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Stepping
into leadership in July 2020 meant inheriting an organization at an
unprecedented inflection point. Taking the helm as the 34th president
of what was then the Houston GLBT Political Caucus, my tenure unfolded
almost entirely behind screens and through crisis management. In many
respects, I was the "COVID president." Guiding our community
through isolation, political pressure, and uncertainty required reimagining
our presence, expanding our table, and modernizing our identity—including
ushering in the historic transition that officially renamed our organization
the Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus to ensure every corner of our movement
was fully recognized.
My first term met the immediate realities of lockdown without losing
momentum. When we could not gather in ballrooms, we adapted. Co-hosted
by Mario Castillo and Januari Fox, with Derrick Shore emceeing and Mayor
Pete Buttigieg joining as our featured guest, our virtual Equality Brunch
raised $40,000 via Zoom. We honored stalwarts and champions of our fight,
including Julie Mabry, Shelley Kennedy, Lillie Schechter, Steven Kirkland,
Darryl Moore, State Representative Mary González, Austin Davis
Ruiz, Luis Adame, and Black Lives Matter Houston. We also recognized
the trailblazing Monica Roberts, whose loss days later underscored the
weight of honoring our giants while they are here.
As we transitioned into my second and third terms, our efforts focused
on civic health and deep community roots. We partnered with the Montrose
Center (SPRINT/STL) to bring vital COVID testing directly to the LGBTQ+
community with the support of BUDDY'S. We celebrated Black excellence
and resilience with "Lift Every Voice and Sing," honoring
Tommie Ross, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and Rev. Vickie Gibbs.
Our in-person traditions returned with renewed strength. At the Houston
Club, our second Equality Brunch brought together leaders like Pennsylvania
State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Congressman
Al Green, and State Representative Ann Johnson, alongside dedicated
honorees such as J.D. Doyle, Ray Ramirez, Roxanne Collins, Harrison
Homer-Guy, Katharine Ligon, Dalton DeHart, and Larry Bagneris, energized
by DJ Lane Lewis and performances from La'Darius Mirage Jackson and
Wendy Taylor.
Community lineage remained central to our mission. We celebrated the
foundational women of the Caucus—from founder Pokey Anderson to
former presidents Sue Lovell, Annise Parker, Terri Richardson, Pat Gandy,
Katharine Ligon, Jenifer Rene Pool, Maria Gonzalez, and Fran Watson,
alongside leaders like Tammi Wallace and Deborah Bell, in an event presented
by Amela Edwards. We gathered for Spring Fling at the AP/KH residence
honoring local judges Jim Kovach, Beau Miller, Jerry Simoneaux, Jason
Cox, and Shannon Baldwin. We elevated intersectional culture through
the "We Are One" Honors, presented by Chris Hollins and produced
by Harrison Homer-Guy, recognizing State Representative Garnet Coleman,
Linda Morales, Terri Richardson, and Mickey Leland.
Our momentum culminated in October 2022 at the Post Oak Hotel with the
13th Annual Equality Brunch, "Not Going Back." Presented by
Texas State Senator John Whitmire, the event raised $60,000 and recognized
outstanding community figures including Christian Menefee, Pat Strong,
Maria Gonzalez, Queer Voices, The Normal Anomaly Initiative, Francisco
Sanchez, Jonathan Estrada, Jolanda Jones, Alexis Melvin, and Lane Lewis.
When we gathered for our final holiday celebration at BUDDY'S and held
my singular in-person caucus meeting to pass the gavel to Austin Davis
Ruiz, we left the Caucus not just surviving, but thriving. We exited
with nearly $250,000 in the bank and an expanded, resilient organization.
Facing a generational pandemic did not diminish our coalition—it
proved that when tested, we emerge stronger, more inclusive, and ready
for whatever lies ahead.
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Additions
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