Women in Power

Heather J. Taylor’s Pride This Way explores Pride celebrations worldwide, blending joy, justice, and LGBTQ storytelling with a pay-it-forward model supporting community organizations.

Ashley Barnes brings more than two decades of HIV advocacy to her work, centering health equity, accessibility, and community care across Houston’s Black, LGBTQ, and deaf communities.

Houston City Council Member Abbie Kamin has been appointed Harris County Attorney, becoming the first woman and first mother to lead the county’s civil law office.

Sydney Mack and Racquel Simone turned their relationship into LesbianLand, a growing platform creating joyful, visible, and intentional sapphic spaces in Houston and beyond through content, events, and connection.

For Alejandra Salinas and Elizabeth Hadaway, love didn’t begin with a grand gesture. It started with five-minute car rides through downtown Houston. “So we met at work. We were both lawyer associates at Susman Godfrey,”…

For 35 years, Kathy Hubbard and Annise Parker have built a life together rooted in love, family, and service, shaping Houston’s LGBTQ history through visibility, resilience, and devotion.

Actor Brenda Palestina says playing Ana in Real Women Have Curves is deeply personal, blending immigration, body politics, ambition, and representation on a major Houston stage.

Here's a look at the stories that most engaged—and enraged—OutSmart readers in 2025.

As Houston Ballet’s beloved Nutcracker enters its ninth year, corps de ballet member Gretel Batista reflects on the production’s enduring joy, its young performers, and its lasting holiday magic.

Pansexual trans advocate Gianna Christina Ramirez wins multiple 2025 Gayest & Greatest honors, celebrating decades of activism, community building, and a vision of hope amid challenging times.