September 2024 by OutSmart Magazine

FEATURES

Interim CEO Brad Pritchett will lead the

for LGBTQ rights in Texas

Latinx author Farrah Fang’s powerful new

collection Quererme en La Luz

Director César Jáquez brings

Houston author Aber Prieto revisits childhood struggles in his debut novel

Adriana LaRue aims to bring Tejano culture to Mexico City’s drag reality show

Abdiel Aucullu spills on his Emmy Award-winning wig designs for the HBO series We’re Here

Sasha

SEPTEMBER 2024

NEWS & COMMENT

State-issued ID cards in Texas will no longer be reissued to show an updated gender marker

24 COMMUNITY

Co-host Dylan Forbis previews this year’s Transgender Unity Banquet;

The Montrose Center honors Greg Jeu and Ian L. Haddock at the annual Out For Good gala ( pg. 28)

47 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Omar Apollo previews his God Said No tour that stops in Houston this month;

Houston pop star Weaux brings their irresistable beats to AvantGarden in Montrose ( pg. 50 );

Choreographer Adam Castañeda’s dance experiences explore his Near Northside roots ( pg. 59)

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Greg Jeu

Creative Director Alex Rosa

Copy Editor Howard Maple, Janice Stensrude

Copy Editors Howard Maple, Janice Stensrude

Contributing Writers

Olivia Flores Alvarez, Rich Arenschieldt, Bill Arning, Susan Bankston, Connor Behrens, Jenny Block, Sam Byrd, David Clarke, Dick Dace, Blase DiStefano, Andrew Edmonson, Ste7en Foster, Alys Garcia Carrera, Martin Giron, Lillian Hoang, DL Groover, Marene Gustin, Kim Hogstrom, James Hurst, Lisa Keen, Ryan M. Leach, Zachary McKenzie, David Odyssey, Joanna O’Leary, Lilly Roddy, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregg Shapiro, Janice Stensrude, Sheryl Taylor, Terrance Turner, Grace S. Yung

Photographers/Illustrators

Edgardo Aguilar, John-Paul Arreaga, Victor Contreras, Dalton DeHart, Yvonne Feece, Frank Hernandez, Ashkan Roayaee, Alex Rosa

Operations Manager Michael Gurnas

Sales and Marketing Dept.

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O ut S mart 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 O ut S mart Inclusion in O ut S mart does not imply sexual orientation. ©2023 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.

Support local LGBTQ independent media. Make a tax-deductible donation at outsmartmagazine.com/outsmart-foundation

BREWS & BITES BREWS & BITES

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DINING OUT

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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.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, including:

 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 ﬁ rst talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months, and may give you HBV medicine.

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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

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 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. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while taking BIKTARVY.

 Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risks of breastfeeding during treatment with BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take:

 Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-thecounter medicines, antacids, laxatives, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

 BIKTARVY and other medicines may a ect 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.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF BIKTARVY

BIKTARVY may cause serious side e ects, 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 e ects of BIKTARVY in clinical studies were diarrhea (6%), nausea (6%), and headache (5%).

These are not all the possible side e ects of BIKTARVY. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking BIKTARVY. You are encouraged to report negative side e ects 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.

Weekly, 04/19/2019 through 05/19/2023. #1 PRESCRIBED HIV TREATMENT*

ELIAS SWITCHED TO BIKTARVY

Listen to REAL STORIES being told by REAL VOICES.

Person featured takes BIKTARVY and is compensated by Gilead.

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.

*This information is an estimate derived from the use of information under license from the following IQVIA information service: IQVIA NPA Weekly, for the period week ending 04/19/2019 through week ending 05/19/2023. IQVIA expressly reserves all rights, including rights of copying, distribution, and republication.

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

STAGE

September 6–15

HOUSTON BALLET’S THE LITTLE MERMAID

Houston Ballet opens the 2024–’25 season with the company premiere of John Neumeier’s production of The Little Mermaid Featuring an original score by composer Lera Auerbach, this love story, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s 1837 fairytale, follows the mysterious mermaid heroine on her journey between land and sea. tinyurl.com/3t26j6wp

COMMUNITY

September 7

KINDRED SPIRITS DANCE

The annual Kindred Spirits Dance is a tradition carried on by the Montrose Center to honor queer women by providing a safe and affirming space to boogie-oogieoogie. tinyurl.com/4fjxpzps

THINGS to DO QUEER

STAGE September 14 COUNTERPOINT:

Counterpoint is a collaboration between pianist/composer Conrad Tao and choreographer/ dancer Caleb Teicher.

CONRAD TAO & CALEB TEICHER

Pianist and composer Conrad Tao joins tap dancer and choreographer Caleb Teicher to put a unique spin on beloved music and dance pieces from such composers as Bach, Schoenberg, Gershwin, and Art Tatum. tinyurl.com/yct5ynjb

COMMUNITY

Thursday, September 26 - Sunday, September 29

BEAR TUBING WEEKEND

Bear Tubing is a Texas tradition for gay bears, cubs, otters, friends, and admirers. Every year, over 300 participants gather in New Braunfels for a relaxed weekend of fun, featuring a lazy float down the Comal River in inner tubes. tinyurl.com/4adbn6e7

RICHARD TERMINE

COMMUNITY

September 13–15

BAYOU CITY PUPS

10TH ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND

Join the Houston Pups for a tailwagging extravaganza of kink, community, and pup play. tinyurl.com/yund2mpb

COMMUNITY

September 7

5TH ANNUAL BARRY

WHITE BIRTHDAY PARTY

Barry White was born in Galveston on September 12, 1944, so what better way to celebrate his birthday than an Island party!

Join Lucky Lounge in Galveston for food, tunes, cocktails, and fundraising benefiting Access Coastal Care of Texas (ACCT). tinyurl.com/4xhsw2a2

STAGE

September 14

QUEER ACROSS AMERICA: HOUSTON

Queer native Houstonian pop star Weaux returns home with the pop and drag extravaganza Queer Across America: Houston tinyurl.com/4y5tshtu

Opening acts will include drag artists Urethra Burns and La Malinche, and singers Immanie and Sugar Joiko (recently featured in OutSmart magazine), creating a unique combination of performers that reflects the diversity of Houston’s thriving arts scene.

September 13

THE HISPANIC/LATINO/ LATINA/LATINX/LATINE VOTE

Stages presents a laugh-out-loud satire from Houston-raised playwright Bernardo Cubría exploring identity, community, and the hilarious absurdity of the political machine. Check out our profile of first-time director César Jáquez in this issue. tinyurl.com/bdhw9mxb

STAGE

September 19

OMAR APOLLO

Gay singer/songwriter Omar Apollo brings his God Said No tour to White Oak Music Hall. tinyurl.com/46ejm3ka

COMMUNITY

September 8

15TH ANNUAL EQUALITY BRUNCH

Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus presents the 15th annual Equality Brunch. The event will raise funds to help elect proequality candidates during the general election.

tinyurl.com/58ma7r5r

STAGE

September 19–29

HOUSTON BALLET –VELOCITY

A triple-bill program featuring works that showcase the artistic depth and technical virtuosity of Houston Ballet dancers: Stanton Welch’s Velocity, Aszure Barton’s Come In, and the world premiere of a one-act work by Silas Farley with a commissioned score by Kyle Werner. tinyurl.com/mr2u7frt

COMMUNITY

September 21

TRANSGENDER UNITY BANQUET

The Houston Transgender Unity Banquet is the city’s largest annual Transgender community event. The banquet raises money for scholarships, Houston Pride activities, Houston DOR, and annual recognition awards. tinyurl.com/muhwehz6 STAGE

COMMUNITY

October 5

OUT FOR GOOD GALA 2024

In celebration of National Coming Out Day, the Montrose Center hosts its annual fundraising gala, Out for Good. Greg Jeu, OutSmart magazine’s publisher, will be honored with the 2024 LGBTQ Community Vision Award for his decades of service to Houston’s LGBTQ community. tinyurl.com/9f3hyus8

STAGE

October 8

ORVILLE PECK

Queer superstar Orville Peck brings his Stampede tour to Houston’s House of Blues. tinyurl.com/3wk3f5nz

COMMUNITY

October 12

PRIDE COMMUNITY CENTER’S OUTOBERFEST

Pride Community Center presents OUToberfest 2024, the firstever Brazos Valley Pride Festival in downtown Bryan. The event features an artisan market, food and drink vendors, local nonprofit and community resources, stage performances, and more. tinyurl.com/pfh2j44a

COMMUNITY

October 23

2024 GAYEST & GREATEST AWARDS PARTY

It’s the party of the year at South Beach Houston as OutSmart celebrates all the winners of the 27th annual Gayest & Greatest Readers’ Choice Awards.

QUESTIONS?

DO IT

ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

Plus, learn which HIV prevention and treatment options work for you.

A New Era of Leadership at Equality Texas

As interim CEO, Brad Pritchett leads the charge for LGBTQ rights in Texas.

By RYAN M. LEACH

Photos by NORA DAYTON

Brad Pritchett , 44, is wellknown in Houston for his activism and advocacy for the LGBTQ community. The Heights resident will be taking on the role of interim chief executive officer at Equality Texas (EQTX) through December 2025 after the recent departure of Ricardo Martinez. With several Texas races and the 2025 Texas Legislative Session on the horizon, Pritchett’s plate will be full and he is more than prepared for the challenge.

“The reason I [originally] came to Equality Texas was because of Ricardo Martinez, our former CEO,” says Pritchett. “Some folks don’t know that Ricardo and I were competitors for the CEO position. The Equality Texas board made the right decision to hire Ricardo. At the Creating Change conference in Dallas, just after he was hired, we met and started to talk. There was zero competitiveness or animosity, and he actually asked if I’d be interested in working at Equality Texas. About a year later, to my surprise, he called me and said, ‘I’ve found the funding to bring you on. Are you ready?’ It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”

After joining the EQTX staff under the leadership of Martinez, Pritchett started as a field director and eventually was promoted to deputy director in 2023. In that role, he helped to create strategy and generate engagement while managing the work being done by the field and governmentaffairs departments. As the interim CEO, he will oversee every department within the organization and continue creating strategy for statewide work fighting for LGBTQ equality. He will also work closely with the development team to ensure that EQTX has the resources necessary to continue defending queer Texans at the Capitol and across the state.

EQTX has had a few significant victories recently. Lauren Ashley Simmons defeated the anti-gay incumbent, Shawn Thierry, in the House District 146 primary. Simmons, who is favored to win, would add herself to the growing Texas LGBTQ House Caucus.

State Senator Molly Cook in Senate District 15 is another race Pritchett thinks folks should be aware of. Molly won her seat by 46 votes, underscoring how important every vote is—and the hard work she put into meeting so many constituents in the district. This is a Democratic district, and Molly’s election will send the first openly LGBTQ lawmaker to the Texas Senate with the help of EQTX.

“THE LEVEL OF CARE THAT HOUSTONIANS HAVE FOR EACH OTHER IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES US UNIQUE AS A CITY. OUR PEOPLE ARE RESILIENT, ARE FIGHTERS, AND ARE FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF ONE ANOTHER—AND THAT’S ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY.”

— Brad Pritchett

When the Texas Legislature reconvenes in 2025 (a biannual event that always puts the LGBTQ community in Texas on edge), Prtichett has a plan.

“We will continue to see a focus on education and health care, specifically targeting transgender Texans,” he says. “Our team has been looking at what is happening across the country, what bills are being filed in other legislatures, what messages are resonating with people, and what we can learn from them. We have already been preparing for the 2025 Legislative Session for months, and I’m confident we will be ready to mount an aggressive defense for queer Texans come January. We will also be pushing a proactive agenda and are aiming to file more than 150 pro-equality bills next session.”

But before the session starts, Pritchett cautions that there are a few important races to watch.

“House District 118 in Bexar County, outside of San Antonio, has Kristian Carranza facing incumbent John Lujan,” he notes. “This race is the most competitive Texas House race in the state, and it has the best chance of shifting that seat from an anti-equality legislator to a pro-equality legislator.

“In the Arlington area is House District 112, where Averie Bishop is challenging incumbent Angie Chen Button. Bishop is a former Miss Texas and is committed to working with the LGBTQ+ community when elected to office.

“House District 63 in Denton County will be a race between anti-LGBTQ+ incumbent Ben Baumgartner and former legislator and member of the LGBTQ+ community Michelle Beckley.

“These House races are important for a variety of reasons, one being how close the Texas House is to passing Governor Abbott’s school voucher scheme. Texas public schools are already underfunded, and for LGBTQ+ teachers and students, private schools lack transparency and accountability when facing issues of discrimination.” Pritchett emphasizes.

Although Pritchett will be spending more time in Austin, don’t expect him to be entirely absent from the city he calls home.

“The level of care that Houstonians have for each other is one of the things that makes us unique as a city,” he says. “We have power outages and hurricanes and wind storms and floods, and you will always see people helping their neighbors. After the last hurricane, the Montrose Center was gathering and distributing supplies to anyone who needed them, not just LGBTQ+ Houstonians. Our people are resilient, are fighters, and are fiercely protective of one another—and that’s especially true for the LGBTQ+ community.”

For more info, visit equalitytexas.org.

Y’all Means All

Brad Pritchett at Pride Austin’s 2024 parade

Supporting and Celebrating Our Trans Community

Cohost Dylan Forbis previews this year’s Transgender Unity Banquet.

The Houston Transgender Unity Banquet, hosted by the Houston Transgender Unity Committee (HTUC), is the largest annual event for Houston’s trans community. Celebrating the history and culture of this vibrant community, the banquet unites individuals, allies, and organizations to champion transgender visibility, rights, and advocacy. Now in its 32nd year, the banquet is a cornerstone event that fosters connection, reflection, and celebration.

“The Unity Banquet has a rich history in Houston,” says Dylan Forbis, 2024 banquet co-host. “It began because of a feud between trans people in Galveston and Houston. When you have such strong people who are fighting for their lives, you’re going to have some headbutting every once in a while.”

Despite its rocky start, the Unity Banquet has grown into one of the nation’s most significant advocacy and fundraising events for the trans community. “The banquet raises funds for scholarships, and we’ll be awarding funds to students this fall,” Forbis explains. “As a former scholarship recipient, I know how vital this support is. It helped me finish my associate degree, and I’m proud to give back to the program that ensures members of our community are getting the education funding that they need.”

Forbis’ success exemplifies the value of investing in our own community. As the first openly trans person elected to the Texas Democratic Party’s Executive Committee, he ran his campaign digitally at the 2020 Texas Democratic Party Convention. “I had support from both the LGBTQIA+ community and allies across different identities and generations,” Forbis recalls. Many who fought to open committee positions to women were fighting for committee positions for Forbis and other nonbinary and trans-identifying people.

“For queer people, our existence and happiness are resistance,” Forbis explains. “From being a young child and having to advocate for myself in school, dressing in the ways I decided to that fit me and my gender expression, even

By DAVID CLARKE

to being an adult and having to advocate in the workplace or within my family, I feel there are a lot of aspects of our identity that are intrinsically political and politicized because we’re so highly impacted by policy.”

“Whether you’re a trans person, a nonbinary person, or a cisgender person, if you’re a member of the queer community, having to deal with the intersectionality of your identities and your economic status—and even where you live in the city of Houston—you’re constantly having to advocate for yourself,” Forbis continues. “I find a lot of peace in knowing that I’m not alone in this fight.”

This passion led Forbis to first volunteer at the 2012 Unity Banquet and later accept the invitation to co-host the event. “I’ve been attending since 2012, and the speakers have always inspired me,” Forbis says. “One year, Annise Parker said she’s always been out and she’s never given anybody an opportunity to say, ‘Oh, you’re hiding who you are.’ That comes with a lot of privilege, but it also removes a lot of power from people that want to hurt you.”

“Another moment that really moved me,” Forbis recalls, “was when Judge Phyllis Frye said, ‘Run for office, run for office,

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX ROSA FOR

Houston

Transgender Unity Banquet co-host

Dylan Forbis

run for office! The reason you run for office is you want to win and enact policies that are going to help your community. But when you run for office, people give you that microphone and you get to say that you’re fighting for transgender rights, to end poverty in Texas, and to make sure that school kids have lunches when they go to school.’”

Forbis also finds himself drawn back to the banquet each year because it provides him with an outlet to motivate others. “After the pandemic, I met a young trans man who was attending one of our banquets. He ran up to me and shook my hand, saying, ‘You’re the first trans man I’m ever meeting. I’ve never met someone else like me.’ That was very moving.”

That man is an artist who has become active with organizations such as the Transgender Education Network of Texas and the Triple A Alliance through the Trans Legal Aid Clinic Texas, thanks to the encouragement Forbis provided.

Though the banquet tackles serious issues like politics and remembrance, it’s also a joyful event. “I’ve gotten to dance with dignitaries and famous people because, at the end, there’s always a little dance party,” Forbis shares. “Just having such a euphoric,

“THE UNITY BANQUET BEGAN BECAUSE OF A FEUD BETWEEN TRANS PEOPLE IN GALVESTON AND HOUSTON. WHEN YOU HAVE SUCH STRONG PEOPLE WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE SOME HEAD-BUTTING EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE.”

— Dylan Forbis

human experience—while we’re fighting all year long—is among the reasons I go back every year.”

With a national election approaching, supporting the trans community is crucial. “We are the ones with the biggest target on our backs right now,” warns Forbis. “There are a few different news organizations that have been caught saying that they don’t want to support trans rights because it doesn’t pay and it gets them targeted.” This kind of exclusion

and closing of doors negatively affects all of us, whether we identify as trans or not.

Forbis references Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, pioneers who experienced homelessness and derision because of their advocacy for gay liberation, to underscore the importance of our solidarity. “The biggest barrier is going to continue to be members of our community that aren’t advocating for us because we’re fighting hard for ourselves. We’re doing everything that we can. And anything that we do for the transgender community helps everyone.”

“When misogyny and transphobia are running rampant through the gay, lesbian, and bisexual community, it’s only going to trickle upwards,” Forbis warns. “We know we’re going to have bills against us next year in the Texas Legislative Session. We know we’re going to continue to be political fodder. We haven’t even gotten to Election Day, and they’re already targeting the trans community.”

What: The Houston Transgender Unity Banquet 2024

WHEN: September 21, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Hilton Houston Westchase, 9999 Westheimer Road

INFO: UnityBanquet.com

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Honoring OutSmart’s Editor and Publisher

Greg Jeu will receive the Montrose Center’s 2024 Community Vision Award.

By DAVID CLARKE

This year’s Out for Good Gala, a benefit for the Montrose Center and Houston’s premier fundraiser for the LGBTQ community, has special meaning for Outsmart magazine and its editor and publisher, Greg Jeu.

“I enjoy asking people about their life, but I don’t really like talking about mine,” says Jeu, who is scheduled to be honored on October 5 at the 11th Annual Out for Good Gala as recipient of the 2024 LGBTQ Community Vision Award.

Despite his reluctance to step into the spotlight to receive this honor, Jeu appreciates the significance of the moment. “It’s hard to turn down an opportunity to be in front of people and give a big thank-you to everyone who has made this happen,” he says. “But it’s not me. My job is to create a space for it to happen, and all the other people come in and do their work—our journalists, proofreaders, editors, designers, the people who deliver our magazines, and the businesses that allow us to put the magazines in their establishments.”

This crucial media outlet, which has served and uplifted Houston’s LGBTQ community for over 30 years, was birthed out of a pair of hardships experienced by Jeu. In the 1980s, he was publishing a local health and spirituality

magazine, and on the back cover of one issue, Jeu and about 14 of his friends—including former mayor Annise Parker—appeared in an ad that promoted LGBTQ visibility. It asked if viewers could identify who was gay or lesbian just by looking at the photo.

“Immediately, we got pulled from the library system,” recalls Jeu. “They said it was just a new policy, and that they weren’t going to have any more magazines.”

Despite the convenient excuse offered, Jeu thinks the ad was seen as being too controversial. “We had to go to each library within the system individually and reestablish ourselves,” he says of getting the magazine back into the libraries. “And it wasn’t a gay publication. It was just covering health, yoga, and all that.” This experience planted a seed within Jeu that would blossom in the aftermath of another hardship.

On September 9, 1992, Joey D. Cundiff, Jeu’s partner of a decade, died of complications caused by AIDS. Without a will or any other form of legal protections, Jeu lost access to the home he was sharing with his partner.

“I was really devastated by all of that,” Jeu admits. “There’s that quote that says you make braver decisions when you think you’ve lost it all, and it really is true. You will do things that

you never thought you would do, especially if you felt like you might have been wronged.”

With a group of friends, Jeu went to the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation. “We just came back inspired to do something different,” says Jeu. And that was the inspiration for OutSmart magazine.

“Most of the LGBTQ magazines that were around during that time were more sexually oriented. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It just didn’t really portray everybody who was in the community,” Jeu emphasizes. “We decided to create a magazine that didn’t have all those same elements, just to show what the community was really made of. There’s all kinds of different people out there.”

Conceived, curated, written, and edited by members and supporters of the LGBTQ community, OutSmart has been guided by its mission of educating and inspiring the community, advancing our voices and interests, and connecting readers to valuable services and resources.

“People told us what they wanted. They wanted things about politics. They wanted things about health, including mental-

Photos by FRANK XAVIER

health conditions,” Jeu explains. “We had a lot of columnists in the early days, and they offered advice for people on how to keep relationships going and how to overcome the internalized homophobia that we all had. Society had caused us to be a certain way. So if you could get people to be healthier, the whole community becomes healthier. Then we wouldn’t turn on each other like we see happening sometimes in different groups.”

Jeu’s tireless efforts have created a resource that is focused on enriching the overall well-being of Houston’s LGBTQ community, which is why the Montrose Center has selected him for this distinctive honor.

“The Community Vision Award is a longstanding award that we’ve given out throughout the history of this event to someone in our community whose vision, work, and service has truly impacted our community,” states Meleah Jones, the Montrose Center’s development director. “We could think of no one better than Greg. Through all his work with OutSmart magazine—capturing our stories and celebrating our community, even when that wasn’t accepted—Greg has been truly remarkable.”

Additionally, the Center will introduce a new award this year to recognize someone who has made a huge impact on the wellbeing of Houston’s LGBTQ community. The inaugural recipient will be Ian L. Haddock

“CREATING A MAGAZINE THAT SHOWED WHAT OUR COMMUNITY WAS REALLY MADE OF WAS A CHANCE TO PORTRAY THE DIVERSE FACES OF LGBTQIA+ HOUSTON.”

— Greg Jeu

of The Normal Anomaly Initiative, who is also an OutSmart contributing writer.

“Both Greg and Ian have substantially increased the visibility of our community and have used their respective platforms to champion issues that are critically important to LGBTQIA+ Houston,” said Avery Belyeu, chief executive officer of the Montrose Center. “We are proud and excited to bring the community together in celebration of their accomplishments.”

The Out for Good Gala began in 2014, and for the first time in its 11-year history will be changing downtown venues from the Ballroom at Bayou Place to the Marriott Marquis Houston. Over the years, the honor Jeu will receive

has been bestowed on such luminaries as Ann J. Robison, who grew the Montrose Center from a small, scrappy organization to a community cornerstone; Latina activist Linda Morales; legendary local drag queen Dina Jacobs; community photographer and archivist Dalton DeHart; Judge Phyllis Frye, the first openly transgender appointed judge in the nation; and former mayor Annise Parker, among others.

As a major outlet for stories that are often overlooked by the mainstream media, many pages within OutSmart have been dedicated to these former Out for Good honorees. Jeu is also excited about the opportunity to shine a light on the OutSmart Foundation for LGBTQ News and Media, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of OutSmart that funds local journalism and drives progress. His efforts to solidify the magazine’s sustainability run in tandem with his support of the foundation’s mission.

“We’ve just had some brainstorming sessions on developing memberships and creating opportunities for businesses to support our mission,” says Jeu, expressing confidence in the Montrose Center’s understanding and support of the OutSmart Foundation. “I believe they grasp how crucial it is to be funded through a nonprofit. I remember Ann Robison talking about those early days at the Montrose Center when they set up as a nonprofit to serve the community but struggled to meet payroll. They were even retrieving cash from the Coke machine to pay bills! Many publications have faced challenges similar to OutSmart ’s. Donations from individuals and businesses will significantly help us secure consistent, reliable funding.

“A 5 or 10 dollar donation each month from a cadre of supporting contributors would go a long way to creating a predictable and sustainable amount of revenue to make this work. We wouldn’t need to rely on miracles to happen so often,” he says. “Once people understand, they will fuel the outlet’s mission-driven work of ensuring visibility for our community and supporting the storytelling that has and continues to change people’s lives, change the way people see us, and have a profound impact on politics.”

To celebrate with Jeu, Haddock, and OutSmart magazine, you can purchase tickets to the Out For Good Gala at montrosecenter. org/event/out-for-good-2024. Additionally, the Montrose Center will need many volunteers to pull off this year’s event. If you can’t afford to purchase a ticket, there are numerous volunteer opportunities that will allow you to attend.

WHAT: Out For Good Gala

WHEN: October 5, 2024

WHERE: Marriott Marquis Houston

INFO: montrosecenter.org/event/ out-for-good-2024/

Gala Glow

Co-chairs (l-r) Corey S. Scranton, Kathy Anderson, and Harper Watters invite you to honor Greg Jeu and Ian L. Haddock for the impact they’ve had on Houston’s LGBTQ community.

DEHART

A memorial for the lives of Michael Kemper and Michael Grover was held at Bradshaw-Carter Funeral Home on July 27, 2024. Pictured are Bobby Cruz, JohnHeinzerling, Sharon Lord, Ed Stinson, Frank Williams, and Craig Kennedy

Southwest Management District and HAA presented the Houston International Origami and Arts Festival at Plaza Americas on August 3, 2024. Pictured are Dylan McCord,Elesa LeCompteChannell, Kyle Fu, Katie Fu, Michael Campbell, Tereza Suessman, and Johnathon Espinoza

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On August 3, 2024, White Linen Night in the Heights was held. Pictured are friends enjoying White Linen Night in the Heights.

Greater Houston LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce held its First Friday Meet and Eat at IKEA on August 9, 2024. Pictured are Jack Berger, Tammi Wallace, Jordan Perez,Chandrayee Soneja, and Kristan Williams.

On August 1, 2024, ActOUT at the Alley Theatre was held for Agatha Christie’s And Then There Was None Pictured are members of the staff and attendees

On August 10, 2024, Tony’s Place held its Back to School Pride Festival at Tony’s Place office in Montrose. Pictured are HP volunteers and Tony’s Place staff.

SCENE OUT

Photos by DALTON DEHART AND CREW

Fort Bend County Pride Festival was held at Fort Bend County Fairgrounds on August 11, 2024.

Pictured are Bryan Cotton, Amanda Rose, Josh Tutt, Janet Crane, Jessica Truscott, Jason Rocha, and Tip and Hunny Phillips.

On August 20, 2024, EPAH held the elections and dinner meeting at Maggiano’s Little Italy. (standing l-r): Raidel Gamboa, deborah lawson, Frank Dominguez, JeffWinans, Jose Cuellar, Jack Berger, Ed Holmstrom, Bob Burress, Dan DiDonato, Randall Hendrick, Mike Bodin. (seated): Bryan Hlavinka, Robert Lee, and Jim Jemelka

On August 14, 2024, Bunnies on the Bayou held its check presentation at Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Pictured are Bunnies on the Bayou hosts and check recipients.

The Lambda NextGen Happy Hour was held at 8th Wonder Brewery on August 22, 2024. Pictured are (standing): Stephen Miranda and Edgardo Aguilar; (sitting): Khang Pham and Rick Dickson.

The Montrose Softball League Association hosted its awards night with closing ceremonies and Jocks in Dresses at South Beach on August 17, 2024. Pictured are the 2024 Jerry Award winner, members of the MSLA board of directors, and the previous Jerry Award winners.

August 23,

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2024, The UH LGBTQ+ Alumni Presented Red Dinner 5 at UH Alumni Center. Pictured are members of the 2024-25 LGBTQ Alumni Network board.

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From Hobby to Headliner

DJ Rosez is championing representation for queer women in a male-dominated industry.

By CONNOR BEHRENS

Photo by LUNA STUDIOS

Like many people, DJ Rosez was searching for a hobby during the COVID-19 pandemic. By watching DJ tutorials online, the Latinx musician quickly turned her passion into a career.

“I remember watching a news segment that said you should work out and you should have a hobby,” she says. “I just watched YouTube and learned about DJing, and this quickly became a hobby. I never imagined it would become a fullfledged career.”

Since then, Rosez, who identifies as lesbian, has traveled across the country and played major sets at SXSW and Boiler Room. With her success in the industry, Rosez is now aiming to increase representation for queer Latinx women.

“I think, overall, DJing itself is a maledominated industry,” she says. “If you were to think about all the women that are DJs, it’s a small percentage. Now when you have Latina DJs, it’s even smaller. And then you add queerness to it, it’s even smaller. But we all deserve to have our voices be heard and upheld. And what I like to create with this platform is safe spaces for queer women.”

When she’s not traveling across the country, Rosez is usually performing every Tuesday at Tikila’s In The Heights for their BUENAS loteria night. Rosez has become known for curating “Latin vibes” by playing a unique fusion of Latinx hits and mash-ups.

“I started playing a lot of Latin music when I first started, and I focus a lot on showcasing women artists. But as you get bigger gigs and you have bigger crowds, you wanna play a set that resonates with the crowd that you’re with,” she says. “Because at the end of the day, we’re here for people to have a really good time and cherish the night or whatever event that we’re in. When it comes to creating Latin vibes, I really like to incorporate different cultures.

For example, she explains, a set list of hers may have Missy Elliott on a reggaeton beat, or Miley Cyrus and Merengue, or Sexy Red and bachata.

“You know, Cumbia is also something that really separates me from other DJs,” she emphasizes. “I have Panic at the Disco in Cumbia. I love trying to find how these worlds can collide. Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the nation. So I want to be able to make sure it’s an experience for all folks. That’s definitely how I

cultivate parties. I try to make a big sound. If there’s a theme, I try to incorporate very special edits. It’s just a fusion of cultures.”

Despite traveling the country and playing in front of huge crowds, Rosez thinks the biggest milestone of her career thus far is playing at Pride Houston this June.

I love my city,” she says. “I love Houston so much. I definitely consider performing at Pride Houston to be one of my biggest milestones. I really felt like my queer identity was

“I REALLY JUST TOOK A GAMBLE MAKING THIS MY FULL-TIME CAREER. I JUST KNOW THAT I’M VERY FILLED WITH PURPOSE AND COMMUNITY, WHEREVER THAT TAKES ME. I’M GOOD WITH THAT.”

DJ Rosez

being uplifted. Nothing compares to performing something for your peers and neighbors at your home. You can go to all these major cities, you can do all these opening acts, but nothing compares to playing in your home with your community like that.”

For anyone who attends her DJ sessions, Rosez hopes people leave feeling energetic and that their identities have been seen and heard.

“I hope they leave knowing that they had a really good time,” she says. “I know that’s such a cliché thing to say, but so many people have so much on their shoulders, so when they go out to these events, this is their form of leisure or self-care. The least that we can do is to provide them with a great space to really enjoy themselves. I really hope that they enjoy themselves. I just hope they feel welcomed, seen, and heard.”

Going forward, music producer Rosez plans to continue to play weekly in the Houston club scene, adding that she just feels incredibly lucky to live out her dream and to perform for people for a living.

“I really just took a gamble making this my full-time career,” she says. “I just know that I’m very filled with purpose and community, wherever that takes me. I’m good with that.”

For more information, go to djrosez.com

Pol. Adv. paid for by Jerry for Judge Campaign, Jerry Simoneaux, Treasurer, P.O. Box 942, Seabrook, TX 77586. In voluntary compliance with the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act.

LaRue’s Road to La Más Draga

Adriana LaRue aims to bring Tejano culture to Mexico City’s drag reality show.

By SAM BYRD

Photo by GRANT FOTO

Local drag phenom Adriana LaRue is throwing her hat in the ring as a potential contestant on the Mexican reality show La Más Draga The show has been broadcast since 2018, and this is LaRue’s third time competing to get on the show.

“I auditioned the past two years, and I didn’t make it,” she says. “It’s been three years in the making—auditioning, creating content, and recording all of my Houston performances to be able to showcase what I can do. So it’s been three years of, like, preparing for this moment.”

La Más Draga is a Mexican drag reality competition show streaming on YouTube and produced by La Gran Diabla Producciones. Based on the format of RuPaul’s Drag Race but adapted to Mexican pop culture, the show aims to find the best drag artists of Mexico, Latin America and the rest of the Hispanosphere.

Unlike RuPaul’s Drag Race, though, La Más Draga has live auditions to pick the season’s contestants. Out of the 1,806 people who submitted a video package last year, LaRue was one of 33 chosen to go to Mexico

City for the live auditions.

A fan of the show since it first aired, it was the first season’s finale that truly clenched her love of the show.

“During the Season One finale, one of the girls pulled out this massive painting from her back, and that solidified that this show is different,” she says. “This is art. This is Mexican art that needs to be showcased in Texas. That solidified my entire love and admiration for this specific franchise.”

Previously, the show featured only Mexican performers, but the producers have since opened it to Hispanic people from many nations.

“With all this other art that’s being showcased from around the world of Latin artists like myself,” says LaRue, ”we get to showcase our Mexican culture. They saw that there was a window of opportunity to bring in different sorts of Mexican culture from various US states into their show, and make the show bigger than what it already was.”

LaRue, who was born and raised in Houston by parents born in Mexico, says, “Being able to show my Mexican Tejano culture from here and bring it to Mexico is just one of those feelings that is unexplainable. It just feels so

good to be able to represent more than just Texas drag. We can represent Mexican Tejano culture in drag in Mexico.”

LaRue comes from a family of drag queens known as the LaRue Legacy. One of her sisters, Reign LaRue, has been instrumental in helping her prepare for the auditions.

“She is one of the best in Houston,” says LaRue about her sister, “so she’s the one who is helping me with everything: getting my mind in the right place and keeping me humbled and grounded, and stuff like that. My whole drag family is very excited about this opportunity.”

LaRue has been performing since 2015, when her friends took her to see a drag show at the now-razed Meteor.

“I instantly fell in love with drag, and then they threw me on the stage,” she recalls. “Ever since then, I’ve never gotten off the stage. Fastforward to nine years later, and it is still truly what I love to do.”

Catch LaRue on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at JR’s, every other Wednesday at South Beach, the third Wednesday of the month at Ripcord, Saturdays at Tony’s Corner Pocket, alternate Sundays at either Rich’s or Boheme, and Sunday evenings at JR’s.

Brandon Newton and family

Exploring Trans Womanhood

Latinx author Farrah Fang turns a lifelong passion into her powerful new poetry collection Quererme en La Luz.

By CONNOR BEHRENS

Since elementary school, writing has been Farrah Fang’s one true love. Now, the published Latinx author is making that passion a reality, releasing a new book that creatively analyzes the journey of trans womanhood.

“There really wasn’t any grand catalyst that ignited this talent,” she says. “I think as I began to read more in school, it just came naturally to me. I kind of enjoyed a little bit of everything. Poetry, essays, fiction—all of it. However, I’m sure my millennial attention span and laziness are the reasons why I clung to poetry so much. It’s easier to write a single page of text, make it sound cool and deep, then call it a day. Stories require character development and plot and more devotion.”

Fang, who is trans, says her published works explore the relationship between trans identity and creative expression via multiple media, with a concentration on digital artwork and poetry. Fang credits Venezuelan poet Esdras Parra as a significant influence on her work.

“She’s also a trans Latina writer,” Fang says. “While I’m Mexican and a ‘90s baby, she was Venezuelan and born in 1929. She lived a long life and crafted some of the most gorgeous poems I’ve ever read. When a friend gave me her collection of poetry to read, I didn’t know anything about her life. Yet, I was so naturally drawn to her style and subject matter. Her poems were short, yet so poignant. They were dramatic, but so tame. I could tell they were from a seasoned creative and someone who had a keen perspective on life. When I found out she was also trans, it just made so much sense why I felt so inspired.”

Fang’s latest release, titled Quererme en La Luz, is a poetry collection that reflects her journey of trans womanhood. Fang says she writes to connect and inspire others, and that’s exactly the purpose of this book.

“Quererme en La Luz is for the dolls, period!” she says. “It’s for my trans community. I wrote it with the intention that trans women from all over could read it and connect with

“QUERERME EN LA LUZ IS FOR THE DOLLS, PERIOD! IT’S FOR MY TRANS COMMUNITY. I WROTE IT WITH THE INTENTION THAT TRANS WOMEN FROM ALL OVER COULD READ IT AND CONNECT WITH THE DIFFERENT MESSAGES.”

— Farrah Fang

the different messages. I want them to feel seen and understood, to feel inspired to seek out whatever makes them happy and to continue challenging the world that is set on oppressing us. I’ve been so inspired by so many different trans women and from my own personal experiences, as well. We all have our own complex lives, but there are plenty of experiences that each of us relates to. There is a spirituality to transitioning, to being othered in a world that champions cis heteronormativity. We know what it means to be the odd one out in the room, but we don’t know what it feels like to have the majority group

advocate for us. If the dolls can’t feel that from other communities, I want them to know they can find safety and acceptance with me. I want these poems to express how devoted I am to my community. The ones that get it, get it.”

In the current political environment, there is a lot of injustice impacting the trans community, and Fang hopes her work can provide an outlet to those going through hardships and inspire others to take action against transphobia.

“I hope it radicalizes readers,” she says. “I hope they read these poems and feel a call to protect their trans neighbors and friends. There is so much that I discuss in this collection, but the overarching theme promotes the advancement and liberation of all trans people. Unfortunately, there is a divide between the cisgender and transgender members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Transphobia is rampant not only in the media but also in the local scene, as well. I want to walk into Ripcord or Crocker’s and not be misgendered by multiple gay men. I want to go to Legacy to pick up my hormones and not have a microaggressive interaction with the pharmacy personnel. If my poetry can do that, if it can have people look internally and work out their bigotry, then there’s some hope.”

Fang says she’s still writing the next page of her career, but her hopeful messaging and inspirational anecdotes will remain prominent.

“I have a full-length poetry manuscript that I’m shopping around at a few different publishers, and that’s my main focus right now,” she says. “It’s heavily inspired by being trans in Houston. Even though I’ve done plenty of art gigs in this city, I just started dipping my toes in the publishing realm. I want to be knee-deep before I start looking to other avenues of creativity, which I know I eventually will. As much as I love writing, I can’t be still with just one outlet for too long. I’d love to get far enough where I have at least two poetry collections out in the world. The long-term goal for me is to be a trans icon in my community. I’m not nearly close to achieving that, but I’m confident that if I keep up this momentum, one day I will be.”

Keep up with Farrah Fang on Instagram @farrahrosefang.

Finding Sanctuary in Words

Houston author Aber Prieto turned his childhood struggles into a powerful debut novel.

By CONNOR BEHRENS | Photo by TONY HERNANDEZ

Writing became Mexican American Aber Prieto’s sanctuary after dealing with stuttering as a child, and now the Houston author has put his life experiences into an upcoming debut novel that has influenced his mental-health journey.

“My stuttering, coupled with society’s ignorance about it, made me believe that if I couldn’t speak ‘correctly,’ I shouldn’t speak at all,” he says. “Writing became my sanctuary, a place where I could weave thoughts and ideas fluidly.”

Growing up in a religious conservative home, it was reading that provided Prieto with a sense of escapism.

“Fictional books were seen as a sin in my home, believe it or not,” he says. “I remember sneaking books under my bed and reading them while my parents thought I was showering. It was a release then, and it remains my release to this day.”

While Prieto has been a writer professionally, it wasn’t until recently that he decided to make the switch from writing for companies and other entities to creatively writing for himself.

“For the past few years, I’ve been working with popular publicly owned and private-equity beauty brands, writing copy for internal product education and reporting across multiple premier retailers,” he says. “Writing in the background for others often leaves me with a feeling I’m sure many creatives will resonate with—the feeling that if I can effectively translate another brand’s voice, imagine what I could do if I allowed myself to write for myself. That’s where the idea for my first self-help dream journal A Way Back I stemmed from—a way to give a voice to my innermost thoughts as a creative.”

In 2022, Aber, formerly known as Abraham, was diagnosed with multiple identities, specifically OSDD1b. His personality consists of fifteen clinical identities diagnosed by a psychiatrist and psychologist. This diagnosis, he says, cemented his advocacy for mental health and raising awareness for others, including LGBTQ individuals living with multiple identities and plurality.

“WRITING BECAME MY SANCTUARY, A PLACE WHERE I COULD WEAVE THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FLUIDLY,”

—Aber Prieto

“One day, while driving home from work, my life shifted,” he says. “The voices of people I now recognize as my community stepped forward. It was a life-altering moment. Meeting my system of alternate identities was like meeting strangers on day one of college, realizing that although we were all different, we were assigned to the same dorm—the collective mind. Our message is now bigger than us. We bear the responsibility of helping others, including members of the LGBTQIA community and

those with mental-health struggles, to be seen and heard. We also carry the honor of giving voice to our system, validating their lives, dreams, and souls. Most importantly, we strive to give Abraham—the child his parents created and named— what he needs most: community.”

With his mental health in check, Prieto says he is using the experience as inspiration for his debut novel titled Something Happens in the Water, which is directly based on his experience since the OSDD1b diagnosis.

“Something Happens in the Water is the third iteration of a story I’ve been tossing and turning over deep within me,” he says. “The idea came to life years ago, before my diagnosis of multiple identities, but something always felt inauthentic. There was too much hurt and not enough healing, which felt like a disservice to any reader. After our diagnosis, we prioritized our mental health, which brought so much forgiveness and awareness.”

Something Happens in the Water is told through the lens of Daniel, who stumbles into the sleepy town of Bethesda, where he learns about the

fleeting fame the city gained in the ‘50s when a local accident revealed the mystical healing powers of Sunny Side Lake. The catch? Only the first person to enter the lake’s mysterious waters when troubled could be healed. When a body surfaces in Sunny Side Lake, Daniel struggles to protect the secrets he’s also holding, including the child he’s harboring.

As he wraps up his novel, Aber hopes it can be a means of inspiration for others to follow their dreams, no matter what life throws your way.

“My biggest hope is that readers come in with preconceived expectations and are pleasantly surprised by the outcome,” he says. “My life, like many others, has been a constant contradiction between what I expected from the universe and what the universe actually gave me—grace and hope. Hope amidst brokenness, perseverance in the face of adversity, and the realization that there’s no proverbial hero coming to save me. All the answers I’ve ever needed, and will ever need, already exist within

myself. Within yourself. If only we could shine a light on the words we’re too afraid to speak, we’d realize that we’re more connected than we ever thought possible.”

Beyond selling the book and getting it published, Aber says it’s a goal of his to keep writing and continue to be an advocate for mental health.

“We’ll continue speaking the quiet parts out loud—the toughest parts of our collective stories,” he said. “Writing is embedded in our DNA, and we’ll keep highlighting stories centered on Latinx and queer characters. We hope people can follow our journey as we dive into writing articles on topics that matter most to our community, including legislation and breaking down queer stereotypes. Through our writing, we hope to remind everyone that no matter what your life looks like—with all its beautiful colors and textures— you can not just overcome, but thrive.”

For more information, go to aberprieto.com.

Wigging Out and Snatching Awards

Abdiel Urcullu spills on his award-winning wig designs.

By DAVID CLARKE | Photo by ABDIEL URCULLU

This past January, Abdiel Urcullu, head hairstylist on the HBO original unscripted series We’re Here, was awarded the 2023 Emmy for Outstanding Hairstyling for a Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program. Then, in July, Urcullu was nominated for a 2024 Emmy award in the same category.

“We’re basically submitted for the Emmys every season. The network submits everything that they can possibly submit,” Urcullu says of the nomination and awards process. He recalls being in the workroom on a shoot for a Season 3 episode of We’re Here when the wardrobe and makeup departments discovered they had each won an Emmy for their work on Season 2. “Because it was a juried award, they got a phone call saying, ‘Congratulations, you won an Emmy. The ceremony is in two months.’”

Despite being excited for his fellow artists working on the show, Urcullu admits that it was a bit awkward when everyone who worked on making the drag queen hosts and the make-

over subjects look so fierce was given awards except for those who styled hair for the show. “Then, for Season 3, I got a call while I was folding laundry,” Urcullu recalls. “It was hard to believe, and I didn’t say anything until after I found out that wardrobe also won.”

Despite being familiar with how the Emmy process had been working, the tension and anxiety are ratcheted up for the 2024 awards presentation that will be held on September 15. “This year, makeup and hair are nominated, but wardrobe is not. And now we will find out the night of,” explains Urcullu. “It’s extrastressful because it was nice to know you had already won it. You could show up with all the confidence that it’ll be fine. It will be fine regardless, but I feel a lot more anxious about it now.”

Before he was styling wigs for a celebrated HBO series, Urcullu was teaching math and science to fourth graders in Houston while operating Wigs & Grace, his pre-styled and custom wig business, and occasionally going out in drag as his alter-ego Gloria Divina. “I’ve

always been a creative person, and for me, drag was a creative outlet. I didn’t really enjoy performing,” he admits. “Local drag queens started asking me, ‘Oh, who did your hair?’ Then they started asking if they could buy my wigs!”

Even though Urcullu hadn’t realized there was a market for selling pre-styled wigs, he didn’t pass up the opportunity to become an entrepreneur—and he didn’t start his business blindly, either. “My parents have always been business owners. My grandmother on my mother’s side had a floral shop that my mom turned into a wedding shop in Mexico,” explains Urcullu. “On my father’s side, my grandmother had a jewelry store. We’ve always been business owners.”

Business for Wigs & Grace took off, and required so much of Urcullu’s time that he had to step away from teaching. “Eventually I met Kim Chi, who was on Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Urcullu says. “I did all of her package for Season 8, and she was

From Classroom to Emmy Stage Abdiel Urcullu celebrating an Emmy win for his hairstyling work on the HBO series We’re Here

“IF YOU THINK YOU’RE WORKING A LOT FOR SOMEONE ELSE, JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU HAVE TO WORK FOR YOURSELF. BE PREPARED TO POUR YOUR LIFE INTO IT, THEN GET YOURSELF A GOOD NETWORK OF FRIENDS THAT ARE WILLING TO JUMP IN WHEN NEEDED.”

— Abdiel Urcullu

such a good salesperson that by the end of the season, I did half of the cast’s wigs for the season finale.”

As styled wigs are fragile and very delicate, shipping them creates unique challenges for Urcullu. “Shipping most of the time is fine, but every once in a while, it’s not,” he says. “For the Season 9 finale of Drag Race, I shipped all the hair, including Sasha Velour’s ‘So Emotional’ wig, hair for Shea Couleé, and hair for quite a few of the girls.” After he had styled the wigs in Houston, they didn’t arrive as scheduled in Los Angeles. Flustered and panicked, he still delivered for his clients while also learning and evolving as an entrepreneur. “This was early on in my career. Now, I’ve learned to pad the boxes as much as I can, and not count on day-of deliveries,” Urcullu adds. “I have no control over how these boxes are treated. I know that they’re not treated well, so in addition to padding, there’s just a lot of hairspray and a prayer.”

For anyone thinking of starting their own business, Urcullu recommends that people recognize what sets them apart from their competitors and to put their unique persona into their business. “If you think you’re working a lot for someone else, just wait until you have to work for yourself. It’s never ending,” he notes. “Be prepared to pour your life into it, then get yourself a good network of friends that are willing to jump in when needed.”

Follow Wigs & Grace on Instagram at @wigsandgrace. To purchase wigs, visit wigsandgrace.com.

Jess on We’re Here Season 4

in a warehouse space called The Lab in Houston’s historically Black Eighth Ward. When Maddie learns that their warehouse and neighborhood is to be destroyed for a new green hyperway out to the suburbs, she joins a Black-led movement fighting for their community.

Denis“Woodja” Flanigan, Ph. D. Licensed psychologist

Psychotherapy, Career Counseling denisflanigan@houston-psychologist.com

But The Free People’s Village isn’t just a dystopian story about racial justice and climate action. It’s also a love story and a tale of queer awakening through the eyes of Maddie, who is leaving behind a strict Catholic upbringing and embracing her queerness, all while getting closer to the band’s lead guitarist. It is also about becoming resilient when your dreams of making the world a better place are crushed and you can only pick yourself up and try again.

Specializing in individuals, couples,& familyrelational issues to regain your direction, sense of meaning, and your happiness.

Kern hopes that writing about climate change and social justice will help people confront those vital issues. “I don’t want to leave people in a place of despair, even though this book deals a lot with grief. But it’s about coming out of grief and moving forward. I hope people are inspired to take action—or even just [find ways] to cope better.”

who

met at a

and recognized him as the activist and street

who gained notoriety during the Egyptian revolution in

before being forced into

Now based in Houston, Ganzeer was able to produce a cover design—including a dust jacket that unfolds into a protest poster—recalling the street art he produced during the Egyptian revolution.

about a trans man dealing with the difficulty he had faced when sheltering with neighbors after a devastating hurricane, someone from the Red Cross in Wyoming contacted Kern to say they had been inspired to rewrite their disaster-response policies to be more transinclusive—proof that Kern’s voice is making a difference.

And take action they do. After reading Kern’s first novel Depart, Depart!, a story

Kern hopes to inspire further activism among readers of The Free People’s Village. The book’s cover art a red background with graphic characters suggesting war propaganda—should inspire readers with its revolution-

QUALITY DENTISTRY

Looking ahead, Kern is already working on their next book, and it’s a departure from previous climate-fiction novels. This new story takes place in Eastern Europe in 1647 and is a historical-fiction plot that follows a group of traveling queer Jews as they navigate religion, racism, and capitalism. But Kern’s signature style—including elements of climate change and social justice—will still be evident throughout the book.

WHAT: Sim Kern book launch event and discussion

WHEN: September 12 at 6:30 pm

WHERE: Brazos Bookstore, 2421 Bissonnet

INFO: www.brazosbookstore.com

Keep up with Kim Kern on Instagram @sim_bookstagrams_badly

God Said ‘GO!’

Omar Apollo previews his God Said No world tour.

By DAVID CLARKE

by AITOR LASPIUR

Earlier this summer, openly gay singersongwriter and alternative R&B and pop artist Omar Apollo released his highly anticipated sophomore album God Said No to universal acclaim. While listeners will find the DNA of R&B and pop, Apollo folds in elements of a myriad of other genres to create an aural landscape that is unique, yet grounded by his ultra-personal lyrics about the finite and often fleeting aspects of love and romance.

Promoting this album, Apollo embarked on his God Said No world tour on July 15 in Melbourne, Australia. The US leg of the tour kicks off in Indianapolis on August 20 and will come to Houston’s White Oak Music Hall on September 19. “I think the album will be presented in a way that makes me feel fulfilled,” says Apollo of the tour. “I feel like it’s hard to get a visual through an iPhone video. Real life will change the listening experience entirely and hopefully allow people to connect with the music on a deeper level.”

Since the 2022 release of Ivory, his debut studio album, Apollo’s career has been a whirlwind of star-building experiences that have kept him extremely busy. He promoted Ivory with his Desvelado tour, which was his first headlining tour and included two performances at the 2022 Coachella festival. Later in 2022, Apollo went back on the road with his Prototype tour to support Ivory ’s deluxe edition. Apollo also received the Future Icon Award from Variety Hitmakers, and his Invincible music video won the Best R&B/Soul Video–International award at the UK Music Video Awards.

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Photo

Pol. Adv. paid for by Jerry for Judge Campaign, Jerry Simoneaux, Treasurer, P.O. Box 942, Seabrook, TX 77586. In voluntary compliance with the Judicial Campaign Fairness Act.

In early 2023, Apollo returned to touring and opened for SZA on her SOS Tour. In addition to performing live music, in 2023 Apollo was announced as the ambassador for Youth to the People, a skincare brand, and minted a career as a fashion model by starring in Loewe’s fall/winter 2023 men’s campaign. Apollo was also honored with the Inspira award at the 2023 Hispanic Heritage Awards. Additionally, he was nominated for the Rolling Stone en Español Awards’ Breakout Star of the Year, the Grammy Awards’ Best New Artist, and the GLAAD Media Awards’ Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist awards, among others, and was recognized as a runner-up for the Queerties Awards’ Best Breakout Musical Artist award.

Last fall, Apollo booked a three-month stay in London that was no vacation for the young artist. He took rain-drenched walks around the city; pored over the poetry of Mary Oliver, Victoria Chang, and Ocean Vuong to draw inspiration for what would become God Said No; and listened to artists like Kate Bush, Labi Siffre, Giorgio Moroder, Beyoncé, and Lana del Rey in heavy

rotation during that period as well.

“Going on tour with SZA allowed me to play arenas for the first time. I think that shifted my perspective on how I wrote songs and developed my new album God Said No,” explains Apollo. Within the legendary walls of London’s Abbey Road Studios, Apollo—along with producers Teo Halm, Blake Slatkin, and Carter Lang—laid the foundation for his sophomore album. Each of God Said No’s 14 tracks was drawn from the damage and heartbreak Apollo felt after a fervid and fiery relationship burned out.

Apollo took his pain and turned it into art, and he’s now sharing that art with the world. And on the God Said No world tour, his highly acclaimed live performances showcase more than just his musical talents. “I’ve been dancing Mexican folk ballet since I was young, so I wanted to incorporate some of those elements and bring back dancing into my show,” Apollo notes. “It’s going to be a whole new experience for me and the fans.”

During the God Said No world tour, seasoned fans have delighted in seeing Apollo perform favorites such as “Killing Me,” “3 Boys,” “Invincible,” “Tamagotchi,” and “Evergreen

(You Didn’t Deserve Me At All).” Likewise, his newer fans have been treated to “Less of You,” “Spite,” and “Dispose of Me,” all of which are singles from God Said No “I hope they [my audiences] get a sense of enjoyment and feel like they got their money’s worth. I know what it’s like to have to save money to see an artist perform,” Apollo says. “I just want everyone who comes to enjoy themselves and feel the spirit of creativity.”

With no sign of slowing down, God may have said “No” to Apollo’s love affair, but definitely not to Apollo’s creativity, tenacity, and inevitable rise to super-stardom. This may be your last chance to see Apollo at a venue as intimate as White Oak Music Hall for quite some time, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.

Lastly, if you’re wondering how Apollo does it—or how you could do it—he offers this sage advice: “I drink lots of water, sleep, meditate, and do vocal warmups. You have to be very mindful of what you put in your body.”

WHAT: Omar Apollo: God Said No world tour

WHEN: September 19

WHERE: White Oak Music Hall

INFO: tinyurl.com/46ejm3ka

Best Pet Emergency Center

Weaux Is Me!

Houston’s own queer pop star Weaux brings their “bubblegum funk” party home.

By DAVID CLARKE

Photo by ANNA ASHON

Allow me to (re)introduce Weaux (pronounced “Woah!”), the Houston-raised, nonbinary queer pop sensation turning heads with their distinctive “bubblegum funk” sound. Seamlessly blending a queered-out Gen Z sense of humor with an infectious ‘80s vibe, Weaux crafts an irresistible pop party that you’re cordially invited to attend. On Saturday, September 14, Weaux will host and headline Queer Across America: Houston, a music-and-drag extravaganza at Montrose’s beloved AvantGarden.

“I grew up here in Houston as a devout theater kid in the early 2000s, and then I moved to New York to study acting at Fordham University,” says Weaux. “At Fordham, I discovered that I’m actually a music artist and a songwrit-

er, so my life kind of took a left turn there.”

This wasn’t the only awakening that New York City offered. “I had this huge culture shock moment, where I went from this very restrictive, heteronormative upbringing in Houston to this extremely liberal theater school in New York,” Weaux recalls. It was during this time they realized they were queer, and leaned into what that meant.

“As soon as that happened, I started being able to write songs that really resonated with people,” Weaux adds. “I also figured out what I wanted my mission as an artist to be: empowering queer people around the world, creating a community that’s intersectional and includes everyone, and creating work that would have helped the younger me be okay with who I was.”

Weaux graduated from Fordham in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Unwilling to let the pandemic stifle their creativity, they

teamed up with Quemoción Productions to create Weaux Is Me Live, a livestream solo musical performed in their Brooklyn bedroom. The show, which brought to life the coming-of-age story behind their album Weaux Is Me, received rave reviews, with audiences moved by Weaux’s raw and vulnerable music. Since then, Weaux’s star has been steadily rising.

“Within the last year or so, I started really popping off in terms of my music and getting everything up to the quality and style that I want it to be, especially in my new queer-as-funk era,” states Weaux. Their latest singles—“Serious/Delirious,” “Greatest Hit,” and “Queer As Funk”— showcase their signature ‘80s sound inspired by Prince and Michael Jackson, blended with their uniquely queer Gen Z humor.

“I’ve done a few shows in New York that were really successful at venues like Brooklyn Music Kitchen, the Delancey, and C’mon Everybody,” they add.

Now, Weaux is bringing the party back home to Houston. “I realized that I left where I came from because I felt like I didn’t belong in Houston,” admits Weaux. “I wanted to come back and prove that I do belong here.”

Despite being willing to fight for their place in Houston, Weaux’s Queer Across America: Houston performance promises to be a lighthearted and joyful love letter to LGBTQ existence. “I am very much an auteur, and I love creating and curating whole experiences. So I’m producing this show, and I chose everyone in the show,” they explain. “As soon as I got back here, I started reconnecting with the Houston music and art scene by going to different open mics and jams.”

To build out their Houston show, Weaux tapped local artists for the lineup. “I met Immanie at the Axelrad open mic. She’s a really awesome neo-soul singer and allied performer,” Weaux reveals. “I met Urethra Burns through hanging out in Montrose, and I’m such a huge fan of the performance art and really weird, alternative drag they

do. They then recommended La Malinche to me. And I discovered Sugar Joiko through an OutSmart article.”

“It’s been awesome to come back here and see how much art, music, and queer performance is happening in Houston,” says Weaux. All of this has shaped their artistic vision for their Queer Across America series. “I want to give people a unique combination of music and entertainment with performers who can be as unapologetically political or emotional as they want, while also bringing together com-

munities that often don’t come together,” they explain. “I want to create this space where we have a queer live music scene, drag artists, and also allied live musicians who could attract people who maybe wouldn’t usually come to a queer event.”

Despite having many venues to choose from, AvantGarden was their dream venue. “I’ve always been kind of an old soul, so I love delving into history and connecting with historical things and places like AvantGarden,” Weaux explains. “I did some of my very first music performances while I was still discovering so much about myself, both in 2017 and in 2019.”

AvantGarden provides Weaux with a true homecoming for their concert. “I just wanted to start at a venue that felt very familiar to me,” adds Weaux. “AvantGarden is a very generous community space. Just being in the heart of Montrose, it has that rich queer history to it. And I love the rainbow crosswalks that are directly in front of it. I want to do some promotional videos where I’m walking on them, and just make it an iconic moment.”

WHAT: Queer Across America: Houston WHEN: September 14 WHERE: AvantGarden, 411 Westheimer Road INFO: weauxisme.com

A Brand-New Direction

Director César Jáquez brings The Hispanic/Latino/ Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote to life at Stages

by ZACHARY McKENZIE

Photo by ALEX ROSA

Every modern election cycle has seen people placed in various categories by news media, pollsters, and the like, to predict how each community will impact the highly anticipated outcome. With border security, the “path to citizenship,” and workers’ rights seemingly always in the spotlight of political ads, campaign speeches, and debates, the Latinx community is one such group that is siloed off and observed as a monolithic voting group.

A brand-new comedy at Stages, The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote, written by Houston playwright Bernardo Cubría, explores the hilarious absurdities of our political machine. First-time director César Jáquez has answered the call to bring this story to life at Stages this fall, with the goal of bringing laughs and expanding our view of a complex community.

“I’ve always wanted to direct—and to have my professional directing debut at Stages,” says Jáquez, who has been cutting his teeth as the local theater’s assistant director for six years. A native of Juarez, Mexico, the out artist spent much of his life in El Paso before attending and graduating from Sam Houston State University, where he studied acting and directing.

“Stages’ former artistic director Kenn McLaughlin has been my directing mentor since I was in college. When he received this play and I was able to read it, I was obsessed,” recalls Jáquez, who works full-time as Stages’ events coordinator. “I thought, ‘This is such a funny show, but it also shows the nuances of being Latinx that I’ve never seen on stage

before.’ Kenn took a shot and gave me a chance to direct. It’s been a dream come true.”

The play, which is premiering throughout the country this year, centers on university professor Paola Aguilar, who finds herself in need of money for in vitro fertilization (IVF). When a political party offers her a hefty paycheck to assist their efforts in understanding the Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx/Latine vote, she begrudgingly accepts the position.

“We’re not here to teach you anything or force any agenda down your throat. It’s a show that you can come to in a safe place, have a good time, and learn about Latinx people,” the 28-year-old says. “It’s a story about a person going through real-life issues that women go through all the time, who happens to work for one of the two main political parties. Audiences can enjoy the show and leave with their own conclusions.”

Theatergoers are never told which political party Paula is working for, which Jáquez says is part of the fun of the show. “It keeps you guessing. It also makes you think about the themes on your own. You can come up with your own conclusions,” he says. “This is a space for audiences to have those moments of clarity and come together as human beings. It’s all about making your own choices.”

The directing process has been joyful for Jáquez, who is collaborating with familiar faces to translate the work from the page to the stage. “I get to create in the theater that I work at, so I’m working with a production team who I see every day and have worked with in the past. They’re my colleagues and my friends, and we understand how each other works. It’s so nice to have these people around me,” he says. “My set designer is actually my old scenic professor from college, which has been a full-circle moment for me. It’s been re-

ally great, but also a little nerve wracking, because it’s my debut. I have that pressure of wanting to be great, but I have an incredible team with me, and I know it’s going to be great.”

Despite its comedic tenor, Jáquez takes the subject matter, and his handling of it, seriously. “I’m aware that, as a cis male, I will never personally go through the issues or experiences portrayed in this play, such as the IVF process,” he explains. “I’m making sure that I respect all of the words that the playwright has written. Politics serves as the two-dimensional aspect. What makes it three-dimensional and human is Paula’s story. You never know what someone’s going through and what they have to do in order to get what they want, and that’s what really inspired me the most about the show.”

Houston audiences are fortunate to be among the first to witness this work brought to life onstage. Jáquez invites everyone to see what he and his team have been working tirelessly on, and to broaden their understanding of the Latinx community. “I want audiences to remember that we’re not just numbers—we’re human beings and our voice matters more than just once every four years. I’ve been thinking about that in rehearsals and my everyday life, as well. The Latinx community is made up of people with real-life issues and problems that make us human, just like everybody else.”

WHAT: The Hispanic/Latino/ Latina/Latinx/Latine Vote

WHEN: September 13–October 6, 2024

WHERE: Stages, 800 Rosine St. INFO: tinyurl.com/3ztxsnea

“I WANT AUDIENCES TO REMEMBER THAT WE’RE NOT JUST NUMBERS— WE’RE HUMAN BEINGS AND OUR VOICE MATTERS MORE THAN JUST ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS.”

—César Jáquez

Directorial Debut

César Jáquez will present The Hispanic/Latino/Latina/ Latinx/Latine Vote at Stages through October 6

Dynamic Duo Pianist Conrad Tao and tap dancer and choreographer

Caleb Teicher will team up at the Wortham Center this month.

When you’ve got music and rhythm, who could ask for anything more? That’s exactly what audiences will find during Counterpoint: Conrad Tao & Caleb Teicher, presented by Performing Arts Houston this month at the Wortham Center downtown. The show pairs pianist and composer Conrad Tao with tap dancer and choreographer Caleb Teicher in a performance that explores how the arts can be so different but so similar at the same time.

“The show is a 70-minute music-anddance concert with one person playing an instrument and the other person dancing,” says Teicher, who uses they/them pronouns. “People recognize it as a really unique and entertaining evening.”

During the show, Tao and Teicher frequently play and dance without facing each other. They reimagine an aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Art Tatum’s flashy stride piano, Arnold Schoenberg’s ironic take on the Viennese waltz, and more, exploring the counterpoint of music and dance. Threading it all together is a work that bridges several musical

Connecting Through Counterpoint

Conrad Tao and Caleb Teicher blend piano and tap dance in a one-of-a-kind performance.

By SAM BYRD

styles—Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

“It’s music and dance, but it’s dance with a very present, sonic component,” says Tao, who identifies as gay. “It’s also a concert of two musicians. And maybe, if you want to look at it a certain way, I’m also a physical performer on the piano, so it could be thought of as two dancers who make sound.”

In music, explains Tao, “counterpoint” is defined as “the art of playing melodies in conjunction with one another, according to

fixed rules.”

“We were thinking about the traditional European classical music evolution of the word “counterpoint”—the music of Johann Sebastian Bach,” Tao continues. “We were also thinking in a bigger way about “counterpoint” as discussion or conversation between our different art forms of music and dance, our different instruments of piano and tap dance, and the different traditions that are attached to that.”

RICHARD TERMINE

“We do improvise during the show in certain sections,” Teicher adds. “It’s a live show. It’s the type of show where we’re very aware that the audience is there, and we’re responding to their energy, what seems to connect with them, or how they seem to be connecting with it. So our repertoire stays relatively stable, but every show feels quite different.”

“It’s hard to verbalize, but I think that ultimately we connect across the musical dimension,” Tao explains. “I think where we’re positioned onstage, Caleb never sees my fingers and I never see their feet. We do make eye contact, and there is this sort of theatrical connection that we share as performers. It feels very much like sharing our being and our soul on stage. But also, I think it’s a testament to the power of music, the power of rhythm, and the power of listening. I would say the dimension I feel most connected to is just simply the musical line.”

This connection between the two artists began long before they first met in New York City.

“At first, we were kind of admirers of each other’s art from afar as young people

who were working in the performing arts in New York. We just started attending each other’s shows,” Teicher says. “We became friends because I liked what Conrad was doing and Conrad seemed to like what I was doing. And then, around 2016 or 2017, we started discussing doing a large collaboration together.”

The first show involved seven dancers

along with Tao onstage, and it was all new music. Because of that show, someone pitched them the idea of just having Teicher and Tao onstage.

“That’s not really our style, and we were kind of skeptical mostly because we’re likely to be skeptical of anything—any idea that’s pitched to us, as opposed to coming from our brains,” Teicher admits. “But we premiered it virtually in 2020 through the Library of Congress, and then in person in May of 2021. Something about it just really worked.”

Now they perform their Counterpoint program from 10 to 20 times every year.

“Audiences tend to really connect with our show in such a natural way,” Teicher says. “There is abstraction in the show. There are aspects that are arguably challenging, but people so often feel really connected with the sort of immediacy of the show, and it’s such a joy.”

WHAT: Counterpoint: Conrad Tao & Caleb Teicher, presented by Performing Arts Houston WHEN: September 14 at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Wortham Center’s Cullen Theater INFO: Tickets start at $19. performingartshouston.org or call 713-227-4772

Caleb Teicher

FOUNTAINS & STATUARY

HOUSTON GAYMERS

15TH

ANNIVERSARY PARTY

JULY 27, 2024

The Houston Gaymers celebrated their 15th anniversary with an outdoor quinceañera party in the parking lot at Ripcord Houston. The event, with an array of vendors and live music, was an opportunity to learn more about some of the organizations partners: Montrose Grace Place, Houston’s New Faces of Pride, and the Montrose Center.

Photos

FORT BEND COUNTY PRIDE FESTIVAL

AUGUST 11, 2024

“Culture, Diversity, Love” was the theme as Fort Bend County Pride celebrated its inaugural Pride Festival at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds. The event included a kids’ zone, vendor market, senior corner, and plenty of food and drink options. The atmosphere was festive with performances by DJ Panda, Viva Vidalia, Miss Gay America Dessie Love-Blake, and many more. Representatives from area sports teams, media outlets, and LGBTQ organizations were also on hand.

Late Bloomer

Choreographer Adam Castañeda is creating dance experiences that explore his Near Northside roots.

By OLIVIA FLORES ALVAREZ | Photo by LYNN LANE

Dancer/choreographer Adam Castañeda was 24 when he took his first ballet class at Houston Community College (HCC). That’s about two decades later than most professional dancemakers start training.

It was 2011 and Castañeda, who holds a master’s degree in English, was also teaching at HCC at the time.

“I was both an adjunct professor and a student there,” he laughs.

Despite his late start, Castañeda embraced dancing. He soon began performing and writing about dance for local publications. When FrenetiCore Dance’s Rivkah French saw a review he wrote about one of her shows, she invited him to join the organization.

He eventually became FrenetiCore’s executive director in 2015. After French and others left the company, Castañeda morphed it into the Pilot Dance Project. At first, the organization commissioned works by local choreographers like Jennifer Mabus, Ashley Horn, and jhon r. stronks, with Castañeda acting as producer.

Eventually he began choreographing, entering small pieces in festivals. Then he was awarded a Dance Source Houston 2018–2019 residency, where he created his first big work.

“I haven’t stopped since,” he says.

Eventually, Castañeda became very interested in “deconstructing” what it means to be a dancer. “That led me to look at people who have limited experience or limited mobility. I brought together a group of 20 people from all over Houston. Some of them were former dancers. Some of them had never danced before.”

The group, called the Community Ensemble, was first presented at a local festival by Dance Source Houston. The Ensemble has performed at each Pilot Dance Project show since then.

“It’s really serving a need,” Castañeda tells us. “It’s giving the joy of dance to people who probably wouldn’t experience it otherwise.”

There’s no audition, Castañeda points out. “Nobody is turned down. If you show up to the first rehearsal, you’re in the show.” And just like the professional members of the Pilot Dance Project, Community Ensemble members are paid for their work.

Juggling multiple roles for Pilot Dance Project, Castañeda notes the difference between dancer and choreographer is stark. “Your tool as a dancer is your own body. It takes a lot of effort to keep your body in the condition it needs to be in in order to dance. You can never stop taking classes; you can never stop learning. Choreography is more about imagination.”

Castañeda is currently working on creating a new work about Houston’s Near Northside, the neighborhood where he grew up and where he currently lives.

“The project is going to show the evolution of this neighborhood from a Czech-German community in the 1920s to the predominantly Mexican American neighborhood it is now. One of the pieces is The Women of Northside We’ll use historic photographs of women from the community in public and private settings. Those images are going to be used to create movements.”

Still in the initial stages of research, Castañeda is uncovering some surprising characters and facts.

“The first regional Spanish-speaking director of Mary Kay came from the North Side. The first female judge in Houston was a Latina, and she came from this neighborhood. I’m eager to see what other fascinating stories I’m going to uncover as I do the research. As a choreographer, that’s what I get to do: take stories that sometimes have nothing to do with dance and translate them into movement.”

Follow Adam Castañeda online at adamluis_houston. Follow the Pilot Dance Project at pilotdanceproject.org.

Pilot Dance Project’s Aureate

WEDDING GUIDE

The High School Friends Who Became Wives

Marlen Martinez and Danne Guajardo describe their globetrotting romance.

By DAVID CLARKE | Photos by TALIAFERRO PHOTO + FILM

Dannelia “Danne” Guajardo, 28 and originally from Monterrey, Mexico, and Marlen Martinez, 29 and a Houston native, share a home in Southeast Houston and own and operate TexShield Insurance Brokerage. The beguiling and beautiful pair, who will have been together for ten years this October 15, attended the same schools from 8th grade onward, but they didn’t become friends until their senior year of high school.

“I didn’t like her that much,” jokes Danne. “We hung out one time and then we were inseparable,” adds Marlen.

“The first thing about her that stood out to me was that she’s so smart and fully centered and focused on whatever she’s doing,” says Danne. “She needed a friend like me. That’s

why I started talking to her. She needed some craziness in her life.”

“One of the first things that I noticed about her was she’s just very social, very outgoing, knew everybody, and everybody seems to like her,” Marlen explains.

After graduating high school, the two had developed a very close friendship. “We became best friends, and then eventually we just fell for each other,” Marlen says. It was Marlen who made the first move almost a year after they graduated from high school by leaning in for a kiss while the pair was hanging out.

“It was a small kiss, and then I went for the big kiss, you know! So, it was both of us,” interjects Danne.

For their first date, the duo decided to be adventurous and go ice skating at Discovery Green. “It was awkward. We’d never had a

girlfriend before, so we were also coming out to the world,” notes Danne.

“It was definitely something that was new,” agrees Marlen. “It was a little awkward just because it was our first time being out in public and being together on a date. It was kind of hard. We didn’t really know how to act.”

“I was like, ‘Let’s post it on Facebook. Let’s do pictures. Kiss in front of the world,’” recalls Danne. “Then we went outside, and it was a little different. Reality hit.”

Undeterred, their relationship flourished. “We were inseparable, and that’s when I knew she was the one for me,” gushes Danne. “We used to do sleepovers for weeks and weeks!”

“She brought out the best version of

Marlen Martinez (l) and Dannelia “Danne” Guajardo

me—the version that I wanted to be. I just felt so comfortable. She really did feel like home,” says Marlen. “I was open and vulnerable, and I wasn’t scared. I’m not really someone that opens up or is vulnerable, and the first time I allowed myself to open up to her, it just felt good.”

Regarding their favorite things about each other, Danne cites how they balance each other. “We’re like ying and yang,” she says. “She complements me. She’s what I’m missing. It’s my favorite thing that she is my person.”

And for Marlen, it’s Danne’s contagious personality. “She is so funny. There’s never a dull moment,” Marlen explains. “I always tell her, ‘If you weren’t funny, I don’t know if we could make this work.’ She keeps me laughing.”

At one point, Danne whisked Marlen off to Monterrey to show her where she was from. Danne also organized a hot air balloon ride for them. That morning began at 5:00 a.m., and Marlen was blindfolded. “I was half asleep, and when they took the blindfold off my eyes, I was in front of this fire that was inflating the hot air balloon,” says Marlen. That’s when Danne popped the question. “I was surprised—and I was

sleepy, too,” Marlen admits. “It was very cute. I was in awe. But then I also wanted to give her a proposal as well, so she got one, too.”

“It was beautiful. I miss those days,” Danne adds with her megawatt smile and signature laugh. “I need another one. Let’s get married again!”

Realistically, when planning the wedding they discovered it would be hard for a lot of Danne’s family to travel from Mexico for a ceremony. So, the lovely couple chose something a little less traditional. In 2022, on October 15, they eloped in Santorini, Greece. The date was intentionally chosen to align with their dating anniversary date.

“We like traveling a lot,” Danne points out. “That’s something that has always connected us.” This is another reason it made sense for Danne and Marlen to enjoy a beautifully elaborate destination wedding.

“People that knew us expected that,” Marlen adds.

Following their wedding, they stayed in Santorini for their honeymoon. “We got to meet a lot of people, and I like being able to introduce my wife,” Marlen recalls. “That was nice. I loved it.”

Unequivocally, both agree that their wedding superstar was their wedding planner

Anna Pecak, who they found through SantoriniWeddings.net. “She literally took care of everything. We didn’t have to do anything but pick what we wanted,” explains Marlen.

“She used to wake up super-early or stay up super-late for us, just so we could have meetings,” adds Danne. Through these meetings with Anna, they were able to pick out their flowers, hire a photographer, and take care of everything else they needed for their ceremony.

As for their future, Danne and Marlen are excited to continue exploring the world together, operate their insurance business, and eventually raise children. “We want to have kids. We want to get an RV and travel to all 50 states,” says Danne.

“It feels like we need three lifetimes. How are we supposed to keep traveling and have kids and settle down and still fit everything into just one life?” asks Marlen. “We are going to take a trip to an Oktoberfest for Danne’s birthday. And we definitely want babies. I see them in the very near future, I think.”

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G a r y G r i t z , C PA

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L aw O ff i c e o f S a m M . ( Tr e y) Ya t e s , I I I , P. C .

t r e y y a t e s l aw c o m 7 1 3 / 9 3 2 -7 1 7 7

AU T O M O T I V E R E PA IR S A c t i ve A u t o/G o o d Ye a r

6 4 2 7 Wa s h in g t o n Av e 7 1 3 / 8 6 1 - 1 0 0 0

Te c h A u t o M a i n t e n a n c e 3 7 Wau g h D r .. .... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... 7 1 3 / 8 6 3 - 8 2 4 4

AU T O M O T I V E S A L E S

Fr e d H a a s Toyo t a Wo r l d F r e d H aa sTo y o t a c o m 8 3 2 / 7 6 4 - 8 9 1 4

P l a n e t F o r d

2 0 4 0 3 I - 4 5 S p r in g T X 7 7 3 8 8 .... ... ... ... 8 6 6 / 8 7 9 - 9 3 2 8

P l a n e t L i n c o l n 2 0 4 0 3 1 I - 4 5 S p r in g T X 7 7 3 8 8 8 8 8 / 2 4 2 - 5 0 5 9

B A N K IN G /FIN A N C I A L INS T I T U T I O NS

H o u s t o n F e d e r a l C r e d i t U n i o n

H o u s t o n F C U . o r g ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... . 8 6 6 /O U R - H F C U

B A K E R IE S/CU S T O M C A K E S

D e s s e r t G a l l e r y D e s s e r t G a ll e r y c o m 7 1 3 - 5 2 2 - 9 9 9 9

C H U R C H E S/S PIR I T UA L C E N T E R S

B e r i n g C h u r c h 1 4 4 0 H ar o l d b e r in g c h u r c h o r g

R e s u r r e c t i o n M C C

2 0 2 5 W 1 1 t h 7 1 3 / 8 6 1 - 9 1 4 9

U n i t a r i a n F e l l o w s h i p o f H o u s t o n 1 5 0 4 W ir t R d ... .... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ... u f o h . o r g

We s t b u r y U n i t e d M e t h o d i s t C h u r c h

5 2 0 0 W ill o w b e n d 7 1 3 / 7 2 3 - 0 1 7 5

C L O T H IN G A N D AC C E S S O R IE S/ R E TA IL

K i n g U n d e r w e a r k i n g - u n d e r w e a r c o m

C O L L E G E S/E DU C AT I O N

L o n e S t a r C o l l e g e N o r t h H N - I n f o @ L o n e S t ar e d u l o n e s t a r e d u H o u s t o n C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e w w w h c c s e d u 7 1 3 / 7 1 8 -2 0 0 0

C O M M U N I T Y/N O N PR O FI T

A l l i e s i n H o p e A lli e s inh o p e o r g 7 1 3 /6 2 3 - 6 7 9 6

B e r i n g C o n n e c t 7 1 3 /5 2 6 -1 0 1 7, e x t 2 0

t h e M o n t r o s e C e n t e r 4 0 1 B r an ar d 7 1 3 / 5 2 9 - 0 0 3 7

R ya n W h i t e P l a n n i n g C o u n c i l r w p c H o u s t o n o r g 7 1 3 - 5 7 2 - 3 7 2 4

FIN A N CI A L PL A N N IN G

R i c h a r d D i c k s o n /G a l e n e F i n a n c i a l 5 2 0 P o s t O ak S t e 7 8 0

l u b H

2 0 5 F an n

G A R DE N IN G /L A N D S C A PIN G F o u n t a i n s & S t a t u a r y 1 1 8 0 4 H

H A IR A N D N A IL S A L O NS H a i r b y S a i n t R o s e/ T i m o t hy S i l m o n 1 5 1 2 W. A l ab am a....

H E A LT H C A R E – C O U N S E L I N G / T H E R A P Y

D. “ Wo o d j a ” F l a n i g a n , M S , L PA

2 6 0 0 S W F w y, S t e 4 0 9 7 1 3 /5 8 9 - 9 8 0 4

D r D a n i e l G a r z a , M D 3 1 3 1 E a s t s i d e S t S t e 4 2 8 1/6 1 0 - 8 1 9 0

D r B a r r y F G r i t z , M D 2 2 1 1 N o r f o lk S t r e e t , S u i t e 3 7. ... ... ... ... .. 7 1 3 /8 6 9 -74 0 0

E ve r y b o d y N e e d s S o m e b o d y/J i m B e n t o n , A . B S e v e r y b o d y n e e d s s o m e b o d y m e 2 8 1/5 0 4 -7 7 2 1 T h e M o n t r o s e C e n t e r 4 0 1 B r an ar d 7 1 3 /5 2 9 - 0 0 3 7

M a t t Tr i e t s c h , M A , L P C A s s o c i a t e , N C C M a t t-Tr i e t s c h c o m 5 1 2 /5 9 1 - 8 5 1 0

C h r i s t i n e W y s o n g 2 2 1 1 N o r f o lk S t r e e t , S u i t e 3 7. ... ... ... ...

H E A LT H C A R E – C O S M E T I C S U R G E R Y A C P S/ P a u l F F o r t e s , M D w w w F o r t e s M D c o m 7 1 3 / 7 6 6 - 6 0 2 5

H E A LT H C A R E – DE N T IS T S

B ayo u C i t y S m i l e s / M a r c u s d e G u z m

B ayo u C i t y S m i l e s /C y n t h i a C o r r a l , D D S 2 3 1 3 E d w ar d s S t , S t e 1 5 0 7 1 3 /5 1 8 -1 4 1 1

C o r y L o g a n ,

H E A LT H C A R E – O PH T H A L M O L O G IS T S

S t e wa r t Z u c k e r b r o d , M D G r e a t e r H o u s t o n E ye C o n s u l t a n t s

H u m b l e 2 8 1/4 5 4 -2 0 5 6

C l e a r L a k e 2 8 1/4 8 4 -1 1 8 6

H E A LT H C A R E – O P T O M E T R IS T S B o u t i q u e E ye C a r e/J u l i e t F a r m e r, O D

1 8 0 6 We s t h e im e r, S t e A 7 1 3 /5 2 8 -2 0 1 0

E ye G a l l e r y

1 8 0 6 B We s t h e im e r 7 1 3 /5 2 3 -1 2 7 9

1 7 0 0 P o s t O ak B l v d , S t e 1 1 0 .. ... ... ... .... ... 7 1 3 / 6 2 2 - 74 7 0

M o n t r o s e E ye C a r e/ P a u l L ove r o , O D

5 2 0 Wau g h D r.... ... ... .... ... .... ... ... .... ... .... .. 7 1 3 / 3 5 2 - 0 9 74

H E A LT H C A R E /PH A R M ACIE S

L e g a c y P h a r m a c y . . . . . . L e gac y C ommuni t y Heal th .org/s er vic e s/pharmac y

S c o t t R e a d P h a r m a c y

5 3 6 Wau g h D r i v e 8 3 / 6 4 9 - 3 1 4 2

H E A LT H C A R E – PH Y S I C I A NS

O c t av i o B a r r i o s , M D

5 0 7 We s t G r ay ... ... ... .... ... .... ... ... .... ... .... .. 7 1 3 / 9 4 2 - 7 5 4 6

G o r d o n C r o f o o t , M D/C r o f o o t M D

3 7 0 1 K ir b y, S t e 1 2 3 0 7 1 3 / 5 2 6 - 0 0 0 5

M S a n d r a S c u r r i a , M D

6 5 6 5 We s t L o o p S o u t h , S t e 3 0 0 . ... .... ... 2 8 1 / 6 6 1 - 5 9 0 1

D e r e k S m i t h , A G P C N P - B C/C r o f o o t M D

3 7 0 1 K ir b y, S t e 1 2 3 0 7 1 3 / 5 2 6 - 0 0 0 5

M a g g i e W h i t e , M P H F N P - B C A A H I V S/

We l l n e s s B a r b y L e g a c y 1 2 0 We s t h e im e r 7 1 3 / 8 1 4 - 3 7 3 0

H E A LT H C A R E –S E R V I C E S

A l l i e s i n H o p e H o u s t o n aih h o u s t o n o r g 7 1 3 / 6 2 3 - 6 7 9 6

Ave n u e 3 6 0

Av e n u e 3 6 0 o r g 7 1 3 /4 2 6 - 0 0 2 7

H a r r i s H e a l t h C o u n t y P u b l i c H e a l t h

P u b li c h e a l t h h ar r i s c o u n t y t x g o v 7 1 3 /4 3 9 - 6 2 9 3

OutSmart’s Bar Guide is now Scan here to check out our directory LGBTQ bars and clubs in and around including your favorites in Galveston, Spring, and College Station. Whether local or a visitor, we’ve got you covered updated guide to the best LGBTQ-friendly

OutSmart’s Bar Guide is now Scan here to check out our LGBTQ bars and clubs in and around including your favorites in Galveston, Spring, and College Station. Whether local or a visitor, we’ve got you covered updated guide to the best LGBTQ-friendly

Brooks Ballard/Engel & Volkers 309 Gray.................................................................. 713/522-7474 David Batagower/Compass Realty bayoucitypropertygroup.com 713/253-8609 David Bowers/The House Company/Galveston David@DavidBowers.com

OutSmart’s Bar Guide is now on your phone! Scan here to check out our directory of LGBTQ bars and clubs in and around Houston, including your favorites in Galveston, Huntsville, Spring, and College Station. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, we’ve got you covered with this updated guide to the best LGBTQ-friendly spaces.

H o u s t o n H e a l t h D e p a r t m e n t h o u s t o n t x g o v

L e g a c y C o m m u n i t y H e a l t h

L e g a c y C o m m u n i t y H e a l t h o r g 8 3 2 / 5 4 8 5 0 0 0

R ya n W h i t e P l a n n i n g C o u n c i l

R W P C H o u s t o n . o r g .. .... ... .... ... ... .... ... .... .. 7 1 3 / 5 7 2 - 3 7 8 4

S t . H o p e F o u n d a t i o n

o f f e r in g h o p e o r g 7 1 3 / 7 7 8 - 1 3 0 0

H E A LT H C A R E –S K IN C A R E

B e yo u t i f u l a n t i a g i n g

3 1 4 E 1 3 t h S t

M o n t r o s e M e d S p a

2 5 0 5 D u n l a v y

7 1 3 /5 4 7- 5 6 5 6

7 1 3 / 4 8 5 - 5 0 2 7

S k i n R e n a i s s a n c e L a s e r/O c t av i o B a r r i o s , M D

5 0 7 We s t G r ay 7 1 3 / 9 4 2 - 7 5 4 6

H O M E S E R V I C E S

R e s t o P r o s G r e a t e r H e i g h t s / R e m e d i a t i o n S e r v i c e

2 8 1 / 6 9 4 - 7 6 9 9

H O M E F U R N I S H I N G S / A C C E S S O R I E S

E k l e k t i k I n t e r i o r s 1 3 0 0 S h e p h e r d 8 3 2 / 8 0 4 - 6 3 0 0

INS U R A N C E AG E N CIE S/AG E N T S

L a n e L e w i s / F a r m e r s I n s u r a n c e

2 2 0 0 N o r t h L o o p W, S t e 1 3 6 7 1 3 / 6 8 8 - 8 6 6 9

J E W E L E R S Te n e n b a u m J e w e l e r s

.713/857-2309

VJ Tramonte/Joe Tramonte Realty 1802 Broadway/Galveston 409/765-9837

RESTAURANTS/COFFEE/WINE BARS

Chapultepec Lupita 813 Richmond 713/522-2365

Dessert Gallery DessertGallery.com 713-522-9999

Frost Town Brewing 100 N. Jackson St 713-224-5326

Giacomo’s cibo e vino 3215 Westheimer 713/522-1934

Gloria’s Latin Cuisine GloriasCuisine.com McHugh Tearoom 5305 Bissonnet St. 713/218-6300

Niko Niko’s 2520 Montrose 713/528-4976

Riva’s Italian Restaurant 1117 Missouri St 713/529-3450

Salt & Sugar Restaurant 1073 Silber Rd ..................................................... 713/780-4351

TRAVEL/TRAVEL AGENCIES

Concierge Travel, Inc 4920 Mimosa ......................................................... 713/661-2117

Arrow Acres Tiny Home Retreat arrowacres.com 409/219-5883

BAR

now

our

Whether

OutSmart’s Bar Guide is now on your phone!

Scan here to check out our directory of LGBTQ bars and clubs in and around Houston, including your favorites in Galveston, Huntsville, Spring, and College Station. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, we’ve got you covered with this updated guide to the best LGBTQ-friendly spaces.

There’s

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

You are paying more attention to your health and work routines, making changes where necessary. You are quicker to anger than usual, and you may need more time to yourself, just to have a break from your expectations. Your interest in expanding your education or upgrading your current level of knowledge is very strong. Home and family issues will have you considering moving, remodeling, taking more control of the family, and letting others know what you really think. In the latter half of the month, relationships become the primary topic. This is a good time to renew bonds, meet someone new, improve your connection with clients/customers, and explore the ideals of fairness and balance.

TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20)

Career activity continues to build through May of next year. You may be starting a new path, starting your own business, and if you are older, you may be cutting back. Family dynamics are driving some of your desires to change your work environment. With friends and groups, you are expecting more from them. You are not as tolerant of their behavior as you have been in the past. You are in a more creative and playful time, even with the shifts in your career. Spending more time with your children can be really beneficial to you! There is an increase in your day-to-day activity level. You may find that you are responding to lots of extra requests. You are also more direct with people. In the latter part of the month, you connect back to your routines and improving your relationships with your co-workers.

GEMINI (May 21–June 21)

Home and family are the primary topics as the month begins. This is an excellent time to have a family reunion, to make your nest a more comfortable place, and possibly to step into a more powerful role within the family. You may also be looking at relocating in connection with your work. This is a time for you to step into a leadership role and to define your goals.

By LILLY RODDY

Cosmic Caution

Virgo season precedes Mars in Cancer and retrogrades.

Mercury, our communicator and organizer, is direct on the September 1. This is the time to get our new projects started. We need to get as much done as possible before November 15. Between November 24 and April 24, 2025, there will be a Mars retrograde, a Venus retrograde, and two Mercury retrogrades. This will really slow things down, delaying lots of activity. Also, Mars (our planet of self-protection) enters Cancer

Career is a big thing this year. You could start your own thing or cut back to suit your needs at this time. This continues to be a great time to expand your education or to update what you know. You should watch your spending over the next 58 days. You will respond more to impulse buying and not consider the impact financially. In the latter part of the month, you are looking to step away from routines and have a little more fun.

CANCER (June 22–July 22)

Mars, planet of action, self-defense, and improved health, enters your sign on August 4 and will be there until November 3. You will be more active and less patient, paying more attention to your health, ready to get things done, confronting issues, and defending yourself if necessary. In positive relationships, this is a time of renewal and bonding. If you are single, this is a good time to meet new people. And if you are in a difficult partnership, this will bring those issues to the surface so you can confront them. This month, you are working on getting your daily existence more organized. This is a great month to get closets and storerooms in order. Finances have been slow, but that should improve with Mercury going direct as the month begins. In the latter part of the month, home and family (familiar topics for Cancerians) become more important. You will want a more peaceful environment, even if you have to fight for it!

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

This is a busy month for you with lots of different areas being activated. With Mercury now direct in your sign, this is the perfect month to start your new projects, buy your new phones, and improve your internet service. You are paying more attention to your resources and looking for ways to control your spending. Debt has been an issue in the past, and you are trying to get that out of your life! This continues to be a more active social time that is good for making new friends, joining in neighborhood groups, and marketing your skills to a new group of people. You are still looking to make your

(our nation’s sign) on the 3rd. Often when Mars is in Cancer, there is more anger, violence, sword rattling, and potential war activity as people express anger through their emotions. The lunar eclipse on September 17 at 9:34 p.m. in Pisces will have a strong impact on the mutable signs of Pisces, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Gemini. Good days this month are the 19th, 24th, and 26th. Days to avoid are the 1st, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 11th, 18th, 21st, and 22nd. We will need to be on our toes this month!

career life more fun and less restrictive. You may be looking for a new workplace. In the latter part of the month, you are looking for a more peaceful environment. Politeness will be a big thing!

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept.22)

You are in a serious mood this month. You are setting new goals, creating some workable boundaries, telling people what you really think, and expecting people to act like adults. You will have little or no patience with people who are wasting your time and money. This vigor activates your career energies. You will make some improvements there and in the overall day-to-day functions of your job. This is your birthday month, a time when you look back at what you accomplished last year and look forward to what you might attempt this year. You will have greater expectations about what you plan to realize this year! In the latter half of the month, money and finances take the spotlight. Career activity continues to look good through next year. You should have more opportunities this year.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 23)

This month before your birthday is often a time of rest and retreat. You are more sensitive to your environment, and you will need more time to yourself to recover from the onslaught. This is a time when you are more psychic, and things affect you more than usual. This may cause some conflict, as your career sector gets very busy over the next 55 days. You may take a leadership role or even start something on your own. What you won’t be is patient. You may even find that you are more of an instigator, rather than someone who helps others find peace. By the latter part of the month, you are feeling more like your normal self. Relationships and personal responsibility become more important. This may be a time when you formalize your partnership and focus on the future. This is a good time to improve your health and eating regimen.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24–Nov. 21)

This past month has been about you reviewing and revising your current career path. You are now settling in and implementing your new ideas. You may be relocating to satisfy a job or to do some personal downsizing. There are big changes occurring in your family that affect the way power is used. This can be a time when there is a new matriarch/ patriarch coming in, and that may be you! Groups and business associations are very important to you this month and can help with career and friendships. And you may take a lead position there. This continues to be an excellent time to look into investing, playing the stock market, or refinancing your home. In the latter part of the month, you are needing more personal time as you become more sensitized to your environment. Choose your company carefully.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.22–Dec.21)

Relationships continue to be active this month. This is a very good time to renew those bonds in positive relationships, both business and personal. If you are single, this is a great time to market yourself. If you are in a difficult relationship, you are hungry for a more satisfying connection! Career activity is also a major topic for this month. This is a time when you are thinking more about your career future and where you are going. If you are older, you may be cutting back. If you are in your prime,

you are taking on a leadership role or doing something on your own. Friends and support groups can be especially beneficial to you this month. Don’t be shy about asking for help. Others are glad to return the favor.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

This month, you return to clearing and cleaning out the past. You are seriously rethinking your life and what your current options are. Since you are so good at picking up after others, we’re all expecting you to do that. However, you are definitely implementing better boundaries and telling people No. Relationships will be a big topic for the next 50 days or so. This is the time to renew your bonds and reignite the passion. If you are having problems in a business or personal partnership, this will force the issues to the surface so they have to deal with it. This can be a very good energy that gives you confidence if you are interested in finding someone to partner with. You will not be very patient this month, and exercise can help release some of the extra energy you feel!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)

This month, many areas are active at once. Relationships have been important with Mercury retrograding through this area last month. This should have helped clear up any problems from the past. Finances, investments, and debt are all topics you are paying attention to. You are trying to make sure you have a sense of security as you get older. On a personal level,

you are doing some downsizing and letting go of past jobs and expectations. This would be a normal time to wonder what is next. The latter part of the month is a better time to travel, teach or take a class, or improve your social-influencer status via social media. This is a super time to pay attention to your health by improving exercise and eating habits. You will be more motivated to take care of health problems, and ready to commit to the cure. Co-workers could be more edgy this month. It’s not you, it’s them!

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

This is a big relationship month for you. For some, this is the time to move in, get married, and establish your relationship. For others, this is a time to set new goals and directions in your existing partnerships, both business and personal. For single folks, you may want a relationship but you want the other person to be as active and committed as you are. You may seem more picky than usual, or relationships may not seem worth the effort. This is a busy time for home and family activity. This is a very good time to visit, relocate, and possibly move to satisfy a job. You are ready to do some downsizing so your life is more manageable. This urge actually gets stronger next year! In the latter part of the month, you are paying more attention to investments and debt. Moving forward and being safe is very important this month.

For more info, visit lillyroddyshow.com.

Introducing the Ice Queen

Sasha Frost , a dish best served cold, always looks piping-hot.

By SAM BYRD

Her name suggests she’s icy cold, but this diva brings the fever with her spicy-hot performances. Sasha Frost is the seductress with a special pep in her step and a look in her eye that can reduce any audience member to ashes. The name might imply a frozen treat, but all she does is sizzle and tantalize. Get to know more about Sasha below.

Pronouns?

She/Her in drag, He/Him out of drag.

Inner avatar?

Sasha is literally the queen I always had living in me but was scared to show.

Hometown?

Houston, born and raised.

Drag birthday?

April 16, 2013—it was a week before my birthday, so usually I just celebrate the two on the same day. It’s easier to remember.

What got you interested in drag?

Drag was something I never imagined myself doing. I remember watching episodes of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 3 and wondering why anyone would want to do drag. I grew up in a very Mexican, sheltered family where you’re expected as a male to be very macho, but I knew from a young age that I was different. When I was in college at Texas A&M, during my senior year I was presented the opportunity to perform in drag for a charity event called the Gender Bender Ball, where all money raised would benefit Aggie Allies, an organization that helps provide safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals. At first, I was really hesitant to do it, but after thinking about it and remembering it was for charity, I agreed. And after that first time, I was hooked.

Describe your performing persona.

Sasha is versatile. She can give high energy and fierceness, but she can also serve drama and sex appeal, and she is always captivating and glamorous. I love serving different types of music choices, from country to R&B to pop to Broadway.

Follow Sasha Frost on Facebook as Sasha Frost or on Instagram @thesashafrost.

Any thoughts about Hispanic Heritage Month?

There’s no one way to be Hispanic. Regardless of whether you were born elsewhere or born here, you have Hispanic blood running in your veins, so appreciate and honor the culture that you came from and the sacrifice and obstacles that your ancestors went through to help you live your American dream.

If you could pick one celebrity (living or dead) to perform with you, who would it be and why? Selena. For me and many others I know, Selena was the first major Mexican American representation that we saw. I still remember her being at the Astrodome when I was four years old, and the grief I felt as a child when she was killed.

Most embarrassing moment onstage?

I’ve had a wig or two fall off during a performance, but I’d say the most embarrassing was during a pageant. I fell down some steps during evening gown. I fell to my knees, but got right back up and still won the category and the pageant!

Thoughts about the legislation limiting drag performances?

Girl, people need to just mind their business! If it’s not hurting you in any way, then let us get our bag just like everyone else!

Do you have a drag family?

I am a part of Haus of Mu! I met Lady Shamu back in 2015 when she was hosting bingo at Guava Lamp. Back then I was a little Latin twink, and if you know anything about my mother, it’s that she loves her some homosexuals. I had already been doing drag for about a year and a half when I met her, but we became friends quickly, and she began helping me with my makeup. She was the first person that saw potential in me that I didn’t see in myself, and gave me a lot of my first opportunities. In 2017, after being friends for about two years, she asked me to be her daughter at my birthday show. It’s been such an honor to be a part of her family and represent not only myself but her in everything I do.

Do not miss this celebration of your LGBTQIA+ center and National Coming Out Day!

LGBTQIA+ Houstonʼs Premier Annual Gala

Our 2024 Gala Chairs Corey S. Scranton, Kathy Anderson, and Harper Watters invite you to join us as we honor Greg Jeu and Ian L. Haddock for their service and impact on Houstonʼs LGBTQIA+ community.

Saturday, October 5, 2024 at 7 PM

Marriott Marquis Houston 1777 Walker St

Beneﬁting

Make Your Reservation Today!