June 21st 2023 Queer Voices - Harris County Attorney Office of LGBT Issues, Menil Drawing Institute, activist Andrew Edmonson

Harris County Attorney's Office LGBT issues -- Gay artist Gray Foy -- Andrew  Edmonson Honorary Grand Marshal

We speak with Roxanne Werner, director of communications Harris County Attorney, about the challenges facing LGBT residents of Harris County coming from the Texas legislature.  As the Harris County Attorney, Christian D. Menefee is the chief civil lawyer for the largest county in Texas. He manages an office of 250+ attorneys and staff who represent the county, its 60 elected officials, and its 18,000+ employees in all civil matters and lawsuits. Elected at 32 years old, he is the youngest person and the first African-American to serve as Harris County Attorney.

Guest: Roxanne Werner
https://cao.harriscountytx.gov/

Then we speak with Kirsten Marples, curator of the Menil Drawing Institute, about the work gay Texas artist Gray Fox.  Between the 1940s and 1970s, American artist Gray Foy (1922–2012) created a body of extraordinarily meticulous drawings, most often rendered in graphite on paper. This exhibition celebrates two recent gifts that have made the Menil Collection the foremost repository of Foy’s work. Intrigued by Surrealism and Magic Realism as a young artist, Foy characterized his artistic method as “hyper-realism.” His exacting technique—which required intense concentration and even months to complete a single drawing—rewards sustained looking. The exhibition spans the entirety of Foy’s career, from his early Surrealist compositions to his later inventive botanical and geological renderings. Also included are a selection of the artist’s commercial illustrations, which will be displayed publicly for the first time. 

Hyperreal: Gray Foy is curated by Kirsten Marples, Curatorial Associate, Menil Drawing Institute.

Guest: Kirsten Marples
https://www.menil.org/exhibitions/367-hyperreal-gray-foy

Finally, we speak with Andrew Edmonson about his being named as the 2023 Honorary Grand Marshal.  Andrew Edmonson has fought for the civil rights of LBGTQ Texans, against anti-gay violence, and championed the rights of people living with HIV. He's reported for OutSmart Magazine and the Houston Chronicle, covering key issues impacting the LGBTQ community.

Guest: Andrew Edmonson
https://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2023/06/pride-houston-365-announces-2023-grand-marshals/

Queer Voices airs in Houston Texas on 90.1FM KPFT and is heard as a podcast here. Queer Voices hopes to entertain as well as illuminate LGBTQ issues in Houston and beyond. Check out our socials at:

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Chapters

• 1:41 Harris County Attorney's Office
• 20:14 Gay artist Gray Fox
• 33:59 Andrew Edmonson Honorary Grand Marshal