GLAAD

GLAAD continues its Southern Stories Summer Tour next week in Texas. Throughout the trip, GLAAD will be facilitating conversations with local advocacy leaders about accelerating acceptance and amplifying the voices of LGBT people in the South. We will share resources, and listen to the stories of everyday LGBT Texans.

The Summer Tour begins in Houston on August 9, with a teaser preview of the upcoming short documentary “GLAAD Presents: State of Change – Texas” at the Montrose Center. We will also hear from a panel of LGBT leaders in Houston who are featured in the film. Panelists include Fran Watson, President of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus; Lou Weaver, Statewide Transgender Programs Coordinator for Equality Texas; Andrea Molina, Director of the Organización Latina de Trans de Texas; and Janet Quezada, Senior Strategist, Spanish Language and Latino Media at GLAAD. Panel will be moderated by Ross Murray, Director of Programs, Global and US South at GLAAD. RSVP for the event here.

GLAAD staff will also unveil a new resource guide for journalists and media organizations and LGBT leaders, “Southern Stories – A Guide for Reporting on LGBT People in Texas.” The guide provides a timeline of LGBT highlights, terms and definitions, pitfalls to avoid, organizations and experts on given topics, as well as story ideas for innovative, fair, and inclusive reporting. GLAAD collaborated with Equality Texas in the creation of the resource guide.

On August 12, GLAAD will visit the youth living in Pride Home in Edinburg. We’ll share a sneak peek of “State of Change – Texas” and talk to the residents about their perception of being LGBT in Texas. Pride Home has just opened home that will provide emergency housing for LGBT youth in the Rio Grande Valley. Joining us for conversation would be Amanda Robinson, the founder of Real Live Connection, a non-profit based in Dallas that is dedicated to providing positive development and life-enhancing programs to LGBT teens.

Finally, GLAAD will end the tour at the Aquí Estamos Conference in McAllen. In addition to attending the conference, GLAAD will screen a teaser of “State of Change – Texas”, followed by a panel of LGBT leaders who were filmed at the 2015 conference for the documentary. Panelists include Anel Flores, author of Empanada: A Lesbiana Story en Probaditas; and Robert Salcido, Regional Field Coordinator for Equality Texas. GLAAD’s Janet Quezada will moderate. RSVP for the event here.

The Southern Stories Summer Tour is part of GLAAD’s Southern Stories initiative, which aims to positively showcase the lives of, and build acceptance for, the LGBT community in southern states. This is done through sharing the stories of people from a wide array of backgrounds, including faith-based organizations, sports teams, military personnel, and more. Partners on the Texas tour include Equality Texas, The Montrose Center, Youth Pride Home, and the Aquí Estamos Conference.

To view the full schedule in detail, click here.