Qmmunity: Hot Gay Summer

To whom it definitely concerns, hot gay summer continues apace despite evil outside forces’ best attempts. Yeah, I mean, the horrors continue – homophobia and transphobia growing like weeds through society’s sidewalk cracks, making navigation harder and tripping and chipping a tooth a definite possibility. But most LGBTQ folks I know wear big-ass boots and heels, the perfect weapon for stomping down smear campaigns, unfaithful “allies,” and closeted cowards who care more about power than people. In totally unrelated news, did you hear about a certain senator with a very specific accent who died this weekend? Crazy stuff. Sometimes life does find a way. 

Topic switcheroo time: Austin Pride’s opened up their performer submission form. Want your name shouted over the Fiesta Gardens lawn? Your face highlighted by a million rainbow flags, necklaces, and free condom wrappers? Well, this might be your year! Submit your performance plans through AP’s Google form to be entered into their “lottery system,” which is how the festival stage show slots get filled. There are a few rules to abide by, like no nudity (bummer), no glitter or fire (double bummer), and no more than four backup dancers (bummer boogie), but otherwise the stage is yours, girl. Take a freakin’ chance, why don’t ya?

Hair today, gone tomorrow: Local gay-owned barbershop Scruff’s is closing their South First locale and consolidating all that snippin’ know-how to their flagship on East Fifth. But this isn’t the closing of one door; it’s the opening wider of a different door, as Scruff’s says their original Fifth venue “has been curated to create the best version of the Scruff’s experience.” If you had a standing appointment to get your beard, bouffant, or bald head tended to, it’ll be moved over to the now singular spot. 

Frequent name on – and winner of – the Best Tarot Reader/Psychic category Angeliska Polacheck, aka Sister Temperance Tarot, has an upcoming gallery show – but not for their own work. In “Double Eternity: A Maggie Cook Polacheck Retrospective,” Angeliska’s working with Blackfeather Gallery to uplift their mother’s influential art career with her psychedelic pieces as well as archival scrapbooks capturing a specific moment in Austin’s countercultural history. While the show’s not until early August, Angeliska is opening a Kickstarter campaign to help fund both the show and a companion book by the same name. Donate if you’re able!

Here’s hoping your July gets better or stays sweet, Reader. And if neither option’s open, just make sure you get your sunscreen on. Don’t want to add a sunburn on top of other problems. 

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This article appears in July 17 • 2026.

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