This issue’s look back at the year in pictures reveals why Houston refuses to be easily summed up or dumbed down.
If not for Annise Parker or the occasional hurricane, Houston would never show up on the national radar. Ever. And this year, our town received more than the usual number of spectacular snubs. When the shuttle program folded, the question of where one of the spacecrafts should rest in tourist-doting peace seemed like a no-brainer. Truly, where else would one of these retired wonders reside? As it turned out, anywhere but here. And we get it: when Bravo went location scouting for their Top Chef’s southern sojourn, they selected musical state capitol Austin and picturesque tourist town San Antonio. But their third-choice locale was Dallas. Come on. Dallas’s idea of haute cuisine is the baby back ribs at Chili’s. And let’s not forget the queer car wreck of ego-queens on Logo’sA-List franchise. These A-holes are the A-List? Doesn’t anyone in programming use spell check? This group makes us almost regret being gay. And Texan.
But don’t get discouraged. In this complicated world when complex problems are continually met with moronic sound-bite solutions for an ill-educated, attention-deficit public (9-9-9, anyone?), we should wear our rejection as a badge of honor. Why? A look at the year in pictures provides a pretty good answer.
Houston is indefinable.
You can sum up our siblings with easy-reader descriptors. Austin: Weird. Dallas: Pretentious. San Antonio: River Walk. But our people and events make up a diverse spectrum, one that defies simple summation, or glancing categorization. You’d be hard-pressed to describe Houston in a paragraph, much less a word. Which is why we haven’t chosen one. We chose thousands of them.
Take a good look at yourselves. With or without the space shuttle, you’re still stellar. You’re not just the steak, you’re the sizzle. And you’re definitely A-list material.
Lookin’ good, H-town. Lookin’ good.
We did get two fascinating atta-boys this year. The young entrepreneur bible Fast Company proclaimed Houston “City of the Year” for our “reinvention, cultivation, and innovation,” while sparkling vampire swoon generator Robert Pattinson declared Houston his favorite American city. And if these two spectrum-spanning shout-outs don’t show you how diverse Houston’s appeal is, we don’t know what does. — Steven Foster
JANUARY
1 Brenda Thomas’s Annual New Year’s Day Memorial Brunch
12 AIDS Foundation Houston’s AIDS Walk 2011 Kick-off at Chelsea Grill
15 Legacy Community Health’s 4th Annual Cabaret for a Cure
16a Houston Stonewall Young Democrats Brunch Against Bullying
16b Bunnies on the Bayou’s “Snowbunnies’’ at Rebels Honky Tonk
20 Pride Houston’s 2011 Logo Unveiling and Introduction of Grand Marshal Nominees
22 AIDS Foundation Houston’s Art4Life Benefit
27 “Pouring Tea: Black Gay Men of the South Tell Their Tales”
at Rice University featuring E. Patrick Johnson
FEBRUARY
7 Victory Fund’s Mayor Annise Parker and others host a reception for Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns
10 Jenifer Rene Pool announces that she is running for Houston City Council
12 Krewe of Olympus Ball XLI, “A Night at the Museum”
14 University of Houston Domestic Partership March for Equality
18 L.U.E.Y. Weekend
24 Billy Elliot during Out at TUTS, sponsored by OutSmart
25 Dedication Ceremony for “Tolerance” on Harmony Walk (Buffalo Bayou Park) with artist Jaume Plensa
26 Mystery & Fantasy Mardi Gras party, “A Pharaoh’s Fantasy”
27 Unhinged Productions presents their 2nd Annual Oscar Party
28 Party of Life’s “It’s My Party” event
MARCH
6 Montrose Softball League Opening Day
12 The Diana Foundation presents the “Absolutely Fabulous” Awards
13a AIDS Foundation Houston’s AIDS Walk Houston
13b Texans Day of Outrage at City Hall, protesting Gov. Rick Perry’s budget cuts
19 Montrose Counseling Center’s annual “Bringin’ in the Green”
19 Montrose Softball League’s Lone Star Classic begins
26 Bayou City Performing Arts’s “Dim Sum & Then Some: AForeign Affair” concert
APRIL
7 Live Consortium’s 3rd anniversary celebration and fashion show at Saks
7 Pride Houston’s 2011 kick-off and announcement of grand marshals
7 University of Houston’s GLOBAL fundraiser for H.A.T.C.H. at Meteor
14 Amadeus during ActOUT at the Alley Theatre
17 The Victory Fund’s Houston Champagne Brunch
24 Bunnies on the Bayou party in downtown Houston
25 Lady Bunny visits Houston
29 PFLAG’s Spring Fling at the Alley
30 Transgender Unity Banquet at Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel
30 Mr. Prime Choice 2011 Contest
MAY
5 Pride Houston presents Pride SuperStar
6 The Safe Spot youth center grand opening
12 The Music Box Theater opens with “Opening the Box”
14 Bayou City Performing Arts presents “Songs of the Poets” with poet Mary Margaret Carlisle
15 Regina Dane’s Roast and Toast at the BRB
17 Legacy Community Health’s “Pathway to Our Legacy” kick-off
21 Montrose Softball League presents “Jocks in Dresses”
22 Equality Texas announces the Gill Foundation Grant
26 National Gay Volleyball Tournament and Awards Banquet
JUNE
4a Victory Fund’s Mayor Annise Parker and others host a reception for Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns
4b Jenifer Rene Pool announces that she is running for Houston City Council
10 Krewe of Olympus Ball XLI, “A Night at the Museum”
11 University of Houston Domestic Partership March for Equality
12 L.U.E.Y. Weekend
17 Billy Elliot during Out at TUTS, sponsored by OutSmart
18 Dedication Ceremony for “Tolerance” on Harmony Walk (Buffalo Bayou Park) with artist Jaume Plensa
18 Mystery & Fantasy Mardi Gras party, “A Pharaoh’s Fantasy”
18 Unhinged Productions presents their 2nd Annual Oscar Party
18 Party of Life’s “It’s My Party” event
19 The Divas of Diversity Comedy Show
19 Gay and Lesbian Latino Organization’s Mr.-Mrs.-Miss GALLO Pageant
23 Pride Houston’s Pride SuperStar finale
24 Pride Houston’s “Rock the Runway”
25 2011 Pride Festival and Pride Parade
JULY
9 Outreach United fundraiser and pool party
10 PFLAG and HATCH Youth Scholarship Award Presentation
10 PWA Holiday Charities presents “Christmas in July”
14 AIDS Foundation Houston presents Haute Boys of Summer II at Saks Fifth Avenue
17 Legacy Community Health Services’ Mr.-Mrs.-Miss Mint Julep show
28 Montrose Rememberance Garden dedication ceremony
30 Montrose Softball League’s awards banquet
30 Kindred Spirits reunion
