OutSmart Magazine

Founded in 1994, OutSmart is a celebrated monthly magazine that has been providing local and national news to the LGBTQ community in Houston for over 25 years. Available in both print and online formats, we connect with more than 200,000 readers each month and have a dedicated audience that stretches from Houston all the way to Los Angeles. Our reach even extends internationally, with readers in Canada, Mexico, the UK, Australia, and various other countries. OutSmart has earned numerous accolades on local and national stages. We were honored as the “Nation’s Best Local Magazine” by the Vice Versa Gay Press Awards and received the title of “Best Local Publication in Houston” from the Houston Press for four straight years (2006-2009). You can grab a complimentary copy of OutSmart at any of our 375+ distribution points throughout the Houston area. We also distribute the magazine at select locations in Austin, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio.

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Articles

Evan Low Makes History as First Asian American to Lead LGBTQ+ Victory Fund

2 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | David Clarke

Openly gay activist and politician Evan Low was first endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund at the age of 20. Back then, he was a bright-eyed young city-council candidate in California with big dreams, a lot of courage, and no guarantee of success. Although he didn’t win that first race, his defeat didn’t stop him. He ran again, and won. At 23, Low became the youngest openly gay mayor in the United States. Fast-forward two decades, and the now well-established trailblazer is stepping into a new role.
Bibi Xia Creates Spaces for Sapphic Joy and Belonging in Houston

2 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | Olivia Flores Alvarez

What started as a birthday party turned into something much bigger for Bibi Xia. When she was planning her celebration at Pearl Bar, she had no idea it would lead to her becoming the bar’s events director. “It’s like Julie had a sixth sense,” Bibi says, referring to Pearl’s owner. “I used to organize a lot of charity events back in New York City, but I never imagined I’d be doing it in Houston.”For Bibi, events are never just about having drinks—they’re intentional spaces for connection.
Ernie Manouse and Frank Billingsley Bring Fresh Energy to Hello, Houston!

2 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | David Clarke

Vibrant and trusted Houston media personalities Ernie Manouse and Frank Billingsley, along with Celeste Diaz Schurman, are serving up smart conversations, heartfelt storytelling, and occasional dad jokes every weekday on Houston Public Media. Hello, Houston! is their new show that blends the affable gravitas of the two beloved media veterans with the bustling energy of Houston. Manouse and Billingsley consider the show to be more than just a gig.
Fifty Years of Love: Thomas and Daniel Celebrate a Life Lived Out Loud

2 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | David Clarke

On a Sunday afternoon in 1975, two strangers met at the Woodward Bar in Detroit, Michigan. Thomas Chelena, in town for a clergy meeting, had stopped in for a cocktail. Daniel Malachowski, recovering from a picnic, was propped against the piano bar, “trying to initiate some contact.”“And there he was,” Daniel recalls. “From there, I had to take him dancing at a disco bar. From there, we proceeded home.
Houston Ballet Premieres Stanton Welch’s New Adaptation of Raymonda

2 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | Olivia Flores Alvarez

Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch tackles one of the most beloved stories with the world premiere this month of Welch’s adaptation of Raymonda. The full-length ballet is set to music by Alexander Glazunov. Inspired by Marius Petipa’s original 1898 choreography and other variations, Raymonda follows the titular character as she and her sisters navigate the complicated world of young love in the midst of a treacherous royal court.
Desmond and Justin Bertrand-Pitts Build a Life of Love, Faith, and Family in Houston

2 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | David Clarke

In Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood, Desmond and Justin Bertrand-Pitts have spent nearly 20 years building a life rooted in love, intention, and community. Rewind 18 years and Justin, then living in Tifton, Georgia, was scrolling through BlackGayChat.com, an online forum that predates the now-ubiquitous dating apps. He stumbled across Desmond’s profile and was drawn in by his dazzling smile. “It was definitely Justin who made the first move,” Desmond recalls. “He was very persistent.
Padma Azz Brings the Brass, Sass, and a Touch of Class

2 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | Sam Byrd

At a young age, theater gave Padma Azz a place to escape bullying, and it did not take long for the young entertainer to fall in love with being on stage. For a while, she considered moving to Hollywood, but upon the realization that she liked to eat too much to be a starving artist, she pivoted. Not wanting to give up the stage altogether and seeing friends that were getting that same love of the stage by performing in drag, she decided to trade one stage for another, and her alter ego was born.
Houston Bears Relocate Bear Camp over Trans Exclusion Policy at Grizzly Pines

3 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | David Clarke

In a move that both reflects the organization’s commitment to inclusivity and underscores tensions around trans visibility in LGBTQIA+ spaces, the Houston Bears have relocated their 2025 Bear Camp event from Grizzly Pines in Navasota, Texas, to Rainbow Ranch in Groesbeck, Texas. The decision was prompted by Grizzly Pines’ policy limiting entry to cisgender men, and it reflects a broader reckoning within queer communities about what it truly means to be inclusive.
Diamond Stylz Elevates Black Trans Stories Through Media and Advocacy

4 weeks ago | outsmartmagazine.com | David Clarke

From podcast microphones to political strategy sessions, distinguished activist Diamond Stylz is making sure Black trans voices are heard loud and clear. A cultural anthropologist, award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and vibrant personality, Stylz has made it her life’s work to build the spaces she didn’t have while growing up. “This is kind of my default,” Stylz explains. “Anybody who is queer can relate to the fact that their existence in a room changes it. Just walking in a space changes it.
Latino/a/x Dance Festival Highlights the Power of Performance and Identity

1 month ago | outsmartmagazine.com | Olivia Flores Alvarez

Things take a political tone when Gabriel Mata appears at the 5th Annual Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival this weekend. Mata, an openly gay man, premieres “Con Angel,” a duet conceived with Angel Ramirez, as a solo. The title means With Angel in Spanish. Both Mata and the queer Ramirez (he/them) are based in Washington, D.C., but Ramirez, who is originally from El Salvador, was unwilling to risk traveling to Texas for the festival because of irregularities in their immigrant status.