![Three straw hats with rainbow bands displayed side by side against a purple gradient background.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSwAY_Image-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSwAY_Image-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSwAY_Image-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSwAY_Image-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSwAY_Image-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
Galveston in the merry month of May
By Forest Riggs “The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.†—Harriet Ann Jacobs When it comes to months that are most celebrated in thoughts,
ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY
![Three people wearing extravagant hats: a man with a tall, polka-dotted hat; a woman with a flower-covered hat; and a man with a hat adorned with numerous toy piglets.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Causeway_Image-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Causeway_Image-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Causeway_Image-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Causeway_Image-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Causeway_Image-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
LGBTQ Galveston with all the frills upon it
By Forest Riggs Easter has finally made it, complete with dyed eggs, jelly beans, peeps, baskets, and all the trimmings. The LGBTQ community seems to come alive again around Easter.
![A man with glasses and a mustache stands next to a colorful poster with a heart shape, featuring the quote "Let everything we do and say be an expression of the beauty in our heart, always based on love.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSEWAY_image-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSEWAY_image-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSEWAY_image-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSEWAY_image-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/CAUSEWAY_image-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
Anthony Rios opens the door to spirituality and healing
By Forest Riggs Spring has finally arrived and with it comes a time of renewal, rebirth, and growth. There is no better time than springtime to come out of old
![Two people are pictured: on the left, a person in drag attire wearing a sash and a wig; on the right, a person wearing a green cap and a white shirt, waving and sticking their tongue out.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CAUSEWAY_Image-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CAUSEWAY_Image-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CAUSEWAY_Image-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CAUSEWAY_Image-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CAUSEWAY_Image-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
Adios, Mayra
| Galveston’s LGBTQ community loses an icon By Forest Riggs Allow me to begin this writing with an apology. Penning a column every two weeks, I keep a list of
![A pair of two-tone boots with purple and green leather standing on a patterned surface. The background is blurred.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CROSWAY_Image-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CROSWAY_Image-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CROSWAY_Image-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CROSWAY_Image-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/CROSWAY_Image-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
Fat Tuesday, ashes and Lent
By Forest Riggs In 1962 crooner and heartthrob Bobby Darin released “The Party’s Over” and although it was a success, it wasn’t until Texas legend Willie Nelson sang the lyrics,
![A brightly lit parade float with a large jester head moves through a street adorned with elaborate light displays. People are gathered around, and confetti is falling from above.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/GALVESTON_image-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/GALVESTON_image-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/GALVESTON_image-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/GALVESTON_image-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/GALVESTON_image-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
Big balls in ‘Gal Town’
By Forest Riggs Where has the time gone? It’s hard to believe but Mardi Gras 2019 is here. The Island has once again come alive in shades of purple, green
![A person in shorts holds a bouquet of red roses while another person, wearing a blue shirt, rests their hand on the other's leg in a kitchen.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Website_Causeway-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Website_Causeway-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Website_Causeway-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Website_Causeway-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Website_Causeway-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
An island full of red and King Cakes
By Forest Riggs February has quietly crept upon us this year and with it come two very special events: St. Valentine’s Day on February 14 and the beginning of Mardi
![A person with short hair sits on a log at the beach, wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt, jeans, and sneakers. The ocean and waves are visible in the background.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GALVESTON_image-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GALVESTON_image-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GALVESTON_image-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GALVESTON_image-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/GALVESTON_image-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
In Galveston, there’s a whole lotta shaking goin’ on
By Forest Riggs Great balls of fire! On a dismal Sunday evening at the Island’s 23rd Station Piano Bar, a young man sauntered up to the piano and stole the
![A large crowd of people with colorful umbrellas participate in a street parade at night, featuring a decorative bus with a "DANCE" sign.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CAUSEWAY-mardi-gras-galveston-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CAUSEWAY-mardi-gras-galveston-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CAUSEWAY-mardi-gras-galveston-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CAUSEWAY-mardi-gras-galveston-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/CAUSEWAY-mardi-gras-galveston-1024x433.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
Getting over the mess
By Forest Riggs Finally the holidays are over! The turkeys that were stuffed have been eaten, the beautiful packages that were meticulously wrapped have been shredded and opened, and the
![Silhouette of a person jumping between large numbers "2" and "9" with a colorful pig illustration and "2019 Year of the Pig" text against a sunset beach background.]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/OUT-THEATER-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/OUT-THEATER-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/OUT-THEATER-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":0},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/OUT-THEATER-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":0},"large":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/OUT-THEATER-1024x434.png","width":1024,"filesize":0}})
Numbers, Cocks, Pigsand Barbie Dolls: So long, 2018 and hello, 2019
By Forest Riggs What a year it has been. Thankfully, 2018 is coming to an end and a brand new, clean slate of a year awaits all! It seems 2018