On Tuesday, November 21, 200 community members gathered at the Montrose Center for the 2023 TGiving Transgender Thanksgiving Celebration, an annual tradition started in the mid-1990s by late transgender activist Brenda Thomas. Thank you to each person who attended the event for participating and celebrating Thanksgiving in community. This year’s event was co-hosted by the Montrose Center, Allies in Hope, Femme Forward, Impulse Group Houston, The Normal Anomaly Initative, and Trans Masculine Alliance Houston.
We want to express our sincerest gratitude towards our Presenting Sponsor, the Pete & Thomas Foundation established by Megan Thee Stallion, for their generous support of the event. Our guests were genuinely touched to have such a prominent ally of the queer community contribute to our mission of empowering LGBTQ+ Houston.
The tradition of TGiving provides a safe and affirming space for Houston’s transgender, nonbinary, intersex, and gender nonconforming individuals, and their loved ones, to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. In the spirit of giving thanks, we want to show appreciation to our amazing sponsors and community partners who assisted in enhancing this year’s event, making sure each of our guests left with a pleasant experience.
Huge thanks to Legacy Events & Catering for the delicious catered meal and Paul & Leon Guillory for underwriting the costs of the food, which included turkey, traditional Thanksgiving sides, plus vegan options. Thank you to Sinfull Bakery for the delicious vegan treats and to the many community members who brought desserts. Thank you to Chevron and Mabrie Memorial Mortuary for your generous donations, which covered the costs of the event.
It was a wonderful evening of community, fun, and togetherness. Local trans icons, the legendary Roxanne Collins, reigning Miss Gay USofA Porsche Paris, and the formidable Ian Syder Blake, inspired our guests with stories of triumph and hope. Thank you to DJ Fanci for keeping the party festive, to Houston Queer Events for donating decorations, and to KC Divine Creations and Tommie Ross for underwriting the beautiful flowers. Volunteers groups from Chevron, Accenture, and JPMorgan Chase & Co. ensured that our guests had everything they needed.
Attendees were sent home with swag bags filled with self-care items and other fun surprises. Thank you to Academy Sports + Outdoors and Capital One for donating goodies for the bags! We also had some great door prizes, including Aesop toiletries, gas gift cards, and tickets on Southwest Airlines.
The event benefits the Montrose Center’s newly launched TransWellness program, which assists transgender clients through their transition, as well as providing education to local businesses on the treatment of trans individuals. To learn more about the program, please click here.
With 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ people experiencing food insecurity, the Montrose Center provides hunger relief support year-round. At TGiving, we offered a Holiday Food Box to those in need. Each box contained the fixings for a large holiday meal for a family, including Thanksgiving staples like corn, green beans, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and much more. Huge thanks to JPMorgan Chase & Co. for donating the food for the boxes!
Thank you again to our amazing and generous sponsors who made this special evening possible!
Presenting Sponsor
Pete & Thomas Foundation
Events Sponsors
Paul & Leon Guillory
Chevron
Mabrie Memorial Mortuary
Tommie Ross
In-Kind Donations
Academy Sports + Outdoors
Accenture
Capital One
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Houston Queer Events
KC Divine Creations
Legacy Events & Catering
Sinfull Bakery
Southwest Airlines
Community Partners
Allies in Hope
Femme Forward
Impulse Group Houston
The Normal Anomaly Initiative
Trans Masculine Alliance Houston
Photo Gallery
Please enjoy these photos of our guests at the event. Thank you again to everyone who attended!