Month: December 2017

Categories
Across the Causeway

Saying Goodbye to 2017


By Forest Riggs

“New Year, new blessings, new grace and new opportunities. Never allow the failures of the past year to rob you of the blessings in the New Year.â€
—Bamigboye Olurotimi

At last, 2017 is over! What a year it has been.

Between politics and weather events, our world has changed drastically in the past 12 months. Who would have thought or predicted that so many lives would be altered by hurricanes and flooding, or that LGBTQ rights, having come so far, would be chipped away and set back years?

It seems Americans are more divided now than ever, on just about every issue and level. Evil is being rewarded and transgressions are simply swept under the rug or accepted as the status quo. When caught with pants down (sometimes literally), a simple or elaborate “I’m sorry†seems to be the fix. Evangelicals sit quietly or proudly endorse people and ideas that are completely contrary to the religion and faith they claim to represent. The list of disappointments, setbacks, injustices and immoral acts that consumed 2017 goes on and on.

Murders and mass shootings happened throughout the year, like they have for the past several years, and we are no closer to solving the problem than Nancy Reagan was with her “Just Say No†campaign against drug abuse. Politicians and Bible thumpers, as well as good ol’ boys and gals, argue about guns and right to own them. “It’s not the gun, it’s the person.†We hear it all the time. Well guess what, if the “person†could not get a gun, maybe there would be no shooting. Statistics speak for themselves. We have to start some place and that is with new and restrictive legislation in Congress.

So how do we deal with this and all the other wrongdoings and atrocities of 2017—the mistakes we made and events that brought us, and others, pain?

Last year, I gathered about 12 close friends at my house on New Year’s Eve and we shared a wonderful night of festive drink, good food, conversation and togetherness. At one point in the evening, we each stated our goals for 2017 and discussed what we could do to make the New Year a great one. It was a good thing to do.

Recently I ran into an old friend from my past, one I had not seen in several years. After we “caught-up†by running through a litany of happenings since we last visited, our talk turned to the holidays and how we would be celebrating the New Year. We both agreed we need to do something! I told my friend that this year I am doing a huge purging of all the crap in 2017! Being a trained psychologist, she smiled and said, “My friend, that is much harder to do than you think—if even possible.â€

I laughed and said, “I have a plan.â€

This year, on New Year’s Eve I will again have several friends over for the usual festivities, fun and laughter. However, rather than talk of 2018 goals, we are going to burn the crap from 2017! I want my guests to each take a piece of paper, or more if needed, and write down the things that brought so much misery to them and others during 2017.

“Pour out your guts†I will say. “Get it out.†Together we will go to the fire pit and the small bonfire I will have built and there we will toss the crap of 2017 into the fire, joining hands and dancing around the glowing pile. This will be a symbolic cleansing of all the nastiness in each of our lives during the past year. As the ash and embers float up into the night sky, the slate is cleaned! 2018 awaits with new and blank pages.

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365 page book. Write a good one.â€
—Brad Paisley

Indeed, that is what we have to do as we contemplate the New Year and how it will be. Like a blank canvass and each of us an artist, we fill and cover those open spaces and pages with our dreams, goals, wishes and plans. There is no limit as to what we can create when we make the effort.

Whatever your plans for New Year’s Eve this year, take a few minutes to think about the changes you want to see and the goals and events you want to come about in 2018. New Year’s comes only once a year, so don’t waste it. Someone once said that the oldest tree on earth is maybe a few thousand years old and the oldest man at the time was 120. That’s a huge difference and therefore we must make our time count.

Enjoy the parties, the friends and the gatherings, large or small, as you make memories. Most of all, be safe and love one another.
Happy New Year!

Forest Riggs, a resident of Galveston is no stranger to the adventures of life. A former educator and business owner, he enjoys Island life and all that comes with it. He says he is a “raconteur with a quixotic, gypsy spirit.†He has written for several newspapers and magazines as well as other writing pursuits, including a novel and collection of short stories.

Categories
Deep Inside Hollywood

Leslie Jordan is at the ‘Cool Kids’ table

Leslie Jordan at the Trevor Project's 11th Annual Cracked Xmas Fundraiser. The Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. 12-07-08


By Romeo San Vicente

The Golden Girls meets It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia in the pilot for Fox’s new retirement community comedy, Cool Kids. And we say Always Sunny because the show is being co-created by Sunny star Charlie Day and co-produced by fellow cast members Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton. The pilot stars Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace), David Alan Grier (In Living Color), Martin Mull (Roseanne) and Vicki Lawrence (The Carol Burnett Show) as four friends jockeying for position as top dogs at their retirement home. We’ll just assume that Jordan’s character is gay, because a specific sort of brash queerness is pretty much his trademark across all sorts of comedy media, and that’s also why we love him. And we could use a senior queer sitcom regular on TV these days, if for no other reason than LGBTQ Baby Boomers are entering their retirement years and about to fill up the nation’s senior facilities. Sitcoms help push these realities forward. Meanwhile, the idea of Vicki Lawrence back on network television brings joy to our hearts, and now she’s the right age to actually play a Mama-like character.

“WOW Presents Plus†is going to be extra

Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, the gays behind World of Wonder production company, have a streaming service that plans to answer the question, “What are Bob The Drag Queen and Jinkx Monsoon doing right now?†The service recently launched with a slate of original programming tailor made for fans of RuPaul’s Drag Race (translation: you). Shows will include Bobbin’ Around with Bob the Drag Queen, travelogue of sorts where Bob TDQ zooms around the globe being Bob; Marco Marco’s Models, which follows the adventures of the Los Angeles designer’s army of alt-models in their underwear; Detox’s Life Rehab, in which Detox helps you live your best life – and presumably lip sync better – and Cool Mom with Jinkx Monsoon, where Jinkx and her 29 year-old gay son talk about smoking weed and hooking up with guys. In other words, it’s an all-queer Viceland in the making and we’re here for it. Take our $3.99 a month, WOW.

GLAAD funds TransMilitary

GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, is moving in a new direction. The organization’s Media Institute is giving a grant to finance its first feature film, a documentary called TransMilitary. The film will follow four service personnel, all transgender, as they perform their jobs and also join the fight against Donald Trump’s proposed ban on transgender soldiers. The film will be co-directed by Fiona Dawson and Gabriel Silverman, and produced by Jamie Coughlin. The three previously created the 2015 doc Transgender, At War and In Love. No word on when the project will be finished and ready to make the queer film festival rounds and make Republicans lose their minds, but its urgency and timeliness couldn’t be more real, so we’ll assume they’re working round the clock to get it on screens.

Eva Longoria’s Lucky Boy aims for cable fortune

Eva Longoria’s UnbeliEVAble Entertainment production company is currently developing a series based on the book Lucky Boy, based on Shanthi Sekaran’s book about two female immigrants who fight to protect an American child. David Schulner (Do No Harm), who worked with Longoria on Desperate Housewives, will write, and lesbian filmmaker Nisha Ganatra (Chutney Popcorn, Transparent) is signed on to direct. The story follows a woman named Soli, an undocumented immigrant, whose life intersects with an Indian-American woman named Kavya, who is trying to conceive a child. This is a pilot, of course, so nothing is certain, but when it’s finished it will be shopped to streaming channels as well as premium cable, where all the interesting stories seem to go these days. The topic of immigration is once again a political football (or sledgehammer if you’re on the xenophobic right), so let’s hope this one gets a shot.

Romeo San Vicente is partly cloudy in Los Angeles.

Categories
The Frivolist

HOLIDAY IN STEREO(TYPE) – Gift ideas for 8 types of queers in your life


By Mikey Rox

Holiday gift buying for LGBT people is difficult at best, anxiety-riddled at worst. What do you get the him, her or them who already have everything with specific tastes to boot? Play into stereotypes – that’s what. Identify where your favorite queers fall on the spectrum of zero to glittered unicorn then shop this list of cherry-picked presents.

The Instagram Thirst Trap

2(X)IST’s soft, muscle-hugging Essential Cotton One-Piece Union Suit – the horizontal printed stripes of which optically flatter waists slim or a bit wider – accentuates all the right areas for maximum thirst-trap potential, but gay-owned Sheehan & Co.’s thigh-bearing Drop Shoulder Onesie is for the real showoffs. $59, 2xist.com; $140, sheehanandcompany.com

The Millennial Culture Vulture

Hundreds of classic and contemporary works were cultivated to create a revolving gallery of established and emerging artists for Depict Frame, a 49-inch 4K Ultra HD digital canvas that works with a subscription-based app ($20/month but a complimentary collection is included) to instantly turn any living room into the Louvre. $899, depict.com

The Host With the Most

Tequila gets a more sophisticated treatment than it’s used to in Pernod Ricard’s limited-edition Avión Collection by Waterford, featuring a luxury decanter and rocks glasses crafted by the famed crystal manufacturer, plus a 750ml bottle of Avión’s award-winning Añejo. $399, reservebar.com

The Perpetual Activist

Raising respectful children who turn into respectful adults is harder than it looks (at least in Hollywood, and Washington, D.C., and most red states), but The Little Feminist hopes to reverse that trend with its children’s book and activity subscription focused on diversity and gender equality – a much-needed resource given that over the past five years only 31 percent of children’s books featured female central characters while a paltry 13 percent featured a person of color. Change the world one kid at a time with three- or six-month subscriptions. $105-$200, thelittlefeminist.com

The Dapper Dandy

Leather-strap embossing allows you to personalize the modern minimalism of newly launched Washington Square Watches (the navy-faced Greenwich Gold is a piece to behold), or stick to tradition with London-based Oliver Coen’s polished subdial pieces presented in a signature black box. $155, washingtonsquarewatches.com; $190, olivercoen.com

The Gotta-Have-It Gaymer

The only mobile device controller to connect directly to Apple’s Lightning and Android’s USB-C ports for zero latency gaming, Gamevice – compatible with over 1,000 games and apps, including Street Fighter IV, NBA2K18 and The Walking Dead – also works as a controller for drones and robots (or so the AIs let you think). For stay-at-home console players, pick up holiday hot-tickets Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: WWII, based on the historical events of Operation Overlord and set in the European theater. $100, gamevice.com; games – $60/each, gamestop.com

The Loveable Lush

Craft beer connoisseurs can enjoy their hobby in the comfort of their homes thanks to Pico Model C, a countertop-brewing appliance that delivers five liters of liquid gold in about two hours, while the amateur mixologists on the other side of the bar whip up precisely portioned jigger-free cocktails with the Perfect Blend Smart Scale (which is great for healthy smoothies, too). $549, picobrew.com; $100, makeitperfectly.com

The Uber Gay

Before he starts kissing ass and taking names at the 25th Winter Party in Miami Feb. 28 to March 6 (this is your cue to buy him tickets!), he’ll tap into his inner gayby to style the queens in RuPaul’s Drag Race Paper Doll Book, featuring 10 illustrated punch-out dolls plus costumes for eight winners and two all-stars, including Sharon Needles, Bianca Del Rio and Alaska Thunderfuck 5000, among others. $25-$2,000, winterparty.com; book – $13, amazon.com

Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and LGBT lifestyle expert whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He splits his time between homes in New York City and the Jersey Shore with his dog Jaxon. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

Categories
OUT in Mexico

‘OUT & ABOUT’ Expands Magazine and Website to Puerto Vallarta

Puerto Vallarta city and Banderas Bay view from above


A new magazine and website for the LGBT community of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has launched.

Out & About Puerto Vallarta will publish its first issue in January 2018. The website www.outandaboutpv.com is live now. With a monthly distribution of 5,000 copies, the upscale glossy magazine will feature lifestyle and travel articles focused on the growing LGBT population in Puerto Vallarta, as well as the millions of tourists who visit annually. The publication will be bilingual in English and Spanish and will be distributed at hotels, restaurants, bars and other locations throughout Puerto Vallarta, including La Zona Romántica.

The magazine is owned by Jerry Jones and Benjamín Camarena García, and is a sister publication to Out & About Nashville, based in Nashville, Tennessee, which is celebrating its 15th year in business. Out & About Nashville is Tennessee’s largest LGBT publication with more than 127,000 readers (based on a recent third-party Media Audit), as well as 14,000 followers on Facebook, and its website regularly receives more than 30,000 visits per month.

Jerry has experience implementing diverse external communications, marketing, and promotional programs to enhance public perception and support. He has success in analyzing communications trends, growing stakeholder relations, and guiding media relations. Jerry holds a master’s degree in public administration from Tennessee State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication and journalism from Lipscomb University.

Benjamin is an entrepreneur who owns and operates Papacito Nashville, a Mexican restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. He is from Jesus Maria, Jalisco, Mexico, where his family still lives.

“Benjamin and I are excited to be able to start this exciting magazine to keep the growing LGBT population and its visitors in Puerto Vallarta informed and entertained,†Jones said.

Taking the helm as the general manager and editor is Joseph Brant, a long time Out & About Nashville staff member and leader, and currently its managing digital editor. Brant has temporarily relocated to Puerto Vallarta to help start operations and hire a staff.

Joe is a graduate of Belmont University with an undergraduate degree in business administration. He earned a post-graduate certificate in Social Media from Seneca College and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Fiction) from the Institute of American Indian Arts. In addition to overseeing Out & About Puerto Vallarta’s editorial operations, Brant will continue to manage all digital properties, including Out & About Nashville’s website, Facebook page, Twitter, and weekly email newsletter.

“I’m excited to share the community-based philosophy of Out & About with members of the LGBT community in Puerto Vallarta,†he said, “I look forward to learning more from long time residents, tourists, and community leaders as we build editorial and sales staff,†he said.

Categories
Celebrity Feature

Martha Stewart – Still your other mother


Lifestyle icon talks ‘1860s’ approach to equality, how gays ‘up their game’ in her midst and same-sex weddings 

Continue reading “Martha Stewart – Still your other mother”

Categories
Paula Dream

Cooking with Paula Dream


By Paula Dream (AKA Kale Haygood)

Sweet and savory snacks for the holidays

Can you believe it? The year is almost gone and Christmas is knocking on our credit card’s door. Are we really ready? Can we put up with, “B*tch, I was waiting on that parking spot!â€Â Or, “Is she gonna check me out or gab all day?†Or, “What do you mean, I’ve exceeded my credit limit?†Or, “Yes, lady, these are my real teeth.†Or, “Would you shut those yapping brats up!†Or, “Gift wrapping is not free.â€
Anyway, I know most of us are ready for some good Christmas cooking, most of which brings back fond memories.  We also have Mom’s Icebox Cookies; we would sneak into the refrigerator and eat the dough raw.
And while we are waiting for that Christmas meal to be served, here are some little snick-snacks to make to have for grazing. One of which is a fantastic snack mix recipe, courtesy of Daddy Dan at Tony’s Corner Pocket. You’ll love Granny’s Rum Balls. (Granny never drank, so I did it for her.)
And, by request again, here is my Mystery Bread recipe that I make every year and bake up a bunch of mini-loaves to give away.
Please enjoy your time with family and friends. And don’t forget our advertisers who rely on our support.

KALE’S MYSTERY BREAD
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sugar
1 can pumpkin
4 large eggs
1/2 cup apple juice or apple cider
4 ounces (1/2 block) cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 small baking apples, diced
1 cup Craisins or cranberries
1 banana, mashed (optional)
Nuts (optional)
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray standard size loaf pans, or foil mini loaf pans with cooking spray, then lightly flour pans, tapping off excessive flour. Combine 3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in bowl. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, apple juice or apple cider, cream cheese and sour cream. Mix on low speed until well blended. Fold in fruit and nuts, stirring until moist. Fill loaf pans with mixture to 3/4 full. Bake about 20 to 30 minutes or until slightly browned and passes toothpick test.

DADDY DAN’S SNACK MIX
3/4 cup canola oil
1 package dry Hidden Valley dressing mix
2 to 3 teaspoons cracked red pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 bags oyster crackers
Bugles, mini pretzels, etc. (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a one-gallon sealable plastic storage bag. Let rest 15 minutes and roll again. Enjoy!

GRANNY’S RUM BALLS
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
5 cups vanilla wafers
1-1/4 cup pecans, toasted
6 tablespoons dark rum
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar

Place pecans and cookies processor until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in confectioner’s sugar, rum, corn syrup, and salt until mixed well. Working with one tablespoon at a time, shaping into balls. Place balls in dish with granulated sugar, to roll and coat evenly. Transfer to a large dish. Refrigerate balls about an hour until firm.
For chocolate rum balls, substitute chocolate wafers for vanilla wafers.
For coconut rum balls, substitute 1-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut for pecans.
Ford non-alcoholic rum balls (Heaven forbid!) substitute 1/4 cup root beer plus 1 tablespoon vanilla for dark rum.

MOM’S ICEBOX COOKIES FOR DECORATING
2 cups butter
3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Dash of salt
1 egg
4-1/2 cups flour
Sprinkles, colored sugar or frosting

Beat butter in a mixing bowl for 30 seconds, then add sugar, cream of tartar and salt until combined. Beat in flour. Stir in more flour if needed to make a stiff dough. Divide into thirds and roll into 1-1/2†x 9†logs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour until firm. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut into ¼†thick slices and place on an ungreased cookie sheet at least 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with colored sugar (optional). Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Paula Dream, AKA Kale Haygood, owns Beyond Service, a Montrose-based home-cooking catering company. For more information, call 713-805-4106 or email barrykale@yahoo.com.

Categories
What A World

‘What a World’ Women of the Year Awards


By Nancy Ford

Here’s to the fearless girls

One of my favorite movies is Woman of the Year. A Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy joint, it’s a rom com about a professional couple who both are columnists for the same New York newspaper—he, a sportswriter; she, a political pundit. They meet cute, fall in love, marry and almost divorce when his ego can’t handle her success. No spoilers here but, because it was filmed in 1942, you can imagine how it ends. Don’t care. It’s still one of my favorites because, well, Katharine Hepburn.
TCM aired it recently. As I watched, it struck me that as we close out 2017 (say it with me: “What a year, what a year…â€) there are a number of women who deserve the title of Woman of the Year for their not-to-be-understated accomplishments.
In lieu an Amazon gift card, I hope they will accept this token of my appreciation for the contributions that have made this year a little, if not a lot, more tolerable. That said, the first annual What a World Women of the Year awards go to—

Annise Parker. There’s been much speculation about what path our former first mayor will take following her historic three-term run as Houston’s mayor. She spent her first two years out of City Hall in positions of academia and altruism. As this year closes, she takes the reins of the Victory Fund and its accompanying Victory Institute.
Victory Fund is the Washington DC-based LGBT political organization whose main mission, unlike that of that other Washington DC-based LGBT political organization, is not to photobomb its logo into as many camera shots as possible. Rather, Victory Fund works to elect LGBT candidates to public office, and is actually successful in that endeavor.
Many of us have hoped Annise (just her first name is necessary at this point, like Cher and Madonna) would shoot for higher political office, perhaps Texas governor or a Senate seat. Maybe someday. But her move to the Victory Fund is brilliant. VF’s former CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills was often tapped by national news programs to join their panel discussions, and our own Annise would be a welcome, insightful and entertaining commentator on any of the networks. She can put that high-profile national visibility in the bank for some high profile future rainy election day.

Samantha Bee, Kate McKinnon and Michelle Wolf. These next-gen queens of comedy make us laugh even though there isn’t much to laugh about these days. They also sometimes make us cry and even spit up a little bit in our own mouths. But mostly laugh.

Melania Trump. No doubt, some will take issue with this selection. Nonetheless, Melania deserves at least a modicum of recognition for the amazing restraint she has displayed despite sharing a bed with the Orange Roughy. (OK, it’s debatable whether or not they actually share a bed, but that’s another sweaty fever dream for another time.)
Regardless of where she sleeps (or with whom), Melania is, on most days, within closer proximity to her husband than any other human being. Yet never—not one time—has she ever stabbed him with the steak knife that he uses to hack through his over-done New York strip. Never has she wrenched from his tiny little hands the hair dryer he uses everyday on his golden locks and pushed him and it into a full bathtub. She’s never beaten him at Mar-a-Lago with one of his many golf clubs. She’s never even extended her foot to trip him as he descends Air Force One, sending him tumbling empty noggin first onto the tarmac.
No, Melania simply sucks it up, holds her head high and her nostrils shut, and plows through her curious destiny as the First (and hopefully not the last) Lady of these United States.

Hillary Rodham Clinton. Is Hillary shrill? You bet. Whiney? OK. Robotic? Whatever. Call her what you will, but even though we can’t call her Madame President, no one can rightly call her a loser. Keep writing those books, Hillary. Keep making as much money for speaking engagements as organizations will pay you—you deserve every cent, and more. Keep working those talk shows to remind us what America could and should have had as its leader. Keep reminding us to vote like our lives depend on it. Turns out, they do.

Fearless Girl. Installed on Wall Street in New York City in March, Fearless Girl is artist Kristen Visbal’s bronze sculpture of a young woman bravely and stubbornly facing down Arturo Di Modica’s testosterone-spewing Charging Bull sculpture. She’s cold, she’s hard (she is bronze, after all) and she stands her ground despite many detractors who claim she has no right to be in such an audacious, un-ladylike position.
If ever there was a time this world needed more fearless girls to face down the bull, it is now.

So good-bye, 2017. May we all be more fearless in 2018.

Categories
Uncategorized

Beatles tribute, Miss Bennet and more bring ‘ho ho ho’ to Houston stages


By Randall Jobe

Another offbeat holiday treat finds 4th Wall Theatre Company in, sadly, its final production before the theatre closes) performing Reckless. Written by Craig Lucas and directed by Philip Liehl, it is a hilarious journey from terror to insanity to love and acceptance of another. 1824 Spring Street, Studio 101. Through December 14. Tickets: 4thWallTheatreCo.com or 832-786-1849.

Main Street Theatre kicks off the season with Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, a sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, continuing the story two years after the novel ends and continuing the story. This time the nerdy middle sister, Mary, is the unlikely heroine. Through December 17. 2540 Times Blvd. Tickets: 713-524-6706.

A.D. Players presents The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in which a family of exquisitely ill-behaved children is cast by a desperate director in a church Christmas pageant like no other. Through December 23. For the kids, the theater presents Rock Nativity, a Christmas musical celebrating the mystery of the manger, the madness of King Herod and the birth of the Messiah. Through December 23. 5420 Westheimer Rd. Tickets: ADPlayers.org or 713-526-2721.

Offering a “new Christmas tradition,†Stages Repertory Theatre presents A Midnight Clear: A Musical Tale of Christmas. In it, the Sisters of the Poor Sacred Heart find that the songs of Christmas have far more power than they had imagined. Through December 26. Also At Stages, the 10th anniversary production of Panto Cinderella play through December 31. With book by Kate Hawley, music and lyrics by Gregg Coffin and directed by Josh Morrison, Cinderella, her fairy godmother, her handsome prince and her hideous and hilarious stepsisters spread holiday cheer, laughter and a few welcomed “boos†in this familiar tale. This show is recommended for all ages. 3201 Allen Parkway, Suite 101. Tickets: 713-527-0123.

It’s not Christmas without Music Box Theater’s tribute to The Beatles’ holiday music. In The Best Beatles Holiday Ever, talented cast members Rebekah Dahl, Brad Scarborough, Luke Wrobel, Cay Taylor and Kristina Sullivan perform an all-new concert of Beatles songs interspersed with traditional and contemporary classics. Thursdays, December 14 and 21, 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through December 30, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, December 17, 2 p.m. 2623 Colquitt Street. Tickets: TheMusicBoxTheater.com or 713-522-7722.

The Alley Theatre returns with Houston’s seasonal favorite, A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas. In this reimaging of Charles Dickens’ original A Christmas Carol, there are still ghosts of Christmas past, present and future that visit Ebenezer Scrooge and take him on an eye opening journey on Christmas Eve. The story is one of redemption and the spirit of the holiday season, suggested for general audiences ages six and up. Through December 30. The Alley Theatre’s Hubbard Theatre. 601 Texas Avenue. Tickets: 713-220-5700.

For something really different, check out Cirque Joyeux Noel at Moody Gardens in Galveston, a seasonal spectacular that promises a “fun, engaging way to spend the holiday.†It is dinner and a show with award winning performers from NBC’s America’s Got Talent and Cirque du Soleil. December 15 through 25, 6:30 p.m. Moody Gardens Convention Center, 7 Hope Boulevard, Galveston, Texas. Tickets: MoodyDestinationNext.com.

Categories
HRH Report

Annise Parker’s new gig, a run for governor and other top stories


By Johnny Trlica

Houston is the most diverse city in the nation and perhaps the world. No, I’m not talking about its rich cultural mix or how over 100 languages are spoken in the Bayou City. Houstonians have experienced floods of biblical proportions, hurricanes, freezing temperatures and snowstorms this year to go along with our usual tropical heat and humidity. Now, that’s diversity!
Here’s a bit of what has been shared on the Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page.

Annise Parker to lead Victory Fund
The former mayor of Houston is not staying home and resting on her laurels. Annise Parker will lead the Victory Fund, a national political organization that works to elect gay, lesbian and transgender candidates to public office, reports the Houston Chronicle.
“The Victory Fund announced the move, and the resignation of outgoing CEO Aisha C. Moodie-Mills, on [December 8], stressing the opportunities ahead for progressives in the 2018 election cycle and the growing number of LGBTQ candidates seeking elective office,†reads the article.
Parker, Houston’s first openly gay mayor said, “This opportunity to help LGBT candidates across the United States is something that reinvigorates me as an activist. While I was in office I was constrained in my ability to really do the kind of work I loved to do. This gives me an opportunity to connect with people all over the country and help candidates do the very thing I did 20 years ago, and that is win elected office and serve their constituents.â€

Dallas County Sheriff announces bid for governor
While Houston’s former lesbian mayor is making headlines nationwide, an out sheriff in North Texas is doing the same statewide. Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez announced her candidacy for governor on December 6, reports TexasMonthly.com.
“For far too long, hardworking Texans have been left behind, kept out, and, frankly, attacked for who they are, where they come from, and who they love,†Valdez said at the press conference announcing her candidacy. “Texans and Texas businesses are begging for a return of common sense.â€
During her brief announcement speech, Valdez telegraphed a few of the issues she plans to run on, including more pragmatic government, immigration, and LGBT rights (Valdez is openly gay). In her announcement, she made special mention of the “Dreamersâ€â€”the nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to America when they were children. The Trump administration has announced that the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protected Dreamers from deportation, will end in March 2018.
“For the Dreamers, if this isn’t their country, they don’t have a country,†Valdez declared, reads the report.

Supreme Court rejects Houston same-sex marriage benefits case
A sign of things to come? “The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Houston’s appeal of a lower court ruling that threw into doubt the city’s spousal benefits to gay married municipal employees, allowing a case that tests the reach of the landmark 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide to proceed,†reports HuffingtonPost.com.
The justices left intact a June ruling by the Texas Supreme Court that revived a lawsuit advocating “biblical, Judeo-Christian values†aimed at blocking Houston from offering benefits to married same sex couples.
The case now goes back to a Texas state court, which could decide to stop the benefits. Long story short, the court has said same-sex married couples are not de facto entitled to benefits.
Later that week, the court heard arguments in the Colorado bakery case, in which a same sex couple were denied a wedding cake from a baker based on his religious beliefs. Should the baker win, it could open the door to legalized discrimination.

Thank you, Bea Arthur, for being a friend
Some friendships last forever, even after we’ve gone. Such is the case for Bea Arthur and her relationship with the LGBTQ community. The Bea Arthur Residence giving young LGBTI people shelter and hope has launched in New York’s Lower East Side, reports GayStarNews.com.
The center is ready to house LGBTI young people in time for Christmas. The beloved Golden Girls actor left $300,000 in her will to support the Ali Forney Center. Arthur, who died in 2009, was a fierce and vocal advocate for LGBTI youth.
“These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or transgender—this organization really is saving lives,†the two-time Emmy Award winner said in an interview with Next Magazine before her death.

Marriage equality comes to Australia and Austria
LGBTQ folks down under will soon be able to marry. Australia’s parliament approved a bill legalizing same sex marriage only days after Australian voters approved a non-binding referendum with over 60 percent in favor of marriage equality, reports GayStarNews.com.
Austria’s constitutional court ruled on December 5 to allow same-sex marriage, reports HuffingtonPost.com. Ruling that current marriage law discriminates against same-sex couples, the court said that restrictions will be automatically lifted in early 2019 unless the government does so before then.

Johnny Trlica is the manager of the Houston Rainbow Herald Facebook page, your source for the latest LGBTQ news and information. contact him at HRHeditor@gmail.com.

Categories
Foodie Diaries

Bright and shiny holiday dining


By Jim Ayres

I begin this column not in Houston, but in a remote corner of Arlington, Texas where I’ve spent much of the past two weeks tending to affairs after a death in my family. It was a somber time, but also uplifting as I reconnected with family. We toasted my sister at a Tex-Mex restaurant you’ve just got to see to believe.
At Campo Verde, every day is Christmas. The entire dining room is covered in over 120,000 tiny colored lights. They are the only light source. And it’s bright in there! Two model trains travel 635 feet throughout the entire restaurant and bar.
But after Thanksgiving, the decorations really get spectacular. The display is gilded with 3,000 yards of multicolor garland, 50 Santas, and 30 Christmas trees. Thanks to YouTube, you can check it out for yourself (see the link below)!
Campo Verde gets bonus points for having the absolute best chips and salsa in Texas. The chips are dusted with salt and chile powder, and everyone in your party gets his or her own salsa and queso.
Of course, you don’t have to travel all that way to dine in over-the-top holiday surroundings. Just head to Riva’s in the heart of Montrose. Riva’s has Christmas lights shining all year round, and the decorations ramp up for all holidays.
If it’s happy hour, stop first at the bar for a cocktail and a chat with the regulars. Riva’s makes a mean vodka martini. On the menu, you’ll see all the classics—pastas, meat dishes, and seafood. This is comfort food all the way.
When I recently went with a group, we ordered a variety of dishes. A friend and I both had Chicken San Pietro. The lemon cream sauce with artichokes, capers, and tomatoes is listed with the veal selections, but we had it with nicely sautéed, super thin chicken breasts. It is superb.
When you dine at Riva’s, you don’t just get an entrée. Within two minutes after placing our orders, we each received a bowl of the restaurant’s legendary Lentil Soup. After that came a green salad with cherry tomatoes and black olives. Vinaigrette and Ranch dressings are offered in sizable cruets, so you can have as much as you want.
Another chicken dish at our table was the Funchezzi, with the cutlets covered in Parmesan cheese and drizzled with butter. Amazing. Lasagna is incredibly rich, with tomato sauce and cheese oozing everywhere. But most impressive to me are the pork chops. The two thick, juicy, caramel colored cuts wouldn’t be out of place at a fancy chophouse.
The point is, you can order just about anything at Riva’s and get an exceptional meal at an excellent value.
Riva’s is one of those places that could only be in Montrose. Of course, it started out in Memorial back in the 1970s, but once it moved to Missouri Street in the mid-1990s, it became a neighborhood treasure. I hope it never changes.

Campo Verde
2918 W. Pioneer Parkway
Arlington, Texas 76013
817-275-7003
YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fctl17jAbag, or search for “Christmas at Campo Verdeâ€

Riva’s Italian Restaurant
1117 Missouri Street
Houston, Texas 77006
713-529-3450
Facebook: Riva’s Italian Restaurant