Queer Voices
Queer Voices
September 3 2025 Queer Voices Singer-Songwriter Wendy Taylor, American Psycho: The Musical Actor Ivan Moreno and FLUX Houston chair Jevon Martin
On this episode of Queer Voices, we spotlight Houston’s LGBTQ+ talent and community leaders. Singer-songwriter Wendy Taylor reflects on her lifelong journey in music, from childhood choirs to competing on American Idol, and previews her new series of shows at Leon’s Lounge. Performer Ivan Moreno shares his path from opera to musical theater and his role as Louis Carruthers in Houston Broadway Theater’s daring production of American Psycho. And community advocate Jevon Martin, chair of Flux Houston, invites listeners to their end-of-summer pool party - combining celebration, voter registration, and HIV testing - while underscoring the power of trans-led joy and visibility.
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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Speaker 2:Thank you for listening to Queer Voices on KPFT 90.1 FM or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Davis Mendoza-Duruzman, excited to bring you today's episode, starting with producer Deborah Moncrief-Bell and her chat with Houston singer-songwriter Wendy Taylor about her journey from choirs to American Idol in a new series at Leon's Lounge. Then, contributor and primary engineer for today's episode, brett Cullen, speaks with actor Ivan Moreno about his Houston Broadway theater debut in their bold new production of American Psycho. Lastly, contributor Ethan Michelle Gans speaks with Javon Martin, chair of Flux Houston, who invites us to their end-of-summer pool party. Martin, chair of Flux Houston, who invites us to their end-of-summer pool party, complete with voter registration and free HIV testing, and shares why trans-led joy matters. Queer Voices starts now.
Speaker 3:This is Debra Moncrief-Bell with Queer Voices, and I'm talking with the fabulous Wendy Taylor. Wendy, we're bringing you on Queer Voices to talk about several things, including an upcoming series of shows that you'll be doing. But tell us a little bit more about Wendy Taylor. You're a singer, a songwriter. What's your story, Wendy Taylor?
Speaker 4:Oh, it's so long. Y'all Thank you for allowing me to come on and talk about my show today and the events that I'm doing at Leon's Lounge. It's really cool to be in a bar that old it's the oldest bar in Houston and it still has Tiffany lamps and chandeliers. It's just a beautiful place Stained glass windows. It's really stunning and the sound on the stage is amazing. But back to what you were asking who am I? I don't know. I like to kind of compare myself to a Care Bear, mixed with maybe Mary Poppins, but a little crazy.
Speaker 3:So how did you get started in performing? You did school plays, you sang in the choir. What's that?
Speaker 4:So I started in music at a very, very early age. I was singing and dancing by the age of three. My parents had me on stage by the age of three. They couldn't stop me if they wanted to, and I got to do 15 years of jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical. I was in church choir. I was in school choir. I had private vocal lessons. I got to go to college for fine arts focusing on classical voice, which is really amazing. But mostly I'd like to say that I blame my parents.
Speaker 3:Because who else are you going to blame?
Speaker 4:No, they're absolutely the reason that I get to do this for a living, and it's been the greatest gift of my life and I thank them every single day.
Speaker 3:Now at some point, high school marriage, children, all that stuff was going on as well. But you had a bit of an adventure that is kind of a select group of people are involved in, and that's that you were a contestant on American Idol. I never watched American Idol, it just did not appeal to me. So when I first met you I'm like okay, so all right.
Speaker 4:So American Idol was a really interesting experience for me. I do not regret it one bit because I made some really phenomenal connections through that experience with some amazing artists all over the country and I take philosophical issues with a lot of the way that I think that reality TV is both run and displayed. However, I will say that they are very good at their job. They've been on television a long time and people are still watching. I again have philosophical differences to a lot of what happens on the show and I made that very well known. I was not quiet about it and it didn't result in me leaving the show the second time.
Speaker 3:So you were actually on twice. What years were those?
Speaker 4:That's a good question, because I don't remember what year it was, but I can tell you who was on. The first year I was on, I was on the season with Adam Lambert and I couldn't be prouder of that. And the second season I was on when Philip Phillips won, and I have some funny stories about Philip, myself and Heejun Han. We kind of got yelled at by the producers because we were having too much fun and it was supposed to be a serious room and we were ruining the shot by smiling, I see, and which made us really laugh. So I had that happen more than once. Don't you know how serious this is? This is your whole life. And I'm sitting there going. No, it isn't, because I had already sold a very large number of albums out of my car before that ever even happened, and I'm way more proud of that than being accepted onto a reality TV show.
Speaker 4:So I think one of the problems that you had was that they like for people to tell their stories, and that's one of the one of the producers, in front of my mother and children, asked me to describe what it was like having an abusive husband whom was their father, and I refused to do that in front of my children.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, they go for the drama, they go for heartache, they go for all kinds of things like that. It's not just that you get on there and you sing. You have to have a story. That's what goes on there. You say you don't regret it. What was your advice to anyone else that aspires to be on that show, or one like it?
Speaker 4:If you want to go be on one of those shows, absolutely do it. The experience is great. They do cover all of your expenses. They do take mostly good care of you, aside from having incredibly long days and lots and lots of breaks in between and editing you to whatever they want you to be.
Speaker 4:If you decide to go on one of these shows, the first thing I will tell you is do not go to win, go to grow. Do not go thinking you're going to be the next big thing, because even if you are, you still need to grow. Use the competition as a place to network, grow your skills. Learn from your peers, because there is so much talent in that one room from all over the country, just squished into a small area. If you don't learn something while you're there, you've already failed. The second thing that I would say is understand that it is reality television, not reality, and there is a very, very big difference. The third bit of advice that I would give I don't know how I can put this understand that that is far from the only avenue to be able to make it in this business.
Speaker 3:Right, most people that make it are not on American Idol.
Speaker 4:Correct, correct. They're not on any reality television show. They're in a music city or an art city or wherever they're from plugging away trying to perfect their craft city or wherever they're from plugging away trying to perfect their craft. And that's something that I pass on to a lot of my vocal students, my music students, is that the important thing is that you're better today than you were yesterday.
Speaker 3:For me. I have to be way better, because I cannot sing, or, as I like to tell people, I guess I can sing, but very, very badly.
Speaker 4:That's okay. You know, I think everyone should sing. I don't care if you're a terrible singer. Singing is so good for you. It is an emotional release, it is great for your cardiovascular and pulmonary, it is great for your posture.
Speaker 3:And why is that?
Speaker 4:Good for you, because if you're singing with correct posture, you're already working it out.
Speaker 3:So you've performed around town, around Houston area. What are some of the things that you've done that have been notable to you?
Speaker 4:I oh, this one's very easy for me. The first time I got to sing center stage at the Wortham Center was such a magical experience for me, and I completely owe that experience to Joey Guerra over at the Houston Chronicle, because he's the one that allowed me to do that. Another really cool experience I got to have was performing for Rainbow on the Green and at Discovery Green, and a lot of that was because of very incredible artists such as Ty Blue, who a lot of people have known to go on to have fame with Ty Neek, as well as Ernie Manouse. He's helped me quite a bit in my career and I owe a lot of these cool experiences that I've had to people that took the time to see me and support me.
Speaker 4:Yeah, no one ever gets anywhere without a little help from their friends, right, a whole lot of help from your friends, a whole lot. Even this opportunity with Leon's Lounge is a gift, because I don't know if y'all are aware, but they've been hotlisted for musicians because the sound of their stage is so good. People are like begging to get in to do a show there. And I feel very lucky to have this opportunity because when I was working at a previous bar in Montrose called Buddies Houston, one of my bartenders was Aaron Latour, who is now working at Leon's Lounge, and sent me a message and said hey, would you like to do a show here? So I've been very, very lucky and very, very grateful for the amount of support and love that I get from our community here in Houston.
Speaker 3:Did you take part in the Pride Idol competitions?
Speaker 4:Yes, I did. It was Pride Superstar when I was in there and that when I tell you, I still have some of the best friends I will ever have for the rest of my life because of that experience. There are so many incredible artists here. I never won, I never won the competition and I was always upset. But I could never be upset about who won, because they were always incredible entertainers, fantastic vocalists. I was upset because I didn't do the job well enough and those people are still very dear to me Ashley Hennessy, morena Roas. There are so many incredible artists here. I have a brother in Cody Ray Strimple. It's just amazing to me the camaraderie that happened during the seasons that I was on that competition here in Houston and how much that meant to me and helped shape me, even as an older artist.
Speaker 3:It's always amazing to me that not only can these people sing, but they can sing in several different genres. So when I've gotten to see one of those competitions I'm just kind of blowed away because, as I said, I am not proficient in singing, but I sure do appreciate it when I hear it from other people who are really good at it and it just boggles my mind. I've known you a couple of years now and I'm a big fan. I love your singing.
Speaker 7:And.
Speaker 3:I'm quite envious of it, because if I could sing, that's all I'd ever do.
Speaker 4:I'm telling you, let's do some voice lessons.
Speaker 3:So actually you have been derailed a little bit because you were planning a move to Nashville. What's up with that, Wendy Taylor.
Speaker 4:Okay. So I was planning a move to Nashville and I could not get the sale of my house where I wanted it to be, so I decided that it was not time to sell. Yet the market took a dip. There were a lot of houses in my neighborhood sitting for a very long time, and I decided that it was just not time to sell and that I can wait a couple more years. I've waited this long.
Speaker 4:I can wait a couple more years and also, in good news, my youngest son, who graduated high school three up, three down go team, has decided to go to college, so I'm going to keep him here and support him here through his college journey. We can both take off and go to Nashville. I have incredible plans when I get there. I have some amazing connections. I was very gifted to be able to sing for my best friend's wedding recently, where I got to sing with one of my idols from the 90s, Mr Ty Herndon, whose voice is still that of an angel, and a lot of opportunities spawned from that that I'm very excited to explore but can't really talk about.
Speaker 3:There's always that caveat. It's like we're going to do this thing, it's going to be amazing, but we're not going to tell you about it quite yet.
Speaker 4:I guess it's not time yet it's not time, so I'm very excited about that. And in the meantime I have phenomenal just a plethora of artists here that I get to work with, like Jonah Miles, lady Bird, based out of Galveston so so many amazing artists. Morena Roas I work with her on her upcoming projects doing vocal production. I co-write, I do a lot of songwriting with Jonah Miles. I do a lot of background vocal work for Lady Bird and her projects, her original projects.
Speaker 3:So this thing at Leon's Lounge and I have to admit, even though it's the oldest bar in Houston, I was not familiar with it and it sounds like it's a really interesting place. You're like I said, you have this first in a series. The first one is September the 5th.
Speaker 4:Yes, the first one is September the 5th. It's Leon's Lounge is at 106 McGowan, so it's right on the edge of the Gabor Hood, which is nice, but I think it's still considered Midtown. The bar itself is this beautiful vintage kind of speakeasy feel which is really, really groovy, and the theme that I have for the first show is movies and musicals. It will be a very intimate event. I will be interacting and doing crowd work throughout the show. There will be some comedy, usually completely by accident, and the second show now, if this goes well, the second show will be Women who Rock.
Speaker 3:All, right, now we're talking, of course, brian and I both love Broadway shows, so that will be good too to hear you sing some of those songs from all the musicals that we love so much, and it's been known that gay people tend to like musicals.
Speaker 4:I don't know, it's a thing, um I know it's so weird, right, it's part of our cult following of the women who rock?
Speaker 3:who do you think is your standout from that?
Speaker 4:no, that's too hard, because all of them. I have a list going. I have a long list going and it ranges from melissa etheridge to tina turner, alana miles, pat benatar, joan jett blondie or debbie harry right, it's a long list and it would be impossible for me and even Aretha Franklin. How do you not include her? There are so many phenomenal past and contemporary Hayley Hayley from Paramore oh my gosh, the power in that little tiny body. What an amazing singer. There are just so so many. I can't pick one. They will be happening around one month intervals.
Speaker 3:Okay, so the first one is September the 5th, and then it would be October, early October, for the next one.
Speaker 4:Early October and the tickets will go on sale for that somewhere around. Hold on, let me pull up my calendar in about two weeks.
Speaker 3:And so how do people find out more about the show?
Speaker 4:So you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok. I am at just Wendy Taylor all the time and it's. I do that because I don't like being put on a pedestal, so it's just J-U-S-T. Wendy Taylor, W-E-N-D-Y-T-A-Y-L-O-R. You can follow me on any of those things. If you would like tickets, you can find it on eventbritecom at Wendy Taylor Presents Movies and Musicals.
Speaker 3:Well, wendy Taylor, I love you so much and I appreciate you being with us. On Queer Voices. I've interviewed Joan Jett and now I've interviewed Wendy Taylor.
Speaker 4:Thank you so much for having me, and I adore you too.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Debra and Wendy. Next up, Brett Cullum speaks with actor Ivan Moreno about his Houston Broadway theater debut in their bold new production of American Psycho.
Speaker 6:Joining me today is Ivan Moreno. He is playing Lewis Carruthers and he is a Houston-based performer who is thrilled to be making his Broadway well, houston Broadway theater debut in American Psycho. He's appeared in courses for La Boheme and Tannhauser with Houston Grand Opera. Ivan received the Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Oklahoma City University in 2024. Wow and other theater and credits include performing in In the Heights, rent and Songs from a New World. So you are from Houston or you live here now from a new world.
Speaker 8:So you are from Houston or you live here now. I am born and raised in Houston, texas. So yeah, I've been here forever, but I moved back. I kind of moved back and forth for the past four years. When I was in school I studied in Oklahoma City, but I'm now full time here in Houston again, so it's great to be back.
Speaker 6:How did you pick Oklahoma City?
Speaker 8:It was more like Oklahoma City picked me. I was in high school and I was in my senior year, so I mainly was a classical singer growing up or not growing up, but kind of like. In my later high school years I took up classical singing and I did a couple of competitions. At one of these competitions I met Dr Autumn West from Oklahoma City University as well as Courtney Krause from Oklahoma City University and kind of got introduced to the program and auditioned, got in and you know, the rest is history. I moved up to OKC for four years and studied mainly vocal performance, but that's when I started getting a little bit more involved in musical theater, which I had not done until I'd gotten into college. I did like one community production into the woods, like in 2018 now it's been a while, um, but I didn't really start getting really into theater and musical theater until college. So, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 8:I ended up in OKC for four years wow, it's just.
Speaker 6:I don't usually see people from Houston saying I'm going to go to Oklahoma City.
Speaker 8:Yeah, it really. Ocu really is a diamond out in the Midwest. It's an incredible program and it's usually it's really interesting. It's kind of in, I guess, an almost like. You wouldn't predict that Oklahoma City would be like the place where a lot of incredible performers are born, but that's the alma mater of Christian Chenoweth, as well as Kelly O'Hara and dozens of other incredible performers both on Broadway and on film and TV. So OCU really is an incredible program and it's just an interesting kind of location.
Speaker 6:Yeah, well, I can't argue with those names. So, yeah, no, definitely. So how did you end up auditioning for American Psycho? I mean, it's not like it's your typical musical or something that, like you know, like rent or so I was.
Speaker 8:I remember it. Actually I was in the same building we're rehearsing it now. I was, I think, leaving a or enter, I don't know. It was in the rehearsal. It was in like the tech process for I think, tanhoisa, which was back in the rehearsal. It was in like the tech process for I think, tanhoysa, which was back in the spring, and I was on backstage and I saw like a listing for American Cycle, the musical, and I had heard, I knew there was a musical adaptation of American Cycle, the film as well as the novel, and I was like, okay, this is kind of interesting.
Speaker 8:I know this was on Broadway. I know it was like kind of one of the more a more controversial show, that kind of like you know came and gone and then you know, it was one of those kind of shows that we saw in passing. So I was like, okay, I'm just going to it's in Houston. So I was like, okay, it's, it's a newer company. I looked into Houston Broadway Theater. So I went through the website, applied for an audition, showed up, got a callback to dance and then callback and then another call back and then ended up getting an offer. So here I am and I'm so glad, I'm so lucky Cause, like you know from the, a little listing that I saw on backstage turned into be like one of the most transformative, I think, shows that I've done so far.
Speaker 6:You know, that's the way it happens sometimes. I think it's just incredible.
Speaker 8:It's kind of like fate intervenes, or something it kind of just it pops up when you least expect it.
Speaker 6:Yeah, but now you have an opera background I'll say classically trained things like that. So you're in this show and you know Duncan Sheik wrote the score. Obviously I think that, lewis, you get the Hard Bodies song. Is that one of your big?
Speaker 8:ones. I'm in Hard Body, I'm in Cards, I'm in a lot of numbers. My track is pretty, pretty, pretty fun but pretty complicated. I'm playing um lewis for the majority of the show, but I play a couple other small characters in different numbers, so it's kind of like back to back to back to back to back. And it's interesting because um duck and chic wrote the score and I was introduced to duck and chic through spring awakening, as well as alice by heart, and the score really does. It does feel like a duck and chic score, but it's really unique in the sense that it's way more electronic. It kind of reminds me of like electronic music from like the 2000s 2010, kind of like Black Eyed Peas type of vibe. It's a fun score to sing though. It's really, really fun, yeah.
Speaker 6:Well, it's interesting, I think, that a lot of people feel this disconnect. When I was talking to Tice, who I interviewed earlier, he was talking about how it sounded a little bit more ahead of its time than what the era is set in. You know the 90s, I mean, you know we were hip, what the heck?
Speaker 8:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 6:We started that kind of like club scene, I'm sure. Well, tell me a little bit about the character, the main one that you play, lewis Carruthers. He's a little bit of a different guy compared to the other ones in the show.
Speaker 8:Yeah, playing this character has been so fun, mainly because we're sort of reinventing him, me and Joe Calarco, who's our director incredible director we kind of took in the liberties to kind of redefine Lewis and we're kind of playing him in a little bit of a different way than he usually was portrayed, both in the 2000 film as well as in the original Broadway production of it.
Speaker 8:One of the biggest, I guess, notes that I'll highlight is kind of which is like in the novel, in the movie as well as in the original musical, is that Lewis is a closeted gay man in the 80s.
Speaker 8:So we of course like retaining that.
Speaker 8:But I think, as well as with the casting choice, with me being Latino, being Mexican-American, we wanted to kind of highlight another dynamic that is not there in the original source material but in the show he's referred to as Luis, but his real name and, like my version of the character, mind you, his real name is Luis and we kind of wanted to play around with the way a lot of Latinos in corporate America as well as, like you know, in English speaking world, you know, period is kind of the anglicization of our names, and so it kind of teeters back and forth between, like some characters most characters calling him Louis, which is you know kind of how he introduces himself in this predominantly white English speaking you know world, but there's moments where he's referred to as Luis, which we realize is actually his name, and not only is he kind of wearing the mask of trying to present as a straight man in this very, very masculine, heterosexual world, he's also trying to wear a mask of being, you know, the perfect idea of an American, even though you know he clearly has roots from somewhere else.
Speaker 6:You know, it's interesting because I actually worked with a guy who would go by Mike all the time and then it turned out that his real name was Miguel, you know so it is it still goes on?
Speaker 6:I mean, there's still this kind of tradition of, like you know, maybe we adapt to a corporate setting or something like that. I mean, of course, in American Psycho it's a little bit heightened because you guys really are wearing the masks and all that and Patrick obviously has one of the largest masks, or at least we think, maybe he does. I'm not always 100% sure. It's funny because I think that when the book came out, bredy Stenellis is a gay author. Obviously that's his identity, and there was a lot of controversy flung at him because they said that this book was misogynistic and it was homophobic. There was a lot of like really awful language aimed at, uh, the gay characters in the book or talking about you know them, using things like the f word and stuff like that, which was honestly in the late 80s, was a pretty easy term. Is there any of that stuff in the musical or do you know?
Speaker 8:absolutely, yeah, um, there there is a lot of the original language that's used in the novel is absolutely stuff in the musical. Or do you know? Absolutely, yeah, um, there there is a lot of the original language that's used in the novel is absolutely used in the musical, because, more than so than anything, I think it's because it's relevant to the time, and that's another kind of direction we're trying to shift this show into is the realism. We're trying to make it real, like we didn't want this to be a caricature of the 80s. We wanted this to really feel like what the 80s really was for these people. So not only is that shown in the design from, like the costumes you know, like usually when you see movies now that are produced nowadays or shows produced nowadays that are set in the 80s, it's usually really over the top, like really exaggerated silhouettes of what the 80s looks like.
Speaker 8:But we wanted to kind of dial that back and make it just more realistic, and that that was kind of kind of segues into the portrayal of gay characters in the original novel versus kind of the way we're doing it in this, in this show. Um, because both me and joe kind of agreed like the way, um, more than anything, the way he's kind of portrayed in the film which, mind you, like incredible film, incredible performance, he just simply wouldn't have survived. L wouldn't have survived the corporate America, wall Street bro kind of culture, kind of behaving the way he, or the being portrayed in the way that he was um, in earlier adaptations of this, of this text. So we wanted to really kind of dial into the way like that, you know, because let's be, let's be real like men have been closeted forever, you know, like it's, it's, it still happens today, even as much as in the 80s and there really is a little bit of that, like you know.
Speaker 8:Now I don't want to say two face, but it's a mask, it really is a mask and we wanted to highlight that. You know, lewis is extremely good at living a double life. That's literally like a line in the show. Um is that he's very good at living a double life, and I think that's a big conversation, kind of talking about the reaction to the original novel. Of course, like day one of rehearsal, the first thing we did was kind of break down the text and break down the legacy that this story has left. We want it. Our goal is to approach it from the most realistic, honest as well as respectful way possible yeah, did you guys have to do research at all?
Speaker 6:did you like have to like go back and look at anything, or I mean, I think that's always like kind of individual homework.
Speaker 8:Um, I absolutely did. I I went kind of back and delved into like what, what do we know what? What is like written in text about lewis? Like what do we know about his, his, his personal life and those types of things. And it's kind of a little bit of a balance of balancing the original source material as well as reinventing something, because we're rewriting the show. Essentially, there's so many new, different scenes. There's kind of been a reworking of scenes from the original Broadway production. We have both Roberto and Duncan Cheek. They've been involved in the process for this production. So it's been an honor to be able to rework a show and workshop it and create something new.
Speaker 6:Do you think they're going to be coming to this? I know that they went to the Chicago one.
Speaker 8:Yeah, we had Roberto a couple weeks ago during the first couple of read-throughs, and then Duncan Cheek will be with us, I believe, during tech. He's going to come and play with the sound a little bit kind of do a lot of the mixing once we're in the space. So it's going to be really exciting getting to work with the creators of the show.
Speaker 6:Yeah, no, that's amazing.
Speaker 8:That's a big opportunity.
Speaker 6:This really changed your life? Maybe yeah.
Speaker 8:You know I'm really starting barely getting involved in this business. Um, I just graduated a year ago and that feels forever ago. But like in the grand scheme of things, you know that was a couple minutes ago.
Speaker 8:So it's, it's exciting, especially kind of growing up and personally, personally growing up in an area where this really wasn't reality. Like you know, when I would, you know, when I was first going to college to pursue the arts, you know people were like what the what the hell are you doing? You know, like you, you know, like it's not, it wasn't practical, you know. And but you know I had this drive, this, this drive in me to just pursue it regardless. And of course, it comes with its ups and downs and, like I said, it's fate. Like I had no idea months ago that I would be sitting here speaking to you, I had no idea that I would be, somebody would even be interested to hear what I have to say. So it's crazy how life can just change in a heartbeat. One little audition can change a lot.
Speaker 6:Yeah, no kidding. I mean it's amazing that you're working with all of these people and things like that and on this, uh, this project, and I think it's uh, it's a very daring artistic vision to bring this to houston. How do you think that audiences are going to react to this? I mean, what do you like, what do you love?
Speaker 8:it. I really hope people more than anything. I feel like this is another chance to tell this story it's it's been really clear in recent years that american psycho mainly the film have kind of been reduced into almost a bite-sized version of what the original intent of the story was. We can kind of see that with the glamorization of Patrick Bateman from not only his workout routine but some of his personal you know behaviors being kind of glamorized amongst young men, especially on social media. I feel like we've, you know, literally lost the plot when it comes to those types of things, because it's literally like it's been said dozens of times before, that American Psycho is a gay man's satire of heteronormativity and masculinity and you know consumerism and capitalism. So I really hope this is Houston audiences get another opportunity to experience this story from a different lens.
Speaker 8:Houston has always been a daring city, especially when it comes to the theater world. There's a humongous theater scene here in Houston as well as an awesome humongous alternative scene here in Houston. I don't think Houston is shy to darker themes or just darker material in general. But I really hope people love this show and are able to sit with the uncomfortable bits and kind of challenge themselves and challenge their own ways of kind of viewing this world that we've kind of built here in the United States, especially when it comes to, like, masculinity and everything that's been mentioned before. Capitalism, over-consumerism, as well as things like vanity and gym culture and diet culture also play a humongous role in this show.
Speaker 6:Yeah, no kidding. Well, I think what was interesting is the trajectory of it and you hit on it several times very eloquently. But I think that Brett Easton Ellis admitted that the book was very self-referential for him. He really saw himself as Patrick Bateman in a way that he was falling into this kind of consumerist void and feeling empty and all of these different things.
Speaker 6:And then with the movie Mary Herron I think one of the things that you're reacting to with Lewis Carruthers in the movie is that Mary Herron really wanted to lean into the whole idea of it being a gay man's satire. So I think she allowed Lewis to be a little bit more flamboyant just so that she could kind of key into that thing a little bit. And now this musical version in a weird way you are one of the most important characters because you are in the core probably the identity of the author and kind of the thing, because the argument is that Patrick Bateman might be a closeted homosexual himself and that is becoming this kind of self-loathing that makes him do these things or imagine that he's doing these things. Because obviously the line of what's real and what's not in American Psycho is kind of blurry a little bit.
Speaker 8:And I think you touched on a really, really big point. I was just talking yesterday in another interview about kind of my favorite part about playing um lewis and it's the fact that he literally he parallels bateman's arc. They have the same kind of like character development throughout the show but you have patrick bateman kind of diving really deep and getting sucked up by the whole of like what an obsession with masculinity and being seen as the perfect man does to somebody. And then we see Lewis. We see him kind of get freed from that you know prison of trying to be somebody. He's not and throughout the show he's a little bit more comfortable with himself. And you bring up a really good point like about, you know, the possibility that Patrick Bayman is a closeted gay man. In my own personal experience I've dealt with the most homophobia and the most abuse from men who were closeted versus the guys that are not comfortable.
Speaker 6:Yeah, it's the ones that that make it uncomfortable exactly they see themselves. Yes, they see themselves yeah, and it they see underneath that little mask, you know, and I think that they worry that you actually see them for what they could potentially be and yeah, and and like I'm trying not to spoil the show because, like, like big points, but yeah, like that's a really big arc in this show yeah, well, I know it's definitely a show about masks, it's definitely about delusion, it's definitely about machismo and, you know, being the perfect man in business and in shape and everything else like that.
Speaker 6:I'm so excited that you're adding this new layer to lewis carothers by making him luis carothers, that that's amazing and that is something that only Houston could bring. So I am totally glad to see that happen and I'm excited to see you do this and my gosh from opera singer to American Psycho.
Speaker 8:What a ride. Best of both worlds. Operas are dramatic as hell. This is right up my alley.
Speaker 6:Now that you say that, I'm kind of like maybe this is kind of a tame show for you because really more people probably die in the opera.
Speaker 8:Yeah, operas are usually so much more heavier and and dark, so like um, and I feel, like musical theater. It was a kind of another thing we were kind of discussing, me and some other cast members. Like the interesting thing about american psycho is that the villain is the lead role, the person you follow the entire show and, and so many musicals follow the arc of like. They want you to feel you, they want you to be on the side of the lead, they want you to root for them. And this is a challenging piece because it's not that simple. It's not black and white, it's not just like, oh, this is a bad guy or this is a good guy. We're watching a man get consumed by not only his own demons but by the world around him.
Speaker 6:So it's, it's a it's it's definitely a complicated piece yeah, well, it's interesting because I think it brings up a lot about toxic masculinity and I think that we all deal with it, no matter if we're straight, we're gay, whatever the case may be. We all kind of deal with it and what a man should be and what a man should present to the world and all of that. So I think it'd be a fun show to see it from that angle and I'm excited this has been the show that I've been looking forward to the most all year, because I just think it's the wildest and I have a soft spot for Bredy Sinellis. I kind of grew up reading all of his books, and not ironically because of the first name, but anyway. But thank you so much, yvonne. I am thrilled. Break legs, break limbs, whatever it is that you guys are going to be doing.
Speaker 8:I feel like that's pretty tame for what this show kind of has to do.
Speaker 6:I know, but we will see you. It runs September 2nd. What is the exact dates?
Speaker 8:again, we run the September 2nd through the 14th.
Speaker 6:That's it, and you're in the smaller space, Zilka Hall, which means that we get a little bit more intimate than if we were actually in the big stage. I'm a little bit nervous because I've bought my tickets and I'm up close and I noticed that the closer you get, it gets a little bit cheaper and I'm like am I in the splash zone?
Speaker 2:Am I going to splash zone? Am I gonna get blood on me? No, you have to come and find out if you get blood on my armani suit. No, just kidding, all right. Well, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, brett and ivan. Lastly, contributor ethan michelle gans speaks with javon martin, chair of flux houston, who invites us to their end of summer pool party, complete with voter registration and free hiv testing, and shares why trans-led joy matters. Take it away, ethan.
Speaker 7:So this is Ethan Michelle Gantz, and we are on Queer Voices. We're going to be talking to Javon Martin today, and he is the chair of Lux Houston. How are you, Javon?
Speaker 5:I'm doing great, Ethan. Thank you so much for having this interview.
Speaker 7:Yes, it's awesome to see you again and to talk to you today. So tell us about Flux Houston.
Speaker 5:So Flux Houston is amazing. We are an affinity group of AHF. Ahf is the acronym for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. So if you are not well-versed on what AHF is, we have HIV testing, we have housing, we have pharmacy and it's like a whole wellness program for you know, individuals. Period. Right, whether you are HIV positive or not. Right, because the idea is for prevention. Right, a thrift store. And Flux is a part of AHF and we are all volunteers and we throw parties to bring awareness to the disparities of the trans community.
Speaker 7:Awesome. So y'all have an event coming up right.
Speaker 5:We sure do have an event coming up. The event is the end-of-the-year pool party. Sure do have an event coming up. The event is the end of the year pool party. It is happening September 20th at the Heights Hotel 100 Cavalcade and it is free. It's free food, free drinks. We just need you to click the QR code, sign the questionnaire. There's a few questions that we want to know. If the community is in care, do they know their status? And, if not, do they need to be tested? And we will also have free HIV testing at our event. They are at all of our events so that the community can know their status. We are also providing a QR code for the 340B bill. Right, and the 340B is so that we can keep Big Pharma off of jacking up the prices for our medications. Right, so that looks like low-income communities are able to get their prescriptions filled at a lower cost because big farmers trying to jack the price up so that we won't be able to afford our medication.
Speaker 7:Well, yeah, that sounds really important that people get medication, I agree, especially in our community.
Speaker 6:I agree.
Speaker 7:So tell me, y'all have this event every year. Yes, we do, y'all have this event every year.
Speaker 5:Yes, we do. This is our second time we're having this event and I am just looking forward to sharing space with community, having a great time. Oh, and also we have yourself, Ethan Michelle Gans, doing voter registration right, Because that's our voice.
Speaker 7:That is our way of saying who we want in office and, you know, just taking care of our needs by voting. So they always stop voter registration around October. So September is a great time to make sure everybody is checked, to make sure they've not been thrown off the rolls or whatever. So tell me how much fun it's going to be over there. What kind of food is it?
Speaker 5:Oh, so it's a. It's a new restaurant. It's Hispanic food. You know the regular rice and beans. We'll probably have some tacos. I actually did not go through the menu as yet. We have a meeting with them next week to go through the menu because we needed an exact number of people that will be participating. So it's looking like we have roughly about 150 people participating and it's going to be awesome. And, like I said, free drinks, but it's also a safe space for those that don't drink alcoholic beverages. You can have free water, free soda, free juice, right, it will be available for those in need. And just in case anyone needs, you know, someone to talk to. You know, outside I am also licensed to, you know, just listen to people, you know and you know, just make space in case it gets uncomfortable. You know, for anyone. You know I wear many hats. You know that, ethan.
Speaker 7:You do indeed wear many hats and you do a lot of work. Sometimes people may not realize it because you're behind the scenes, but you know, I see a lot of the stuff that you do and I really appreciate that. I really appreciate. You know all the work that you put into our community, so tell me, are we going to have any interesting people there other than me and you?
Speaker 5:Yes, yes, there will be many interesting people. So there will be some elected officials stopping by. I will not mention their names, you would have to come to be there and see who's going to pop by. But I can tell you last year John Rosenthal came. He always comes and supports the trans community. He is like the official, unofficial trans supporter. And there will be others coming by. I sent several emails and they definitely want to come and support us and I know there will be Black Loud Impulse Pharmacy. They will all be in attendance. Out of the Closet will be in attendance and I know we have Trans Men. Empowerment will be coming.
Speaker 6:Trans.
Speaker 5:Latinas. Oltt will be coming, flas will be coming, sosu, saving Our Sisters United. There will be several organizations in attendance. The Normal Anomaly will be there. It's definitely a community event and trans people to the front, as always, because, you know, this is for the trans community, just, you know, going out the year with a bang and a great party to celebrate who we are.
Speaker 5:And yeah, just, we are looking for volunteers. Right, we are always looking for volunteers, just to let you all know, and we are also volunteers. Everyone that's in a leadership position with Flux is a volunteer. But we are also looking for extra volunteers to you know, be out in community with us and go to events and let people know that we exist and we are here and invite them to our parties, our events and our spaces. Right, we are also looking for board members. Right now, we have the secretary position open. We have the let me see the co, the co-chair, because I am one of the co-chairs and we have another space open for that. We have another space open for that.
Speaker 5:And so, yeah, if anyone feels like they are able to fulfill those spots, please let us know at our party or online. Right, you can reach us online and just to give you just a little I guess you could say synopsis on who we are and what we do. So Flux raises the profile of the trans and gender nonconforming community by leveraging social events, creating safe spaces and innovative advocacy initiatives. So it's just like this pool party, right, we are definitely leveraging it. We are making it upscale by not having individuals have to pay to get in. They won't have to pay to drink and they definitely won't have to pay to eat. So that's just a little eye opener of what we do, what we can do here in Houston.
Speaker 7:Well, that definitely sounds like an all-inclusive party. It sounds like a lot of fun, and I can't wait to go myself. So tell me, is there anything else that I haven't asked you about that you'd like to tell us about?
Speaker 5:Well, not at the moment, about the Flux Pool Party. That is our main thing that we are just, you know, here trying to advertise at this moment and promote. We do need followers on Instagram. Yes, that is one thing. Our Instagram does not have enough followers for us to go live right, and we like to document our events so that people know, you know how our events look and you know who's there to support us. So I believe right now we are at, I want to say, 563. Yesterday that's what I saw 563. So we need 1,000. So please tell a friend to tell a friend to follow us on Instagram at Flux the number four, houston. Follow us on Instagram at Flux the number four, houston.
Speaker 7:That's all one word F-L-U-X, the number four, H-O-U-S-T-O-N, and if people want to RSVP for this party because obviously you said you all needed to know how many people were coming, so you knew about the food and drink, that is all-inclusive how do people RSVP if they want to?
Speaker 5:Yes, so the RSVP is on our Instagram. It's on our Facebook Flux for Houston Facebook. Now, for those of you that are unable to scan the QR code, because you have, I guess, just one phone or you don't have a computer. So the way you would do that is you would go to the bitly right, b-i-t dot L-Y, and then you would put in flux 24, right, and that will take you to our, I guess you could say the questionnaire, and that way, from that questionnaire, you can definitely sign in from there.
Speaker 7:Let's talk a little bit more about Flux itself. So you're the one that recruited me into this when we started this a couple of years ago. So what made you want to do this here in Houston?
Speaker 5:So what made you want to do this here in Houston? Well, coming from New York and knowing what Flux does for community in New York, seeing the events and the people at the events in New York, when I came here to Houston, I didn't see those type of events. There were events happening, but the groups were at the Montrose Center and they were like gatherings and they weren't upscale. I didn't see any outside barbecues. I didn't see parties at restaurants or bars where it was free. People hosted events but you had to pay to get in, then you had to pay to drink, and this event is different, right, and we also offer free HIV testing and STDs, right, it's very important to know your status and right now, tds are running rapid in the LGBTQ plus community. Definitely definitely community, definitely definitely. So it's very, very important that anyone that wants to attend our event, they can go to the bitly, which is B-I-T, period L-Y, with the backslash F-L-U-X, and that has to be all capital 20, 24. It's 24, right, and we apologize that it's 24, but that's what it is. So it's FLUX24 in all capital, right, and when that opens up, you will get the health and wellness survey and that health and wellness survey once you finish.
Speaker 5:It takes one minute, because I did it myself. It takes one minute to fill out that survey and you will get a thank you envelope. That means that your answers were recorded and you are now able to attend our event. And so once you show up to the event, we will check to make sure your name is there. We will ask you if you know your status. Would you like to get tested? And you'll get an incentive for being tested. We also have some swag to give away. Yeah, so just come on out. No expectations, just want to have a good time and just go out this last pool party of the year with us and that's about it.
Speaker 7:So tell me about other types of events that they do.
Speaker 5:We do all types of events. So, like I said, flux is connected to AHF, right? So AHF has a World AIDS Day event, december 1st, right? So whatever event that is, we will be participating in. We participated in the opening of the Dallas-topian in Dallas, texas, and it was an amazing event and I just want to let everyone know that if you have an event that you want us to participate in, let us know, give us you know a heads up and Flux will definitely be there to support. We've walked in rallies with OLTT. We were at Pride this year. We helped table for Pride and make sure that people got tested. We had a float, we were on the AHF float and we will walk in even the flags. We need a team of peoples. If you want to come volunteer with us, walk in the Pride March with us and just have a great time, come on through. We would love to have you.
Speaker 7:It does seem like now's a good time for trans people to find their community, and here's one right here. We've got a really great one.
Speaker 5:It is. It is. Now is the time for us to show up and make sure that our voice is heard, because it is very important, because they're taking our rights away from us, one day at a time, back by showing up to rallies and spreading the word If you see something, say something, because, like we've been saying for years, once they come for us, they're definitely coming for you and this has been proven. It's faxed. This is how they dismantled the LGBT community. They attacked the most vulnerable among us and then they come for the rest, because you see how they started with us with the bathroom. It was never about the bathroom, ethan, and you know this because we've had this conversation several times right Now. Right, they're attacking marriage equality, right, and it's been on the table and they keep bringing this stuff up. And I don't want to talk politics, but you know it's like I'm going to do this over here so that you pay attention to this, so that we can slide this under the rug over here, because you're not paying attention. So, the more they bring awareness to what they feel like we don't exist, we shouldn't exist, and try to take our rights away from us, they're passing other things Like look at this rezoning, right, the rezoning just popped up out of nowhere because we were paying attention to other things, and this is what's going to happen throughout his whole rest of his term. So we have to pay attention to everything, because they're trying to take our rights away from us. So just pay attention. We have to make sure women still have the right to vote. We have to make sure Black people still have the right to vote, because that's what's going to happen next.
Speaker 5:They're challenging everything and they're trying to make things go back to the way they were over 100 years ago, right, where they said it was the only way to live, which is their way, and we all know what that is. It's the white way, right? Meanwhile, this whole America was stolen from the indigenous people and we know that. It's stuff that we know right, because we're we're all immigrants here, because this land wasn't ours from day one. We all know this. But hey, we'll let them tell the story. But again, this is about flux and we want everyone to come and have a beautiful time and just be themselves, open and affirming and just, hey, have fun, have fun in the pool. We got some beach balls for y'all. Yeah, we got pool noodles and everything. We're going to have a great time.
Speaker 7:You know, all the haters seem to be mad all the time and I think that maybe us showing up in a group and showing a lot of joy and having a lot of fun just would really get under their skin.
Speaker 5:It always does and it always does, and not to mention every event that we've had. We have not had anyone come and disrupt our joy ever. It's always been. We've always had an amazing time and, mind you, it's from 12 to four, right, it's four hours of fun. Just come, have your bathing suit on, ready to jump in the water, ready to have fun. We will pay some bills the first 20, 30 minutes, just to let y'all know who we are, what we do and what we have to offer. But after that it's just you fun and sun and food and drinks and, yeah, just community. Well, that sounds like something I'm going to be at. And drinks and yeah, just community. Well, that sounds like something I'm going to be at. Well, I think, Ethan, because you are a part of the board, we expect you to be there family, so this is open to everybody.
Speaker 7:right, it's a trans event, but anybody who is friendly with the trans community can show up.
Speaker 5:Correct. We actually want everyone to show up, right, because we're in groups, right, and I can't, you know, put more emphasis on this as trans community. As a member of the trans community, it feels great to see our allies, co-conspirators, however you want to call yourself. Show up for us, right, and this is the time to come, step up, be here with us and just love on us. This is your time to show up. So, all the allies listening, all of the people that believe in us and just want to love us, come out. Please come out, share this space with us, just no, you know trans people to the front, but just come out and just be there with us, right? And that's all we ask is just love on us and just support us.
Speaker 7:When and where will this be again that they need to show up and show the love?
Speaker 5:Yes, this will be at the Heights Hotel. It's 100 Cavalcade and it's going to be an amazing time, definitely amazing time and follow us on. Instagram.
Speaker 7:What's the day that they're having it?
Speaker 5:September 20th at 12 pm.
Speaker 7:All right.
Speaker 5:Yes, yes. So parking right. We prefer you not bring a car. Right, because, like I said, free drinks Right. If you don't have to bring your car, please don't, because we don't want you to. You know, definitely, definitely. After we get to the max of the cars parked, yeah, you're going to have to park probably on the side or somewhere else and then walk over. So just come early, make sure you get there early.
Speaker 7:All right, all right. Well, this is Ethan Michelle Gantz on Queer Voices, and we've been talking to Javon Martin about Flux and their end-of-the-year pool party and voter registration.
Speaker 1:This has been Queer Voices, heard on KPFT Houston and as a podcast available from several podcasting sources. Check our webpage queervoicesorg for more information. Queer Voices executive producer is Brian Levinka. Deborah Moncrief-Bell is co-producer Brett Cullum Davis Mendoza-Druzman Ethan Michelle Gans. Mel Peterson and Joel Tatum are contributors.
Speaker 9:Some of the material in this program has been edited to improve clarity and run time. 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, Thank you.
