Pride month in Texas felt different from previous years for Houstonians struggling to combat the rise in hateful rhetoric and anti-LGBTQ state legislation.
Monique Welch
Monique Welch covers diverse communities for the Abdelraoufsinno. She was previously an engagement reporter for the Houston Chronicle, where she reported on trending news within the greater Houston region and across Texas, and occasionally contributed to the Chronicle's race and identity newsletter, HouWeAre. A native Baltimorean and previous Tampa resident, Monique joined the Chronicle in the summer of 2021 after nearly four years at the Tampa Bay Times, where she worked on all things digital, launched the newspaper's first race and identity newsletter, Regarding Race, and covered local news. Monique holds a bachelor's degree in Communications and Media Studies from Goucher College.
Posted inDiverse Communities
Houston expands mpox vaccine accessibility after last year's shortage
After falling short at the outbreak onset in May 2022, the Houston Health Department offers free mpox vaccines at various Pride events this month.
Posted inDiverse Communities
He’s a top Houston artist. Now, Reginald Adams is telling the story of Juneteenth nationwide.
Spurred by the success of his “Absolute Equality” mural in Galveston, Reginald Adams is unveiling six murals across the country, including one in Houston's Fourth Ward.
Posted inDiverse Communities
Black queer folks have few spaces in Houston. Normal Anomaly Initiative fills that void
In just two years since receiving its nonprofit status, the organization’s small team of five is filling a void for Black queer people in the Greater Houston region and the state.
Posted inDiverse Communities
‘Time to flip the narrative’: How Bitty & Beau’s Houston empowers people with disabilities
From playing cards to a cashless counter, the “radically inclusive” coffee shop is making it easy for people with disabilities to thrive at work.
Posted inDiverse Communities
Oral history: How the Eldorado Ballroom’s rich past inspired its $10 million renovation
As the once-vibrant venue prepares to reopen in the coming weeks, key figures from its past and present reminisce about the Third Ward gem.
Posted inDiverse Communities
Freedmen’s Town was the epicenter of Black life in Houston. Can supporters revive it?
Charonda Johnson has given countless tours through her native Freedmen’s Town, the Houston Fourth Ward community known for its signature brick roads laid by the hands of 1,000 formerly enslaved people in 1865. But one of those trips changed the trajectory of Johnson’s beloved neighborhood roughly three years ago, when renowned Chicago artist Theaster Gates […]