We, the undersigned, request that The City of Houston and the Montrose TIRZ 27 (Montrose Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) integrate Montrose LGBTQ+ history into the landscape design of the upcoming $54 million Montrose Boulevard redevelopment and the $24 million Westheimer/Elgin projects.

Integrating this critical history into the redevelopment design would be achieved by placing historical milestones of the Montrose LGBTQ+ community into plaques installed into the paving, applied to pedestrian light posts, or integrated into the proposed landscaping retaining walls. The information contained in these plaques would include major historical milestones in the LGBTQ community in Montrose using available references [1] [2] [7]

Montrose has a rich history in the LGBTQ+ community. As more developments are built in the area, the neighborhood’s character needs to be preserved for its architectural value and history, which has characterized what we know as the “heart of Houston.” 

Montrose was founded in 1911 as a residential area [3]. In the late 1970s, Montrose became the face of not only gay culture but the gay liberation movement in Houston, taking on the name “gayborhood.” [3]. By then, Montrose had an estimated 30 to 40 gay bars [4]. In June 1977, LGBTQ advocate Ray Hill organized a rally to protest singer and anti-gay activist Anita Bryant visiting the city, marking the beginning of the gay liberation movement in Montrose [4]. 

The 1980s brought both progress and challenges to the LGBTQ community in Montrose. In 1982, Houston voters passed an anti-gay referendum that rescinded the protective rights ordinance passed by the Houston City Council under the Whitmire administration [4]. During this time, AIDS also became a devastating epidemic in the LGBTQ+ community, with Montrose being one of the hardest-hit areas in Houston [4]. 

Despite the challenges of the 1980s, Montrose continued to be an epicenter for the LGBTQ+ community in Houston. In 1997, Houston elected its first openly gay city council member, Annise Parker, a then Montrose resident, who later became the first openly gay mayor of a major U.S. city [4]. 

Montrose has also been the site of many significant LGBTQ events. The first official Houston Pride Parade was held in Montrose on July 1, 1979 [5]. In 1990, the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt was displayed in Houston, with part of the quilt exhibited in Montrose [6]. In recent years, Montrose has hosted various LGBTQ events, including the annual Houston Pride Festival and Parade [4], which has been hosted for 40 years. 

Therefore, we urge the City of Houston and Montrose TIRZ 27 to take steps to recognize and honor Montrose's LGBTQ+ history by including information on historical milestones in the LGBTQ community in Montrose on the plaques installed in the paving, applied to pedestrian light posts, or integrated into the proposed landscaping retaining walls.

References: 

[1] Snellgrove, R. A Community of Heroes: The Homosexual Rights Movement in Houston.

[2] Doyle, JD. Fernandez, S. The Banner Project. 
 
[3] Jones, D.  A brief history of Houston’s Montrose ‘gayborhood’. CoogLife Magazine, August 25, 2018

[4] O’Neal, M.  The “Gayborhoods” of Texas. Texas Highways Magazine. June 16, 2021

[5] Wolf, B.  A Brief History of Houston Pride. Outsmart Magazine June 8, 2018 

[6] AIDS: Houston's Response. Houston Heritage Society GLBT Exhibit, Summer 2015 

[7] Montrose Livable Places Study. Feb 26, 2021. Page 48.