Queer Voices
Queer Voices
October 9th 2024 Queer Voices Curve Foundation, Katy Pride and Tony's Place
We speak with Julia Rosenzweig, Archive and Outreach manager for the Curve Foundation. Launched in 1991 as Deneuve magazine, Curve has been America’s best-selling lesbian magazine for nearly three decades. As Curve’s 30th anniversary approached, founder Franco Stevens reimagined how Curve will serve lesbians and queer women in its next chapter. Her journey to this historic decision is captured in the documentary film Ahead of the Curve. There will be an event at Pearl Bar to build the archive of the publication on October 13th.
Then we speak with the organizers of Katy Pride about their upcoming festival. We speak with president Amanda Rose. The celebration takes place on October 19 from 11am to 4pm at the First Christian Church at 22101 Morton Ranch Road in Katy. For more information, visit katypride.org
Finally we speak with Carrie Rai executive director of Tony's Place about their inaugural Homecoming Dance taking place on October 11th. Tony's Place provides services for homeless LGBT youth in Houston.
Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here. Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond. Check out our socials at:
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https://www.instagram.com/queervoices90.1kpft/
Hello everybody. This is Queer Voices, a podcast version of a broadcast radio show that's been on the air in Houston, texas for several decades. This week, debra Moncrief-Bell has a conversation with Julie Rosenswag about an event this month at Pearl Bar put on by the Curve Foundation. It's both a remembrance of the magazine Curve, also known as Deneuve Magazine, and an effort to build an archive of the publication.
Speaker 2:The event is Collect and Connect Curve Magazine Archive Celebration. It will be at Pearl Bar in Houston, texas, on October 13th, which is a Sunday. It will start at 3 and end at 8. Please, please, please, bring all of your Curve and Danube magazines.
Speaker 1:We have Brett Column's community calendar of events for October. Brian Levinka talks with the folks from Katie Pride about that event coming up this month.
Speaker 3:The event will be held at First Christian Church Katie, which is 22101 Morton Ranch Road. They are our title sponsor, so they're allowing us to use their property, which is great. The event is from 11 am till 4 pm and there will be vendors. We have DJ Crazy V spinning for us that day.
Speaker 1:Debra has a conversation with the executive director of Tony's Place about their first ever LGBTQ plus homecoming dance on October 11th.
Speaker 4:We are hosting a LGBTQ homecoming dance for youth aged 14 to 20 on October 11th, which is National Coming Out Day. It is from 7 pm to 10 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Speaker 1:And we have news wrap from this way out Queer Voices starts now.
Speaker 5:There's a special event coming up at Pearl Bar very soon and with me today to talk about it is Julia Rosenzweig. And Julia, you have a whole bunch of letters by your name. You're the Archive and Outreach Manager of the Curve Foundation. So explain to me what those letters mean and what the Curve Foundation is.
Speaker 2:The letters next to my name are MSLIS, so I have a Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute and I am the Archive and Outreach Manager at the Curve Foundation. So what I do is make sure that our archive of 30 years of lesbian magazine Curve Mag are free and accessible to anybody who wants to read them. And then I also do some programming. So I provide book clubs, film clubs, archive show and tells, interview events with our founder, franco Stevens, just to name a few. And that's pretty much a summary of what my role is at the Curve Foundation.
Speaker 5:This event that's happening on October 13th at Pearl Bar is called Collect and Connect Curve Magazine Archive Celebration. So what exactly is that about?
Speaker 2:This event is really exciting. It is essentially an event celebrating our community members with an afternoon of festivities, storytelling, connection. We're asking folks to bring their Curve and Danube magazines to Pearl Bar. We'll give out some free Curve swag. We're also collecting oral histories from the community at the bar and then all of those materials will be donated to the University of Houston Library Special Collections as a part of their LGBTQ plus history research collections. So essentially, we're starting a Curve Magazine archival collection in South Texas. And that's not all that's going to happen at the event. There will also be a Drag King performance, there's going to be lesbian trivia, there's going to be barbecue from Sloane Rinaldi of the Netflix series Barbecue Showdown. She's a fourth generation Houston pitmaster, so that's really exciting. And then the last thing that's going to happen is an exhibit from the LGBTQ plus history research collection that will show some archival lesbian publications from their collection at the university. It's going to include some issues of Curve and Deneuve magazines and attendees will be able to engage with this archival material.
Speaker 5:So let's talk about the magazine a little bit. It did start off with the name Deneuve, in homage to the wonderful French actress Catherine Deneuve, but there were some issues with the use of that name and so it got changed to Curve. Why Curve?
Speaker 2:Curve, I believe, was the name that was settled on because it describes the curve of a woman's body. It's not straight, it's curved. I think it was a bit of a tongue-in-cheek type of title change. And then, as far as Deneuve goes, the story that Franco Stevens, the founder of the magazine, tells is that Danube was actually maybe the name of a crush of hers and that it was not at all named after Catherine Danube. So Catherine Danube tried to sue the magazine I think, I believe, successfully. It was under the impression that they were using her name when that was in fact not even the truth interesting.
Speaker 5:I remember when it started and it's hard to believe that it's been 30 years. You're california-based, how? Is it that you've ended up having this event here in houston, texas?
Speaker 2:we are california-based. However, we offer our services and programs in the magazine to everyone in the country, if not the world, and we were lucky enough to get support for this event from Airbnb, the AKR Foundation, which is based in Texas, the Greater Houston LGBTQ Plus Chamber of Commerce, probar, of course, texas QN University of Houston. So since we had all of these wonderful partners, it made sense to have this event in South Texas.
Speaker 5:And so you're imagining that there are people in Houston, women in Houston, who have collected the magazine over the years and that they are going to want to be at this event to share stories and to talk about the impact of the magazine on their lives. What other things do you anticipate from this?
Speaker 2:Well, I anticipate it to be a event where the community can gather and connect with one another. So it's not just that we want folks to give their magazines to us, which please folks. If you're coming to the event, please give us all your Curve and Deneuve magazines. We will give you things in return. But it's more than that. So, in this digital era, there's so much loneliness and I think, in addition to collecting magazines, it's really important for me personally, and also for the Kerr Foundation as an org, to help bridge gaps between people and bring people together and celebrate our culture. So really, I'm hoping that this event is a celebration of our cultures as well as a chance to collect magazines and stories from people. Collect magazines and stories from people. And if you can't make it to the event itself, I would like to put out a call for donations because we really need our community support at this time.
Speaker 5:The Collect and Connect Curve Magazine Archive Celebration you can sign up through Eventbrite for tickets. It is free. It starts at 3 pm. It's a Sunday afternoon event at Pearl Bar. Julia, have you ever been to Houston?
Speaker 2:I have been to Houston for a really gay reason. I went there with my roller derby team for a derby tournament.
Speaker 5:Tell me about your experiences with that. How did you get involved?
Speaker 2:I got home to Los Angeles after college and remembered that roller derby was a thing. I started skating when I was 23, which is crazy to say and I just never stopped. And it also coincided with me coming out and, you know, coming to terms with my own sexuality as a queer person, and it was a really, really lovely place to come out. It's a wonderful environment, so LGBTQ friendly, and I am still involved and I'm so proud to be a Los Angeles Derby doll, so I'm excited to be able to talk about it on this radio show too.
Speaker 5:I was a skater as a kid, but I can't imagine doing that.
Speaker 2:Well, you know, it's a really wonderful sport because any shape and size and most abilities can skate and you offer different things depending on what you are and who you are. So I'm small, so I can't do a lot of strength things. However, I'm very fast and I can get around people, so I bring my own strengths, just as somebody who is larger could bring their own strengths as well.
Speaker 5:Well, I really appreciate you talking with us on Queer Voices about the Curve Foundation. Why did they form a foundation?
Speaker 2:They formed a foundation in 2021. The magazine itself was in print still in 2019, and it was unfortunately going under, so the founder, Franco Stevens, bought back the magazine that she had sold off, I think about 10 years prior. She bought the magazine and, in order to keep the legacy of the magazine alive, she started the Curve Foundation and donated the entire Curve archive to the foundation so that the legacy of Curve Magazine and lesbian representation and stories could live on, and that's exactly what we're trying to do with this event.
Speaker 5:It's very exciting that it's going to be housed at the UH libraries as part of the LGBTQ History Research Collection. They're doing a really great job over there and we appreciate that we have that here in Houston. We have a number of history buffs involved and, of course, we love the librarians Absolutely. The librarians are the saviors of the world, in my opinion. So again, thank you for being with us on Queer Voices and tell us once again what the event is and where it is.
Speaker 2:The event is Collect and Connect Curve Magazine Archive Celebration. It will be at Pearl Bar in Houston, texas, on October 13th, which is a Sunday. It will start at 3 and end at 8. Please, please, please, bring all of your Curve and Danube magazines and we will provide you with festivities and food and all that you can think of. And thank you so much for giving me a platform to talk about this event. I really appreciate it.
Speaker 5:This is Deborah Moncrief-Bell, and you've been listening to Queer Voices.
Speaker 1:Coming up on Queer Voices Brett's community calendar of events. The Katie Pride event later this month, tony's Place is having their first ever LGBTQ plus homecoming dance on October 11th and we have News Wrap.
Speaker 5:This radio program we Are Voices has existed since the 1970s. On KPFT we have this little crew of folks working every week to produce what's no longer unique because we're almost mainstream now. We're almost mainstream now, but we're still an important voice that might not otherwise get heard because it's not on that many places. So KPFT is very important to give voices to those who might not otherwise have voices. So, as Glenn always says, you participate by listening. You should also participate by supporting the station.
Speaker 6:So please go to kpftorg and make your donation right away this is Brett Cullum, and here's your community calendar for the end of September and early October. On October 10th, the Alley Theater is going to have their Act Out Night for Noises Off. This is a three-act British farce. It's very funny. It's about a play that goes terribly, terribly wrong. Things fly around the stage, people fall down stairs, sardines get thrown around. It's amazing. The show actually opens on September 27th, but the Act Out Night, which includes cocktails and food before the show, will happen on October 10th. So that is your calendar for the end of September, early October. Hope you have a great one and I'll be seeing you very soon.
Speaker 7:This is Brian Levinka, and today, on Queer Voices, we're talking with Amanda Rose, president of Katie Pride. Welcome to the show.
Speaker 3:Thank you, I'm glad to be here.
Speaker 7:Katie Pride, this is your second year. Tell me how did the first year go and what do you have changes for the second year?
Speaker 3:We're excited. October 19th is our second Katie Pride celebration and the first year was fabulous. We had over 2,000 people attend, over 80 vendors, numerous sponsors, great response from the community and support and that really propelled Katie Pride for this past year so for 2024, really being intentional about doing something monthly in the community, whether that was coffee meetups, social events, advocacy, work just different things because of the response we had at our first Katie Pride celebration and so coming up this year in October, I believe we'll have almost 100 vendors. The last count that I heard we still have a week or so left to get vendors in there, but we'll have almost 100 vendors. The last count that I heard, we still have a week or so left to get vendors in there, but, um, we'll have over 100 vendors.
Speaker 3:We will have um, two drag performers, a drag queen and a drag king that'll perform about midday. We'll do some drag story, drag story hour. We have a great kid zone. We'll have the section of the gilbert flag again, but we also are going to have a really neat display of educational displays of LGBTQ history. So that's how we've added, we've really expanded what we are doing because the response was there and the desire from the community.
Speaker 7:Let's back up. How did this all get started and what was kind of the idea behind Katie Pride?
Speaker 3:Back in 2022, first Christian Church Katie, which is the only lgbtq open and affirming church in katie. They held their first drag bingo and that brought 500 uh protesters I like to say, sometimes your closest friends, the things you don't ever want to see. But their events still went on and I was involved in those events and it was really. That was the catalyst to say there needs to be more done in the Katie community. Fcc Katie was already doing great work supporting the LGBT community in Katie, but a bunch of us were like we need more, we need to have Katie Pride really out of the work they were doing. And that horrible response that community members came out really from all over the state to protest and all their events went on without a hitch. That's how really, katie Pride was birthed.
Speaker 3:So June of 23,. So this past June we just celebrated our first birthday, because to me, birthdays are more fun than anniversaries. But that's really how it got started, because there was a desire, there was a need and we just kind of put some feelers out in the community and people were like, yes, we need this, we want this. There is a queer community in Katy and we don't want to necessarily have to go into town to experience and have celebrations and support, and you know, be supportive and so that's really all how it started.
Speaker 7:What have you learned in this process?
Speaker 3:There are plenty of supportive individuals and businesses in the Katie community. You just have to find them because, katie being historically more conservative, we heard a lot of stories of people being like I know I'm not the only queer person in my neighborhood, but people don't want to put a rainbow flag out or they're afraid to speak up, and this is so refreshing to see that this is here. We've met all different types of people age of people, parents that want to be involved because they have a child that identifies as part of the queer community, so it's really taught us that. For me, it's that the saying if you build it, they will come, and so we built Katie Pride and people are definitely coming in supportive and it's getting larger.
Speaker 7:Can you talk about the event itself? What people can expect that haven't attended?
Speaker 3:The event will be held at First Christian Church Katie, which is 22101 Morton Ranch Road. They are our title sponsor, so they're allowing us to use their property, which is great. The event is from 11 am till 4 pm and there will be vendors. We have DJ Crazy V spin in for us that day. Jay Michaels from 96.5 will come out and do a little bit of emceeing. There will be a fashion show from the Transparent Closet, which is a free clothing boutique for youth and young adults that are exploring their gender transitioning, just really trying to figure some things out. And that transparent closet is actually a outreach ministry First Christian Church Katy, but they're going to do a small fashion show in the middle of the day.
Speaker 3:Like I said, we will have two drag performers a drag queen and a drag king. We'll do some drag story hours. There'll be a kid zone with inflatables, some educational things for them to do as well as coloring. And really the best part of having our event at First Christian Church Katie is they have a pumpkin patch the entire month of October. So while Katie Pride is going on and there'll be food vendors and there'll be shopping, and there'll be shopping and there'll be education going on and there's stuff for the kids. You also have this really beautiful pumpkin patch that people can walk around. Families can walk around, they can take pictures, they can buy a pumpkin or they don't have to take a pumpkin, it is free to get in. So it's just a really great time for people and community to come together and feel celebrated and feel loved and know that this is a safe space for them and we want to celebrate them.
Speaker 7:Is pride still relevant and what do you say to people that are the haters of pride?
Speaker 3:For me that I say the haters of pride it's like, then don't come like. We all have choices. If you are not, that's not something you're interested in, great, don't come like. I respect you to have your opinion, respect me, have mine and live my life the way that I want to, just like I hope you would do as well. So I'm typically not one of those people that is confrontational. I say that's great, you have a right to that opinion. But I also have a right to my opinion and to celebrate those things that I want to celebrate, just like I hope you as well.
Speaker 3:But I also will say that historically, lgbtq community is a marginalized community and they are considered less than right now. Going on in Katy in the school board there are attacks on the LGBTQ community, our students, between the gender fluidity policy that passed a year ago that intentionally out students to their parents, the way it is written to the most recent policy that was passed, which is a book policy, book banning. If there is a book basically that doesn't conform to like cisgender, heterosexual, different families, especially the lgbtq community, that it can just be removed from the libraries. It does not need to kind of go through the process that has already been slated. So there are some things happening in Katy that even more is like we need to be here. We are here, we're going to stand up, we're going to be advocates and we're not going to go away just because there's people who don't think we need pride, or those individuals that want to be what I refer to as the haters.
Speaker 7:Can you talk about some of your sponsors?
Speaker 3:We have Somos Loud, we have Ann Rusi Counseling, we have Comcast is our internet sponsor, we have Evolution Firework. There's also a bunch more that I just can't think of off the top of my head. We have great support from the community and that's really how this event happens. Every penny that we get between sponsors and vendors goes back into making the celebration happen. Same thing anything we do throughout the year. If we do any fundraising, all of that money is raised to be able to go put on a celebration for the community that is free of charge. That is very important to us that our Pride celebration is free.
Speaker 7:But if people are looking to volunteer, how can they get involved and what can they do?
Speaker 3:If they're looking to volunteer, especially for our Pride celebration, they can just go to katieprideorg or they can find us on social media at Katie LGBTQ, whether that is Facebook or Instagram, and we have our links up there to be able to volunteer.
Speaker 3:And we are taking volunteers the day before for set up during the event, and there's a we need all people of all abilities, there's jobs and different things that we need from everyone. Those individuals that are more of those like I like more movement and activity, we can give you jobs. And that are more of those like I like more movement and activity, we can give you jobs. And for those people that are like I can't really do that, like I'm not in the physical shape or my health, that's great too. We need individuals that are also going to be doing those roles, that are more greeting and welcoming and directing people as well. So, social media at Katie Pride LGBTQ, and that is on Instagram and Facebook, or if you just go to our website katieprideorg, I believe on our homepage, everything's about the celebration is up there and there's a link about volunteers.
Speaker 7:Now, I was noticing that there's a kickoff party coming up. Can you talk about that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we will do our kickoff party on Thursday, october 17th, at Park Place at the Boardwalk. Rc Simmons, who owns that venue, is very supportive of Katie Pride. That's where we hosted our first birthday party and it's really just a time for those that are 18 and up just to come together and really kick off what's going to be a great celebration. It's really to celebrate what we've done in the year and just kind of build the momentum and build the energy for what's coming up on Saturday.
Speaker 7:How did y'all end up in an October date?
Speaker 3:When Katie Pride, when we said we want to get this started. We reached out to Woodlands Pride and Jason Rocha because, you know, woodlands Pride was probably the biggest regional pride that was already in existence to really learn from them what has gone well, what hasn't gone well, listening to them, but also it was like why not October, june? We don't need to compete with the big prides. We don't need to do that Because it's not just about people power when we think of our vendors and our sponsors, like let's spread that out. But also October is LGBTQ History Month, so why not celebrate and have pride in October, like it does not just all need to be confined to the month of June. We can celebrate all year long and I think it makes a lot of sense to do it in October during LGBT History Month.
Speaker 7:Plus, it's so freaking hot.
Speaker 3:Yes, it is hot in June, and so October is a. You never know what you're going to get. You can get a beautiful fall day, or it could still be hot, but you have a better probability that it's going to be slightly cooler, which is nice.
Speaker 7:Let's cover the details of the event one last time before we go. It is October 19th, from 11 to 4 at the First Christian Church of Katy, is that right?
Speaker 3:Yes, that is correct.
Speaker 7:And the website is katyprideorg, is that right?
Speaker 3:Yes, katyprideorg, and our social media handles is katyprideLGBQ, and that is on Instagram and Facebook.
Speaker 7:If people want to contact you or get more information about the festival what can they do?
Speaker 3:they can reach out on social media and send us a direct message. We have a contact us form on our website or they could always email at info at katieprideorg. That works well. So whatever suits their fancy, if they're more of an emailer, send us a message at info at katieprideorg. They utilize more of an emailer. Send us a message at info at katiprideorg. They utilize social media definitely direct message us on Facebook or Instagram, or you could go look at the website, learn more about all of the different things we do. You know we do our pride celebration but all of the other work that we are doing in the community to celebrate and uplift the queer community in Katy, and there is a contact form on our website that people could submit as well.
Speaker 7:Well, thank you for coming on.
Speaker 3:Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Thank you again for the opportunity, and everyone is welcome. You do not have to live in Katie. This really is truly a great celebration of love and community, which is what we believe Pride should be.
Speaker 7:I've been talking to Amanda Rose, the president of Katie Pride.
Speaker 8:Thank you, this is Avery Bellew. My pronouns are she and her, and I am the CEO of the Montrose Center, Houston's LGBTQ Plus Center and you are listening to Queer Voices, an integral part of Houston's LGBTQ Plus community.
Speaker 5:This is Deborah Moncrief-Bell and I'm talking with Keri Ray, the Executive Director of Tony's Place. Keri, I understand you're kind of high off a successful fundraiser last night. You want to talk about that?
Speaker 4:I'm very excited to share about Tony's Place and the work we have been doing. Yesterday we had a great fundraiser. Tony's Place was the beneficiary of the EPA event. Epa is the Executive Professionals Association. They chose us earlier this year to be their beneficiary to raise funds to renovate our bathrooms in our center. This is such a great cause. Right now we currently have one bathroom with a shower and our clients very much need showers. So we have a drop-in center where LGBTQ youth can come in, get a hot meal, they can get clothing, they can use our showers and, unfortunately, because we only have one shower, it's limited space. So the funds we raised last night are going to help us add two more shower stalls, which will allow more clients to shower every day.
Speaker 5:And let's just go back a little bit in the history of what Tony's Place is and why it's called Tony's Place.
Speaker 4:In 2015,. Tony Carroll, who was a pillar of the LGBTQ community, started with an idea of providing a safe space for homeless gay youth who were being victimized and needed the most basic services to survive. Unfortunately, he passed away suddenly and his close friends and supporters came together and opened up Tony's Place in 2016 in his honor. We are now in a new location in the Montrose area. We have been here since 2022 in our building, and we are thriving and surviving, and we have many new services that we're offering, including our drop-in center, which is the bread and butter of our organization, but we also have one-on-one case management services. We have a brand new health and wellness team, we have our art series and we are having an upcoming homecoming dance on October 11th.
Speaker 5:Tell me a little bit about that. I think it's part of the National Coming Out Day celebration.
Speaker 4:Yeah, we are hosting a LGBTQ homecoming dance for youth age 14 to 20 on October 11th, which is National Coming Out Day. It is from 7 pm to 10 pm at the Hilton Garden Inn, and this is to celebrate LGBTQ youth. They can be their authentic selves in a safe space where every young person deserves to enjoy. This event is free to attend with an RSVP. It is open to youth, like I said, ages 14 to 20. Attendees will enjoy swag bags from MAC Cosmetics. We will have mums and garters, a photo booth, mac glam stations, a live DJ, food and drinks. Registration is open on our website at tonysplaceorg. Like I said, it is a no-cost event to the youth as long as you register, and I want to say a special thank you to our sponsors for the event, from the it Gets Better Project, mac and the Hilton Garden Inn.
Speaker 5:It's free to youth, but I'm assuming adults can attend. Is there a charge for them?
Speaker 4:So this event is strictly for youth. It's for LGBTQ youth who may not have had the opportunity to go to their own homecoming, or they may not have been able to go to their homecoming and be able to express their outer selves like they wanted to. So we really want to tear this to youth. However, adults can volunteer at the event, so there are volunteer opportunities. If people want to come and sign up through tonysplaceorg, we have a great volunteer program.
Speaker 5:I was just thinking there probably would be some parents who would bring their children and kind of be chaperones, just like a regular homecoming. I think that people can also register through Eventbrite.
Speaker 4:The registration is online through our website. I think that people can also register through Eventbrite.
Speaker 5:The registration is online through our website, and is it limited to those that use the services of Tony's Place?
Speaker 4:No, it is open for any youth aged 14 to 20. So they don't have to be a current client. They don't have to be currently accessing our services.
Speaker 5:This event we're really trying to reach all youth in the greater Houston area.
Speaker 4:Have you reached out their Hatch services that evening and encouraging all of their Hatch youth to attend the homecoming?
Speaker 5:Is there any particular entertainment that's being provided?
Speaker 4:We do have a fabulous DJ with music. We will have these mums and garters that I talked about. We have these mums and garters that have been. The bases have been already pre-made, but there is a table where youth can add to their mums and garters in their own pride colors. So it's kind of create and invent your, add to your moms and garters, however you want. We are going to have makeup stations provided by MAC Cosmetics where youth can get their makeup done. We will have some community partners that will have their tables there to provide services and advertise their services to LGBTQ youth. I want to go, I need a makeup provide services and advertise their services to LGBTQ youth.
Speaker 5:I want to go. I need a makeup. Let's talk a little bit about the serious work of Tony's Place, about how many clients do you serve each week?
Speaker 4:We are seeing about 20 to 25 clients a day. In August clients came in 211 times, which is a big increase from the beginning of this year, which was beginning in January was about 150 times clients came in that month. So we've added about 60 services just in the month of August. We are seeing about 10 to 15 new clients per month and these clients are around the ages of 18 to 20. These new clients that we're seeing, many of them have had experience in the foster care system. Some of them have been justice involved. Many of them are living in shelters currently or living with friends or are actually unstably housed.
Speaker 5:And that's really the whole thing. You have these vulnerable young people and they need these services in order to thrive, and I believe you do help them find work.
Speaker 4:We have many different services in our center. So one of the things we really pride ourselves on is that in our day center we partner with about 25 different community service organizations about 25 different community service organizations and those service organizations come into our day center to provide services to our clients. We prefer for clients to meet with service providers in our center so clients feel safe. Our center is a safe space for LGBTQ youth. We prefer not to send clients and say, hey, go to this place, go to this place, where they may not know if it's safe for them, they may not know if they're going to be accepted.
Speaker 4:So providers come to our space. They can have a private location to meet with clients. To help them find work, to help them connect to employment, to help them get IDs. We connect them to housing. We have one-on-one case management services in-house. We have a therapy team that comes once a week to provide services. We connect with domestic violence organizations and we have our new health and wellness team that is currently providing education and connection to reproductive and sexual health services.
Speaker 5:That's marvelous and it's just so important and I'm so glad that Tony's Place exists. It is a real tribute to the work of Tony Carroll and the other community members that have taken part. Tony's Place has been designated as a beneficiary of the Pride Organizations. There's always the need for funding. It's great that EPA was able to step up and have a good event that provided that, and then now you get to just have a real fun thing for the youth. What happens with the people who age out?
Speaker 4:We serve up to and including age 25. When a client is getting close to their 26th birthday, we start working with them and preparing them for graduation about six months in advance. This happened yesterday, actually, with a client, so we were talking about hey, your birthday's coming up next year, let's think about what you want to accomplish between now and your birthday and how can Tony's Place help you achieve those goals and connect you to the resources in the community so that you're successful and that you can transition well. So we really work with clients to have a seamless transition from our services into other services in the community if they need that, so that there's kind of a continuity of care and also because we've brought in community partners to our center. Clients have made connections already with other community partners and resources so they have those connections once they age out of our services.
Speaker 5:Can you tell me a success story, earlier?
Speaker 4:this year we partnered with the Houston Museum of Natural Science. We partnered with them and they brought their services to our center. So what that looks like is each month they bring in a different topic. So they've brought in a topic like creepy crawlies and one was poisonous creatures, another one was dinosaurs, and we hold these groups every day and different kind of interaction groups, and the intention around this was let's create some healthy education. You know peak interest with our clients. Maybe they will develop some different coping strategies, and the ideal goal was that if we bring the museum to clients, maybe clients will go to the museum and start connecting with community outside of Tony's place when the museum comes in.
Speaker 4:I have never seen so many you know, 20-something youth get so excited about insects. This is just like the most amazing thing. They're all huddled around handling centipedes, wanting to like look at the different creatures. It's absolutely amazing because they're engaging in things that are really healthy and interesting, and so a success story is we've actually had a couple clients who are now going to the museum on the days that the museum is free. So the museum is free once a week in the evening and our clients are actually going to the museum, engaging in healthy activities, building community, and that's what we really want, and so to me, that's a really great success story.
Speaker 5:Houston is very blessed with the museums that we have and the cultural events. That is wonderful opportunities for growth and maybe interest in furthering education just so many things like that as well. We are, unfortunately, still dealing with youth that have been kicked out of their homes because of their queer identity. We have young people that are living on the streets trying to survive and being able to go to a place that is safe, where they're cared for, where they can feel love, where they can find these resources. It's just a tremendous thing and I really hope for the best for the continuing growth of Tony's Place. I know the ideal thing would be for it not to have to exist, but we're so thankful that it does.
Speaker 4:We really want to work ourselves out of a job right. That's the ideal situation. Out of a job, right that's the ideal situation. But the reality is is that we are here and we are going to continue to be here to fill that need.
Speaker 4:So I just wanted to add that our goal by the end of this year is to expand our reach and enhance our services in two ways. So we plan to open our drop-in center five days a week to provide the growing population of youth needing services with more opportunities, and we plan to expand staff. The increasing need is there. Like I said, we've seen an increase in demand for services throughout 2024. So we are expanding our comprehensive services, like our health and wellness program. We have our Craft your Pride art series and we've just added an LGBTQ book club. So really, to achieve this, we thank EPA for their support to help us renovate our building, but we're also looking to raise funds so that we can expand these services by the end of the year.
Speaker 5:I'm talking with Carrie Ray, the Executive Director of Tony's Place, and they have a very special event coming up. Let's just go over the details of that again, Carrie up.
Speaker 4:Let's just go over the details of that again. Carrie, october 11th, on National Coming Out Day, we have an LGBTQ homecoming for youth aged 14 to 20. It will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn at 7 pm. Please RSVP on our website at tonysplaysorg. It is a no-cost event to youth and there's going to be tons of benefits. You're going to get a swag bag, makeup and DJ food drink. It'll be fabulous.
Speaker 5:And that Hilton Garden Inn is located near the medical center. Just for a frame of reference. I'm Deborah Moncrief Bell and this is Queer Voices.
Speaker 8:I'm Tanya Kane-Perry.
Speaker 10:And.
Speaker 8:I'm Marcos Negera, with News Wrap, a summary of some of the news in or affecting LGBTQ communities around the world for the week ending October 5th 2024. All 27 European Union member states must recognize a person's legal gender transition secured in any other member state by order of the European Court of Justice. In a landmark October 4th ruling, the EU's highest court wrote gender, like a first name, is a fundamental element of personal identity. Ariane Mizorafi-Ahi holds dual British and Romanian citizenship. His Romanian birth certificate registered him as female. He migrated to Britain in 2020 while it was still an EU member. There, he was able to transition and change his legal gender to male Under Romanian law.
Speaker 8:His application to change the gender marker on his birth certificate and government ID was rejected. Every citizen in Romania must be able to provide their government ID for routine things like managing a bank account, picking up mail at a post office and using public transportation. In the court's view, a divergence between identities resulting from such a refusal of recognition creates difficulties for a person improving his or her identity in daily life, as well as serious professional, administrative and private inconvenience. Transgender people can now travel to any EU member state for business or pleasure and have their legal gender respected, even if the national laws of a specific member state, like Romania, do not. Plaintiff. Arian Mazarafi-Ahi is now a science tutor living in Cambridge. He celebrated by video link with a gathering of his supporters in Bucharest. He said I cried really. It was indeed a victory that we have been waiting for for many years.
Speaker 10:Georgia's President Salami Zurabishvili refused to sign the Protection of Family Values and Minors Law, but after several days of high drama, parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has wielded the pen. Zura Bishvili is not a fan of Papuashvili's ruling Georgian Dream Party's governance and strongly opposed the legislation. The politically powerful Georgian Orthodox Church backs the party in the socially conservative Eastern European nation. Mirroring similar no-promo-homo legislation in neighboring Russia, the bill outlaws public displays of support for LGBTQ people. Pride events and representation in all forms of media are prohibited, even displaying rainbow flags. The law denies gender-affirming health care and the ability to change legal gender. It rejects civil marriage and adoption rights for same-gender couples.
Speaker 10:Papuashvili expects international criticism of the law. He says does not reflect current temporary changing ideas and ideologies. His Facebook post says the law is based on common sense, historical experience and centuries-old Christian, georgian and European values. He told RFERL we saw the currents of civilization were going in the wrong direction. Several Georgian and international human rights groups have denounced the legislation. They call the country's seeming drift toward Vladimir Putin's Russia an obstacle to its European Union aspirations. However, all politics is local and the Dream Party's immediate goal is domestic stoking homo and transphobia ahead of national elections in late October. As Tbilisi Pride activist, anna Tavadzi, told the Associated Press Georgian Dream's aim is to fabricate problems ahead of the election to distract people from their failure to solve issues involving unemployment, education and health care involving unemployment, education and health care.
Speaker 8:Gay Chechen men are reportedly being forced to fight in Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine. They are threatened with trumped-up criminal charges and forced to enlist if they can't afford to pay what is essentially a huge bribe. According to the Chechen human rights group SKSOS, chechen's Putin puppet, ramzan Kadyrov, often claims that there are no gay people in the predominantly Muslim Russian region. In reality, he has led a well-documented purge of queer people for the past several years under his semi-autonomous rule. The SKSOS noted an increasing wave of detentions of gay men in Chechnya in August of this year. Authorities use gay dating apps to entrap and jail them. They then use those men's social media and dating app accounts to entrap other gay men. The rights group says that at least seven Chechen gays have been forced to fight on the front lines in Ukraine. One of them has already been killed in battle.
Speaker 10:The Anglican Church of Southern Africa has rejected a proposal to allow bishops to approve the giving of blessings to couples in same-sex unions. In the words of a provincial synod media statement, unions. In the words of a provincial synod media statement, clergy would have been able to decide, based on their own consciences, whether to bless or conduct marriage ceremonies for lesbian and gay couples. A show of hands vote on October 3rd quashed that proposal. Its proponents charged that the delegates failed to address the reality of sexual diversity in humanity in general. To address the reality of sexual diversity in humanity in general, the Synod also rejected a set of prayers for same-gender couples already in civil unions or civil partnerships. The South African LGBTQ rights group, inclusive and Affirming Ministries, is lamenting the double loss. Their press release calls it a missed opportunity to move toward a more inclusive and compassionate expression of faith that further marginalizes individuals who seek nothing more than to live fully in the light of God's love. The Anglican Church of Southern Africa ministers to millions of the faithful in Eswatini, lesotho, namibia, st Helena and South Africa.
Speaker 8:California's Democratic Governor, gavin Newsom, signed a bill this week to protect state-funded public libraries from book bans.
Speaker 8:The California Freedom to Read Act was sponsored by Democratic Assemblymember Al Morisotchi of Torrance. He pointed to the escalating epidemic of bans on books with so-called woke themes, including those with queer, feminist or racial content. Such purges usually come up in Republican-controlled states, but California has its conservative pockets. Morisotchi's press statement proclaimed we need to fight this movement to ensure that Californians have access to books that offer diverse perspectives from people of all backgrounds, ideas and beliefs. The measure takes effect on January 1st and applies only to state-funded public libraries. A similar bill covering public school libraries was signed by Newsom in September 2023. Under the law, the race, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, political affiliation or any other characteristic may not be used to exclude books or other materials in public libraries. Access to such materials cannot be limited solely based on those criteria or the socioeconomic status of the writer or the perceived or intended audience. The State Librarian will provide technical assistance to help jurisdictions develop local policies to comply with the legislation.
Speaker 10:Finally, families attending an LGBTQ pride event in the southern Ohio town of Grove City were enjoying the food trucks, live music, pumpkin painting and bracelet making for children. Then about a dozen armed masked Nazis showed up. Ohio is an open-carry state that allows such firearms displays. The protesters waved swastika flags to demonstrate their displeasure on a nearby sidewalk cordoned off by police to prevent any direct confrontations. They chanted and yelled anti-LGBTQ epithets despite the presence of children. They made no overt threats of violence and left.
Speaker 10:After about a half hour of failed intimidation, mayor Ike Stage and the Grove City Council issued a joint statement condemning the display of hate. It read in part we are a diverse community and want our citizens to feel welcome and safe. We stand with those affected and reaffirm our commitment to fostering an environment where all individuals can express themselves without fear or harassment. The September 28th festival was deemed the largest ever event in the area, which has a population of about 42,000. Nathan Stover said the Nazis had no impact on the celebration. He told local ABC TV affiliate WSYX they can show up all they want, but it's not going to change the energy. Love has a greater energy than hate does.
Speaker 8:That's News Wrap, global queer news with attitude for the week ending October 5th 2024. Follow the news in your area and around the world. An informed community is a strong community.
Speaker 10:News Wrap is written by Greg Gordon and Lucia Chappell, produced by Brian DeShazer and brought to you by you.
Speaker 8:This has been a production of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders. Stay safe. Queer Voicesorg for more information. Queer Voices executive producer is.
Speaker 10:Brian Levinka.
Speaker 1:Deborah Moncrief-Bell is co-producer, brett Cullum and David Mendoza-Druzman are contributors, and Brett is also our webmaster. The News Wrap segment is part of another podcast called this Way Out, which is produced in Los Angeles.
Speaker 9:Some of the material in this program has been edited to improve clarity and runtime. This program does not endorse any political views or animal species. Views, opinions and endorsements are those of the participants and the organizations they represent. In case of death, please discontinue use and discard remaining products.
Speaker 1:For Queer Voices. I'm Glenn Holt.
