2017
October
Three Coming-Out Stories on National Coming Out Day - TheHumanist.com
Today is the twenty-ninth anniversary of National Coming Out Day, a day for LGBTQ people to proudly express who they are to family, friends, and their communities. One out of every two Americans has someone close to them who is gay or lesbian. For transgender people, that number is only one in ten.
September
Indigenous people march for recognition of holiday
Against a backdrop of wedding photo shoots and tourists strolling Hermann Park, Oscar Gonzalez sat in the shadow of the Sam Houston statue with pelican feathers in his hair and red ochre painted on his face, beating a steady rhythm with his drum.
Red Cross Raises Tens Of Millions And You Won't Believe What They're Feeding Hurricane Victims
Americans are opening their wallets and donating to relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and with Hurricane Irma almost about to hit land in the U.S., people would be wise to be wary of which charity organization to give money to.
Is it legal to ban sexual predators from shelters?
As Florida braces for Hurricane Irma as we did for Harvey, one elected official says sex offenders and predators are asked out. They cannot come to any public shelter. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says if you have a warrant and it comes up while they're checking you into a shelter you're going straight to jail.
'Cops care more about property than people,' say Houston activists after Storm Harvey
Tens of thousands of people in Texas are in shelters facing an uncertain future As Storm Harvey moves into Louisiana. Ordinary people have played an active role in the rescue and relief efforts-including many activist groups. Ashton P Woods, founder and organiser of Houston Black Lives Matter, has been collecting supplies and distributing them in shelters.
August
Far-Right Group Infiltrates "Defeat the Confederacy" Protest
On Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, Black Lives Matter-Houston (BLM) hosted an event to bring attention to the "Spirit of the Confederacy" statue that sits in Sam Houston Park, Houston, Texas. The event had BLM barricaded on one side and pro-confederacy groups on the other side with cops between them.
How Trump-Fueled Hate Radicalized Texas' Biggest City
In downtown Houston's serene Sam Houston Park on Saturday, about 450 protesters dodged the blistering sun beneath the shade of a large tree, listening to local activists aligned with Black Lives Matter speak through a megaphone. Further down the park's path, separated by metal barricades and a line of mounted police, were dozens of protesters bearing Confederate flags and carrying rifles.
Hundreds Gather in Downtown Houston to Demand Removal of Confederate Statue
Standing in solidarity against racism, upwards of 300 people marched and gathered Saturday afternoon outside Sam Houston Park to demand the removal of a Confederate statue. The diverse crowd marched from City Hall to the sidewalk outside the park, across from the "Spirit of the Confederacy" statue of a naked,...
Houston Black Lives Matter Plans 'Destroy The Confederacy' Event Saturday
HOUSTON, TX - While the city of Houston ponders what to do about Confederate statues and moments, one group has decided to take it into their own hands. Literally. Houston Black Lives Matter leader Ashton P. Woods launched a Facebook event "Destroy the Confederacy" that picked up traction on other social media outlets.
Protesters Speak Up Against Confederate Monument in Houston
Sam Houston Park is a bucolic slice of the English countryside, improbably located in the middle of downtown Houston, almost directly underneath I-45. Founded in 1899, the twenty-acre park features a duck pond spanned by a rustic wooden bridge, meandering footpaths, and a series of historic buildings, all shaded by graceful live oaks.
HPD prepared for weekend Confederate statue protest
HOUSTON - HPD Chief Art Acevedo said the violence that erupted last week in Charlottesville, Virginia won't happen in Houston. "We will not stand idly by watching anyone deface of destroy public property or private property," said Acevedo during a Friday news conference. "Or attack and physically injure other individuals."
Houston prepares for 'Destroy the Confederacy' protest to take down Confederate statue in Sam Houston Park
HOUSTON - In the wake of the kind of violence that went down in Chalottesville, Virginia last weekend, there have been calls ringing out from many across America to remove Confederate monuments from public lands. On Saturday, a number of those voices will be taking part in a protest here in Houston.
Houston Takes a Wait & See Stance on Confederate Statues
HOUSTON (CN) - Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner says he will take his time to decide what to do with two Confederate statues in city parks, as the issue of Confederate monuments boils over across the South.
July
Charges dropped against black man confronted by white deputy
Charges were dropped Friday evening against a 21-year-old black man who was confronted by a white deputy, hours after he demanded an independent investigation at a press conference. Marlin Gipson was facing an evading arrest charge and failure to identify charge.
HPD Chief Art Acevedo Pledges "Zero Tolerance for Discrimination" at LGBTQ Town Hall
LGBTQ activists pressed Houston police chief Art Acevedo and his command staff on issues related to race, anti-transgender hate crimes, and other concerns during the first town hall of its kind in nearly two years, at the Montrose Center on Wednesday.
Charges against man in viral confrontation with deputies have been dropped
HOUSTON, TX - Charges against a man who was arrested by deputies in a now-viral confrontation have been dropped. Marlin Gipson, 20, of Houston was originally charged with evading arrest on July 19th after a deputy approached him while he was handing out business cards for a lawn mowing service.
Black Lives Matter group calls for action after viral lawn-care video
What does boycotting Israel have to do with Hurricane Harvey relief?
These Courageous HIV Advocates Will Lead the Way Against Trump in 2017 -
By Mark King Donald J. Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are a threat to everything HIV advocates have been fighting for during the last thirty years, and that includes access to healthcare, bans on insurance companies using HIV as reason to deny coverage, HIV prevention programs like PrEP, and the dignity with which we treat those who are most vulnerable to HIV infection.
Respectability Politics, Not Identity Politics, Are Hurting Secular Activism
Tough talk is progressive talk. A couple of weeks ago I went to the 76th annual American Humanist Association conference to give a talk called "WTF is Genderqueer?" They loved it! I lost track of how many people came up afterwards and thanked me for explaining it in a way they could understand.
June
Mayor Sylvester Turner, Annise Parker, 'Drag Race' stars strike a pose for Houston's Pride Portraits
Founder Eric Edward Schell has photographed politicians, including Mayor Sylvester Turner, Annise Parker and Sheila Jackson Lee; "RuPaul's Drag Race" favorites, transgender activists and a former NSYNC member.. Founder Eric Edward Schell has photographed everyone from politicians, including Mayor Sylvester Turner, Annise Parker and Sheila Jackson Lee; to "RuPaul's Drag Race" favorites, transgender activists and even a former NSYNC member.
Black Lives Matter Houston protest for Philando Castile
A ruling in Minnesota even has people in Houston upset. In court, Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of manslaughter after Philando Castile was shot to death on July 6, 2016. The story captured attention on social media when Diamond Reynolds, Castile's girlfriend, posted what happened after the shooting on Facebook Live.
COVER STORY: Portraits of Pride
Photographer Eric Edward Schell spent 17 years working in the performing arts before he finally answered the beckoning call of his camera. When he decided to abandon the stage and start taking photographs, Schell was a permanent member of a musical theater company at the Hobby Center. Does he have any regrets?
May
Activists: Weakened 'Sandra Bland Act' unworthy of her name
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A Texas police-reform bill named after a black woman found dead in jail following a confrontation with a white state trooper during a traffic stop has been stripped down to the point that some community organizers say it's no longer a worthy tribute.
April
Racist Houston Gay Club Owner Caught On Tape "I Called Him N*gger Before He Hit Me In The Face"
Shoutout To Ashton P Woods For Covering This Story: FBar owner Irwin Palchick is in hot water after an audio recording of him calling members of the African American community the N-Word surfaced on social media. The recording posted to YouTube Friday evening is only seven seconds long.
Racist Recording Lands F Bar Owner In Hot Seat | About Magazine
Audio Alleged To Be A Houston LGBT Club Owner Making Racist Comments About African American Community Floods Social Media (Updated at 09:16 P.M.) (HOUSTON) - A racist digital audio recording alleged to be an owner of a Houston LGBT club has flooded social media this afternoon.
Interview with Social Justice Activist Ashton P. Woods - TheHumanist.com
Ashton P. Woods is a social and political activist in the Black Lives Matter movement and the co-chair of the Black Humanist Alliance. TheHumanist.com: You've been an activist for a long time. What was your first moment of political and activist awakening? Ashton P. Woods: When I was fifteen I co-founded the first gay-straight alliance ...
Interview with Ashton P. Woods on Activism and Black Lives Matter - Conatus News
Ashton P. Woods is a social and political activist in the Black Lives Matter movement as well as the co-chair of the Black Humanist Alliance. In this wide-ranging interview, we discussed the first moment of political and activist awakening for Ashton.
March
House committee strips 'Back the Badge' bill of 'obstruction' language
A House subcommittee voted Wednesday to strip a bill of language that would have punished individuals who purposefully obstruct highways, streets and public passages to the satisfaction of civil rights groups. Public Safety Committee Chairman Tyler Harper said Senate Bill 160, dubbed "Back the Badge Act," is an effort to show law enforcement officials that the state cares for them and appreciates the work they do.
Garnet Coleman
Press conference on the Sandra Bland Act outside the Supreme Court building happening now.
The Sandra Bland Act Press Conference
Garnet F. Coleman has served the people of District 147 in the Texas House of Representatives continuously since 1991. Throughout his years of service, Representative Coleman has earned a reputation as a diligent leader in the areas of health care, economic development and education.
February
OutSmart's Top Black LGBTQ Leaders of 2017
A s Janet Mock, transwoman of color and powerful advocate, stood in front of the hundreds of thousands of women who gathered for the Women's March on Washington in late January, she proclaimed the following words: "Our movements require us to do more than just show up and say the right words.
January
HIV Plus Issue 116 January/February 2017
Empire Star Jussie Smollett on Cover of Plus Issue 116 Jan/Feb 2017 Empire star Jussie Smollett gets serious about being Black and gay in a post-Trump world and talks about HIV testing, safer sex, treatment, and finding a cure.
Activists Reflect on HIV and Martin Luther King's Legacy
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These courageous HIV advocates will lead the way against Trump in 2017
Donald J. Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress are a threat to everything HIV advocates have been fighting for during the last thirty years, and that includes access to healthcare, bans on insurance companies using HIV as reason to deny co...
Fighting Trump: HIV Advocates to Watch in 2017
Donald J. Trump and the Republican-controlled congress are a threat to everything HIV advocates have been fighting for during the last thirty years, and that includes access to healthcare, HIV prevention programs like PrEP, and the dignity with which we treat those who are most
Could Houston be a protest city?
Photo: Elizabeth Conley, Staff Since President Donald Trump took office, there have been a string of protests - some coordinated, some spontaneous - around the country, from the Women's March and satellite events around the globe, to the most recent round of protests at international airports in the wake of Trump's executive order on immigration.
Could Houston Become a Protest City?
Leah Binkovitz | @leahbink | January 31, 2017 Since President Donald Trump took office, there have been a string of protests - some coordinated, some spontaneous - around the country, from the Women's March and satellite events around the globe, to the most recent round of protests at international airports in the wake of Trump's executive order on immigration.
2016
December
Black Lives Matter: This Year and Every Year
A little over three years ago, the Black Lives Matter movement erupted with a hashtag and protests all over the United States shortly after George Zimmerman's acquittal for shooting Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
Drag queens, politicians and reality stars get glam at FACE Awards
There was no shortage of sparkle at the fifth annual FACE Awards, the annual event honoring Houston's LGBT community. Drag queens and local singers mingled with politicians and reality stars on and off the red carpet inside South Beach nightclub in Montrose.
ACLU to Monitor Houston Police at Future Protests
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas now has its eye on Houston police officers - particularly those on horses at anti-Donald Trump protests. After receiving reports of Houston police officers needlessly escalating situations with Trump protesters and "antagonizing" them, the ACLU of Texas is asking new Police Chief Art...
Bill Proposes Student Course on Law Enforcement, But Some Say It's A Bad Plan
In the wake of several high profile police shootings of black men, Senator John Whitmire (D-Houston) filed a bill Wednesday that would require all ninth grade students in Texas to take a course on how to navigate interactions with law enforcement. However, not everyone believes the proposed course is a...
Louisiana Sheriff Goes on Obscenity-Laden Tirade in Defense of Police in Joe McKnight Case
Responding to community outrage that the Louisiana man who shot and killed former NFL player Joe McKnight in an alleged road-rage incident had initially been set free, Jefferson Parish sheriff Newell Normand went on a explicit, slur-laden tirade during a Tuesday press conference in defense of officials' actions.
November
Poz 100 Honors Southern Activists Working to Eradicate HIV/AIDS Protest leaders say they are being targeted for arrest Isiah Factor | The InsiteIT'S A BATTLE AT THE CAPITOL! Video Shows Protesters Arrested at Anti-Trump Rally for Trying to Cross StreetVideo Shows Protesters Arrested at Anti-Trump Rally for Trying to Cross Street
Five activists were arrested at an anti-Donald Trump rally last night that began at City Hall and ended outside the Houston Police Department as marchers expressed their disapproval with the next president of the United States, yelling "we reject the president-elect!" and "fuck Donald Trump!" for blocks. Houston Police Department...
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January
Black Lives Matter: Fighting Violence and HIV
I don't identify as black, but my genes would beg to differ, or at least offer evidence for me to reconsider my self-labeling as a white Latino. My light skin color is less revealing than it may seem. My family tree provides a more complex picture of my racial identity.
