The Inside Story

OutSmart, established in 1994, is an independent media company that focuses on delivering local and national news to the LGBTQ audience. Serving Houston’s LGBTQ community, OutSmart’s mission is to educate and inspire the community, advance voices, visibility and representation, and interests, and connect readers to valuable services and resources of our community.

OutSmart’s print magazine is published monthly, while the online web portal OutSmartmagazine.com features daily news and weekly features reaching over 200,000 readers each month. OutSmart‘s loyal fan base spans from Houston to Los Angeles and has an international following in countries such as Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, and more.

Committed to providing accessible journalism for everyone in the LGBTQ community, OutSmart continues to be a free publication without any paywalls on its content. As an independent media company, we believe that everyone should have access to accurate and reliable information about issues important to the LGBTQ community. OutSmart can be found at over 350 locations in Houston and the surrounding areas, emphasizing the importance of the LGBTQ press in creating equality and accessible journalism in fostering an informed community and a fair democracy.

Award-winning journalism
OutSmart has been recognized at local and national levels, receiving accolades such as “Nation’s Best Local Magazine” by the Vice Versa Gay Press Awards and being named “Best Local Publication in Houston” by the Houston Press for four consecutive years (2006-2009). Other awards include: