When Naomi Smalls walked into the room and declared, “Check your lipstick before you come for me,” she was easily one of the most striking queens on season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Her signature style (inspired by 1990’s era supermodels) emphasized her slender body and flat chest, and she was known for having ‘legs for days.’ Think…
Nine Times Ken Paxton Tried to Defeat LGBT Community
Last week, it was revealed that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accepted over $100,000 from the founder of a company who his office was investigating for Medicaid fraud. Paxton claims to have done nothing wrong because his $100,000 donation came from a “family friend.” In 2015 Paxton was indicted on two counts of securities fraud and one…
Broadway in San Antonio to Kick Off New Season with ‘Sound of Music’
Since its original Broadway opening in 1959, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music has had many lives, each time working its way into the minds and hearts of a new generation. It was to be Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstien’s final collaboration as the “golden age of musicals” came to a close in the…
‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Contestants Converge for Rey Lopez Birthday Bash
When RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) premiered on the Logo network in 2009, no one could have predicted the type of cultural phenomenon it would become, thrusting gay culture into the mainstream, breathing new life into the world of drag and bringing the show’s namesake out of 1990s-era oblivion. Only two years later, local nightclub promoter…
Bill Maher Brings Political Satire to Majestic Theatre
Stand-up comedian, talk-show host and political commentator, Bill Maher, is bringing his live comedy tour to the Majestic Theatre. Maher, a staunch supporter of gay marriage, animal rights, and atheism, has made his career calling out bigots and hypocrites. His public feuds with so-called conservatives have pushed the boundaries of public decency, and he is unapologetic…
‘Women of Ill Repute: REFUTE!’ Returns to Guadalupe After 15 Years
On Saturday July 23, the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center will present Women of Ill Repute: REFUTE!, a play consisting of prose and poetry performed by five women, each noted poets and authors in their own right. Several of the women identify as queer. The group, Women of Ill Repute, founded by Amalia Ortiz, originally came together to raise funds for…
Carmen Carrera Returns to SA
Although she first came to fame with stints on season 3 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and RuPaul’s Drag U, Carmen Carrera has expanded her brand by becoming an actress, model, burlesque dancer, and advocate for transgender rights. Since coming out as transgender in 2012, this Puerto Rican beauty has appeared on VH1’s Couples Therapy and even…
‘Straight Outta Oz’ Coming to Tobin Center
As scores of forgotten reality show cast-offs have proven, it takes a lot more than actual talent to make it in the world of entertainment. After making his Broadway debut in The Color Purple, Season nine American Idol finalist Todrick Hall has reinvented himself on more than one occasion emerging both as popular YouTube personality and…
Esperanza Center Hosts Screening of ‘Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo’s Story’
On Saturday, July 9, the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center will present a screening of Transvisible: Bamby Salcedo’s Story, a documentary film by Dante Alencastre. The film focuses on transactivist Bamby Salcedo, her struggles with homophobia and transphobia, and her rise to become president and founder of the Trans-latin@ Coalition in East Los Angeles. Salcedo’s…
Rey Lopez Throws a Bash Fit for a Queen
When RuPaul’s Drag Race (RPDR) premiered on the Logo network in 2009, no one could have predicted the type of cultural phenomenon it would become, thrusting gay culture into the mainstream, breathing new life into the world of drag and bringing the show’s namesake out of 1990s-era oblivion. Only two years later, local nightclub promoter…