What a ride this year was—the highs were very high and the lows were very low. But at the same time, I can look back at 2024 and feel proud.
Probably my proudest moment this year wasn’t something I wrote, but that someone else wrote about me. In September, the Columbia Journalism Review profiled my work and career. Journalist Lucy Schiller spent days getting to know me and shadowing me while I reported, and photographer Montinique Monroe made me feel incredibly comfortable and look incredibly cute. I couldn’t be happier with how this turned out, and I’m honored that they thought me worth profiling.
Of course, this was the year I got laid off from my position as Digital Editor at the Texas Observer. I still miss the newsroom, and my coworkers, but I also recognize the unavoidable financial difficulties so many publications like the Observer face in 2024. I hope they thrive in the future. As you will see below, I’ve continued to collaborate with the publication as a writer. I’ve also continued to help them with social media throughout the year. Thanks to me, the Observer was an early adopter on the social network Bluesky and now has 50,000 followers. (You can follow me on Bsky too.) And my story revisiting the transphobic dress code at the Texas Department of Agriculture was one of the Observer’s most-read stories of the year.
Although freelancing has been good to me this year I am still looking for work. I hope that in 2025 I find a new publication to work from again as a writer or editor, and I welcome any job tips and messages from interested publishers.
Below, you’ll find some of the writing I’ve produced over the last year that I wanted to take a moment to highlight again. I’ve divided it up by the publications I worked with this year.
Austin Free Press
- Queens’ gambit: Performers vow to return after bomb threat shutters drag-queen show — While a lot of local media reported on the bomb threat which temporarily shut down a popular Austin drag show, most of them didn’t talk to the actual artists and organizers behind the show.
- Identity Crisis: Austin trans community dresses for battle with Texas Attorney General Paxton — I appreciate Austin Free Press’ support for supporting my reporting about the the LGBTQIA+ community and the issues we face. In this article, I documented a drag fundraiser organized in response to recent attacks on trans rights.
- Legislating intolerance: Anti-LGBTQ legislation tied to “massive rise” in hate incidents — Using a data set created by GLAAD’s ALERT Desk, I created articles documenting the disturbing rise of hate incidents in Texas for both Austin Free Press and The Barbed Wire (see below).
The Barbed Wire
- You Can Fly Almost Any Flag at Austin Pride. Except a Palestinian One. — I was one of the only journalists to document the arrests which took place at this year’s Austin Pride march. I spent months on this story, using open records requests as well as numerous interviews. I was able to show that special police deployed to “protect” the march ended up attacking and threatening queer people at the march.
- There’ve Been 93 Anti-LGBTQ+ Hate Incidents in Texas Since 2022, Data Shows — I collaborated with The Barbed Wire’s talented Investigations Editor, Leslie Rangel, on this story documenting the painful rise of anti-LGBTQ+ hate, and how it can be tied to Republicans’ legislative attacks on queer and trans rights.
Deceleration
- ‘Viva Viva Tortuguita!’ Atlanta Mayor Chased Out of SXSW Conference — Thanks to a tip, I was present when Stop Cop City protesters disrupted a panel with Mayor Andre Dickens and other city mayors at SXSW.
- Texas State Troopers Called the Real ‘Outside Agitators’ at UT Austin Protests — On social media, and for Deceleration, I covered the violent police response to peaceful attempts to pitch tents by pro-Palestine protesters on April 29 at UT Austin.
- Texas Supreme Court Scrutinizes San Antonio’s Bird & Tree Removals In Religious Liberty Debate — I got to spend the day at the Texas Supreme Court to help Deceleration’s Greg Harman cover this unique religious liberty case brought in defense of some trees and birds that live in a San Antonio park.
Texas Observer
- Clearing the Air: Long COIVD Sufferers Call for a Healthier World — In my last major feature i wrote before the layoffs, I spoke with locals with Long COVID and health experts to learn why we need to do more to support the victims of the ongoing pandemic.
- ‘The Queen vs. Texas’ Revisits the Battle over Lone Star Drag — In a followup to my 2023 feature article on Austin drag performers, I covered a short film about local drag culture which played at this year’s SXSW Festival.
- Transphobic Dress Code Prompted Turmoil in Agriculture Department, Emails Show — A follow up to my original, viral story about the transphobic dress code which I broke for the Observer in 2023. This update was one of the publication’s most read stories of 2024. I used open records, interviews with employment lawyers, and a firsthand account from an anonymous TDA employee to show the chilling effect of this likely illegal policy.
- ‘F*ck You Greg Abbott’—the Musical — A show in very poor taste (the tree which left our governor disabled has its own story arc in this play) but I can’t deny the fun I had writing about it. I am absolutely a musical-loving gay.
Other publications
- It’s Time to Start Living: Drag Show Celebrates LGBTQ Seniors — The nonprofit GLAAD published my profile of a monthly drag show in Austin which showcases queens who are over 50 years old. It won’t be too many years before I qualify for this show, so I better start working on both my routine and my smokey eye.
- LGBTQ+ book clubs bring lit-loving queers together — It was a pleasure to appear at a historic publication like The Advocate, where I wrote about the Little Gay Book Club and other queer book clubs. I also read about 20 books with the club this year.
- A Texas town killed off its diversity committee after Proud Boys marched against it — In my first for LGBTQ Nation, I wrote about the attempts to erase support for pride and diversity in a North Texas suburb.
Other life news: I got an ebike
In April, I took some of my severance from the Observer and used it to purchase an ebike. As of this writing, I’ve put about 1800 miles on it, just traveling around the city. I can easily understand how they’ve become the fastest growing category of electric vehicle. This bike has improved my health, my social life, and enabled my work in new ways. Oh and if you’re in Austin, you should know about the ebike rebate, too.
As always, if you appreciate my work, the best thing you can do is share it with a friend. You can also support me on Patreon—it makes a big difference, especially during the holidays when my editors are on vacation.
