From puppets to poets to medicine/art mashups, The Happening at the Orange Show delivers unpredictable creativity each month — and now it’s OutSmart readers’ Best Performing Arts Organization.

Your support powers our journalism. As OutSmart celebrates 30+ years of LGBTQ storytelling in Houston, we are actively moving forward post-pandemic and need your support for our next chapter. Your ...

Just three years ago, photographer Nora Dayton (she/her) picked up her camera to capture a local community gathering for the first time. Since then, she has become a leading voice behind the lens, ...

Duewa “Kaya” Spicer, 51, who identifies as queer and nonbinary, is a licensed clinical social worker and certified sex therapist who founded Infinite Zen Therapy in 2018. Spicer’s boutique practice is ...

In the vibrant culinary landscape of Houston’s East End, City Cellars HTX is celebrating being named the Favorite New Restaurant and Favorite Restaurant for Outdoor Dining by OutSmart readers in this ...

In Houston’s drag scene, a new star is shining brighter than ever: Delulu, winner of OutSmart magazine’s Gayest & Greatest 2025 Best New Drag Queen. With pronouns shifting playfully between ...

Vivian Nguyen’s Cleo Roasting Co. is the 2025 Favorite Coffee Roaster, (Photos by Alex Rosa) • Favorite Coffee Roaster: Cleo Roasting Co. Houston’s coffee lovers have been buzzing over Cleo Roasting ...

Eric Kirkpatrick, 49, has received this year’s Favorite Male Personal Injury Attorney award, a recognition of his expertise and dedication to advocating for his clients. Throughout his career, ...

Brian Klosterboer does his research. And not just the nuances of the law—he digs deep into Texas’ LGBTQ history, learning about the trans rights activists and queer leaders who came before. Their ...

Houston’s Krewe of Olympus—one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ Mardi Gras krewes—embodies a spirit of exuberance. Its members embrace a social scene adorned in rhinestones, sequins, and feathers. This ...

Chanel Chowdhury never expected bartending to become her passion. Years ago, she was just a server at a sports bar, not yet knowing that bartending would soon change her life. “Eventually, I was ...

Benjamin Leger is a marketing professional and freelance writer. After more than a decade as a magazine editor and journalist in Louisiana, he moved to Houston in 2024. He spends his free time ...