STEP South Texas Equality Project

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South Texas Equality Project creates spaces & collaborations to celebrate, support, educate, & advocate for LGBTQIA+ & other marginalized communities in the Rio Grande Valley of South TX. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

We are so excited to announce our next 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients: Lizette! Every year, STEP giv...
10/09/2026

We are so excited to announce our next 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients: Lizette! Every year, STEP gives scholarships to q***r, trans, and ally students from the RGV. This year, with the help of our incredible sponsors, we are able to grant TEN scholarships!

Lizette shared with us how she hopes to use her education in business to make meaningful change in our community.

In her words:

"Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley as a young le***an, I witnessed the interconnections of culture, tradition, and identity in our region. Our area is extremely rich in terms of its cultural diversity and family-oriented traditions. However, those structures may make it hard for LGBTQIA+ youth to find their place."

"Young people should see that successful and proud q***r individuals do exist in their home-town."

"But awareness is only one side of the process. The real elimination stigma requires socioeconomic and political empowerment. Being a first-generation student going for my degree in Business Management, I am well aware that economic security is an essential part of shifting community dynamics. Economic vulnerability is one of the reasons why minorities cannot raise their voices. LGBTQIA+ youth from disadvantaged families face double oppression from the system."

"To overcome these barriers, I am going to use my college experience to create economic opportunities for q***r individuals. Acquiring skills in organizational leadership, logistics, and business development, my long-term professional goal is to found a socially responsible company that would prioritize the employment, mentoring, and professional growth of q***r people. I plan to use my business opportunities to organize collaborative networking systems for LGBTQIA+ professionals to help young entrepreneurs get connected and empowered."

"Empowering the LGBTQIA+ community in the Rio Grande Valley means removing the necessity for a person to choose between their culture
and identity. It means transforming the region into an area where diversity will be acknowledged as an integral part of our community."

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ RGV LGBTQ+ Support Group 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈📅 Wednesday, Oct 14th | 6 - 9 PM🌐 7:00 PM via Zoom📍 Must RSVP for Address | ...
10/07/2026

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ RGV LGBTQ+ Support Group 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

📅 Wednesday, Oct 14th | 6 - 9 PM
🌐 7:00 PM via Zoom
📍 Must RSVP for Address | Downtown McAllen
💌 RSVP: bit.ly/STEPOUT2026

Come out and celebrate National Coming Out Day with us! Expect Pride flag crafting, free food, RGV LGBTQ+ History Exhibit display, community and disscussion group. Share your coming out story, poetry, and more at this special RGV LGBTQ+ Support Group event!

✉️ Email [email protected] or message us on social media to RSVP!

The RGV LGBTQ+ Support Group has been a biweekly safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to meet, converse, network and find/offer support. A collaboration of STEP and Mariposa Wellness Center, PLLC. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

We are so excited to announce our next 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients: Abiel! Every year, STEP gives...
10/07/2026

We are so excited to announce our next 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients: Abiel! Every year, STEP gives scholarships to q***r, trans, and ally students from the RGV. This year, with the help of our incredible sponsors, we are able to grant TEN scholarships!

Abiel shares with us what being an ally means to him and how hopes to pursue a career in healthcare to "to contribute to a more accepting Rio Grande Valley and a society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive."

In his words:

"Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley, I have learned that communities become stronger when every person feels respected, valued, and accepted."

"As an ally, I believe supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals begins with recognizing the importance of empathy, education, and creating spaces where people can be their authentic selves. While I have not held a formal leadership position specifically within an LGBTQIA+ organization, I have worked to promote acceptance through my everyday actions, leadership roles, and commitment to serving others....everyone deserves to feel included and accepted."

My experiences in healthcare have also strengthened my commitment to advocacy. Through my Medical Assistant program and volunteering, I have seen how important it is for people to feel safe and respected when seeking help. LGBTQIA+ individuals can face unique barriers and stigma, especially in healthcare settings. As a future healthcare professional, I want to contribute to a system where patients are treated with dignity regardless of their identity. I believe healthcare should be a place of trust, compassion, and acceptance for everyone. In the Rio Grande Valley, I hope to continue promoting awareness by encouraging conversations about acceptance and challenging stereotypes when I encounter them. Advocacy does not always require a title or position; it can happen through speaking up, educating others, and showing support for individuals who may feel marginalized."

"Being an ally is an ongoing commitment. It requires listening, learning, and taking action when others need support."

Recap of TENT Trans Texas Takeover in McAllen! 🏳️‍⚧️Our space was filled with trans joy, powerful discussions, and testi...
10/06/2026

Recap of TENT Trans Texas Takeover in McAllen! 🏳️‍⚧️

Our space was filled with trans joy, powerful discussions, and testimony trainings provided by TENT. It’s a reminder of our duty to strengthen trans ally ship & advocacy in our area 💪🏽🏳️‍⚧️🙌🏽 Can’t wait for the next collab with TENT!! 🫶🏽

Thank you to everyone who participated & helped make the event possible! Shoutout to 📚 for leading the zine making portion! ✂️🗒️

Checkout Gabriel Sanchez new exhibit and stock up on FREE items provided by South Texans for Reproductive Justice at our new shared space! 🥳🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈🫶🏽

P.S. thank you Trucha RGV for letting us borrow their chairs to have enough seating for the training 😝

In honor of both spooky season and LGBTQ+ history month, our book for October is The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark by...
10/04/2026

In honor of both spooky season and LGBTQ+ history month, our book for October is The Only Safe Place Left is the Dark by Warren Wagner.

Join us on Friday, October 30th to discuss this gem of a novella.

In The Only Safe Place Left Is The Dark, an HIV positive gay man must leave the relative safety of his cabin in the woods to brave a zombie apocalypse after running out of the medication he needs to stay alive.

In an alternate history that branches off from the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, the United States is beset by a Zombie apocalypse. Some HIV+ people are immune to being turned into zombies- giving them an advantage in this new world. Quinton- who has been closed off to the world since losing his partner to AIDS related comp;lications, must brave the zombies when his medication runs out.

The book weaves the real history of the AIDS crisis with horror, making it a perfect selection for both LGBTQ+ Hsitory Month and spooky season.

Check out the post for content slides.

We will have FREE books available for pick up and drop off in the McAllen and Brownville areas! DM us if you want a copy.

Haven’t joined our discord yet? DM us to be added!

We are so excited to announce our next 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients: Nat! Every year, STEP gives s...
10/02/2026

We are so excited to announce our next 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients: Nat! Every year, STEP gives scholarships to q***r, trans, and ally students from the RGV. This year, with the help of our incredible sponsors, we are able to grant TEN scholarships!

Nat shared with us how having to hide parts of herself helped forge her commitment to  help others going through the same struggles.

In her words:

"Growing up as a q***r athlete in a conservative school shaped me deeply... High school was the first time I realized I was being asked to make a compromise no one should ever have to make. Being myself could cost me belonging, safety, and acceptance. Instead of risking that loss, I hid who I was. I tried to blend in...Over time, I realized I could either continue shrinking myself to fit other people’s expectations or choose to live honestly, even if it meant facing discomfort. This taught me how deeply stigma can shape a young q***r person’s life."

"Since then, my advocacy has been quiet but intentional: creating safety for others who aren’t ready to be fully out, offering understanding where I once needed it, and showing people in my community that they are not alone."

"I am still the same caring, reliable, steady person I’ve always been, I just happen to be q***r, too. Learning to hold both of those truths at once...has shaped the way I support others who feel the same pressure to hide."

"I want to transform my lived experiences into meaningful advocacy for LGBTQ+ youth and adults in the Rio Grande Valley. I plan to pursue counseling to support individuals facing the same pressures and fears that shaped my adolescence. I want to be the person I needed when I was younger, someone who understands the cultural, familial, and emotional weight that comes with being q***r in a conservative environment. I also hope to create safe recreational spaces for LGBTQ+ athletic youth... programs where young athletes can compete, grow, and belong without sacrificing their identity. I hope to empower q***r youth to live authentically and confidently, without the fear that once held me back."

🚨‼️ MOVED TO OCT 23 FOR WEATHER. ‼️🚨Cameron County folks, it’s your turn! 👀 Join us at Be-Pro Repro on Oct 23rd at the S...
10/01/2026

🚨‼️ MOVED TO OCT 23 FOR WEATHER. ‼️🚨
Cameron County folks, it’s your turn! 👀 Join us at Be-Pro Repro on Oct 23rd at the South Texas Environmental Justice Network space 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
Last Be-Pro Repro Fair was a blast, and we’re ready to continue the convo on accessible health services in Brownsville. 🙌🏽 Come for the community orgs, raffle prizes, birth control info, or the amazing swag ❤️‍🔥
Flyer by friends at Trucha RGV 🫶🏽

We are so excited to announce our 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients! Every year, STEP gives scholarship...
10/01/2026

We are so excited to announce our 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients! Every year, STEP gives scholarships to q***r, trans, and ally students from the RGV who have made an impact on our community and are taking the next steps in their educational journeys. This year, with the help of our incredible sponsors, we are able to grant TEN scholarships and we will be celebrating the recipients in the next few days.

We are so excited to announce our next recipient: Sara!

Sara is a q***r Chicana who is double majoring in English and Philosophy while also getting a minor in Mexican American Studies. She has been an active member of organizations like LUCHA (La Union Chicana de Hijxs de Aztlan, which promotes the cultural heritage of Mexican and Mexican American communities) and OUT in STEM (which creates a space for LGBTQ+ students planning to go into STEM fields).

This year, she was a co-organizer of the inaugural Ethnic Studies Humanities Conference at UTRGV. She worked to make sure there was a panel dedicated to q***r identity. In her words: "the students in this panel presented on topics such as q***r Chicanx identity, q***r Latinx representation in young adult literature, and genderfluid expression in Vocaloid music. By highlighting the voices of my fellow q***r/LGBTQIA+ students in our
conference, not only did we enrich the conference as a whole, we also gave the students an opportunity to share their research in LGBTQIA+ studies."

Sara also made sure that there was a space for pronouns and chosen names on the conference registration.

In these spaces, she has worked to create visibility and conversations focused - in her words- "on what it’s like to be both q***r and Mexican American – the heteronormative expectations inherited from both Mexican culture and white American culture, and how the fight for q***r liberation is interconnected with and very much a part of the fight for Mexican American and Chicanx liberation."

"I’ve worked very hard throughout my undergraduate career to promote awareness and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people because I firmly believe that the fight for q***r liberation is a fight for human rights."

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ RGV LGBTQ+ Support Group 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈📅 Wednesday, Sept 30th🌐 7:00 PM via Zoom💭 Topic: Open TopicThe session’s top...
09/28/2026

🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ RGV LGBTQ+ Support Group 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈

📅 Wednesday, Sept 30th
🌐 7:00 PM via Zoom
💭 Topic: Open Topic

The session’s topic is an Open Topic! We invite you to share what’s on your mind, ask curious questions, learn more about LGBTQIA+ topics, and explore different aspects of mental health in our lives.

✉️ Email [email protected] or message us on social media to RSVP!

The RGV LGBTQ+ Support Group has been a biweekly safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to meet, converse, network and find/offer support. A collaboration of STEP and Mariposa Wellness Center, PLLC. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

We are so excited to continue celebrating our 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients! Every year, STEP gives...
09/23/2026

We are so excited to continue celebrating our 2026 STEP LGBTQ+ Initiative Scholarship recipients! Every year, STEP gives scholarships to q***r, trans, and ally students from the RGV who have made an impact on our community and are taking the next steps in their educational journeys. This year, with the help of our incredible sponsors, we are able to grant TEN scholarships!

Our next scholarship recipient is Emily A. Emily graduated from high school in McAllen and is currently majoring in public health on a nursing track. Outside of that, she is also currently working on her pilot's license.

Emily shared with us why she feels visibility and representation are so important and how she hopes to use her education to advocate for our community.

In her words:

"Being pansexual has given me a personal understanding of why representation and acceptance matter. LGBTQIA+ issues are not just topics I care about, they are part of my everyday life."

"I have been fortunate to grow up with a mother who has always been supportive...I recognize that many LGBTQIA+ people do not have the
same support system.  It should be the standard. Every LGBTQIA + person deserves to feel accepted, valued, and safe in the community. This has motivated me to advocate for greater awareness, acceptance, and opportunities for LGBTQIA+ plus individuals, especially in the Rio Grande Valley."

"LGBTQIA+ individuals deserve to see themselves represented in schools, workplace leadership positions, and community events. Representation sends a message that being LGBTQIA+ is nothing to be ashamed of and that everyone deserves a place in the community and the RGV where some people may feel pressure to hide their identities, greater visibility can help young people feel less isolated and more confident about being themselves."

"The Rio Grande Valley is a diverse and vibrant region, and will be stronger when all people are treated with dignity and respect. We can reduce stigma and build a more inclusive RGV. I hope to use my college education to contribute to that progress and help ensure that future generations of LGBTQIA+ individuals can live openly and confidently without fear of discrimination."

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Edinburg, TX
78542

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