Houston has a large and diverse LGBT population and is home to the 4th largest gay pride parade in the nation. Houston has the largest LGBT population of any city in the state of Texas.

History According to Ray Hill, a Montrose resident quoted in the Houston Press, before the 1970s, the city's gay bars were spread around Downtown Houston and what is now Midtown Houston. Gays and lesbians needed to have a place to socialize after the closing of the gay bars. They began going to Art Wren, a 24-hour restaurant in Montrose, a community of empty nesters and widows. LGBT community members were attracted to Montrose as a neighborhood after encountering it while patronizing Art Wren, and they began to gentrify the neighborhood and assist the widows with the maintenance of their houses. Within Montrose, new gay bars began to open.Oaklander, Mandy. "The Mayor of Montrose." Houston Press. 18 May 2011. 2. Retrieved on May 18, 2011. By 1985, the flavor and politics of the neighborhood were heavily influenced by the LGBT community. and in 1990, according to Hill, 19% of the residents of Montrose were LGBT. Paul Broussard was murdered in Montrose in 1991.

In the 2000s many LGBT individuals began moving to Westbury and several began referring to it as "Little Montrose".Holley, Peter, John Lomax, and Todd Spoth. "25 Hottest Neighborhoods" (Archive). Houstonia. June 1, 2013. Retrieved on November 2, 2015. By 2009 some were also moving to Riverside Terrace.Shilcutt, Katharine. "Houston 101: The Forgotten Mansions of Riverside Terrace." Houston Press. Friday August 28, 2009. Retrieved on November 2, 2015. By 2011 many LGBT people moved to the Houston Heights and to suburbs in Greater Houston, and according to Hill, possibly less than 8% of Montrose's population was LGBT. Decentralization of Houston's LGBT population with the increasing LGBT acceptance in the city caused business at gay bars in Montrose to decline. Hill stated that "Gay bars used to be places where we had to go to get refuge because we were not welcome anywhere else. Well, guess what? There's nowhere we're not welcome anymore."Oaklander, Mandy. "The Mayor of Montrose." Houston Press. 18 May 2011. 4. Retrieved on May 18, 2011. The suburbs especially attracting gays are Pearland, Sugar Land, and Missouri City.

In February 2015 a 17-year-old gay student at Lutheran High School North reported that the school forced him to leave since he refused to take down YouTube videos discussing his sexuality.Hastings, Deborah. "Houston 17-year-old says Lutheran school booted him for coming out of the closet." New York Daily News. Saturday February 7, 2015. Retrieved on February 10, 2015. The school's executive director, Wayne Kramer, referred to the student handbook, which stated: "Lutheran High North reserves the right, within its sole discretion, to refuse admission of an applicant and/or to discontinue enrollment of a current student participating in, promoting, supporting or condoning: pornography, sexual immorality, homosexual activity or bisexual activity".Wright, John. "Houston School Responds To Gay Student's Viral Video." Texas Observer. Thursday February 5, 2015. Retrieved on February 10, 2015.

In 2023 Houston had one lesbian bar left, Pearl. That year, according to Julie Mabry, who owns the bar, an underwriter for an insurance company told her that because the bar had drag performances, the company would not allow her to buy insurance for the business.

In 2025 the State of Texas ordered the destruction of the rainbow crosswalks in Montrose.

Economy Jordan Blum of the Houston Chronicle stated in 2016 that levels of LGBT acceptance and discrimination vary throughout the Houston energy industry. Around the 1990s BP, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell, and several other companies offered benefits and protection to LGBT employees equal to that of straight employees. According to Blum many LGBT-identifying persons told him that several companies have cultures non-supportive of LGBT-identifying persons and that some had "described thinly veiled or blatant discrimination."Blum, Jordan. "In energy sector, coming out 'can put you at risk'." Houston Chronicle. January 16, 2016. Retrieved on March 3, 2016. Blum stated that "In many ways, the energy sector mirrors Houston's dual identities - the diverse, innovative, big-business urban image clashing with a conservative culture, deeply rooted in Christian faith."

Institutions

The Montrose Center is an LGBT community center located in the Montrose district of Houston.

The center in 2019 began the establishment of a senior center in the Third Ward.

Politics and activism

Michael Ennis of the Texas Monthly stated in 1980 that within Texas, "gay political inroads" were "most visible" in Houston.Ennis, Michael. "What do these Rugged Texas He-Men Have in Common?". Texas Monthly. June 1980. Volume 8, No. 6. ISSN 0148-7736. Start page: 107. Cited: p. 213. Retrieved from Google Books on May 9, 2014. In the October 1979 Village Voice Richard Goldstein wrote that due to the perceived threat from the "Christian right" in the area, gay people in Houston "take politics more seriously" than those in New York City.

The Marriage of Billie Ert and Antonio Molina, the first gay marriage in Texas, took place in 1972, although it was later voided by the Texas Attorney General.

In 1978, Steve Shifflet, a former Young Republican, became the head of the Houston Gay Political Caucus (HGPC). He advocated for using bloc-voting so gay people could get their preferred candidates. That year, the LGBT bloc-voted to put Mickey Leland in the Congressional seat formerly held by Barbara Jordan, and Leland personally thanked the HGPC.Ennis, Michael. "What do these Rugged Texas He-Men Have in Common?". Texas Monthly. June 1980. Volume 8, No. 6. ISSN 0148-7736. Start page: 107. Cited: p. 213-214. Retrieved from Google Books on May 9, 2014.

In 1979, Montrose became included in a single-member Houston City Council district and therefore increasing LGBT political representation.Ennis, Michael. "What do these Rugged Texas He-Men Have in Common?". Texas Monthly. June 1980. Volume 8, No. 6. ISSN 0148-7736. Start page: 107. Cited: p. 214. Retrieved from Google Books on May 9, 2014.

In 1980, Montrose was in Texas Legislative District 79. That year, Ennis stated that according to "[l]ocal politicians" the district "will now go the way the gay vote goes."

In the fall 1979 election for Houston City Council, Eleanor Tinsley, a liberal, and Frank Mann, a conservative, competed for an at-large city council district. Tinsley attracted LGBT voters while Mann referred to them as "oddwads and queers" as a way of polarizing those opposing the LGBT community into voting for him. Due to the support of the LGBT community, Tinsley defeated Mann.

In 2002, voters in the City of Houston had passed Proposition 2, which outlawed the city government from giving same-sex partners of municipal employees benefits.Quittner, Jeremy. "Odd Man Out at Enron." The Advocate. Here Publishing, October 15, 2002. No. 874 ISSN 0001-8996. p. 30. Retrieved from Google Books on May 10, 2014.

In 2010, Annise Parker, a lesbian woman, was voted Mayor of Houston, making that city the first large American city to vote an openly homosexual person as a mayor. "Annise Danette Parker was elected mayor of Houston on Saturday, winning her seventh consecutive city election and becoming both the first contender in a generation to defeat the hand-picked candidate of Houston's business establishment and the first openly gay person to lead a major U.S. city." "Houston became the largest city in the United States to elect an openly gay mayor on Saturday night, as voters gave a solid victory to the city controller, Annise Parker." This made Parker the LGBT official in the United States with the largest constituency.Haider-Markel, Donald P. and Chelsie Lynn Moore Bright. "Lesbian Candidates and Officeholders" (Chapter 15). In: Thomas, Sue and Clyde Wilcox (editors). Women and Elective Office: Past, Present, and Future. Oxford University Press, January 1, 2014. Start page 253. , 9780199328734. Cited: p. 255. Parker had been elected to political offices in the city government six previous times. Miguel Bustillo of The Wall Street Journal stated that this occurred "with little controversy over her sexual preference". "But voters here have largely dismissed the issue as insignificant, even though she could become the first openly lesbian mayor of a major American city. Ms. Parker, a city controller who has been elected to local office six times with little controversy over her sexual preference, is the leading candidate in Saturday's election runoff."

The Houston Equal Rights Ordinance (HERO) gave transgender women the right to use women's restrooms. Christian groups opposed the ordinance. Opponents gathered 50,000 votes on a petition to have it recalled.Du, Susan. "Mayor Annise Parker Looks Forward to Tossing Out Anti-HERO Petition" ( ). Houston Press. Friday July 4, 2012. Retrieved on July 7, 2014. The voting base rejected HERO in November 2015.Lozano, Juan A. "Houston LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance rejected by voters ." Associated Press. November 4, 2015. Retrieved on November 4, 2015.

Buddy's, in 2020, was the first gay bar in the state where people did voting. The bar closed in 2024.

Media OutSmart is a monthly LGBT magazine in Houston.Guerra, Joey. "OutSmart Magazine organizes celebration party in Houston" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. June 26, 2013. Retrieved on September 25, 2014. In 2008 the Houston Press ranked it the "Best Local Magazine.""Best Local Magazine (2008) OutSmart " (Archive). Houston Press. Retrieved on September 28, 2015.

KPFT held radio programs for LGBT topics starting in the 1970s. In 2024 two archivists engaged in preservation of the archives of these programs.

Culture

In previous eras, gay people in the area attended gay rock and roll clubs. By 1980, gay Houstonians were still going to disco clubs, while among straight people disco was a fad.Ennis, Michael. "What do these Rugged Texas He-Men Have in Common?". Texas Monthly. June 1980. Volume 8, No. 6. ISSN 0148-7736. Start page: 107. Cited: p. 210. Retrieved from Google Books on May 9, 2014.

Charles Armstrong owns four gay clubs in Houston,Oaklander, Mandy. "The Mayor of Montrose." Houston Press. 18 May 2011. 1. Retrieved on May 10, 2014. with two of them being South Beach and Montrose Mining Company;Oaklander, Mandy. "The Mayor of Montrose." Houston Press. 18 May 2011. 2. Retrieved on May 10, 2014. Mandy Oaklander of the Houston Press wrote in 2011 that Armstrong's clubs were "the most successful clubs in Houston's gay scene".

In 2002 Jeremy Quittner of The Advocate wrote that "it would seem" one could be prevented from being in the "superelite" of Houston for being homosexual;Quittner, Jeremy. "Odd Man Out at Enron." The Advocate. Here Publishing, October 15, 2002. No. 874 ISSN 0001-8996. p. 31. Retrieved from Google Books on May 10, 2014. he stated this in reference to Michael J. Kopper, the chief assistant of Enron CFO Andrew Fastow.

The Gay Men's Chorus of Houston is the premier predominately gay male chorus in the Houston metro. The men's chorus was founded in 1979 and has a predominately lesbian counterpart known as the Bayou City Women's Chorus. The women's chorus was established in 2005.

"Out at the Rodeo" week is held annually at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March. During this week, there are several events acknowledging and celebrating the LGBT community in conjunction with the festival.