By Alondra Torres The San José Clinic opened its facility at 2615 Fannin in 2010. The state-of-the-art facility accommodated 27,940 patient visits in 2019 and in 2020, during the pandemic, provided 18,662 visits, including drive-through services. Photo courtesy of Wes Jackson, Ph.D. In a U.S. healthcare system trying to service hundreds of millions of people, many find themselves living without access to proper healthcare. Yet, […]
Archive | Houstonians
18.2 LGBTQ+ HOU: Bayou City Proud – Letter from Editor
Letter from the Editor: Reflections on Love Debbie Z. Harwell, editor. Does anyone ever really forget their first love? Whether the relationship lasted a lifetime or ended too soon, it seems few people forget. In fact, the internet has an endless number of opinions and statistics on first loves. My first love was a gay […]
100 Years of Stories
A new, collaborative approach to storytelling at the University of Houston has been sparked by a gift from UH friend and patron Carey C. Shuart. As a volunteer and supporter to many areas of UH for over thirty years, she saw the opportunity to bring together UH’s Center for Public History, Houston Public Media, and […]
“Our Story”: The Unshakeable Love of Phyllis and Trish Frye
University of Houston graduate Phyllis Frye, affectionately known as the grandmother of the transgender legal and political movement, reflects on her life as an advocate and shares memories of her decades-long marriage with Trish, a beloved music teacher who passed away in 2020.
From Dumpster Diving to Dallas Buyers Club: Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of GLBT History
A conversation with Judy Reeves, Vince Lee, and Leandra Zarnow Judy Reeves, Vince Lee, and Leandra Zarnow discuss the history of GCAM’s origins. Judy Reeves—the lead curator who cofounded the Gulf Coast Archive and Museum of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender History (GCAM) in 1999—is a longtime Houston activist. Retired from the medical and banking […]
The Legacy and Career of Deb Murphy
By Logan French Members of Hatch Youth decorate their float in preparation for a Pride parade. Photo courtesy of the Montrose Center. I knew her as a woman who sat behind dark glasses with a nearly constant, slight frown. She was quick to tell you harsh truths, exceptionally stubborn, and possibly loved more intensely than […]
Preserving Black LGBTQ+ History
By Erika Thompson On a brisk December morning, over flaky croissants and Parisian tea in dainty, porcelain cups, the answer was yes. Overwhelmingly, emphatically, unequivocally YES. There was no need to finish either the pitch or the ask; we were already completely on board. Houston LGBTQ activist Charles Law addresses a crowd during the 1979National March on Washington for Lesbianand Gay Rights.Photo courtesy of Botts Collection of LGBT History. It is a […]
The Life and Times of Diana
By Christian Kelleher Tom “Ava” Osborn, David Moncrief, Charles Hebert, and the statue of Diana in the earliest known photograph of the Diana Awards, 1969, at the Windmill Theater. This photograph was scanned by Brandon Wolf from Tom Osborn’s collection, but the location of the original copy is currently unknown. Digital scan courtesy of The […]
The Pam Francis Portraits
By Christine Starkman Pam Francis was born in Houston, Texas, in 1954 and passed away in 2020. She received her BFA in graphic design and photography from the College of Fine Arts at The Universityof Texas at Austin. Pam Francis Photographs will be the first retrospective exhibition organized at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston on the work of Pam Francis (1954 – 2020). On display September 29 to October 6, 2021, the exhibition will feature iconic artworks depicting her technical mastery of luminous lighting and […]
Houston Area Women’s Center
By Lena Craven HAWC staff and volunteers cheerfully assist with the move to the center’s new headquarters at No. 4 Chelsea Place. All photos courtesy of Houston Area Women’s Clinic Photographs, Carey Shuart Women’s Research Collection, Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. Ellen Cohen remembers the public perception surrounding the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) […]