’s LGBTQ history through his involvement with the Banner Project. “I am so grateful that I took it on. It has been a very eyeopening experience for me personally, as I have come to recognize the depth and importance of Houston’s gay community to our city, and to our nation.”

Fernandez agrees. “This project gives me great joy. My feelings are a reflection of the joy and pride that I see in the faces of people who are looking at the banners. That is what the banners are about: [lifting up] members of the community, both past and present.”

The Banner Project can be accessed online at houstonwehavehistory.org.

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PRIDE 2021

Modeling Confidence Madelyn and Margo Whitley take the fashion world by storm.

T

ransgender twins Madelyn and Margo Whitley became interested in modeling after they both started to transition. Shopping for clothes and watching runway shows was how they explored their fashion tastes. “Then one day, we thought to ourselves, ‘Wait, we can do this too—we can be the girls in catalogs and on the runways.’”

So as soon as the 20-year-old Houston natives finished high school, they moved to New York and made a fast name for themselves as models. Today, they are represented by agencies across the globe—Page Parkes Texas, Nous Model Management in L.A., Marilyn New York, The Face Paris, Why Not Models in Milan, PRM in London—and have walked with the likes of Maison Margiela, Burberry, and Marc Jacobs.

“Those [opportunities] have made the most impact in our community and in the modeling world,” they say. “But don’t fret! Bigger things are coming soon, and we can’t wait to share that.”

Jessica Zyrie, a fellow trans model and activist, sat down with Margo and Madelyn to discuss fashion, Pride Month, and more.

Jessica Zyrie: When I was younger, I struggled with finding positive trans representation and felt lonely in my feelings.

This ultimately prolonged my transition.

What was your journey to living openly in your truth while being identical twins?

Madelyn Whitley: It’s a tricky situation to transition with your twin. Because the process is so individual and deeply personal, we felt really alone in our worlds. It wasn’t until after Margo had started transitioning that we really relied on each other for support. Trans 60 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

By JESSICA ZYRIE Photo by @KRISTINAVARAKSINA Styling by @FOREVERYEO Makeup by @SEUNGHEE_MUA representation has come a long way, but it’s still inadequate. So having your best friend going through the exact same things was really helpful.

Both of you are absolutely stunning! I imagine you came out of the womb ready for the runway. What inspired you to get into modeling?

Margo Whitley: Our mom always told us that, as babies, we always gravitated toward the camera rather than shying away from it. That, and our unique view on gendered fashion really inspired us to model.

As a model, it’s imperative to be able to rock anything. How would you describe your own personal styles?

Madelyn: Our own styles are dark, with a hint of fun gothic inspiration. We like to wear pieces that make us feel girly and a little provocative. Having fun with silhouettes and textures brought us to our gothic schoolgirl looks that we often wear.

Pride Month is here! What does Pride mean to you?

Margo: To us, Pride is about being confident and comfortable in your skin. It’s about just letting loose from societal expectations and having fun!

Do you have any specific ways you typically like to celebrate Pride, or any plans for this year?

Madelyn: Typically, we love the Pride parades and enjoy the festivities. Because of the pandemic, Pride might look a little different this year, but we will definitely be celebrating our trans identities!

I understand the importance of being

remembered as individuals—more than being known for your trans identities, or as models, or even as twins. What do you two want to be remembered for?

Margo: We want to be remembered as kind and caring, and as people you can always talk to.

Models have a bad rep for being stuck up and rude, but we’ve found it’s just the opposite. We want to be there for our trans community, and help in any way we can. If anyone ever needs to talk, we welcome it happily!

I’ve stalked you both quite a bit, and love how you radiate self-love and confidence.

You’ve discussed how fashion is a way to make a statement about identity without using words. Who are your fashion icons, and why?

Madelyn: Our fashion icons change all the time. Currently, we’re totally obsessed with the entire cast of Pose, [and of course] Sora Choi, and Paris Hilton. We love each of them for different reasons—the Pose cast for their colors and creativity; Sora for her edgy, unapologetic streetwear; and Paris for her bold wardrobe that shows plenty of skin. We like to channel a little bit of all of them!

You both are definitely influencers of the present moment, and you understand the importance of living in the now. However, if you had a time machine and could travel to the future or back to the past, what would you tell your future or past selves?

Margo: If we could time travel, we totally would. We wish we could [go back and] tell ourselves that we’re more alike than we know, and to always support each other. We’ve always done that, but being able to say, “It gets better.

You guys are going to be okay!” would mean a lot to us. Plus, [telling our past selves] to start on hormones earlier wouldn’t hurt!

“WE WANT TO BE THERE FOR OUR TRANS COMMUNITY, AND HELP IN ANY WAY WE CAN.” —Margo Whitley

Keep up with Madelyn (l) and Margo Whitley on Instagram @maddie.whitley and @margo.whitley.

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 61

PRIDE 2021

A Bright Future Brandt Wild’s turbulent high-school years have inspired him to become an advocate for LGBTQ teens.

By DAVID WEBB

As a new 2021 graduate of the University of HoustonDowntown, Brandt Wild is looking forward to a bright future in the legal profession. But that future seemed almost impossible to him when he dropped out of high school as a troubled gay teenager.

“When I was younger I had good grades, but I didn’t care in high school,” Wild recalls. “One thing led to another. I made poor choices.” After dropping out of Katy’s Cypress Lake High School in his junior year, Wild said he began “running with the wrong crowd” and wound up in jail for a few days. “That was the turning point for me,” he says. “It wasn’t fun at all.”

“I WOULD LIKE TO BE AN [ADVOCATE FOR THAT] YOUNG PERSON WHO IS IN TROUBLE. THAT SEEMS TO BE IN LINE WITH HOW I WANT TO HELP AND ADVOCATE FOR THE COMMUNITY.” The ambitious 25-year-old’s story is an example of how the criminal-justice system can actually succeed in turning a person’s life around.

Why he “acted out” as a youth is a bit of a mystery to Wild these days. He doubts that it had anything to do with his sexual orientation, since he always knew he was gay and he doesn’t recall experiencing discrimination or bullying. His family was mostly supportive, except for a now-resolved rough patch with his father. If being gay had anything to ➝

62 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX ROSA

—Brandt Wild

BRANDT WILD | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

do with his problems, he notes that it would only have been on a subconscious level. “I’ve never unpacked that. I’ve kind of always been myself. I never had a ‘coming out.’”

Wild’s criminal record was expunged after he successfully completed his probation, so he has put that episode behind him while expressing gratitude for the outcome. His community-service assignment turned out to be at the Special Pals animal shelter, where he took care of homeless pets and cleaned their cages. He enjoyed the time there so much that he continued volunteering after completing his court-ordered service. “I was lucky that it was not hard labor,” he notes. “It was nice.”

After the court granted Wild an early release from probation for “doing everything by the book,” he came to realize that an education was essential to his ongoing plans for self-improvement. He enrolled at Lone Star College-Cy Fair to earn his GED, and a professor there urged him to complete an associate’s degree with an emphasis on criminal justice and philosophy. “I had a slow start,” he notes.

“I had no idea what I was doing. In hindsight, it looks like it was a good decision for me.”

He went on to UHD after community

college and became involved in the school’s Center for Community Engagement & Service Learning (CCESL) before his graduation last month. In the CCESL program, Wild volunteered with animal shelters, elementary schools, and local organizations, earning a grant to continue his work. He also served as president of Texas Rising’s UHD chapter.

That volunteer organization of young people engages in community organizing, election politics, and policy advocacy. He recently testified against the anti-trans bills at the Texas Capitol, and he has also researched the rise in violence against transgender people and the controversial “gay panic” defense that attorneys often invoke to excuse their clients’ violence against LGBTQ victims.

Through the UHD honors program, Wild helped to build a closer relationship between City government and the LGBTQ community.

He was recently nominated to Mayor Turner’s LGBTQ Advisory Board, and he will begin his board service this summer.

Wild has earned the respect of UH officials and other students, according to Caroline Smith, associate director of CCESL. “He is a success story for himself, and a great inspira-

tion to others. He’s got the heart, the soul, and the drive.”

Wild has lived at home throughout his college years, so law school would be his first time living on his own. He is single, but that could change now that his graduation has taken a big weight off of his shoulders. “I wouldn’t shun the idea. You never know. I have some free time coming.”

Wild’s immediate plans are to continue with his job at Amazon while he applies to law schools and prepares for the LSAT exam, with the goal of enrolling in the fall of 2022. He has an eye on nine schools, including the University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University, South Texas College of Law, and a few out-of-state schools.

After graduation from law school, Wild wants to work in civil-rights law with an emphasis on the LGBTQ community. “I would like to be an [advocate for that] young person who is in trouble. That seems to be in line with how I want to help and advocate for the community.”

Keep up with Brandt Wild on Instagram @b.r.wild

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PRIDE 2021

A Sparkling Advocate Diamond Stylz rose from adversity to lead Black Transwomen, Inc.

By MARENE GUSTIN Photo by FRANK HERNANDEZ

C

arbon atoms had to endure eons of heat and pressure to become the dazzling, precious gemstones we know today. Houston’s aptly named Diamond Stylz also endured a great deal of resistance on her way to becoming a recognized national leader and trans activist.

The 40-year-old Indiana native knew early on that she was a woman. Even though she enrolled at Arlington High School in Indianapolis under her birth name, she presented herself as a teenage girl. Because her mother had been incarcerated, she became legally emancipated at age 16 and was living in her own apartment.

And like any teen girl in her final year of high school, she was looking forward to her senior prom. “It was a big event for us,” she recalls. “Girls would plan their prom dresses months in advance and put down deposits for seamstresses.” After Stylz bought her dream dress, a beautiful black gown, the school principal called her in two days before the event and told her she could not wear a dress to the prom.

“I was devastated,” Stylz says. “I told my English teacher, and she gave me a lawyer’s business card. She also told me not to tell anyone where I got it.” Stylz was soon talking to Kenneth J. Falk, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana. The ACLU got a federal judge to rule the next day that her choice of attire was a protected form of speech, and she got to wear her gown to prom.

The landmark First Amendment civil-rights case went on to make national news.

But that triumph was short-lived. When Stylz enrolled at Jackson State University in conservative Jackson, Mississippi, as the first student to come out as a trans woman, she was forced to live in a men’s dorm. She recalls people driving out from town just to stare at her, and a fellow student even tried to throw boiling water on her. But she hung on at Jackson State until her junior year, when she had to return home to care for her 12-year-old brother after their mother again went to prison.

68 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Later, Stylz was fired from a job at Hewlett Packard for being trans. “They straight up told me that’s why I was being fired,” she says.

With no other options, she turned to sex work to support herself and her brother. With money coming in, she began to get surgeries to further her transition.

After she was finally able to get out of sex work, she found herself homeless with $57 to her name. A Houston trans woman she had met in an online chat room offered her a couch, and she moved to the city. That’s when things really turned around for Stylz.

She soon found a good job and moved to her own apartment. “In 2008, I was the first Black trans woman to have a YouTube channel partnered by Google,” she says. “It was bringing in $2,500 a month, and I was managing a Bath & Body Works in Rice Village and making $63,000 a year there.” She was also able to finish her college psychology degree online.

Because of her YouTube status, she and the late Monica Roberts were recruited to help start Black Transwomen, Inc (BTWI), a national nonprofit organization based near Dallas.

BTWI was created to empower and aid African American trans women. In 2020, Stylz become BTWI’s executive director. “Right before COVID hit,” she says. “Every issue [that Black trans women] had—such as homelessness and food shortages—was exacerbated. It was a very difficult time.”

BTWI was able to help trans women find temporary shelter, and they launched a national food pantry that also supplied COVID personal protective equipment. The nonprofit also started a nationwide program to bail out nonviolent detainees after Layleen Polanco, a Black trans woman, died in 2019 under mysterious circumstances in a New York City jail when she couldn’t raise the $500 bond for misdemeanor charges.

“We don’t have a lot of money,” Stylz says of BTWI, “but we do what we can.”

Stylz is also a singer, songwriter, and journalist in addition to co-hosting the

popular Marsha’s Plate podcast. Named for trans woman Marsha P. Johnson, who ignited the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City, Marsha’s Plate is a weekly show where Stylz, Mia Mix, and Zahir “Zee” Raye offer a global platform to advocate for trans rights. Founded in 2017 as a response to the Trump presidency, it gives trans people a voice.

Despite gains on the federal level, many states (including Texas) are still trying to erode trans rights. In Austin, the Texas State Legislature introduced at least a dozen pieces of anti-trans legislation during 2021. After each of these bills failed, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick publicly asked Governor Greg Abbott to call a special session in June to advance one of those bills, which would limit trans students’ access to gender-affirming school sports.

“I think it’s deplorable that they are trying to use trans people and trans children for their own political gain,” Stylz says. “I think it’s ridiculous. Parents supporting trans children should not be criminalized. [Anti-trans politicians] are desperate, and we’re the target. But we won’t stop.

“My life is stable now, but I can’t say it’s good because every week we have trans women of color being murdered. We are being slaughtered like pigs in this culture of hate.”

But still, she has hope.

“We have passed the torch from Marsha P. Johnson and our own Monica Roberts. I feel like we will win, over time,” she says.

As a trans woman, Stylz feels a bit strange about Pride Month.

“They may ignore us the rest of the year, but we get the most donations and attention during Pride,” she says. “It feels like a bit of a performance, but ultimately Pride is when we really get to shine. Pride is about not being alone.”

For more information on Black Transwomen Inc., visit blacktranswomen.org.

Keep up with Diamond Stylz on Instagram @ diamondstylz.

“WE HAVE PASSED THE TORCH FROM MARSHA P. JOHNSON AND OUR OWN MONICA ROBERTS. I FEEL LIKE WE WILL WIN, OVER TIME.” —Diamond Stylz

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 69

SCENE OUT Photos by Dalton DeHart and Crew

On May 15, a special Eagle Scout court of honor ceremony was held for scouts Andrew Stevens at William Walker at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. Pictured are Sarah Hwang, Sophia Hwang, Andrew Stevens, Nicholas Walker, William Walker, and husbands Hal and Steve Walker.

On May 16, local artist John Ross Palmer debuted his Incredible Beaches of the World exhibit at Braemar Houston.

Pictured are Tommy Calais, Rosa Pollard, Earl Herst, Avm Hawkins, John Palmer, Sabrina Hurst.

On May 22, Ciro Flores and John Heinzerling were married at the home of Tom Ragouse and Tony Castro.

Pictured are Jeremy Garcia, Ciro Flores, Bill Heinzerling, John Heinzerling, and Michael Mathews.

On May 27, Doug Smith and Happy Lee Yan Lung celebrated their marriage with a party at Neon Boots Dancehall & Saloon. Pictured are Doug Smith and Happy Lee Yan Lung. The couple was married in Napa, California a week earlier.

On May 22, Chris Christpher Properties presented a Pet Pics in the Park fundraiser at Bering Church. Pictured are Christopher Cerda, CEO and Broker of Chris Christopher Properties; Robyn Arouty, Houston’s premier pet photographer; and Dr. Charlene Flash, CEO of Avenue 360.

Houston District C City Councilmember Abbie Kamin partnered with the Montrose Center to provide free pet food to those needing assistance. Pictured are volunteers and staff from the Montrose Center.

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PRIDE 2021

Houston Dash Pride Night

Pride All Month Long Over a dozen celebrations that you won’t want to miss.

By ADRIANA SALAZAR

After a year of COVID-19 restrictions, Houston is finally reopening just in time for Pride Month.

There is lots of lost time to make up for, and OutSmart has you covered with this Houston Pride guide featuring over a dozen local events.

72 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

June 1

HOUSTON DYNAMO SOCCER FOR ALL The Houston Dynamo presents Soccer for All during their home game versus Sporting Kansas City. The event celebrates fans of every race, gender identity, and sexual orientation to show that soccer is everyone’s game. Dynamo players will celebrate the LGBTQ community by wearing Pride shirts, and you can bid on auction items throughout the month to benefit the team’s charity work. tinyurl.com/x4uvbxmw

June 6

KEITH AND DEXTER PRESENT THE GIMME LIFE DAY PARTY Head over to Belvedere Uptown Park for the

Gimme Life Day Party, a Pride-themed celebration of equality brought to you by gay Houston couple Keith Clarke and Dexter Williams. The event features music from DJ Sean “Panda” Royal and Louisiana-style cuisine by Chef Kesha B. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. tinyurl.com/7yyzppat

June 7–13

KEMAH PRIDE WEEK The City of Kemah celebrates its first-ever Pride Week. The event is sponsored by Kemah business owners and features several vendors and Pride activities. To become a sponsor or vendor, visit Kemah Pride Week’s Facebook page. tinyurl.com/ydynhxpv ➝

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PRIDE CALENDAR | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

June 12

THE PRIDE RUN After being postponed last year, the Pride Run is back in full force. Everyone that registered last year will be automatically transferred to this year’s event. The LGBTQ-themed run features 5K and 10K race options, and the entry fee includes a Pride Run shirt, a medal, post-party access, a race bib, and a beverage at the finish line. thepriderun.org/houston/

June 12

RAINBOW - PRIDE POOL PARTY AND TALENT SHOWCASE Rated Boujie presents Rainbow, a Pride pool party and talent showcase at the Northwest Houston Holiday Inn hotel on Beltway 8. This event features vendors, drag entertainment, and a talent show to close out the night. tinyurl.com/c4aythvw

ion accessories created by local queer artists.

All Montrose Art Market T-shirt profits will benefit Pride Pantry, an LGBTQ-affirming food pantry hosted by Barcode Houston. tinyurl.com/3zz9m7nw

June 12

June 13

PRIDE MARKET The Montrose Art Market presents its monthly LGBTQ vendor sale in the parking lot of South Beach. This month’s event is Pride-themed and showcases crafts, paintings, wall art, and fash-

The Pride Run

PEARLAND PRIDE PARADE Join the Pearland Youth Movement for its first-ever Pearland Pride Parade. The organization is currently looking for sponsors and vendors for their LGBTQ event, and they hope

to kick-start future Pride events in Pearland. tinyurl.com/y6fesujb

June 16

ASTROS PRIDE NIGHT It’s been a long time coming, but the Houston Astros will finally host their first Pride Night at Minute Maid Park when they play the Texas Rangers. The historic event was delayed one year due to the pandemic. Single game tickets are on sale now. tinyurl.com/584u5zcm ➝

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74 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

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June 18

DINE WITH PRIDE AT SHAKE SHACK Go to any Houston-area Shake Shack for Dine with Pride, a fundraising event that donates 25 percent of your Shake Shack tab to Pride Houston, the LGBTQ organization that plans the city’s annual Pride celebration. To participate, tell your cashier that you are “dining with Pride” and show the flyer available on Pride Houston’s website. tinyurl.com/53k8em43

June 19

PRIDE ART SHOW AT HARDY & NANCE STUDIOS Hardy & Nance Studios’ annual Pride Art Show is a free event featuring 2D and 3D artwork that promotes dignity and equality through positive forms of expression. The submissions deadline for the show is June 3. tinyurl.com/5f87smzx

June 19

KINKY CIRCUS Numbers Nightclub presents Kinky Circus, a Pride party featuring circus performers and local vendors. Costumes, gear, or any outfit that showcases your personality is encouraged. General-admission tickets go on sale June 4 at 9 a.m. tinyurl.com/dej3enef

June 24

PRIDE IN BUSINESS CELEBRATION The Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce hosts the Pride in Business Celebration to highlight the importance of LGBTQ- and ally-owned businesses in the Houston economy. Sponsor opportunities are available to promote your company and support the event. tinyurl.com/4kbe7yvp

June 24

MELISSA MURRAY Platinum Realtor®

76 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

DNVRMX PRESENTS A HOUSTON PRIDE WEEKEND This three-day long community celebration features five parties and nine international DJs. Tickets to all five Friday events are available on DNVRMX’s Eventbrite page. tinyurl.com/7ttjymdn

June 24

VIRTUAL RAINBOW ON THE GREEN Discovery Green’s Rainbow on the Green is going virtual this year. Celebrate the LGBTQ event’s tenth anniversary with performances

by Ada Vox, Tye Blue, and Angelina DM Trailz.

Virtual Rainbow on the Green will be filmed in front of a small audience from Legacy Community Health, and feature a 10-year Rainbow retrospective presented by Barry Mandel. tinyurl.com/esd6sku5 ➝

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PRIDE CALENDAR | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

June 25

HOUSTON MONTROSE PRIDE BLOCK PARTY Eagle Houston presents a three-day-long Pride block party in Montrose. The event, which is sponsored by EFFEN Vodka and Bud Light, features tunes by Billboard DJs Jimmy Skinner and Joe Ross, food from Eagle Eats, and a full lineup of Pride festivities. tinyurl.com/dzzd6rnr

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Houston’s LGBTQ Magazine

RAM PARTY - HOUSTON PRIDE Daddy Esrin and ReBar present RAM Party for Pride weekend. All types of gear are encouraged for this New York-style underground gear party, and DJs Danny Verde and Rue D will be on the turntables all night long. tinyurl.com/bmk9pbp5

June 26–27

PRIDE, LOVE WINS Evny Events by Anvy presents Pride, Love Wins is a two-day event at the Holiday Inn hotel on Beltway 8 in Northwest Houston. The LGBTQ celebration includes a pool party, vendors, food, DJs, and the crowning of the Envy Pride king and queen. tinyurl.com/2cnfz27t

June 29

HOUSTON DASH PRIDE NIGHT The Dynamo Dash Youth Soccer Club presents the Houston Dash Pride Night, an LGBTQthemed event and soccer game against the Portland Thorns FC at BBVA Stadium. Attendees will receive a free Dash Pride T-shirt. tinyurl.com/x4uvbxmw

June–July

WE GOT PRIDE The Mahogany Project presents We Got Pride, a Black TQLB+ virtual Pride experience with events running throughout June and July.

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PRIDE 2021

Playing with Pride Three local sports teams host Pride-themed games this month.

By DAVID WEBB

O

ne year after the Houston Astros first announced plans to inaugurate their annual Pride celebrations, that promise is becoming a reality.

When the Astros face off against the Texas Rangers on June 16 at Minute Maid Park, it will be happening on their first annual Pride Night. The celebration will be a historic event for Houston’s LGBTQ community because both Major League Baseball (MLB) teams lagged behind the rest of the league in adopting the tradition, according to the LGBTQ sports publication Outsports. The Texas Rangers are now the lone holdout among the 30 MLB teams.

Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce President Tammi Wallace says the staging of a Pride celebration by the Astros is important—both to the LGBTQ community and to the city’s economic development. Events like these can show the nation that Houston lives up to its promise of being an open, inclusive, and welcoming city.

“I’ve been to tons of Astro games over 36 years, but it’s a whole different experience when we walk through the doors of the stadium to celebrate Pride,” Wallace says. “It speaks volumes about the team, and about our city.”

The Astros’ Pride celebration is just one of the Pride Nights that the LGBT Chamber has been encouraging Houston’s sports teams to host, including the Houston Dash, the Houston

80 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Dynamo, the Houston Rockets, and the Houston SaberCats. Those teams have each had (or will have) LGBTQ-themed events this year.

The Astros had announced a Pride celebration at a June 2020 game, but pandemic restrictions canceled those plans. “We were incredibly disappointed that we couldn’t hold a Pride Night. We had been working on big plans with them.”

The Chicago Cubs started the Pride Night tradition among MLB clubs in 2001, and their event is now called Out at Wrigley Field.

After reading the discouraging story published by Outsports, Wallace decided to reach out to Astros management. She drafted a letter to owner Jim Crane that pointed out how diverse Houston is, and the negative optics of his team being viewed nationally as behind the times. “It was a huge miss not to have a Pride Night. To their credit, they were very supportive.”

Only two MLB players are known to have been openly gay. Glenn Lawrence Burke, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Oakland Athletics, came out as gay to his teams’ owners and teammates. Burke is

credited with inventing the “high-five” tradition after he ran on the field to congratulate a player for hitting a home run. He finally came out publicly by saying, “They can’t ever say now that a gay man can’t play in the majors, because I’m a gay man and I made it.” Sadly, Burke died of AIDS-related causes in 1995.

In 1999, MLB player Bill Bean revealed his sexual orientation, but not until four years after his retirement.

The Houston Rockets had also planned a Pride celebration for 2020 that had to be canceled, and it finally happened this year at a game on April 14. The Rockets are now one of the few National Basketball Association (NBA) teams observing Pride with an LGBTQthemed event. The Golden State Warriors hosted the first NBA Pride celebration in 2018.

Rick Welts, the team’s former president, is openly gay.

The Rockets reached out to Wallace and the LGBT Chamber of Commerce for help in staging their April event. “The Rockets have just been so supportive, from the front office all the way down,” she says.

There are currently no NBA athletes who are out. Jason Paul Collins, formerly of the Washington Wizards, became the first active player to come out in 2013. He retired a year later.

The Houston Dynamo and the Houston Dash soccer clubs have been celebrating Pride since at least 2015—longer than any other Houston sports teams. In 2018, Dash ➝

PLAYING WITH PRIDE | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

goalkeeper Bianca Henniger came out as gay, saying she wanted to encourage other LGBTQ people as they struggled with coming out.

The Houston Dynamo will celebrate Pride on June 23 during a game against the Portland Timbers; the Houston Dash Pride Night game will be June 26 against the Orlando Pride. Both games start at 7:30 p.m. at BBVA Stadium.

The Pride Project analyzed social-media responses to MLB’s Pride Night events nationwide in 2020 after the Outsports story was published. (MLB’s Pride Nights range from large productions to simple discounts on game tickets.) The analysis showed that Pride events draw large numbers of LGBTQ fans to the games, including many who otherwise might not feel comfortable attending professional sporting events. The bottom line is that teams benefit financially from the additional ticket sales, and the positive optics of helping to normalize a marginalized group may also help active team members become more comfortable about coming out.

For Astros June 16 Pride Night information, visit astros.com/pride For Dynamo June 23 Pride Night information, visit houstondynamo.com For Dash June 26 Pride Night information, visit houstondashsoccer.com

82 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

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PRIDE 2021

Gear Up for Pride Local businesses flaunt their rainbow-colored merch.

By STAFF REPORTERS

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1. Rainbow Colored Bull Dog $599, Coda in the Heights 2. True Colors Cava Brut $19.99, Spec’s Wine & Spirits 3. Pride Barrel $36.99, NEFT Vodka 4. Rainbow Top $29.95, Erotic Cabaret Boutique 5. Rainbow Shorts $24.95, Erotic Cabaret Boutique 84 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

6. Houston Pride T-Shirts $20, The Montrose Forge 7. Pride Stickers $3 each, Coda in the Heights 8. “Love Is Love” Napkins $5.50, Coda in the Heights 9. Rainbow Beach Towel $15, Target 10. “Be Yourself” Sign $26, Coda in the Heights

Local store locations: Coda in the Heights 355 W. 19th St. - codaintheheights.com Spec’s Wine & Spirits 1900 S. Shepherd Dr. - Specsonline.com NEFT Vodka shopneftvodkaus.com Erotic Cabaret Boutique 1222 Westheimer Rd. - (713) 528-4565 The Montrose Forge 711 Fairview St. - themontroseforge.com

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OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 85

PRIDE 2021

Queer Commodities

By STAFF REPORTERS

National brands give back to the LGBTQ community.

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1. Target’s #TakePride

Target is again collaborating with and supporting GLESEN for its annual Pride collection. #TakePride includes rainbow apparel, swimwear, pool floats, and more.

2. Converse Pride Collection

Converse’s sixth annual Pride collection is inspired by the lives of five LGBTQ community members. The line, which features colorful clothing and shoes, benefits multiple LGBTQ advocacy organizations, including It Gets Better Project, Ali Forney Center, BAGLY, and OUT MetroWest.

3. Adidas Love Unites

Adidas continues its long history of celebrating Pride by dropping a new rainbow collection. Love Unites features an assortment of Pride-themed footwear, accessories, and apparel. Adidas is actively supporting Athlete Ally, an organization that advocates for LGBTQ inclusion in sports.

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4. Reebok Pride Shoes & Clothes

Reebok’s vibrant Pride-inspired footwear and apparel were designed

by Colorful Soles, the brand’s LGBTQ employee network. The business is giving back to the LGBTQ community by donating $75,000 to the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, which advocates for affirming access to social, health, and legal services for those of all gender identities.

Every June since 2016, Apple has shown its support for the LGBTQ community by donating to advocacy organizations and releasing special-edition bands for the Apple Watch. This year’s rainbow-colored Pride-edition band is the Braided Solo Loop, made of stretchable recycled yarn with silicone threads in traditional Pride colors plus brown, black, light blue, pink, and white to represent the diversity of the LGBTQ community.

5. Theo Eyewear

7. #UGGPride

Eye Gallery is selling rainbow-colored glasses during Pride Month. Theo Eyewear, a high-end Belgian brand, was born out of a deep love and commitment to designing glasses that would turn heads and leave long-lasting impressions. Houston’s Eye Gallery is a longtime supporter of the LGBTQ community.

6. Apple: Pride Edition Solo Loop

UGG is celebrating Pride with its colorful new genderless collection of footwear, T-shirts, and hoodies. In further support of the LGBTQ community, the company will donate $25 of the retail price to GLAAD, a leading advocate in the LGBTQ-rights movement.

8. Everyone Is Awesome LEGO Set

LEGO is celebrating diversity through their new 346-piece toy set, which

features 11 mini-figures each sporting a different look. The LEGO Group, which is committed to building an inclusive workspace, partners with Workplace Pride and Open for Business to support its LGBTQ employees.

9. Gap Collective Pride

Artists from Gap’s LGBTQ employee resource group came together to design Pride-themed T-shirts, hoodies, and socks for The Gap Collective, an ongoing product collaboration celebrating the spirit of activism. The brand is donating $50,000 to GLAAD. 10. Rainbow Disney Collection

Disney fans around the world can show their LGBTQ Pride with all-new Mickey Mouse rainbow merchandise. The company’s new Pride collection features apparel, accessories, pins, plush, and more. Proceeds from these items will be donated to organizations around the world that support LGBTQ communities.

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PRIDE IN THE MEDIA

Fierce Foodie Dom McGhee keeps readers up to date on Houston’s diverse cuisine.

By CONNOR BEHRENS

C

uisine and travel writer Dom McGhee knows firsthand the power that food has to bring people from all walks of life together to share a common experience.

“I live by this notion that food connects people,” the gay 31-year-old says. “It transcends any sort of barriers. When I write about food, it allows me to meet, share, and connect with people.”

McGhee, who has written for local Houston publications and websites such as CultureMap and The B. Quarterly, has always found writing to be the best way to fully express his thoughts.

“When I write, more of my personality comes out,” he says. “I am shy, so it is a more comfortable way for me to communicate. I first started writing in college. It started on a Tumblr and a WordPress. It was just a form of expression that came naturally.”

McGhee’s love of food and travel has also taught him to be a bit more bold and fearless in the way he lives his life. “It has made me want to push myself a bit more. When I interview chefs and learn how they got started, it is just really motivating. I think it has taught me how to view people and connect with individuals in a way that maybe I would not have had before.”

When McGhee, who is originally from Georgia, moved here about 14 years ago, he was immediately struck by Houston’s uniquely diverse food scene.

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“There is so much diversity here,” he says.

“There is the food, the museums, the bars—everything. It really draws people here. Houston is not daunting like New York can be. You can come here and truly connect with people.”

Those subjects are what McGhee currently tackles on his own website, Days with Dom. He writes about traveling, the best spots to eat in Houston, brands, and much more. Recently, McGhee teamed up with the new Regent Square developer for a look at his favorite businesses around the city, and what they mean to him.

Whether he is enjoying the sweets at Nancy’s Hustle, savory barbecue at The Pit Room BBQ, or a cool drink at Poison Girl, McGhee can always find a good time through food. He hopes the public continues to support all of the hard-hit businesses as they resume normal operations following the pandemic.

“It was hard to see so many places not make it, especially bars,” he says. “I just want the food scene to continue to grow. I just want to see these businesses prosper. I would like people to continue to help local businesses, because they really matter.”

Despite the hardships, McGhee says the pandemic has forced restaurants to become

90 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

“WHEN I WRITE ABOUT FOOD, IT ALLOWS ME TO MEET, SHARE, AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.” —Dom McGhee

more innovative, which is exciting for the city’s social scene.

“I think what we gained out of this pandemic is a lot of creativity,” he says. “People have had to adjust, and businesses had to expand their models. For example, more places are offering to-go options and touchless menus. I think it is really going to help Houston recover. I think it will allow businesses to have more opportunities to adjust and keep growing.”

When he is not writing, McGhee is working on growing his latest passion project—a line of candles called Dom & Gray.

“I make and sell candles,” he explains. “It

happened before the pandemic, but last year I created three new scents that are just sentimental to me. One of them was a tribute to my great-great-grandfather. That is just something I have always enjoyed outside of writing.

Home goods interest me.”

Going forward, McGhee sees himself writing more about travel and getting into video production as a new avenue for telling stories.

“I want to tackle more writing that is focused on travel,” he says. “I also want to challenge myself and look into video production. I think starting a YouTube channel that focuses on businesses and travel would be something I would enjoy a lot.”

While the Houstonian has traveled internationally to favorite spots such as Singapore and Mexico City, the next destination on his radar might surprise you. “I know this is random, but I really want to go to Maine,” he admits. “I want to take a solo trip there.

Sit back, relax, and just disconnect from the world. I think it would be very relaxing, and a nice little getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.”

To read Dom McGhee’s latest stories, visit DaysWithDom.Com.

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PRIDE IN THE MEDIA

A Voice of the Arts Media guru Eric Skelly helps the Houston Symphony reach new audiences.

By RICH ARENSCHIELDT

92 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX ROSA

D

uring his 33-year tenure at various media outlets and arts groups, Eric Skelly became a familiar and trusted voice to multitudes of arts-loving Houstonians.

As a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music master’s program in arts administration, Skelly came to Houston via San Antonio. “The program I was in required me to complete an internship, which I did at the San Antonio Festival,” Skelly recalls.

“While there, I met Ava Jean Mears, the director of public relations for Houston Grand Opera (HGO). I’ve always related strongly to musical theater and opera, having discovered them at age 18. Both art forms speak to me in a profound way.”

Skelly’s goal was to work for a major opera company, so it was fortunate that HGO’s Mears needed an assistant. “I called her, and she essentially hired me over the phone.” That was the beginning of a mentorship that lasted nearly 10 years.

Although Mears died over a year ago, her influence is still omnipresent in Skelly’s life— especially when he works with younger professionals in his field.

“Ava Jean taught me to be authentic,” Skelly says. “She instilled in me the need to believe in the product that your organization presents, and additionally to possess a high level of expertise about it. This gives [the media outlets] you work with a high degree of trust that the information you provide them is unassailable.

On a personal level, Ava Jean was everybody’s ‘Mom.’ She and I connected deeply; she made Houston ‘home’ for me.”

Skelly’s HGO tenure coincided with some landmark events in Houston, most notably the 1987 opening of the Wortham Theater Center

with the world premiere of opera composer John Adams’ Nixon in China. “I was 27 when HGO opened the new house and presented a world premiere,” Skelly remembers. “While working with John Adams, we all sensed that operatic history was being made.”

“During my tenure at HGO, a local classical radio station, KLEF (and its successor, K-Arts) asked me to host an opera program,” Skelly says. This provided him with copious broadcast experience, leading to a post at Houston’s NPR affiliate KUHF, where he worked for 16 years. Many Houstonians will know Skelly ➝

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ERIC SKELLY | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

from his on-air participation in Houston Public Media’s fundraising campaigns.

“I worked in public radio for 16 years,” he says. Hired as an arts underwriting account executive, he was uniquely qualified. “I knew every arts organization in the city. I spoke their language and understood how to promote their various offerings.”

Skelly’s management job soon expanded to include on-air work and podcasts, enabling Houstonians to become familiar with his trademark deep voice. Occasionally, Skelly’s listeners would surprise him while he was out in public. “I was at the Houston Zoo, and someone came up to me who recognized my voice from an ‘Opera Cheat Sheet’ podcast I had done,” Skelly says.

His kaleidoscopic arts experience makes Skelly an ideal fit for his current position as the Houston Symphony’s (HSO) director of communications. He took on this challenge during a period of unprecedented upheaval in the world of classical music, and just as HSO leadership was beginning to explore innovative ways to reach new audiences.

“Prior to the pandemic, at the beginning of the 2019–2020 season, we did our very first livestreamed concert,” Skelly says. “We had no idea that this would be how the symphony was

“I WORKED IN PUBLIC RADIO FOR 16 YEARS. I KNEW EVERY ARTS ORGANIZATION IN THE CITY. I SPOKE THEIR LANGUAGE AND UNDERSTOOD HOW TO PROMOTE THEIR VARIOUS OFFERINGS.” —Eric Skelly to perform for the next four months.

“Our organization had to pivot repeatedly, innovating along the way,” Skelly notes. In the early part of the pandemic, this presented challenges: “As we pivoted to working exclusively from home, I had to record some of the HSO broadcasts on my iPhone while sitting in my closet.”

“It’s been a real privilege to work alongside

our CEO, John Magnum—and everyone on staff and in the orchestra—to shepherd the Symphony through the [livestreaming] performance process,” Skelly adds. “We’ve had to program concerts within the pandemic limitations on spacing and attendance. Over the last year, HSO performed when no other orchestra in the nation was doing so. Our musicians have been playing together all year long, enabling them to maintain a very strong sense of ensemble.”

Skelly is proud of the fact that the Symphony’s livestreamed concerts have been an unqualified success. “We now have an audience that isn’t confined to Houston, but comprises a national and international following from 36 countries,” he says. “It’s not your grandmother’s symphony anymore. Livestreaming is an art form that is here to stay.”

Throughout his career, Skelly has witnessed industry-wide changes on the scale of a grand opera. Yet, amidst the current tumult, the words of his mentor and friend Ava Jean Mears still resonate: “Love the art form, the media, and the fascinating people in it. Follow your passion, and believe completely in every endeavor with which you are involved.”

For information on the Houston Symphony, visit houstonsymphony.org.

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PRIDE IN THE MEDIA

Justice in Journalism Inspired by her transgender brother, Tiffany Justice promotes LGBTQ awareness at Houston’s FOX 26.

By LILLIAN HOANG

T

iffany Justice is known for many reasons. She is an Emmy awardwinning journalist, an evening news reporter at Houston’s FOX 26, and her transgender brother’s biggest supporter.

At FOX 26, she covers a range of topics—including stories related to the LGBTQ community. The longtime LGBTQ ally says she is grateful for the opportunity to highlight the community’s issues on television because she recognizes how important awareness and representation are.

“Just through having a sibling who is transgender, I know it’s important to have your community,” she says. “Sometimes people can get in a little bubble where they think they’re alone. I think it’s important for people to have examples of others out there who will help them.”

The focused, ambitious, and confident Justice knew from a young age she wanted to become a journalist. “You’re able to touch and meet so many different types of people. I really did fall in love with journalism,” she says.

Justice joined her high school’s newspaper and majored in mass communication at the University of Utah. She graduated with a bach96 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

“I JUST KNEW THAT I NEEDED TO SHOW THEO THAT HE HAS MY 100 PERCENT SUPPORT, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT’S NOT AN EASY JOURNEY TO HAVE.” —Tiffany Justice

elor’s degree in print journalism in 2013, and a year later she became a news producer, anchor, and reporter at KTVZ, a television station in Bend, Oregon. She has been in the communication field ever since.

Justice loves journalism as much as she loves her family. The Korean and African American woman grew up in a conservative small town in Utah, 40 minutes north of Salt Lake City. She recognized early on that there weren’t many people in the neighborhood who looked like her and her siblings, and that brought her family closer together. ➝

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Justice and her youngest brother, Theo, who is trans, were the closest of the four siblings, since they were around the same age and only one grade level apart. Although they now have their own lives (hers in Houston and his in Salt Lake City), they still have each other’s backs.

“She’s a ‘safe place’ where I’ve always been able to be,” Theo says.

“I got the big-sister syndrome,” Tiffany laughs. “We have each other’s full support, so we have a really close connection. I know I haven’t walked in his shoes, but I’m very overprotective of my little brother.”

The pair got even closer when Theo came out to his family as a trans man. After he shared his decision to transition, he agreed to have a heart-to-heart with the family about his choice.

“I just knew that I needed to show him that he has my 100 percent support, because I know that’s not an easy conversation or journey to have,” Tiffany says. “The biggest focus for me in that conversation was just to make sure he was ready for what was to come.”

Theo says he felt reassured throughout their entire talk. In fact, his sister’s interest and unconditional love made him feel safe and confident about his decision.

Theo Justice (l) and his sister, Tiffany.

“Tiffany has always been someone I can lean on and talk to in the family,” he says. “Her response made me feel very safe. I think the world of her, and I just thank her a lot for the support through the years.”

On an average day, Tiffany is busy even before her shift at FOX 26 Houston begins at 1:30 p.m. She likes to get a head start, so before the clock strikes noon, she is looking at her emails and scrolling through social media to

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Afterward, she interviews the relevant parties, collaborates with her teammates, and airs her story during FOX 26 Houston’s evening news segment.

In her spare time, Tiffany likes to run, read, and watch true crime shows. With Theo’s permission, she uses her social-media handles to share how proud she is of her brother.

According to Theo, familial support is vital to members of the LGBTQ community. His family inspired him to continue his transition when he faced opposition from society—and in his own mind.

“That support from your family—when they say ‘No matter what, I see you, I love you’—that means the world to me,” Theo says. “Without the support of my sister, I wouldn’t know where I would be, because I wouldn’t have the confidence to be who I am.”

Tiffany says she will always be proud of her brother, and considers him one of the bravest people she has ever known. “I know he’s trying to live his true life, and many people don’t take that step. So I admire my brother deeply.”

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From Pain to Love

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ARTS

Honoring LGBTQ Lives Lost Artist Renee Rodriguez honors the Pulse nightclub victims with her photography.

By KIM HOGSTROM

F

ine-art photographer Renee Rodriguez was eating breakfast on the morning of June 12, 2016, when a news bulletin flashed across the TV screen in her small Galveston apartment. The horrifying report was the first account of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida.

As the details unfolded, Rodriguez learned that Pulse was an LGBTQ dance club popular with the young Latinx community. It was packed with more than 300 people when a gunman entered the establishment. He murdered 49 people and wounded 53 more.

Rodriguez was speechless. The can of Coke in her hand slipped from her fingers and hit the floor with a thud. Then she went into shock. ➝

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 107

RENEE RODRIGUEZ | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

“The horrendous act of striking down innocent lives, at the same time they were celebrating life, devastated me,” Rodriguez, a lesbian Latinx woman, remembers. “It could’ve been me rejoicing and dancing. The people killed that night would never dance again. I knew I had to do something for those blessed lost souls.”

Rodriguez then began working on Viva Pulse, an art piece that honored the 49 lives that were lost. She assembled 49 of her photographs—one photo for each murder victim— that expressed different aspects of the human spirit. The collection was first displayed at the Tremont Gallery in Galveston.

“Viva Pulse moved people,” Rodriguez says.

“Some would even stand there and cry. After that, I had no choice. I knew I was destined to create more tributes to those lost lives,” she explains.

In 2017, Rodriguez created Pulsation, her second exhibition that was created for the tragedy’s first anniversary. In 2018, she produced a tribute photo album entitled Redemptive LOVE that is dedicated to the memory of the victims.

It was presented at the Houston FotoFest Biennial Portfolio Review. The collection was so well received that Rodriguez was invited to show it at an Art Museum of the Americas event in Washington, DC. In honor of the fifth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre, Rodriguez will showcase a collection of her Pulse tribute photos at the Texas State Capitol in Austin this month. Rodriguez’s Pulse/49: A Remembrance from the Texas Exhibition will feature five Latina artists and hang in the second levelRotunda, where all are invited to view it.

Lorena Fernandez is a Houston-based Latina artist who holds a PhD in Expressive Arts Therapy and Coaching. She was a natural choice for the Pulse/49 exhibit. “My heart is broken over the senseless gun violence, discrimination against our LGBT community, and the discrimination against Black and brown people that is rampant in America today. When Renee invited me to participate in this tribute, I saw it as a spiritual opportunity to offer my art to our suffering human hearts,” Fernandez says.

Shawna Stroup Billet is a remarkable mixed-media artist who finds inspiration in nature and culture, which she then expresses through organic form, bold color, and dramatic line. She had very personal reasons to 108 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

“I’M JUST HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO BE CREATIVE, AND TO SHARE MY PASSION FOR THOSE WHO ARE NO LONGER HERE. I FEEL IT’S A PART OF MY DUTY, NOT ONLY AS AN ARTIST, BUT AS A HUMAN.” —Renee Rodriguez articulate the community’s feelings of grief and renewal. “For me, this opportunity offered healing during the year of COVID. I was dealing with the loss of close friends and family. I understood well the process of grief that the families, partners, spouses, and friends have endured in the five years since Pulse, and I wanted to help provide their loved ones with a sense of peace and healing through my art,” she explains.

Nanette Sandoval is a passionate illustrator and artist, and a self-identified Mexican American Houstonian. “I am a Latina lesbian with a partner and son, so the tragedy really hit home for me. I was inspired to create an art

piece for the Pulse/49 show. Each soul lost is represented by a ray of color in the rainbow, reminding us that each one continues to shine brightly and is not forgotten,” she states.

Mitch D’arte is a Latina art teacher and award-winning artist whose powerful work is a striking addition to the show. Her participation was a perfect fit, as she also saw herself in the victims. “I related to the loss through my ancestry—I am also a Latina lesbian. In our culture, a hummingbird is a messenger between two worlds, so I chose the hummingbird as my messenger [sent by] those who passed to speak to those they left behind. I created Ve y diles que estoy bien (Go and tell them that I am fine) for the show. It’s painted on a sheer canvas, representing a veil that the viewer can see through to the other side of two worlds,“ D’arte states.

Rodriguez says she is very pleased with the way Pulse/49 is shaping up. “I’m just happy to be able to be creative, and to share my passion for those who are no longer here. I feel it’s a part of my duty, not only as an artist, but as a human. Art is essential to all life, and photography is essential to mine,” she concludes with a twinkle in her eyes.

What: Pulse/49: A Remembrance from the Texas Exhibition When: June 11–17 Where: Second-level Rotunda at the Texas State Capitol in Austin, 1100 Congress Ave. Info: instagram.com/pulse49txrem/

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A 40-Year Friendship New documentary examines the bond between literary masters Truman Capote and Tennessee Williams.

J

une brings Pride Month, and with it, the fascinating new documentary Truman and Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation, chronicling the charged 40-year friendship of two gay literary lions: playwright Tennessee Williams (1911–1983) and novelist Truman Capote (1924–1984).

Director Lisa Immordino Vreeland delves deeply into their works, their lives, and the demons that haunted the two 20th-century Southern masters. She has enlisted out actors Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto to give voice to Capote and Williams, respectively, charging the film with an extra dollop of star power.

The streaming documentary debuts locally on June 18 as part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s MFAH Virtual Cinema series.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for his two landmark dramas A Streetcar Named Desire (1947) and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), Tennessee Williams blew the doors off the bourgeois conventions of Broadway in the 1950s, exploring previously taboo topics such as homosexuality, adultery, alcoholism, rape, and mental illness. He created a gallery of heroines who all possessed an uncommon psychological depth and complexity. Four decades after his death, his work is regularly performed in New York and London; it has inspired operas, ballets, as well as numerous film adaptations.

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Truman Capote

“ALL OF US WANTED TO BE NOTICED. ALL OF US. THE FANTASY OF AFFIRMATION BEGINS WHEN YOU’RE THE TEASED QUEER ON SCHOOLYARDS AND IN CLASSROOMS. ‘ONE DAY,’ YOU TELL YOURSELF, ‘I’LL BE FAMOUS AND POWERFUL AND BELOVED.’” —Tennessee Williams

Tennessee Williams

Truman Capote was also a trailblazer, creating the new “nonfiction novel” genre with his 1965 work In Cold Blood, a riveting explication of the 1959 murder of a Kansas farm family that became a best-seller and was later made into an Academy Award-nominated film. He first won critical acclaim in 1948 with the publication of Other Voices, Other Rooms, which featured a self-portrait of the young writer and was notable for its sensuality and come-hither allure. He is perhaps best known for his 1958 novella Breakfast at Tiffany’s. (In the documentary, Capote confesses that he wanted Marilyn Monroe to perform the iconic role of Holly Golightly in the film version, rather than Audrey Hepburn.)

The two writers shared many common traits: They were both handsome young gay men from the South during the deeply homophobic era of the 1950s and ’60s. They were both blessed with prodigious literary gifts ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 111

TRUMAN AND TENNESSEE | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

and won acclaim and celebrity early in their careers. In the final acts of their lives, they both struggled through a period of critical disfavor in which they were lambasted for not producing pieces of the caliber of their earlier works. As their youth and critical acclaim deserted them, they descended into addictions to booze and drugs.

“There was a fascination with these people who were unapologetic. They were lightning rods,” observed Zachary Quinto in a recent interview with The Guardian. “It wasn’t the same as what it means today, when it’s about equality, social integration, [and advancing] an agenda for the community. But it was the foundation for all the stuff that came after it.”

Director Immordino Vreeland paints evocative portraits of the most significant romantic relationships in each man’s life. In 1948, Capote seduced the American novelist Jack Dunphy with a glamorous voyage to Ischia, a volcanic island off the coast of Naples.

The trip would launch a 35-year partnership.

In that same year, Williams met the handsome Italian-American working-class actor Frankie Merlo, whom he nicknamed “Horse.”

Jim Parsons and Zachary Quinto give voice to Capote and Williams.

Merlo built a life for the two of them that was snuffed out when he died of lung cancer in 1963. Williams’ devastation over the loss led to his alcohol and drug addiction, a period that he referred to as “my Stoned Age.” Immordino Vreeland makes vivid use of the revealing 1970s television interviews that Williams and Capote gave to British journalist David Frost and American talk-show host Dick Cavett. In one interview, Capote disparaged Williams’ intellect: “Most people think because somebody is a painter, or a writer, or somehow a creative individual, that they

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must be intelligent,” he observed. “It is not so.

There are many writers who are fantastically creative, even a kind of a genius like Tennessee Williams. And Tennessee is not intelligent.”

She also draws upon excerpts of the film versions of Williams’ dramas to provide a sense of the playwright’s unique voice.

(Ironically enough, Williams disapproved of most film adaptations of his works due to constraints imposed by censors, and encouraged viewers to leave five minutes before they ended.)

In 1980, after enduring stints in rehab and being abandoned by the society matrons whom he had so assiduously cultivated, Capote published his final book, Music for the Chameleons, which ascended to the New York Times best-seller list for 14 weeks—a remarkable feat for a work of short fiction. Capote dedicated the work to Williams.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Still Going Strong Gay country artist Ty Herndon previews his June 30 concert and a new album.

By GREGG SHAPIRO Photo by JEREMY COWART

Ty Herndon knows a thing or two about love and acceptance.

Initially embraced by country music fans in the mid-to-late 1990s,

a series of unfortunate events, including some related to his sexuality, sidelined his career. After proudly coming out as a gay man in 2014 and finding personal and public acceptance, Herndon has performed at Pride festivals and released albums in which he sings love songs with same-gender pronouns.

One of his greatest accomplishments is the formation of the Foundation for Love & Acceptance and its annual music event, the Concert of Love & Acceptance. The all-star 2021 Concert for Love & Acceptance takes place on June 30 at 7 p.m., and is going to be livestreamed

both on CMT’s Facebook and YouTube channels and at F4LA.org/concert. Performers include Herndon, Kristin Chenoweth, Kathy Mattea, Brothers Osborne, Terri Clark, Brooke Eden, Chris Housman, Gretchen Peters, and Tenille Townes, to name a few. This year’s event beneficiaries include GLAAD, MusiCares, and Nashville’s Oasis Center.

Ty was generous enough to chat with OutSmart in advance of the concert.

Gregg Shapiro: Ty, would you please say a few words about the genesis of the Concert for Love & Acceptance?

Ty Herndon: At the beginning of creating Love & Acceptance, I’m so happy I trusted my heart.

I’ve said this many times, but I stand by this: I wanted to do something for that 14-year-old kid that’s at home watching the CMA Awards.

For me, it was watching Hee Haw! [laughs] and

thinking to myself, “Oh my God, I want to sing with Tammy Wynette one day!” But now it’s that kid who wants to sing with Maren Morris, but they feel like they’re broken and they don’t fit in. I don’t know one actor, singer—anybody in entertainment—who has ever felt like they fit in. I said from the beginning that I wanted to make that kid (who was also me, sitting out there) wherever they’re from or whatever their gender—think that they can do anything they want to in this world. It’s just getting the right messaging.

On June 30, the latest Concert for Love & Acceptance is being presented with an allstar cast. Did you ever imagine, when you first came up with the concept, that you would still be involved with each concert that followed? Did you realize how successful they would be? ➝ OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 113

TY HERNDON | CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

Also among this year’s performers is longtime ally and icon Kristin Chenoweth. What does it mean to you to have her on the roster?

Well, she really didn’t have a choice because she’s one of my best friends. [Big laugh] I was talking to her yesterday. I said, “Oh, you saw your picture on the announcement? Oh yeah, you’re doing the show!” With a star of her magnitude, friend or not, I have to go through the proper channels. She has a great team of people, and they were so delighted. We’re closing out the show with my performance with Kristin this year. It’s gonna be… I can’t tell you, but make sure you stay tuned. [Laughs]

I hear “You’ve got to stay relevant in the business” so much! Reba McEntire told me one time, “You’re constantly reinventing yourself, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s ‘Always moving, always evolving.’” I always credit my Concert for Love & Acceptance for keeping me kind of relevant. [Laughs] In a great way, because I get to meet and talk and work with all these affirming hearts. Whether they’re on our red carpet, or on the show, or whether it’s a friend like Terri Clark, who’s been around with me forever. Or Kathy Mattea! A lot of kids will be watching the show because of Brothers Osborne and some of these amazing new acts that are on the radio today. But they don’t know who Kathy Mattea is, so we’re going to tell them!

I’m so glad that you mentioned Kathy.

I was happy to see her in the lineup! I remember how supportive she was during the early years of the AIDS crisis, performing at benefits as well as contributing songs to the Red Hot + Country album.

What does it mean to you to have her be part of the concert?

I was watching the CMA awards that evening when she was the only artist who had a red ribbon on. A lot of the artists were wearing the green ribbon for supporting the earth and environmental awareness. That red ribbon

stood out like crazy! I remember thinking, “Wow, she’s really brave!” There are soldiers out there who tell the truth, no matter what the cost. I love that! I try to stand for that today. Having the opportunity to be “authentic.”

I hear a lot of kids say, “What does that mean today?” I’m like, [laughs] “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” Back to Reba: “Constantly growing and moving forward.”

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Has it gotten easier over the years to get performers to agree to take part in the Concert for Love & Acceptance?

I’m gonna tell you something right now, and I’m probably gonna get emotional. [Compared to] the amount of stuff we used to have to fight for just to get noticed, it just was there during our press day, two days ago. I work hard, yes, but I have a team of people that works so hard.

We had a meeting yesterday and we were talking about this. It’s nice to have the phone ringing—for people to actually want to do the show. It’s mind-blowing, and I get emotional about it.

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That’s understandable. The 2021 Concert for Love & Acceptance features some incredible out country acts, including TJ Osborne of the Brothers Osborne, Brooke Eden, and Chris Housman. Since coming out, would you say you are encountering more LGBTQ folks in country music?

You know what it’s like to turn on The Highway on SiriusXM and hear [lesbian country artist] Lily Rose? I mean, like, Wow! Hold on a second—you got me all emotional again.

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Sorry. I have that effect.

[Laughs] The fact that I am a big old strong cowboy and I cry about this—that’s the answer to your question. Things are changing, and we’ve been able to see that. It’s awesome.

Do you think that Cody Alan, being an out person on CMT, has helped the Nashville and country music loving community become more accepting and open-minded?

I think everybody knows how luxurious and awesome and wonderful Cody Allen is.

The way he speaks [with] confidence and authenticity, and how he can stand next to people who agree and people who don’t agree, and they still know that he matters. I’ve told him this to his face: “What you’re doing is probably the greatest work.”

Yes, it’s good to have him in the community. Because of the Concert for Love & Acceptance, and your involvement in various charitable events, you can proudly call yourself a philanthropist.

What does it mean to you to be able to have that distinction?

[Laughs] I’m going to say something, and I think all my LGBTQ brothers and sisters will laugh about this. I’ve often thought that “philanthropist” sounds like the name of a drag queen. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the stage Miss Phyl-Ann Thropist!” But seriously, I just try, on a daily basis, to wake up and do something for someone else. You know I’m a sober guy, so [following my program and doing something for others] is what saves my own ass. I feel like being who I am today keeps me alive.

Finally, Ty, is there any chance that there is some new music from you in the works?

I’m going to give you the scoop, my friend. The album is called Jacob. It’s a body of work that I have written with some of the most wideawake, sober, intelligent, life-changing people in the world. The lyrics mean a lot, and we tracked nine songs yesterday. It was one of the most emotional days I’ve ever had, because the album is so personal.

For more information on Ty Herndon, visit tyherndon.com.

Voted Best Female Veterinarian Dr. Kristy Kyle, DVM

4720 Washington Ave. • 713.343.9909 Hours: Monday – Friday: 7 am – 6 pm Saturday: 7 am – Noon

B AYO U C I T Y V E T S . C O M

716 Fairview RyanAutoGlass.com 713.552.3602 CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN MONTROSE M-F 9am-6pm SAT 9am-4pm 10% DISCOUNT when mentioned this ad in Outsmart

Voted one of the Best for Auto Body Shop

WINDOW/WINDSHIELD REPLACEMENT - PAINT AND BODY WORK OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 115

OCTAVIO BARRIOS, M.D. ADULT PRIMARY CARE

BOARD CERTIFIED AMERICAN BOARD OF FAMILY MEDICINE

BY APPOINTMENT SAME DAY AVAILABLE FOR ACUTE ILLNESS

OCTAVIO BARRIOS, MD

Ask us about PrEP Today!

HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis MOST INSURANCES ACCEPTED

LUCIA MANGLE ARNOLD, MPAS, PA-C

BEST PHYSICIAN 2013-2020 FINALIST

Renaissance Family Clinic 517 West Gray St. • 713.942.7546

116 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Love Thy Neighbor Thy Homeless Neighbor Thy Jewish Neighbor Thy Black Neighbor Thy Gay Neighbor

Thy Undocumented Neighbor Thy White Neighbor Thy Transgender Neighbor Thy Neighbor Thy Neighbor

Christian

HIV+

Thy Racist Neighbor Thy Addicted Neighbor Thy Atheist Neighbor Thy Imprisoned Neighbor Thy Disabled Neighbor Thy Muslim Neighbor SUNDAY WORSHIP 9 & 11 AM

NURSERY AVAILABLE | HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE 11 AM - CHILDREN & YOUTH PROGRAM 11 AM - SPANISH & DEAF INTERPRETATION 2025 W. 11TH @ TC JESTER, HOUSTON 77008 713.861.9149 | WWW.RESURRECTIONMCC.ORG

FOR MORE OTOS, EVENT PH ISIT PLEASE V

.COM/ TINYURHL OTOS OSMP

OUT THERE Photos by DALTON DEHART & CREW

Let’s All Take Action: No More Trans Deaths May 6, 2021

LGBTQ activists gathered on the steps of Houston City Hall to protest the alarming rate of transgender murders. Organized by the Organización Latina de Trans en Texas, the rally was held to honor the life of Iris Santos, a trans woman who was shot to death in West Houston on April 23.

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Voted Best Financial Planner

1201-F Westheimer Houston, TX 77006 713.528.1201 | www.copydotcom.com CANVAS PRINTS | COLOR POSTERS GREETING CARDS| MUCH MORE 118 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

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OUT THERE Photos by DALTON DEHART & CREW

FOR MORE EVENT PHOTOS , PLEASE VISIT

TINYURL.COM OSMPHOTOS /

Krewe of Olympus Underwriter Kickoff May 15, 2021

Krewe of Olympus hosted its 2021 Underwriter Kickoff at JR’s Bar & Grill. The event served as a fundraiser for the charity’s annual Mardi Gras Ball, with proceeds going to causes that impact the LGBTQ community.

HEIGHTS DERMATOLOGY & AESTHETIC CENTER Come in for a free cosmetic consultation!

Now offering: Superficial Radiation Therapy (SRT) for the non-surgical treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers.

General Dermatology Cosmetic Dermatology Skin Cancer Surgery Micro Laser Peel IPL Photofacial Microneedling Chemical Peels

Lynette Lew • 713.582.2202

Residential and Commercial Realtor Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene Gary Greene Commercial Properties

Lynette@LynetteLew.com | www.LynetteLew.com

Dr. Alpesh Desai Dr. Tejas Desai Board Certified Dermatologists

Botox & Fillers Laser Hair Removal Leg & Facial Veins iS Clinical Glytone EltaMD obagi 2120 Ashland St. Houston, TX 77008 713.864.2659 HeightsSkin.com

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CONNECTIONS IS HERE TO HELP YOU AND YOUR RELATIONSHIPS GROW. Dr. Carlson is a licensed psychologist and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist.

She has specialized training in providing individual, couples, and sex therapy to the LGBTQIA+ community.

She embraces a sex positive and transaffirmative perspective. Currently offering telehealth sessions on a case by case basis.

Please contact our office to determine if telehealth is appropriate for you.

myco n n e cti o n swe l l n e ss .co m 8 8 8 - 5 8 0 - 59 95

Voted one of the Best Female Eye Doctor Outsmart Readers’ Choice Awards 2020

QUALITY DENTISTRY ONE PATIENT AT A TIME!

ONE OF THE BEST DENTISTS

OutSmart Readers’ Choice Awards 2006 — 2019

VOTED AS ONE OF HOUSTON’S TOP DENTISTS 2004 – 2020 — H Texas Magazine

DR. JULIET FARMER THERAPEUTIC OPTOMETRIST

1806 A. Westheimer Rd. Houston, TX 77098 713.528.2010 Schedule online at

BOUTIQUEEYECARE.COM 120 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

713.942.8598

w w w. C o r y L o g a n D D S . c o m

530 Waugh Dr. | Houston TX 77019

OUT THERE Photos by DALTON DEHART & CREW

Mother of Montrose May 9, 2021

Montrose celebrated Mother’s Day with the 18th annual Mother of Montrose pageant at Micheal’s Outpost. During the drag pageant, contestants were judged on their presentation, Q&A, and talent.

SueAge Debris was crowned Mother of Montrose 2021.

We didn’t just start caring about LGBTQ people yesterday. We’ve been doing it SINCE 1978.

New Construction, Renovations, Weekly Maintenance & Repairs

WHETHER YOU WANT SOMETHING SIMPLE OR EXOTIC We have the talent and experience to achieve your design and budget!

recovery affirming & affordable outpatient treatment for the LGBTq & hiv communities. 713.529.0037

Family Owned & Operated since 1999

713.462.0762

|

venturepoolco.com OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 121

WEDDING GUIDE

Shaquinta Lajuana Lynea Richardson (l) and Kimberly Lanai Daily

OLD-SCHOOL ROMANTICS Hand-written notes sparked up Shaquinta Lajuana Lynea Richardson and Kimberly Lanai Daily’s relationship.

By JENNY BLOCK Photos by WE THE ROMANTICS Houston couple Kimberly Lanai Daily and Shaquinta Lajuana Lynea Richardson are old-school romantics who know how to make modern technology part of the mix. When the duo first exchanged phone numbers, they were both far from home. Rather than simply texting each other, they penned notes to one another in their respective journals and sent photos of those notes to one another via social media.

The couple first met in October 2018 at an in-person Facebook group meetup called The Unfit Christian Congregation. “The group was meeting at a Mexican restaurant in Atlanta,” says Kimberly. “I booked a flight from Houston to go meet my internet friends in person.”

122 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Shaquinta and her best friend drove to Atlanta from South Carolina for that same Facebook meetup. “I knew Shaquinta’s best friend, Chrishele, from the group, but I didn’t know Shaquinta,” Kimberly explains.

But Shaquinta knew exactly who Kimberly was, and that was part of what inspired her to attend the meetup. “When dinner was over, Chrishele urged me to ride with them to an after-party,” Kimberly says. “I obliged, and the rest, as they say, is history,” Kimberly, a Houston native who graduated with a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, is an energy litigation attorney at Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP. Shaquinta, who earned a PhD degree from the University of Georgia, is now a licensed marriage and

family therapist at Building Bridges Family Therapy and a life coach at Beyond Achieving LLC, both of which she owns. The couple currently lives in Manvel, Texas.

Kimberly says that she knew she wanted to marry Shaquinta by the end of their first date, an overnight trip to Asheville, North Carolina that took place about a month after their fateful meeting. Her initial instincts were confirmed after they had been dating for about five months. “We were on vacation in Cancún, and Shaquinta was walking along the beach with this beautiful floral dress blowing in the wind. It hit me that she was everything I ever wanted—and that the next time we visited Mexico, she’d have a ring on her finger. I proposed nine months later,” Kimberly says.

incorporated different memories from our relationship and special references, and everyone got into it. It was so creative and perfect,” Shaquinta recalls.

Due to their work obligations and the pandemic, the couple waited three months after their wedding to honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. “We chose PV because it is a queer-friendly city with gorgeous beaches and beautiful sunsets,” Shaquinta says. “It turned out to be a great choice! We felt very safe, and had an amazing time.”

WANT TO TELL YOUR STORY? Email us at letters@outsmartmagazine.com

As for Shaquinta, there was one point in July 2019 when she and Kimberly were talking about the future and what that would look like.

“Kim said to me, ‘You have worked your whole life to be where you are. I want you to flourish in your career more than I want you to be my wife.’ That’s when I knew I was supposed to marry her,” Shaquinta says.

Kimberly proposed to Shaquinta in December of 2019, a little over a year after the two met. Shaquinta loves Hallmark Christmas movies, so Kimberly planned a Hallmark date day where they went holiday shopping, decorated their Christmas tree, and then went ice-skating. “Then on the way to dinner, we stopped by Shaquinta’s favorite local coffee shop. That’s where I proposed with a wooden writing box filled with her favorite things, including fountain pens, wax seals, and leather notebooks,” Kimberly explains.

Because handwritten notes began their relationship, Kimberly continued the old-fashioned journaling idea by learning to write with a fountain pen. “I selected Shaquinta’s favorite type of paper and created a ‘proposal journal’ with her favorite type of leather notebook cover,” Kimberly says. Once Shaquinta reached the final page, Kimberly got down on one knee and proposed. “She was crying so much that her glasses fogged up,” Kimberly says. “That was awesome.”

Shaquinta says the whole thing came as a complete surprise to her. “I really had no idea what she had planned. She is a romantic at heart, so gestures like that day were not outside the norm,” Shaquinta adds.

The couple was married on July 26, 2020, in their Manvel neighborhood. Danyelle Thomas, the founder of The Unfit Christian Congregation, officiated the wedding. “We always wanted our wedding to be an intimate affair, so it was beautiful having the person we met through be the person to officiate our ceremony,” Kimberly says.

Because they put their wedding together in just ten days, many of their vendors were chosen based on who was available on short notice.

CATER IN G CAKE S EVENTS 832.439.0224 “But there was no way we’d choose anyone to participate in our wedding who didn’t love our love. Choosing LGBTQ and LGBTQ-affirming vendors was important to us,” Shaquinta notes.

For example, their wedding photographer— Jess, of We the Romantics—“is nonbinary and incredibly affirming of our love,” Kimberly says.

Kimberly had another major surprise for Shaquinta on their big day. “She surprised me with her vows in the form of a rap. She actually rapped the whole thing! It was amazing! She

BEST CATERING FIRM BEST WEDDING CAKE BAKERY

Chef David Alcorta

davidalcorta.net david@davidalcorta.net

• Pre/Post Marital Counseling/Coaching • LGBTQ+ Wedding Officiant • Couples Coach

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ADVERTISERS INDEX ACCOMMODATIONS/APARTMENTS Melrose Park Condominiums

712 Pinemont Dr............................................... 346/200-7228 The Parklane

TheParklane.com............................................. 713/526-8439

ACCOUNTANTS/BOOKKEEPERS/ CPAS

COMMUNITY/NONPROFIT

AIDS Foundation Houston

Aidshelp.org.........................................................713/623-6796 Bering Connect

........................................................................713-526-1017, ext.20 Diana Foundation

Gary Gritz, CPA

.......................................................... .TheDianaFoundation.org

ADVERTISING/MARKETING

............................................................................................... EPAH.org

230 Westcott, Ste 210................................... 713/784-3030

EPAH

Ashkan Media

Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce

Mat Hat Maven Creative

Harris County Sheriff’s Office

..........................................................................Ashkanmedia.com madhatmaven.com.......................................832/460-6263 OutSmart Magazine

3406 Audubon.....................................................713/520-7237

AIR CONDITIONING/HEATING Newport A/C & Heating

newportac.com.................................................281/808-8630

HoustonLGBTChamber.com.....................832/510-3002 .................................................................................... hcsojobs.com Houston GLBT Political Caucus

................................................................................... thecaucus.org KPFT Radio

kpft.org...................................................................713-526-4000 Lesbian Health Initiative (LHI)

401 Branard........................................................lhihouston.org Lesbians Over Age Fifty (L.O.A.F.)

ART/ART GALLERIES

lesbiansoverage50.org................................713/907-5378

604 W. Alabama.....................billarningexhibitions.com

..............................................................................ThePetPatrol.org

Bill Arning Exhibitions

ASTROLOGER

Lilly Roddy Astrology

......................................................................................713/529-5842

ATTORNEYS/LEGAL SERVICES

Pet Patrol

1806B Westheimer............................................ 713/523-1279 1700 Post Oak Blvd, Ste 110..........................713/622-7470

Dignity Memorial

Jovon Tyler............................................................713/562-0004 Leslie Bonnie.......................................................281/203-7830

HAIR/NAIL/MAKE-UP SALONS Green Apple Salon

719 W. Gray St................................................... 713/5212-0500 NU-Cuts Hair Salon

515 Westheimer...............................................713/524-7858 Studio A Salon

2411 Sunset..............................................................713/859-1591

HANDGUN TRAINING

Spartan Handgun Training

Spartanhnadguntraining.com................ 281/435-2645

HEALTH CARE–COUNSELING/THERAPY

Katine & Nechman LLP

ENTERTAINMENT/NIGHT LIFE Alley Theatre

TexasBulldogLaw.com...................................713/572-3333

615 Texas Ave.................................................alleytheatre.org

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS

617 Fairview .........................................................713/528-8102

George Country Sports Bar

Eye Gallery

Montrose Eye Care/ Paul Lovero, OD

520 Waugh Dr.....................................................713/352-0974

HEALTH CARE/PHARMACIES

Avita Pharmacy

............................................................ AvitaPharmacy.com/HIV Legacy Pharmacy

..........LegacyCommunityHealth.org/services/pharmacy/

HEALTH CARE–PHYSICIANS

Octavio Barrios, MD

507 West Gray.....................................................713/942-7546 7106 Spencer Highway.................................281/542-9400 Gordon Crofoot, MD/Crofoot MD

3701 Kirby, Ste.1230........................................713/526-0005 M. Sandra Scurria, MD

6565 West Loop South, Ste 300...............281/661-5901

D. “Woodja” Flanigan, MS, LPA

3701 Kirby, Ste.1230........................................713/526-0005

MyConnectionsWellness.com...............888/580-5995

3131 Eastside St, Ste 4.....................................281/610-8190

Copy.com

Boutique Eye Care/Juliet Farmer, OD

Connections Wellness/Dr. Tracy Carlson

The Woodlands PRIDE

rwpcHouston.org .............................................713-572-3724

1201-F Westheimer.............................................713/528-1201

Ryan Automotive

FUNERAL/MORTUARY SERVICES

.................................................................................NeftVodka.com

......................................................................................713/524-9525

COMPUTERS/INTERNET/IT SERVICES

The Miller Law Firm Adam H. Miller & Nichole Nech

1806 Westheimer, Ste. A.............................. 713/528-2010

Ryan White Planning Council

..................................................................ppgulfcoast.org/lgbtq

Gonzalez Olivieri LLC

1834 Southmore..................................................713/808-1001

NEFT Vodka

2600 SW Fwy, Ste 409..................................713/589-9804

..........................................................thewoodlandstxpride.org

gonzalezolivierillc.com................................. 713/481-3040

HEALTH CARE–OPTOMETRISTS

Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast

deborah Lawson

....................................................................................... 713/478-2618

FIX Vodka

.................................................................................... FixVodka.com

Denise O’Doherty, LPC, LMFT, RN Dr. Daniel Garza, MD

Dr. Barry F. Gritz, MD

230 Westcott, Ste 210....................................713/869-7400 Houston Behavioral Healthcare Hospital

2801 N. Gessner Road....................................877/489-4707 Jeffrey Myles/JM Professional Services

....................................................................................... 713/447-2164 The Montrose Center

401 Branard...........................................................713/529-0037 Christine Wysong

230 Westcott, Ste 210....................................713/869-7400

Derek Smith, AGPCNP-BC/Crofoot MD

Maggie White,MPH FNP-BC AAHIVS/ Gordon Crofoot

3701 Kirby Dr., Ste.1230.................................713/526-0005

HEALTH CARE–SERVICES

Avenue 360

Avenue360.org...................................................713/426-0027 Harris County Public Health

Publichealth.harriscountytx.gov.......... 713/439-6293 Houston Health Department

................................................................................... houstontx.gov Legacy Community Health

LegacyCommunityHealth.org................ 832/548 5000 Ryan White Planning Council

RWPCHouston.org........................................... 713/572-3784 St. Hope Foundation

Houston Eagle

HEALTH CARE–DENTISTS

37 Waugh Dr........................................................ 713/863-8244

JR’s/Santa Fe

2313 Edwards St., Ste. 150...............................713/518-1411

AUTOMOTIVE SALES

La Granja Disco Y Cantina

2313 Edwards St., Ste 150................................713/518-1411

Midtown Houston

530 Waugh Dr.................................................... 713/942-8598

Miller Outdoor Theatre

1722 W. Alabama............................................... 713/592-9300

Papi’s

620 W Alabama................................................. 713/529-4364

Pearl Bar

620 W Alabama................................................. 713/529-4364

beautyandwellnessdoc.com................... 832/844-1754

HEALTH CARE-/HIV/COVID TESTING

517 West Gray......................................................713/942-7546

716 Fairview....................................................... 713/522-3602 Tech Auto Maintenance

Advantage BMW Midtown

1210 Gray ..................................................................713/289-1221 Central Houston Cadillac/Tony Mcclelland

2520 Main St.......................................................832/981-7590

611 Hyde Park..........................................HoustonEagle.com 808 Pacific............................................................. 713/521-2519 5505 Pinemont Dr.............................................713/518-6753 ..................................................................Midtownhouston.com

Fred Haas Toyota World

MillerOutdoorTheatre.com.........................281/373-3386

Planet Ford

570 Waugh Dr......................................................713/524-3559

Planet Lincoln

4216 Washington...................................PearlHouston.com

Team Gillman Subaru North

202 Tuam................................................................346/227-8613

FredHaasToyota.com ...................................832/764-8914 20403 I-45 Spring TX 77388 ................... 866/879-9328 204031 I-45 Spring TX 77388...................888/242-5059 Gillmansubarunorth.com.......................... 832/564-7230

BANKING/FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS Houston Federal Credit Union

HoustonFCU.org........................................... 866/OUR-HFCU

ReBar

Round Top Festival Institute

248 Jaster Rd.......................................................979/249-3129 Round Top Festival Hill

................................................................................. FestivalHill.org Society For The Performing Arts

BAKERIES/CUSTOM CAKES

SPAHouston.org.................................................713/227-4772

davidalcorta.net..............................................832/439-0224

StagesTheatre.com..........................................713-527-0123

David Alcorta Catering Dessert Gallery

DessertGallery.com........................................713-522-9999

CATERING SERVICES David Alcorta Catering

Stages Theatre

Theatre Under The Stars

800 Bagby, Suite 200......................................tuts.com/out

Tony’s Corner Pocket

817 W. Dallas........................................................832/722-7658

davidalcorta.net..............................................832/439-0224

FINANCIAL PLANNING/BANKS

CHURCHES/SPIRITUAL CENTERS

1700 W Loop S, Ste 255..................................713/489-4322

1440 Harold.................................................beringchurch.org

888-A Avenue A, Katy......................................281/391-6137

Bering Church

Resurrection MCC

2025 W 11th............................................................ 713/861-9149 St Paul’s United Methodist Church

5501 Main...............................................................713/528-0527 St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church

1805 W. Alabama........................ststephenshouston.org Trinity Episcopal Church

1015 Holman St......................... www.trinitymidtown.org

CLEANING SERVICES

Dexter’s Five Star Service/Bob Samora

...................................................................................... 832/252-1961

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Richard Dickson/Galene Financial

Shane Theriot/Edward Jones

Grace Yung/Midtown Financial

3355 Alabama, Ste 180................................. 713/355-9833

Bayou City Smiles/Marcus de Guzman, DDS Bayou City Smiles/ Cynthia Corral, DDS

Cory Logan, DDS

LifeSmiles by Randy Mitchmore, DDS

Montrose DDS/Samuel A. Carrell, DDS Montrose DDS/Austin T. Faulk, DDS

Houston Health Department/HIV

.......................................................................houstoniamlife.com Houston Health Department/COVID

houstontx.gov................................................... 832-393-4220

HEALTH CARE-EMERGENCY CENTERS Montrose Emergency Room 24 Hour ER

1110 W. Gray St., #101.........................................713/242-1436 SignatureCare Emergency Centers

3209 Montrose Blvd........................................281/709-2897 1925 TC Jester....................................................832/850-4338 1014 Wirt Rd......................................................... 832/924-0312 Additional locations.......................................ercare24.com

HEALTH CARE-FOOT/ ANKLE SPECIALISTS Sole Aesthetic/Dr. Vanessa T. Barrow

Soleaesthetictx.com.....................................713/666-9934

HEALTH CARE/HOSPITALS

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Smokefreestudy.com.....................................713/792-2265

HEALTH CARE-HIV/STD TESTING

Avenue 360

FITNESS CLUBS/PERSONAL TRAINERS

Avenue360.org...................................................713/426-0027

2205 Fannin .......................................................713/659-4998

.................................................LegacyCommunityHealth.org

Club Houston

John Aaron Online Fitness

www.jaofit.com ..............................................832-649-8422

FOOD/SPECIALTY & SPIRITS Dripping Springs

...................................................... drippingspringsvodka.com

offeringhope.org................................................713/778-1300

HEALTH CARE–SKIN CARE

Heights Dermatology/Alpesh Desai, MD

2120 Ashland....................................................... 713/864-2650 SkinCeuticals/Skin Lab

2800 Kirby, Ste. B21........................................713/559-9300 Skin Renaissance Laser/Octavio Barrios, MD

507 West Gray.....................................................713/942-7546

HEALTH CARE-WEIGHT LOSS

Alexia McClerkin, MD /Beauty & Wellness Doc Dr. B-Fit / Octavio Barrios, MD

HOME FURNISHINGS/ACCESSORIES

coda

355 W 19th.............................................................. 713/864-4411

INTERIOR DESIGNERS

Jacob Medina

Jacob-medina.co...............................................713/242-8934 Jean Quila Interior Design

.....................................................................................832/366-1044

INSURANCE AGENCIES/AGENTS Lane Lewis/Farmers Insurance

2200 North Loop W, Ste 136......................713/688-8669 Patrick Torma/Goosehead Insurance

3420 Rusk, Ste. 22.............................................281/723-1294

INVESTMENTS Doug Smith/Hawthorne Funds

1210 West Clay, Ste. G................ HawthorneFunds.com

JEWELERS Silverlust

1338-C Westheimer......................................713/520-5440

LANDSCAPING/GARDENING

Legacy Community Health

Joshua’s Native Plants & Antiques

HEALTH CARE–OPHTHALMOLOGISTS

MASSAGE THERAPISTS

5420 Dashwood, Ste 101................................ 713/668-9118

RyanMassageWorks.com...........................713/269-7926

Houston Eye Associates/Stewart Zuckerbrod, MD

502 W. 18th St...................................................... 713/862-7444 Ryan Fugate, RMT

Tom Zeppelin/Zeppelin Massage

ZeppelinMassage.com..................................713/542-0426

ADVERTISERS INDEX MUSEUMS

Galveston Railroad Museum

galvestonrrmuseum.org............................409/765-5700

PEST CONTROL SERVICES

Andy’s All Star Pest Control

....................................................................................... 713/732-7742

PET SERVICES & SUPPLIES Bayou City Veterinary Hospital

4720 Washington.............................................713/343-9909 NULO Pet Foods

.................................................................................... nulo.com/fuel Midtown Veterinary Hospital

MidtownVetHospital.com...........................713-528-4900 Spay-Neuter Assistance Program

Snapus.org...........................................................713/862-3863 The Urban Vet

Lynette Lew/Better Homes and Gardens

LynetteLew.com................................................713/582-2202 Jose Ocque/Gary Greene-Post Oak Park

1177 W. Loop South, Ste 1200..................... 713/301-1136 Dan Ritchel/Keller Williams

.......................................................................................214/384-1164 Tom Schwenk/Tom’s Galveston Real Estate

Tomsgalvestonrealestate.com................713/857-2309 VJ Tramonte/Joe Tramonte Realty

1802 Broadway/Galveston.........................409/765-9837 Martha Turner Properties

Marthaturner.com..............................................713/520-1981 Andy Weber/Sotheby’s International Realty

520 Post Oak........................................................713/724-4306 Christopher Williams/Gary Greene-Post Oak

1177 W. Loop South, Ste 1200.....................713/885-4419

RESTAURANTS/COFFEE/WINE BARS

ACME Oyster House

2625 Louisiana St.Ste D100.....................713/903-2364

1201 Westheimer ......................................AcmeOyster.com

2030 W. Alabama.............................................. 713/528-0818

DessertGallery.com........................................713-522-9999

West Alabama Animal Clinic

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Dalton DeHart Photography

DaltonDehart.com............................................713/622-2202 Yvonne Feece Photography

yvonnefeece.com............................................ 832/876-1053

Dessert Gallery Eugene’s

1985 Welch St..................................EugenesHouston.com Free Grillin’/Chef Michele

......................................................................................832/419-0165 Giacomo’s cibo e vino

....................................................................................... 713/447-9201

3215 Westheimer...............................................713/522-1934 Gloria’s Latin Cuisine 2616 Louisiana....................................................832/360-1710 Niko Niko’s 2520 Montrose...................................................713/528-4976 Niko Niko’s 1040 W. Sam Houston Prkwy. N.............. 832/981-4976 Pizza Birra Vino 544 Waugh Dr....................................................832/581-3664 Riva’s Italian Restaurant 1117 Missouri St.................................................. 713/529-3450 Urban Eats 3414 Washington Ave.....................feasturbaneats.com

PRINTING/COPY CENTERS

TRAVEL/TRAVEL AGENCIES

PHOTOGRAPHY

Houston Camera Exchange

5900 Richmond Ave........................................ 713/789-6901

PLUMBING

In The Loop Plumbing Services

....................................................................................346/253-4444 U-Plumb-It Plumbing Supply

1424 Montrose......................................................713-942-2277

POOLS & POOL SERVICES Venture Pools

Copy.com

1201-F Westheimer.............................................713/528-1201

REAL ESTATE -ARCHITECTS Morningside Architects

4229 Bellaire Blvd.............................................713/529-2630

REAL ESTATE–MORTGAGE/TITLE Lyn Sullivan /Alamo Title

4265 San Felipe, Ste 520..............................713/228-0801 Janet Friedman/J Friedman Mortgage

Concierge Travel, Inc

4920 Mimosa.......................................................... 713/661-2117 Cruise Planners/Peter Weeks

..................................................................................... 901/351-0054 Galveston Tourism

........................................................... visitgalveston.comVisit Lafayette Travel

......................................................................LafayetteTravel.com David Alcorta Catering

davidalcorta.net..............................................832/439-0224

3700 Buffalo Speedway.................................713/418-7000

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PHOTOGRAPHIC FOUNDATION

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WEDDING VENUES

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MARKETPLACE CLASSIFIEDS MARKETPLACE

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OutSmartMagazine.com LillyRoddy_Nov14.indd 1

10/21/14 11:29 AM

BEHIND THE BAR WITH . . .

Sophia Ludwig HAROLD’S IN THE HEIGHTS

Shifts: Most weekdays; Friday and Saturday evenings

They’re not needed when you have a good bartender!

Yes, two Boston Terriers—Milo and Mila.

What are you best known for?

I make a great martini!

What is the best part about working at this bar?

Honestly, the bosses here make it a great place to work. The owner, Alli, is extremely nice.

JACK BERGER

What are the best and worst holidays to work? Why? The best holiday to work is Easter—excellent tips!

The worst is Mother’s Day. More families, less drinking.

Favorite Food?

Tacos Favorite vacation spot: Charleston, South Carolina

Biggest tip from one customer? $500!

What is your favorite shot to make? To drink?

Favorite to make: Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned Favorite to drink: Tito’s & Water

Dream vacation on your bucket list: Italy

Who are the hardest customers to please?

Someone who’s unsure of what they are ordering.

Advice to a wannabe bartender: Be a “people person”

If you weren’t a bartender, what career would you choose?

I’d be in the kitchen.

I am a sous chef.

Where is your favorite place to drink when not on duty?

The Shady Acres Saloon.

What is a current bar drink trend you’d like to see end?

Pre-made, canned cocktails.

Your superpower?

Lie detection Theme Song: “I Don’t F—k with You”

by Big Sean

Do you have any pets?

BAR GUIDE There’s always something going on at TONY’S CORNER POCKET!

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Helpline: 713-46P-FLAG www.pflaghouston.org OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 127

SIGN OUT

By LILLY RODDY

Stay Alert in June As the month begins, we are in a Mercury retrograde cycle until June 29. With Mercury retrograde, it’s best to finish up projects from the past, connect with old friends, and enjoy TV shows that feature nostalgic themes.

Avoid starting new projects, buying electronics, or dating new people during this cycle. Mercury retrograde has the strongest impact on the mutable signs of Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Pisces. Moving forward can result in delays and missed communications.

Internet problems and adverse traffic conditions can occur as well, so give yourself plenty of time to get to where you’re going. These conditions are enhanced with the solar eclipse on June 10. Surprising information could be revealed with this eclipse.

This month, we only have one really good day on June 3! While the rest of the month will keep us on our toes, days to pay special attention to are June 5, 10, 13, 14, 17, 21, 22, and 23.

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Your daily activities, effective communication, and finding time for yourself will be the major themes this month. Your everyday habits and activities will be under the microscope, so that will help you get rid of bad behaviors. You will have a lot to say, particularly about what has transpired in the past. Be sure to give yourself extra time to get to where you are going. Family issues can really grate on your nerves. Set some boundaries so you won’t feel underappreciated.

You will also need some time to yourself, which could be good for writing, hiking, or listening to soothing music. Focus on what you can do, and let the rest go!

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

This month, the theme is setting good boundaries that allow you to express your best self! Career and personal relationships will really require some 128 JUNE 2021

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OutSmartMagazine.com

JOHN-PAUL ARREAGA

Mercury retrograde dominates the month.

CANCER (June 22–July 22)

This month, you are trying to balance your excess energy with your need for retreat and solitude. On the whole, you are more energetic, less patient, more courageous, and you’re getting less sleep. In the first half of the month, you need more time to yourself via meditation, tai chi, or just going up to the lake! This can be a good time for writing and connecting with your larger spiritual purpose for

concentration this month. You are looking at taking a leadership position or even starting your own business, but that has to happen as a freely chosen option for you. Others’ advice, no matter their good intentions, may make you feel trapped or angry, and you might feel the need to run.

You are also making the bonds between you and your partner stronger through a commitment, a renewal, or just taking the time to enjoy life together. Finances, investments, and budgets are all on the menu this month for the cows and bulls!

GEMINI (May 21–June 21)

This is a very active birthday month for you, with Mercury retrograde and the eclipses all occurring in your sign during June! With your ruler, Mercury, retrograde, this is the ideal time to concentrate on past activities and clean up anything you have left undone. All your relationships will be under scrutiny. You will want to recapture good feelings from the past and put your relationship on firmer ground. If

being on the planet. And with Mercury retrograde, this is a great time for a past-life regression or a reading. In the latter half of the month you are more energetic, but it’s still best to wait until June 29 before you begin any new tasks. Make sure you have plenty of personal space on the 4th, 5th, and 6th. Otherwise, anger issues can surface.

you’re having problems, this can be the time to solve them or find a different path entirely. You are also more eager to spend the month on things you want, but may not actually need. New career options are opening up, but you should wait until the end of June before you make decisions about the future.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22

The larger theme of reinventing yourself professionally continues as you face long-term life decisions about security.

Friendships, business organizations, and community groups are on your radar this month. With the Mercury retrograde here, you may be hearing from old friends or be called back to work. It’s time to reconsider your value to the organizations you belong to. You get a big boost of energy midmonth, and that will give you more confidence and the ability to concentrate on your needs. The boundaries in your relationships may need to be redrawn as you redefine your role in those relation-

ships. You don’t have time for what doesn’t work in your life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) There is a lot of activity in your career sector this month, including the Mercury retrograde and the eclipses. Traditionally, this is always the time to focus on your career, but with so much energy in this area, you are looking to shift directions and do something on your own. If you are older, consider cutting back on your work schedule. With the Mercury retrograde, you will be more attuned to the things that are not going as smoothly as you like, particularly at work. This is a good time to do research, but wait until after the 29th to commit to any new plan. Your existing relationships are improving, as you are more open to new ideas. By midmonth, you are making connections with friends and community or business groups. You will draw a lot of support from these places.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 23)

Your creative cycle continues this month as you explore ways to express your inner child, with all of its visionary potential.

For many of you, this can be a time to turn your hobby into something that makes money. You have been breaking away from the past and the old you. You want to take on more of a leadership role at work this month, so you’ll have less patience with your boss—even if that’s you! This is also a great time to be with children, as they often allow us to be more playful and free of judgment. Toward the middle of the month, you are more supported by friends and the people in your community. They’ll be more open to sharing their love and support for you!

SCORPIO (Oct. 24–Nov. 21)

This is such an active and demanding year for you. You are working on your personal foundation by dealing with family, relocating to another area, and setting personal boundaries. There can easily be a shift in your family’s hierarchy during this time. In relationships, you are looking for new freedom, and new ways to express the ties that bind. This can be a difficult time for relationships that are on the edge, especially in late June. You have

been working hard since the beginning of the year to create a more stable career base. You will be tempted to put those new ideas into play in mid-June, but you should wait until the 29th before taking action so that your plans will be successful. Your key word this year is boundaries!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.22–Dec.21)

Relationships, personal expectations, and home and family are your core concerns this month. With the eclipses and Mercury retrograde all occurring in your relationship sector this month, those energies will really be stirred up. For relationships that are doing well, this can be a time to just reconnect by getting away for a few days and having fun! For those shaky partnerships, June will emphasize the need for a resolution, one way or another.

And if you are single, you could have an old relationship partner come back into your life, especially with the eclipse on June 10. You are holding people to their word this month, and letting them know your disappointment when they let you down. Your workplace may need some upgrading by the end of the month.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

This is your month to pay attention to

health and exercise habits, and your work environment. As you look at improving the efficiency of your workspace, you may experience office equipment that’s not working as well as it usually does.

You may have already decided to replace some equipment, but you should wait until after the 29th before you act on that.

This would be a great month to restart any neglected health activities that you neglected during the pandemic shutdown. Your relationships need attention, and you may want to offer some reassurance to keep the peace. Budgets and planning for future needs is important this month, especially in the latter half of June.

You may be looking at new investments or savings plans.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

With Saturn in your sign, you are continually working to improve yourself, your boundaries, your career, and your long-term security. You’ll also want to make sure you and your partner are on the same page for the future. In your career sector, you are re-examining your role and your job requirements in order to make sure they fit you—and not the other way around. You are trying to figure out a way to make your creativity more produc-

tive so you’ll at least have more time to enjoy it. Family roles are changing, and older relatives could be moving more into the background. By the middle of the month you are ready to act, which could make you impatient with the speed of progress. Decisions are best made after the 29th to ensure a greater degree of success.

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

All of the activity this month—the eclipses and Mercury retrograde—is occurring in your home and family sector. This can mean that you are looking to move, do some remodeling, or deal with a big shift in the family power hierarchy. Dealing with these issues could put big demands on your time.

On a personal level, your relationships are getting better. If you are single, your options are improving. This can also be a time of shifting your career focus in order to do something on your own or to find more time for hobbies and other creative outlets. You will feel more in the flow of things after June 29, when Mercury is finally direct.

For more astro-insight, log on to lillyroddy.com.

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Live your legacy. In real time. No apologies. No regrets.

OutSmartMagazine.com | JUNE 2021 129

WIGGING OUT

A Proud Mary Does Pride Month After 30 years of drag, Dana Roxanne’s wheels keep on turning.

tal, Miss Gay Southern States, Miss Texas Continental, and Miss Black Trans Houston. I was in the top 10 at Miss Gay World, and first runner-up to Miss Gay Universe. My most cherished title was winning the International Hanes Totally Tina Contest.

By SAM BYRD Photo by SEFERINO GARCIA

That must have been a grueling contest.

I have been a Tina Turner tribute artist for 29 of my 30 years. Winning the Hanes Totally Tina Contest was my highest honor. I competed against 199 other contestants from all around the world. Only two drag queens made the final 30 (myself and Hot Chocolate). The prize package included an opportunity to go backstage and meet her. Hearing Tina Turner tell me I was beautiful was the only reassurance I ever needed to validate my beauty.

Don’t do a double-take or think you’re hallucinating—if you think you see Tina Turner performing at a local bar, it’s just Dana Roxanne (formerly known as Roxanne Collins). The Houston icon is a dead-ringer for the Queen of Rock ’n Roll, and her tribute act has taken her places she never imagined—including meeting the real Tina.

Although Roxanne is retiring after 30 years of drag, she’s still putting her image to good use and taking on a full-time new career as a celebrity impersonator.

What do you think the future of drag will be?

The future of drag is now. Anyone who knows me knows that giving new entertainers a platform to perform has always been a passion of mine.

Pronouns?

She, her, and hers.

Hometown?

Whistleville, Georgia.

Any tips for up-and-coming drag performers?

Integrity equals longevity. Follow your heart, not the crowd.

Inner avatar?

The phoenix. No matter what, I rise.

Drag birthday?

July 1991.

What is the most important accessory that a drag performer should have at all times?

A good attitude. Nobody wants to tip or work with a Bitter Betty.

What does Pride Month mean to you?

Pride means unity, chosen family, and courage—unapologetic [living] at its finest.

#teamCher or #teamDonnaSummer?

Cher.

What’s your special title associated with Houston Pride?

I was crowned Miss Gay Pride Houston 2019, and I had the honor (due to the pandemic) to reign for a second year as Miss Gay Pride Houston 2020. I step down on June 19. That’s officially my last pageant, so this step down will be full of emotion.

Any other pageant titles?

Besides Miss Gay Pride Houston, I have had the blessing to have numerous titles over my 30-year career—most notably Miss Gay Houston USofA, Miss Houston Continen130 JUNE 2021 | OutSmartMagazine.com

Follow Dana Roxanne on Facebook, and DanaRoxanne21 on Instagram.

Plans for the summer?

Last year, when we couldn’t go to bars, I had a few highly successful online illusion concerts. I got messages from all over asking if I would come to their cities when shows returned. So I’m in the process of putting together a tour to go to some of those cities. I’m saying goodbye to Roxanne Collins the drag queen, and hello to Dana Roxanne the full-time celebrity impersonator. I’m nervous, I’m anxious, and most of all I’m excited to see where this lane change will take me. Going full time impersonating my muses is something I had been thinking about, and now seems to be the perfect time. Here’s to the next 30 years!

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