OutSmart‘s Top Stories from 2025
A look at some of the most-read stories of the year.
2025 was a year shaped by both celebration and reflection across Houston’s LGBTQ community. From Pride milestones and community honors to art, music, and remembrance, our most-read stories offer a clear picture of what resonated with readers over the past year.
This year’s list reflects a community deeply invested in its people and places. Readers returned again and again to stories honoring legacy spaces in Montrose, uplifting local artists and creatives, and celebrating traditions that bring us together, from Tamarie Cooper’s summer musical to the Houston Pride Parade. Pride coverage remained central, with strong interest in the 2025 Pride Houston Grand Marshals, Houston’s selection as host of the Gay Softball World Series, and, of course, OutSmart‘s annual Gayest and Greatest Readers’ Choice Awards.
At the same time, 2025 brought moments of pause. The loss of beloved bartender and advocate Michael Adam Milam was felt deeply, and readers showed up to remember a life that meant so much to so many. Even lighter fare, like July’s horoscope, found an eager audience, reminding us that joy, curiosity, and connection matter just as much as headlines.
Together, these stories capture a year defined by visibility, creativity, and care for one another. What follows is a countdown of the ten stories our readers engaged with most in 2025, highlighting the moments that helped shape how we experienced the year, together.
10. Varsity Bar Honors Montrose Legacy at Former Eagle Houston Site
by OutSmart Staff Reporters
Sports fans, patrons of the former Eagle Houston, and others loved our coverage of the September opening of Jeff Harmon’s Varsity Bar, honoring Montrose’s LGBTQ legacy while adding a fresh mix of sports, music, and entertainment. Read the story here.
9. Nonbinary Houston Artist Wyntress X’ion Shines Through Art and Advocacy
by Brandon Wolf
Our coverage of International Non-Binary People’s Awareness Week, which was observed this year from July 14-20, included a spotlight on Wybtress X’ion, a self-taught Black queer artist who blends vibrant visuals with advocacy. Read the story here.
8. Tamarie Cooper’s Beloved Summer Musical Returns
by Brandon Wolf
Also in July, we profiled Tamarie Cooper, whose beloved annual summer musical returned for its 29th installment at the The Catastrophic Theatre. This year’s show was called Another Ding-Dang Tamarie Show, and featured two cast members who identify as nonbinary—Clarity Welch and Abe Zapata. Read the story here.
7. July 2025 Horoscope: Brace for Mercury’s Backspin
by Lilly Roddy
In one of her last SignOut horoscope columns for OutSmart, astrologer Lilly Roddy wrote about July’s impending Mercury stationary retrograde, and offered advice on how each of the signs of the zodiac could prepare for its effects. Read the story here.
6. Galveston Couple Shapes a Creative Life Through Clay, Community, and Love
by Zach McKenzie
In July, we wrote about Erica and Kristen Williams, a Galveston couple—both originally from east Texas—who have blended their love for art-making, family, and each other to make THrō Ceramics, their joint business, a success. Read their story here.
5. Houston Pride Parade 2025 Photo Gallery
by Dalton DeHart and crew
Like every year, readers devoured our coverage of Pride events in Houston and beyond. OutSmart photographer Dalton DeHart’s gallery of images from the Pride Houston 365 Parade captured joy, diversity, and resilience, as the LGBTQ community refused to be silenced. Check out the full gallery here.
4. Houston to Host 2025 Gay Softball World Series
by David Clarke
In September, the Gay Softball World Series returned to Houston, where the Montrose Softball League Association (MSLA) hosted over 200 teams from around the country. Ahead of the events, OutSmart profiled several players and league officials. Read the story here.
3. Meet the 2025 Grand Marshals
by Brandon Wolf
In June, we introduced readers to the Pride Houston 365 Parade Grand Marshals. This year’s class was impressive: whether focusing on policy, education, health equity, or allyship, the honorees represented the broad spectrum of identities and experiences within the community. Read the story here.
2. Houston LGBTQ Community Remembers Michael Adam Milam, Beloved Bartender and Advocate
by OutSmart Staff Reporters
Michael Adam Milam, a longtime Houston bartender and LGBTQ advocate, was killed July 12 in a New Orleans hit-and-run while biking home from work. OutSmart remembered him with a warm tribute, and the updated information on the memorial held in his honor brought the community together to celebrate his too-short life. Read the story here.
1. Gayest and Greatest 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards
by OutSmart Staff Reporters
OutSmart‘s big reveal of the Gayest & Greatest Awards winners is a perennial favorite, and this year was no exception. After casting over 100,000 votes, readers eagerly clicked to see which of their favorites were winners and finalists for 2025. Read the story here.
Other stories that especially resonated with our readers in 2025 included:
January: sHARCs: Houston’s Inclusive and Queer-Friendly Women’s Rugby Team
February: PepsiCo ends Diversity Initiatives, Coca-Cola Reaffirms Support
March: An Interview with Mid-Century Modern’s Max Mutchnick
April: Todd Waite Retires from the Alley Theatre with Farewell Performance as Sherlock Holmes
May: From Instagram to “I Do”: Donald Simon and Julius LaCour Tie the Knot
July: Local Allies Share Their Paths to LGBTQ Advocacy and Support
August: Patrick Sims Finds Power in Vulnerability Through Music and Community
September: Thomas Casts Doubt on Precedent Amid Calls to Revisit Marriage Equality
October: Excellence Under Pressure: Harris County’s “Fab Five” Judges
December: Enforcement of Texas’ “Bathroom Bill” Draws Challenges
In Memoriam
In 2025, the LGBTQ community said farewell to some beloved icons.
- Houston lost a fierce advocate when former Mayor and US Representative Sylvester Turner died in Washington DC.
- In March, longtime LGBTQ ally Jessica Rossman passed away suddenly in Puerto Vallarta.
- AIDS-era dental hero, activist, and philanthropist Dr. Bruce Smith died in March at the age of 74.
- Longtime OutSmart contributor, political activist Andrew Edmonson passed away in May.
- In July, the Houston community lost iconic entertainer Bubba McNeely.
- OutSmart Publisher Greg Jeu penned a heartfelt tribute to beloved astrologer, teacher, and friend Lilly Roddy, who passed away in October.
- LGBTQ advocates Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their home in December, apparently murdered by their son.
