GLAAD

GLAAD hosted a sneak peek clip of GLAAD’s upcoming mini-documentary “State of Change – Texas” at the Montrose Center in Houston Texas as the latest stop on the Southern Stories Summer Tour of Texas. 

In 2015, GLAAD filmed a series of interviews with LGBT advocates, allies and leaders in Texas. Over the past year, GLAAD has been compiling these interviews into a short documentary as a part of the Southern Stories initiative to amplify the voices of LGBT people in the U.S. South.

Following the screening, GLAAD’s Director of Programs – Global and U.S. South, Ross Murray moderated a panel discussion with local LGBT advocates and participants in the film. He shared GLAAD resources, including the newly released Southern Stories media resource guide, “Southern Stories: A Guide for Reporting on LGBT people in Texas.” 

Panelists included Fran Watson, President of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, the South’s oldest civil rights organization dedicated to serving LGBT people trough political endorsement; Ana Andrea Molina, Director of the TransLatina Texas; Amanda Turner, a leader of the Beaumont PFLAG and the Southern Comfort Transgender Conference; and Janet Quezada, Senior Strategist, Spanish Language and Latino Media at GLAAD.

The panel discussion centered primarily on the issues facing the LGBT community in Texas. Panelists spoke about both the challenges that the LGBT Texas community faces, as well as a call to action. Molina discussed her work with TransLatina Texas and the intersectional issues faced by undocumented transgender Latinas. Turner talked about her experinces in Beaumont and how she has been able to build an accpeting culture. And Watson stressed the importance of voting in state and local elections, and the future impact this year’s vote will have on the future of the LGBT movement in Texas. 

This event is a part of GLAAD’s ground work in Texas this week where staff members will be meeting with community members to discuss ways to accelerate acceptance and amplify the voices of LGBT people in the Lone Star state. Earlier in the day, GLAAD staff visited the Houston Chronicle, sharing “Southern Stories: A Guide for Reporting on LGBT people in Texas” and discussing story ideas for innovative reporting on the LGBT community in Texas.