Author Archives: Kelsey Valadez

Local Musician and Poet Lourdes Pérez Doesn’t Hold Back

Local Musician and Poet Lourdes Pérez Doesn’t Hold Back

It all started when she declared, “I have to sing” following a Mercedes Sosa concert at Bass Concert Hall in Austin in 1992. Lourdes Pérez, out poet, musician and activist, made the declaration to her now-wife and manager, Annette D’Armata. Now married for 27 years, they said they would give the music venture 100 percent

Heather Has Two Mommies Author Lesléa Newman Visits SA for National Poetry Month

Still in the midst of National Poetry Month, San Antonio has been gifted an array of local offerings (organized in an online calendar at getcreativesanantonio.com), including the recurring program “Voices and Vibes.” Presented by the interfaith organization Celebration Circle, the monthlong series continues Sunday, April 23, with a presentation by influential Jewish lesbian author Lesléa Newman. A

Michael ‘Salem’ Gonzalez Lets His Freak Flag Fly

Born and raised in San Antonio, Michael “Salem” Gonzalez grew up dancing flamenco and folkórico, building a strong foundation through “hardcore instruction” at the Guadalupe Dance Academy. After graduating from high school, he felt the urge to push himself beyond that comfort zone and, at the suggestion of a friend, auditioned for a burlesque troupe.

LGBT Highlights from the DreamWeek Calendar

Established in 2013 with a mission to advance voices of tolerance, equality and diversity, DreamWeek is a citywide summit filled with discussions, screenings, concerts, exhibits and mixers rooted in 12 key topics: city, sports, cuisine, health, environment, technology, education, arts, youth, spirit, justice and business. Spread across 16 days and anchored by the Martin Luther

Out at Sea: Gay & Lesbian Cruises Pull Out All the Stops

Where are all the non-gendered LGBTQ cruises? Lost at sea? A recent web search returned mostly male-only and female-only results; in fact, most LGBTQ cruises that depart from the U.S. are male-specific. “Olivia is the biggest as far as lesbian cruises go,” says Patti Wylie, a representative for Now Voyager Travel, a company in the

Watch Chris Conde Rap About ‘Growing Up Gay’

Originally published in the San Antonio Current If video killed the radio star, Chris Conde might be a martyr. Conde, a local queer experimental rapper, just dropped another video, “Growing Up Gay,” shot live at one of his recent his Hi-Tones shows, his fourth video to date (“not necessarily a single,” he tells us). “I

Dancing to enrich the earth

“When people hear belly dance, they have one picture in mind, but we’re doing something different.” Queer-based dance troupe Zombie Bazaar was founded in 2008 by Giomara Bazaldua and Cristal Munoz, who met in a dance class and found they shared a desire to pursue a less-conventional path. “I had danced before, so I had

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