![Three tuxedoed trumpeters playing with blue mutes]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.duke-ellington-orchestra-170x95.jpg","width":170,"filesize":5108},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.duke-ellington-orchestra-270x152.jpg","width":270,"filesize":10299},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.duke-ellington-orchestra-475x267.jpg","width":475,"filesize":26996},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5.duke-ellington-orchestra-878x494.jpg","width":878,"filesize":79504}})
MARCHing into Spring 2026
It is easy to see that the doldrums of March are not so slow. Many other activities fill the month with great entertainment venues. Make plans to turn a “boring” month into some fabulous adventures on Galveston Island.
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Tiffany De la Vega
Robert’s Lafitte Is my home bar, and I don’t want it to close down. I’ve been here for 25 years! It’s become a part of me. There’s a legacy here.
![Republican elephant logo with three white stars]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343.ford_.waw_.Hatch_.photo_.Mar04-2026-170x95.jpeg","width":170,"filesize":2457},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343.ford_.waw_.Hatch_.photo_.Mar04-2026-270x152.jpeg","width":270,"filesize":4433},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343.ford_.waw_.Hatch_.photo_.Mar04-2026-475x267.jpeg","width":475,"filesize":9134},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343.ford_.waw_.Hatch_.photo_.Mar04-2026-878x494.jpeg","width":878,"filesize":21105}})
How to eat an elephant
Hatch is the Montrose Center-supported LGBTQ youth group. Since 1987, Hatch has provided young folks — queer and otherwise — a safe, nonjudgmental space to be themselves.
![Smiling older man with memorial dates overlay]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343_JesseJackson-1941-2026-PHOTO-thenationonlineng.net_-170x95.jpg","width":170,"filesize":12238},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343_JesseJackson-1941-2026-PHOTO-thenationonlineng.net_-270x152.jpg","width":270,"filesize":17267}})
Jesse Jackson (1941–2026)
For more than six decades, Jesse Jackson advocated for justice, lending his powerful voice to those whose own voices were too often ignored. He was a Black man who worked tirelessly for all people, insisting that dignity and opportunity belong to everyone.
![Triptych of studio portraits of women]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343_Remarkable-women-SET-IMAGE-Screenshot-2026-03-03-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":16038},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343_Remarkable-women-SET-IMAGE-Screenshot-2026-03-03-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":35651},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343_Remarkable-women-SET-IMAGE-Screenshot-2026-03-03-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":95085},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/343_Remarkable-women-SET-IMAGE-Screenshot-2026-03-03-878x470.png","width":878,"filesize":295169}})
Celebrating Women’s History Month
March is Women's History Month, and we honor three extraordinary women whose impact has shaped countless lives.
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From fear to freedom
I spoke with Da Brat and Judy about the chaos of writing their memoir together, what their visibility as a Black queer couple means to them, and the advice they'd give to anyone still figuring out how to love without fear.
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The mighty omegas
Omega-3s are renowned for their anti-inflammatory effects. They can help mitigate inflammation throughout the body, which is linked to chronic diseases such as arthritis, asthma and certain types of cancer.
![Backstage quartet posing with microphone and smiles]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GROUP-SET-IMAGE-170x95.jpg","width":170,"filesize":17787},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GROUP-SET-IMAGE-270x152.jpg","width":270,"filesize":23935},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GROUP-SET-IMAGE-475x267.jpg","width":475,"filesize":43152}})
You are Black like that
Black history is right here, in Houston, Texas, and within you. It is biking around the Third Ward to promote HIV education. It is gathering with a group of friends to vote.
![Bald man in black blazer with folded arms]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pt120825-\u2013-Emil-Wilbekin-SET-IMAGE-1-170x95.jpg","width":170,"filesize":12549},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pt120825-\u2013-Emil-Wilbekin-SET-IMAGE-1-270x152.jpg","width":270,"filesize":14725},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/pt120825-\u2013-Emil-Wilbekin-SET-IMAGE-1-475x267.jpg","width":475,"filesize":21103}})
What the AIDS crisis stole from Black gay men
In 2016, I shared my HIV status publicly for the first time. It was imperative that if I were leading and serving a community of Black queer men, I be transparent about my status. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and one of the most rewarding.
![Giant beaded mask float rolling through street]({"jaw_blog-16_9-small":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/342.riggs_.causeway.mardigras-170x95.png","width":170,"filesize":16080},"jaw_blog-16_9-middle":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/342.riggs_.causeway.mardigras-270x152.png","width":270,"filesize":37948},"jaw_blog-16_9":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/342.riggs_.causeway.mardigras-475x267.png","width":475,"filesize":106088},"jaw_blog-16_9-big":{"file":"https:\/\/montrosestar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/342.riggs_.causeway.mardigras-878x494.png","width":878,"filesize":320094}})
Deep in the hearts of Galveston
This year, Valentine’s Day falls smack dab in the middle of Mardi Gras, so reservations, accommodations and participation in some events, could be difficult if not arranged beforehand.